I’ll never understand why US suburbs like to utterly nuke any kind of nature around their houses and replace it with “lawns”. Like, I’d rip that stuff out and at least plant some potats and shit immediately.
It is actually a anticommunist thing
Care to elaborate?
I heard of that, I think it was some propaganda piece. Like “look at those poor sovjets, have to grow their own food because the state can’t provide. Meanwhile we’re so civilized and advanced”. (Interesting sidenote: The culture of huge lawns came from the UK I think, rich people in the 1800 and 1900 displayed their wealth that way).
Not saying it wasn’t like that in some places, just that it’s so unfathomably stupid. And now there are US Tiktokers talking about “lifehacks” of growing your own food, with other US Tiktokers calling people who do that libtard commies and whatnot. US culture is a disaster on life support.
I just can’t fathom why seemingly a whole class of US citizens apparently aren’t able to use their damn heads and still do this nonsense.
Coming from the UK is correct, it was literally an artistocratic flex at having literally useless land. I read a dissertation a few years back that also linked this to a Baudrillard style simulationist desire for the upper class not to see land with any practical value immediately besides their homes because they were resistant to accept that their wealth was exercised from any real action, and instead they’d pretend it was just a truth. But beyond the lawns were forests and fields, because they had to exist.
When lawns were adopted by the bourgeoisie, who only had half an acre of property, it was already trendy to have the surrounding acres of the house be only lawn. The bourgeoisie simulation was to have the house surrounded by lawns as if it were to then give way to fields and forests, which of course did not exist, just your neighbours equally ugly plot of land.
What I never understood about all of this though, is that gardens are equally cosmetic vanity. I have fond memories of the garden of my grandmother, which has a small greenhouse and two raised vegetable beds at the back, but everything else was flower beds, a pond, a summer pavillion, a small lawn, a shed and a scattering of trees and bushes. Other than the small sections for growing vegetables, it was all entirely for vanity. But it was beautiful. Hell, the small lawn was even pretty functional as the primary place to set up chairs in the sun and play ball games.
I am British, and once this island was forest and mountains from shore to shore, with meadows and plains being rare. The lawn never made sense here, and caught on less in in the Soviet Bloc as plains become more common in nature. America is a land with far more natural plains, and the lawn is further removed from it’s original status. It’s imitating an imitation of a denial of reality, Baudrillard would have a field day.
But I did mention, in my grandmother’s garden, playing ball games on the lawn. American sport is largely built on the suburban madness that is lawns. I’m not talking about sport born in urban centers like basketball, or sports from true rural areas, which I can only assume is rednecks drink driving, if watching US shows has told me anything, but Baseball, American Football and even golf are sports made for lawns. It’s hard to detangle lawns from middle class America without stopping middle class kids play sports in their gardens.
One day they’ll add vegetable gardening to the Olympics and America will be saved, and Joseph McCarthy will be stuck in hell on his fucking lawn.
sports from true rural areas, which I can only assume is rednecks drink driving
You know how europeans think that yellow school busses must be a movie trope, but they really are everywhere all the time in America?
Same concept
sports from true rural areas, which I can only assume is rednecks drink driving
We also hunt deer, go fishing, and throw bean bags into a wooden box called a “corn hole”.
You’re not supposed to tell them about corn holing! You have to wait until they’re at a BBQ to spring it on them and expect them to participate without any explanation.
It’s hard to detangle lawns from middle class America without stopping middle class kids play sports in their gardens.
They still play on the lawn? Thought by now they’re kept mostly indoors (or in cars) for helicopter-parent-reasons, safety or sth. At least that’s what I heard. A german news moderator for the US also mentioned it once, some Karens in the neighborhood thought of child neglect because the kids were playing in the front yard or going to the playground alone (gasp!).
Not really getting the point though. Most lawns are huge, there’s enough space for playtime and some nice flowers or vegetables. Most houses even have a front and back lawn…
You might find an odd scenario of someone calling the cops on kids on a slow news day, but that is not the normal scenario anywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQaMr3UHOWE
“No mam who owns his home and lot can be a communist, he has too much work to do”
- William Levitt
A lawn is generally easier to take care of than a collection of various plants and trees. First thing I do at any new home is plant a fuck ton of edible plants, and my neighbors always talk about not having the time or energy to do the same
Pest control might be part of it.
In a neighborhood like that, you’d probably end up with a fine and they’d charge you to ‘fix’ it for you.
My British friend says that Americans don’t have lawns. They have grassed in areas.
Who is this “everyone”? Because this ain’t even remotely my dream.
- House needs to be in the mountains
- Fuck lawns
- I don’t have this many friends (by choice)
- If I did, I wouldn’t want to be in this close of proximity to them
- This place probably has an HOA which is a big fat NOPE
This looks like hell
Why would you want a house like that. They are all the same characterless houses
They have plenty of character.
Friend 1 is a banjo player. You can tell by the large porch facing the entrance of the cul de sac from where he watches everyone who comes and goes.
Friend 2 owns a large pick up truck. This is because his house has the best view of the agricultural fields to the left, so he identifies as a farmer, even if he works in a call center.
Friend 3 doesn’t have a driveway. He actually thought that he would be able to ride with his friends every day.
Friend 4 lives closest to the forrest so he wears outdoor clothing all the time and pretends to be the alpha male.
Friend 5 is the beta cuck who actually fell for Friends 4’s self proclaimed alpha status.
Friend 6 doesn’t exist. Nobody wants to buy that house. The parked car belongs to the real estate agent who pays regular visits to the house with potential buyers.
Friend 7 is a conspiracy theorist who keeps mostly to himself and sometimes disappear for days. The upper floor is larger than the ground floor and is filled with horded things that he calls his prepping storage. There might even be other people up there.
Look closer - it’s AI.
That’s not too say I haven’t seen some awkward developments (prefab, 55 and over community) where they obviously leveled everything, built, then added back all young trees. Decades later it’s still obvious.
Yeah, I think most people could guess that
Doesn’t change anything though
Suburbia may be a good place to shelter toddlers, but as soon as a child is more than about 6 years old, being trapped in a mcmansion on the edge of town seriously inhibits their growth and independence. They might be able to walk to a friend’s house, if they’re lucky enough to live somewhere with a sidewalk, but they’re unlikely to be able to walk to school, or anywhere else for that matter. …
… And it’s more than just school, too. Kids have lots of sports and other activities, so [in better urbanist places] it’s very common to see children walking or cycling while dressed in football gear (not [American] football) or hockey gear (not [ice] hockey), because they travel to all these activities by themselves.
In the US and Canada you have the stereotype of the suburban ‘soccer mum’, the mother who spends all of her time shuttling her kids around from school to activities to playdates and back. Because until a kid is about 16 years old and has their own driver’s licence, they need to be driven around everywhere by their parents. And this is considered ‘normal’.
— Jason Slaughter, 2022
People blame the phones but what else.do.they.have to do? I know I didn’t spend all day online by choice as a teen
You’ve touched on the point Jason raises in literally the very next sentence after the quote I shared in the video that quote comes from.
Suburbian hell aside, noone prohibits you from befriending your neighbors.
I have to move every year because the rent on my basement only goes up.
“It would get old fast”? Op, I’m afraid you don’t have good friends. When I was a university student, I was in a shared apartment with two friends. It was great: you always had someone to do stuff with and group activities were much easier to schedule.
Now that I’m older it would be nice to easily check who’s up for something, spontaneously grill with everyone or simply sit together in the evening and talk.
My friends group still goes on vacation together from time to time and I love it. If your friends are only enjoyable in small doses… I don’t know… that sounds sad.
Also with a house of your own, everyone would have enough space to retreat if necessary.
Besides from the bad gardening that was mentioned by the other posts, I would love to live like this.
The only problem I see here is the lack of fences, trees, and plants. And the size of the houses is a bit too big for my needs.
Well that’s a shitty looking commune.
The thing that would get old is managing all that damn grass. That and presumably having to drive 20 minutes to get anything.
Never personally had issues with living near or even with friends. Only ever had issues with was a rando roommate I had because a friend had to move for work.
presumably having to drive 20 minutes to get anything.
I’ve visited friends in such areas. It is hell.
They say “it’s so nice that nothing is more than 20 minutes away”, while ignoring the fact that nothing is less than 20 minutes away.
They can’t even have a corner grocer (due to shitty zoning laws) and they don’t realize how much of their daily life their car eats.
Me and the wife befriended the neighbours during lockdown. Hung out all the time, went on several holidays together.
Still pals, was round at one of theirs for dinner the other day.
Lived even closer than this for years. Didn’t get old. Miss it. But had to move on from the communal garden space for the kids.
It would basically turn your friends into family. For better or for worse.
Where does friend 3 park?
do you not see the giant cul de sac right in the middle
Lots of places street parking is illegal. It doesn’t allow access for snow ploughs, street cleaners, garbage pickup, busses, etc.
cool
this ain’t that, though
This looks like some sort of desolate wasteland cosplaying as living space
Grove Street, home.
My aunt and her family lived in a place like this. It was such a weird vibe. We never walked or rode our bikes anywhere, we just played in the yard.
I consider the ideal distance for friends and family to be 1hr walk/5-10 min drive.
Except for my youngest sister. For her, an Emirates gold flyer program.
