Kelly and I were discussing neighborhood traits last night. I’ve always thought the thing that brings neighborhoods together is the sidewalks and front porches. This creates interaction, where you see your neighbors.
Kelly pointed out something that I never before considered: that two-car garages inhibit neighborhood interaction.
“Just think of it,” she said. “If you’ve got a two-car garage you drive into your garage, hop out of your car, and disappear when the door closes. Its impossible to know when you’re home or not.”
I hadn’t considered it before, but she’s right. In our old neighborhood of one-car garages (or none at all), it was always easy to look out the window and know if our neighbors were home or not. That facilitated us visiting with them, or looking out for their home while they were away. In our new neighborhood, I’ve had to fight the urge to scoop the morning newspaper from my neighbor’s driveway because I never know if he is home or not.
I got to thinking about all the great Raleigh neighborhoods. Most all of them have a one-car garage or none: Oakwood, Mordecai, Five Points, Durant Trails, Windsor Forest. It seems to fit.
Its all about coaxing people out of their shells. That means not just cars but garages, too.
We have sidewalks and porches in our neighborhood but the only time we meet any of our neighbors is after a hurricane when the power is off. I think AC kills neighborhood interactions.
Ron
Good point, though I think TV factors higher than air conditioning does. Some people never leave their easy chair until the power goes off.