Brusselse buren vieren feest

Brussels neighbours celebrate Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoé came to present "Immeubles en fête" on Friday evening on the place Saint-Géry. Photo Nijs BRUSSELS — Invite your neighbours on the evening of 27 May for an aperitif in the hallway, the courtyard of your building, the garden of your house or your apartment. Put up a poster in the hall of your building with your name, the time and place of the aperitif, or slip a postcard under your neighbours' door... That is the idea of "Immeubles en fête". Blown over from Paris, it was presented to Brussels residents on Friday evening. BART AERTS It was not the first time that the mayors Freddy Thielemans of Brussels and Bertrand Delanoé of Paris had met. They visit each other regularly and do not hesitate to draw inspiration from these visits for governing their city. On Friday they presented "Immeubles en fête" on place Saint-Géry, or the first citizens' event in Brussels. Paris launched the idea in 1999. Meanwhile, two million French people take part every year. DISCOVER On 27 May — on the European day of neighbours — the people of Brussels will raise their glasses together for the first time. "'Immeubles en fête' is also, why not, the possibility of working together concretely in the building or in the neighbourhood on a sustainable improvement of daily life," says initiator Carl De Moncharline. "It is first of all another way of experiencing the city. It is feeling involved with your surroundings, being attentive and open to others, in order to become a player within the neighbourhood. It is also the ideal opportunity to bring a smile to the city, to get to know your neighbours and to develop hospitality and solidarity." For more information, visit www.feestinhetgebouw.be.