Letter writer Mike Murtaugh penned a letter that disagreed with my column last week. My column reflected on a backyard campfire conversation with neighbors about why the neighborhood south of Fountain Lake, west of downtown, north of Main Street and east of Highway 13 is the best neighborhood.

Good. I’m glad he scoffed at what I wrote. He should. I wrote it thinking readers either would agree with me — largely because they live in my neighborhood — or they would feel their neighborhood is their favorite. Or they would just laugh at the light humor laced in the column.

Murtaugh, however, made another point altogether: “Rather than feeling my neighborhood is better than someone else’s, my preference is to say I am proud to live in Albert Lea regardless of where I live.”

True. I am proud to live in Albert Lea, too. Heck, I am proud to live in America. In the same way people compare states and regions of the country, I see no harm in looking at the qualities of my neighborhood. I expected others would have similar pride in their neighborhoods. My comments provoke others to think about where they live.

I ran into Murtaugh at the hardware store Sunday. He asked if I was a man who liked spirited debate. I said I am. I know he is, too. Even before his letter, I had planned to write about qualities of other neighborhoods this coming week, I mentioned.

It always strikes me that the north side of Albert Lea has qualities that seem more suburban and the south side generally seems more urban. Urban areas have traditional blocks, often with sidewalks, alleys and housing variety. In civil planning, the term for this style of roads is called grid plan. Suburban areas generally have curvy streets, cul de sacs and few or no sidewalks, at times with rows of nearly identical homes. In civil planning, the term for this style of roads is called street hierarchy.

Of course, this lake split isn’t 100 percent true. The real dividing line between the urban and suburban styles seems to be about Hawthorne Street.

You look on a map of the city, and — ignoring the lakes — you notice grid plans for south of Hawthorne and street hierarchies for north of Hawthorne. In other words, traditional blocks to the south. Odd shapes to the north.

The positive aspect is that Albert Lea offers both styles: urban and suburban. Say you move to Albert Lea from the Twin Cities. If you like the Minnetonka feel, Albert Lea has it. If you prefer the South Minneapolis feel, Albert Lea has it.

OK, OK, it’s not exactly like the Cites, I know, but “feel” doesn’t mean exact, does it?

Albert Lea also offers the exurban neighborhood. An exurb is a place beyond the suburbs that still possesses its rural charm but has residents who commute to the metro. This would be the Elko feel. Elko, at its heart a little town, has a lot of subdivisions in the countryside, so much so that it merged in 2007 with nearby New Market. For examples in Albert Lea, look to the Lake Chapeau or Indian Hills neighborhoods.

If you don’t like urban, suburban or exurban, Albert Lea offers trailer courts. Otherwise, you could go live in one of the small towns near Albert Lea, and that is an enjoyable, neighborly lifestyle, too. Or you could just flatout live in the country, much like I did growing up.

And finally, Albert Lea offers that northern Minnesota style of neighborhood that simply hugs a shoreline. We call it South Shore Drive.

There are several neighborhoods in Albert Lea I like. I’ll run through them.

I like the neighborhood south of the Tribune office. Go south on First Avenue or Lincoln Avenue. It’s nice. Then go west of Plainview Lane. It’s nice, too.

There are several charming homes on Minnesota-Freeborn-Pillsbury avenues and in the area south and southwest of Hawthorne School. There is a sense of closeness among the residents. A park is needed, though.

I like Shoreland Heights. Who doesn’t? I like the way the houses are designed for the hillsides, which puts on display beautiful gardens. This is the flora neighborhood.

The area north and east of Fountain Lake, south of Hawthorne and west of Bridge Avenue offers several parks, shared lakefront and traditional blocks. City Beach is a great asset.

The other half of Ward 2 — west of Fountain Lake and Dane Bay, south of Edgewater Bay — has the Circle Avenue Peninsula and many dignified homes. I almost, almost bought a house on Blackmer Avenue when I moved here 2 1/2 years ago.

Your neighborhood not listed? Do you disagree with my observations altogether? Go ahead and write a letter to the editor. Tell me why your neighborhood is the best.

Tribune Managing Editor Tim Engstrom’s column appears every Tuesday. You can send letters to the editor to news@albertleatribune.com, with the subject line “letter to the editor.”