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Neighbor of the Month: Suzan Matos

October 22, 2019 | Department of Neighborhood Engagement Mayor's Office

Congratulations to Suzan Matos, who was named Neighbor of the Month for October!

Suzan has lived on Elm Street for 26 years. She has been in Lancaster City for over 34 years, after moving here from northeastern Pennsylvania. She shares her home with her husband Ric, their dog, and several cats.

An architect and general contractor by trade, it’s no surprise that Suzan’s favorite thing about Lancaster is the historic architecture, it’s scale, detail, and craftsmanship. In her spare time, Suzan enjoys design, cooking, birds, and growing urban habitat for wildlife. The neighbor who nominated Suzan remarked about her beautiful flower beds.

“Suzan and her husband Rick live at the entrance of our back alley. For years they have been cultivating the most beautiful flower beds that all of us on the block (and the many people who walk through the alley) enjoy. They’ve taken spaces that are usually ignored, and would probably just be weeds and concrete, bordering the back of a neighbor business, and turned it into something for all of us to enjoy. And so environmentally friendly also! This spring Suzan and Rick sponsored and created a wildflower garden for pollinators on an empty patch of grass on Elm St. Their vision has inspired me to look at empty spaces I see frequently and reimagine them with a little love.”

Suzan’s favorite spots in Lancaster are Central Market and the Fridge. We hope she celebrates her award with some of their pizza, which she says is the best!