This month’s winner is a yard with a different kind of bloom—a bloom of community. Let’s congratulate David and Michaela Nation at 435 E. 50th Street, otherwise known as “The Surf Shack.”

Most of us have seen it and wondered, “What is that?” Some of us have experienced it firsthand: a funky little shack where neighbors come together. When the couple moved here from New York City just months before the pandemic, they weren’t sure what to do with the garage—should it be torn down or restored?

David had a vision. While the world came almost to a halt, the garage became his project. Not knowing many people in the area, David wanted to create a place where neighbors could meet. The Ardsley Park Surf Shack became exactly that—a place to hear local bands and share meals with friends and neighbors.

Everything you see on the shack has a local connection: the artwork, the signs paying homage to our nearby islands, and even the sticker collection covering the door. The mural of children splashing in the water was created by Jessica Liang, who studied art at SCAD. She also painted the tropical sunset scenes that face the backyard.

These beach lovers even created an outdoor shower that’s a work of art—organic soap only! And if you’re wondering whether a deck can be art, David would say yes. Once again collaborating with a local artist, Julie McGahee, he helped transform the deck into a painted map of Savannah. In fact, it may just be the largest map of our city.

Our town—and our neighborhood—are truly unique. The saying “bloom where you’re planted” comes to mind, but here we’re reminded that there are many different kinds of blooms. Hats off to this creative community space and the visionaries who made it possible.