an Arcadia Haver Hood By Amanda Goossen Photographs by Mike Baxter, Baxter Imaging

“It’s a romantic attitude toward architecture that makes you fall in love with a Haver home,” said Christina Surrano, Arcadia resident and proud owner of a Ralph Haver home tucked away off Indian School Road. For Surrano, it was love at first site. Growing up in North Central Phoenix, Surrano moved to Arcadia fourteen years ago. “I wanted to live in an area that had a real sense of neighborhood and community,” said Surrano. “To me, Arcadia was that place.” Five years ago, when Surrano was looking for a new home, she began renting this quaint, structurally unique space and knew she had to stay. The former owners, however, also loved the home and neighborhood. Selling wasn’t an easy decision. Three blocks of Haver homes, complete with three original owners and numerous longtime residents, the community was tight-knit and extraordinary. “Our neighborhood has parties together and we look after each other’s pets and homes while traveling, we borrow and lend things, help each other with projects and often enjoy spontaneous visits in the street or front yards precipitated by coincidental dog walks,” said Surrano. “There isn’t one neighbor in our little horseshoe that I wouldn’t drop everything to help and I have called on many of them to help me. As soon as I experienced the neighborhood as a renter, I wanted a sense of permanence here,” said Surrano. Between the neighborhood and the architecture, Surrano was hooked. “I had to convince my reluctant landlords to sell to me.” “A Haver house attracts a certain type of person, one who is passionate about design and is willing to be somewhat impractical about it, paying more than the Continued on page 12