Feeding Off Neighborly Curiosity

At the annual neighborhood potluck progressive dinner in Cabin John this spring, everyone wanted to see Rob Morgan and Janice Erich's house. The artichoke dip, stuffed mushrooms and hummus appetizers were just part of the attraction.

The big draw was the just-completed 10-month renovation. With the assistance of architect Michael Holt, the two lawyers had not only rid their 1960 four-bedroom, three-bath contemporary of termites, leaks and mold but also transformed it into a sleek, light-filled, landscaped beauty with a back wall of windows that showed off sweeping views of the C&O Canal and the Potomac River.

Each year since 1993, residents in a small pocket of the Montgomery County neighborhood come out of winter hibernation for a spring dinner that combines socializing with a big dose of that time-honored pastime, checking out the neighbors' houses.

"I look forward to this. People don't see each other in the winter. It's a great way to see neighbors again," said Marlene Beckman, a Justice Department lawyer and 10-year resident of Cabin John.

There are about 800 houses in Cabin John, an eclectic mix of century-old Sears catalogue houses, 1960s ranchers and contemporaries, one Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house and an increasing number of McMansions.

The residents are as varied as the residences. There are doctors, lawyers, software engineers, carpenters and picture framers, some with ties to Cabin John that go back multiple generations and others who recently moved to the area.

The progressive neighborhood dinner was the idea of Judie Mopsik, vice president of a public policy research firm who has lived in Cabin John since 1985, and her next-door neighbor Lori Rieckelman, a counselor with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. The community had already joined together for an annual Christmas party and a summer crab fest, but Mopsik and Rieckelman wanted something just for their immediate neighbors, the ones whose yards they walked by every day.

They decided a progressive dinner was the ticket to get everyone to mingle, sent out invitations to four neighboring streets and got an enthusiastic response. This year, close to 100 people showed up to nibble, chat, and check out each other's decorating schemes and home improvements.

"Cabin John is a really neat neighborhood. . . . It's had a citizens association since the 1930s and a newsletter . . . but come November, you don't see anybody. It gets cold. You leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark," Mopsik said.

Rieckelman agreed.

"We've all been so cooped up. It's nice to see the neighbors again," she said.

And nice to see their houses. While everyone contributes the food, signing up for appetizers, salads, main courses or desserts, three families serve as hosts. An effort is made each year to showcase at least one house where there has been a significant improvement.