Back in December last year, I asked Jen Arbo, New Westminster's Citizen of the Year and Editor of Tenth to the Fraser, to give us some of her latest recommendations on her community and on the social media front. Her answers were included in one of our Facebook posts here, but we decided to make it available on our blog as well, just in case some of you missed it!

 

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Reasons We Love New Westminster - December 13, 2016 · 

The Rundown Project - We ask residents to give us their current favourites and current recommendations for their community. The first up is the Sapperton Resident, Editor of Tenth to the Fraser and recently declared New Westminster Citizen of the Year - Jen Arbo

 

INSTAGRAM: I spend time looking at terrariums online and usually follow a variety of hashtags to find those like #bottlegardens #terrariums #tinyworlds

 

FAVOURITE BEER: There is no way on this earth I can pick only one. Currently, I’m loving sour beers and am so pleased to see so many breweries get on board to make one. I like pretty much everything Driftwood Brewery(Victoria), Dageraad Brewing(Burnaby), and Four Winds Brewing Co. (Delta) produce and I think the beers and staff at New West’s own Steel & Oak Brewing Co. are amazing.

 

FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD: I love that my neighbourhood is right beside Hume Park, which is what I’d rank as the best park in New West. I know splashy Queen’s Park gets a lot of love, and the Westminster Pier Park is award winning and a great place to take your tourist friends, but Hume Park is a gem. It features walking trails, bike paths, activity fields, lacrosse boxes, tennis courts, a fairly new playground and water park, geocaching, direct access to the Brunette River for tossing rocks, a treat hut, a summertime pool…. you name it. On weekends it is packed with people from other communities—I swear New Westers don’t realize how great this park is.

 

MANTRA: Fake it till you make it.

 

HEALTH HACK: Go to the gym even when the idea makes you want to curl into a ball. You’ll feel so good afterward. Water. Supplements. Go the eff to bed. Turn off your phone.

 

NETFLIX: Loving Stranger Things, The Crown, and Black Mirror right now.

 

PODCAST: Revisionist History, Someone Knows Something, Serial.

 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP ADVICE: TL;DR: Give ‘er. Long version: get the support of your loved ones, take risks, plan.

 

DOCUMENTARY: Just started watching “Africa” on Netflix with my son. Loving it so far.

 

NEW DISCOVERY: Deadlifting is awesome. I joined Strong Side Conditioning Gym a few months ago and have enjoyed learning how to lift. Never done it before in my life, but feel strong and capable now.

 

HIDDEN SPOT IN NEIGHBOURHOOD: The Sapperton Parklet! These temporary park like places are a lovely place to rest and relax. Sapperton is fortunate enough to have one, right outside some of the key businesses creating change in this hood: Fratelli Bakery, Cadeaux Boutique & Day Spa, The Bloom Bloom Room Flower Studio, Barley's Homebrewing Supplies, Banana Lab., Kids In Motion Dance Studio…. Sapperton is becoming a more robust shopping area, finally.

 

Make Sure to Follow Jen and Tenth to the Fraser on twitter and Facebook @jenarbo and @tenthtothefraser