Alvin Giles grew up in the Washington Shores neighborhood. He relocated to Luola Terrace in 2010 after graduating from Florida A & M University. The neighborhood is special to him as it holds many memories. Alvin recalls visiting his grandmother’s home, located in Luola Terrace often as a child. Her house was the first place that he had the autonomy to go to unsupervised as he matured. He would travel across John Young Parkway to her Sunset Drive residence. His aunts also lived on Jacobs Place in the West Lakes Community.
Something that he has noticed about the neighborhood, is that the overall aesthetic of the community has improved. To him, the addition of the Pendana Apartment Homes has modernized the community and increased its curb appeal. Although the former apartments were a part of the history of the historic community, he is glad to see them replaced with a new campus that is now well maintained, safe for residents, and a place that is desirable for families to raise children. Alvin is grateful to see the improvements in the community that are evident by the increased growth of the community campus and the refurbishment investments.
Alvin lives in the Lake Sunset neighborhood, located within the Communities of West Lakes with his wife, Antoinette L. Giles (Vice-Chair of West Lakes Partnership), and their three children who are of school age.
Click on the audio files below to hear more of The Giles family’’s story.
\\To learn more about the Lake Effect | Faces of West Lakes project or to listen to more stories of the residents of the Communities of West Lakes, visit https://www.westlakespartnership.org/faces-of-west-lakes
