It depends. How close are you It depends. How close are you to a nearby park/school?
cvmom
October 23, 2012 @
11:29 AM
All depends on All depends on school/park/other amenity quality/proximity, and neighborhood character (other families? or all older).
All things being equal, definitely would prefer the large yard! But they are not equal, at least not in SD as far as I have found. So we live with the very small house/yard in order to get those more important other qualities.
spdrun
October 23, 2012 @
11:31 AM
What’s the obsession with What’s the obsession with newness in SD? Shouldn’t quality matter more than age?
NotCranky
October 23, 2012 @
11:35 AM
Kids just don’t run off to Kids just don’t run off to the school play ground(they are often locked now), park or hitch hike to the lake to go fishing anymore.
spdrun
October 23, 2012 @
11:50 AM
Kids just don’t run off to
Kids just don’t run off to the school play ground(they are often locked now), park or hitch hike to the lake to go fishing anymore.
I did both in the 90s. Actually, we generally bicycled to the lake 🙂 Things in my hometown haven’t changed much in that respect either — I’m still there regularly since we have a rental there. It’s sad if kids in CA aren’t allowed the same kind of independence as in many Northeastern towns. Especially since crime has gone down a lot over the past 3 decades.
an
October 23, 2012 @
11:59 AM
I hate how new houses cram I hate how new houses cram you in or make you live in a huge house. I much rather have a bigger yard.
NotCranky
October 23, 2012 @
12:41 PM
spdrun wrote:
Kids just don’t [quote=spdrun]
Kids just don’t run off to the school play ground(they are often locked now), park or hitch hike to the lake to go fishing anymore.
I did both in the 90s. Actually, we generally bicycled to the lake 🙂 Things in my hometown haven’t changed much in that respect either — I’m still there regularly since we have a rental there. It’s sad if kids in CA aren’t allowed the same kind of independence as in many Northeastern towns. Especially since crime has gone down a lot over the past 3 decades.[/quote]
It is sad today, and yet I can not let my kids do it.Beside my own worries about them, I don’t think it is too unrealistic to worry about getting in trouble with CPS or the law, or both, if something happened to your unsupervised kid. Oh well, they can wait until they are older than we did to have the same freedoms. Meantime, we have a big yard.
spdrun
October 23, 2012 @
12:56 PM
^^^
Having never had/been a ^^^
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.
NotCranky
October 23, 2012 @
1:45 PM
spdrun wrote:^^^
Having never [quote=spdrun]^^^
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.[/quote]
I think around here(California cities), the more restrictive parenting came on pretty quickly starting in the 80’s and early 90’s. I really haven’t studied it.
It is sad from many angles. Most of my friends were so fit just from bike riding, running around and playing games in the school yards and parks that we broke 6 minutes the first time running the mile in the 7th grade. The teacher gave an automatic “A” for that too. From the looks of things now, some people will never know what it’s like to be fit from having fun.
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.[/quote]
I think around here(California cities), the more restrictive parenting came on pretty quickly starting in the 80’s and early 90’s. I really haven’t studied it.
It is sad from many angles. Most of my friends were so fit just from bike riding, running around and playing games in the school yards and parks that we broke 6 minutes the first time running the mile in the 7th grade. The teacher gave an automatic “A” for that too. From the looks of things now, some people will never know what it’s like to be fit from having fun.[/quote]
I can speak to this somewhat.
I grew up in the house I live in. (Bought it from my dad.)
As a kid we played in the streets. Cars slowed down while we moved out the way during touch football, or whatever.
Now – cars don’t slow down.
I walked to school, without adults, from Kindergarten on. Same school my kids attended.
I did not let them walk unattended till 4th grade – till I was sure they knew how to walk defensively. Again – it’s the drivers, not the kids that have changed.
Now that my kids are a little older – they play in/around the neighborhood… riding their bikes up to the park, etc.. But only after I trained them about cars… because the drivers are NOT looking for kids on bikes or walking… It’s not the same as it was back in the old days.
I don’t worry about stranger danger… I worry about aggressive drivers.
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.[/quote]
I think around here(California cities), the more restrictive parenting came on pretty quickly starting in the 80’s and early 90’s. I really haven’t studied it.
It is sad from many angles. Most of my friends were so fit just from bike riding, running around and playing games in the school yards and parks that we broke 6 minutes the first time running the mile in the 7th grade. The teacher gave an automatic “A” for that too. From the looks of things now, some people will never know what it’s like to be fit from having fun.[/quote]
I can speak to this somewhat.
I grew up in the house I live in. (Bought it from my dad.)
As a kid we played in the streets. Cars slowed down while we moved out the way during touch football, or whatever.
Now – cars don’t slow down.
I walked to school, without adults, from Kindergarten on. Same school my kids attended.
I did not let them walk unattended till 4th grade – till I was sure they knew how to walk defensively. Again – it’s the drivers, not the kids that have changed.
Now that my kids are a little older – they play in/around the neighborhood… riding their bikes up to the park, etc.. But only after I trained them about cars… because the drivers are NOT looking for kids on bikes or walking… It’s not the same as it was back in the old days.
I don’t worry about stranger danger… I worry about aggressive drivers.[/quote]
The drivers are probably worse now because there are so few kids on the street. Back when we were growing up, kids were all over the place in residential areas and drivers knew they had to be careful.
We’ve also recently started giving our kids some more freedom, and they absolutely love it. The other neighbors saw us doing it, and now everyone in the neighborhood is letting their kids out to play on a regular basis. I can’t tell you how many of them have commented on the fact that they didn’t want their kids out playing because they also worried about what cops/neighbors/CPS would do.
If we all do it, then law-abiding citizens will control the streets. If we sit in our houses, we give the streets to the very criminals who make us fearful to begin with. Criminals hate being seen by witnesses. The best thing we can do is get out on the streets and let them know that we (and our kids) are watching and taking care of one another.
I honestly believe that this lack of independent outside play time is largely behind the “obesity epidemic,” especially where kids are concerned. Like Rustico said, when we were kids, everyone was outside playing almost every single day, riding our bikes, skateboarding, running around, etc. for hours and hours. Remember when we used to *walk* to school, friends’ houses, and activities? Now, parents drive their kids around the corner (literally). We could (and often did) eat total crap, but it didn’t matter as long as we were always moving. I feel sorry for today’s kids.
CA renter
October 24, 2012 @
12:50 AM
Oh, and would definitely Oh, and would definitely choose the large yard with older/smaller house.
spdrun
October 24, 2012 @
7:38 AM
Are drivers really worse? Are drivers really worse? Cars are better-handling, better-braked, and the accident rate has gone down since the 80s.
I don’t get it: if kids can skateboard and hang out on the street in my little corner of NYC (and yea, taxi drivers pass through there), why is it so much less safe in a quiet part of San Diego?
I think it’s an attitude thing. My building/general neighborhood is about half foreign-born, if not more. Those people didn’t grow up poisoned by the Anglo media to think that every anomalous event in the news happens frequently.
Same in the city where I grew up. Mostly WASP, Irish, Italian, and Greek American, several generations off the boat. But a lot of families have lived there for 50+ years, tend to be conservative, and do things the way they’ve always been done.
no_such_reality
October 24, 2012 @
8:47 AM
spdrun wrote:Are drivers [quote=spdrun]Are drivers really worse? Cars are better-handling, better-braked, and the accident rate has gone down since the 80s.
[/quote]
The roads have changed and drivers are much more distracted.
I know in Irvine, basically every square mile is bordered by 8 lanes and 55 MPH traffic driven at 65 MPH.
You aren’t letting your kids cross a street, they are crossing a highway.
spdrun
October 24, 2012 @
9:02 AM
That vastly depends where in That vastly depends where in SoCal you are. North County within 5 miles of the coast isn’t like that at all, since it developed earlier. Nor are the beach cities really.
Navydoc
October 24, 2012 @
10:30 AM
My vote isn’t an option- I My vote isn’t an option- I chose new constuction AND a large yard. 1/2 acre big enough?
CA renter
October 24, 2012 @
11:22 PM
spdrun wrote:Are drivers [quote=spdrun]Are drivers really worse? Cars are better-handling, better-braked, and the accident rate has gone down since the 80s.
I don’t get it: if kids can skateboard and hang out on the street in my little corner of NYC (and yea, taxi drivers pass through there), why is it so much less safe in a quiet part of San Diego?
I think it’s an attitude thing. My building/general neighborhood is about half foreign-born, if not more. Those people didn’t grow up poisoned by the Anglo media to think that every anomalous event in the news happens frequently.
Same in the city where I grew up. Mostly WASP, Irish, Italian, and Greek American, several generations off the boat. But a lot of families have lived there for 50+ years, tend to be conservative, and do things the way they’ve always been done.[/quote]
The drivers definitely seem worse around here. Back when I was growing up, I don’t remember seeing people drive 45 mph+ on residential streets. Around here, they do that pretty regularly. If a kid were to run out from between cars, there is no way they’d be able to brake fast enough to avoid hitting them, IMHO.
What NSR said is correct, too. There are too many areas with 6+ lane roads and 55 mph traffic (usually going quite a bit faster) around here. While the kids might be relatively safe on the streets contained within these roads, there is no way we’d let our kids cross or even ride on the sidewalks of those faster streets. There are always lots of accidents, and people end up on the sidewalks, medians, etc. People need to slow down.
Ren
October 26, 2012 @
9:06 AM
We made the mistake of buying We made the mistake of buying on a long, straight residential road. It was so peaceful every time we went to look at it! We should have sat out front for an hour, but lesson learned. Culdesac or very short street for the next one.
Sure the limit is 25, but more typical is 40ish. One monster truck I guesstimated was doing 70. This was at 5:30pm when people like me were just getting home with their kids. I was holding my 2.5yo’s hand as always, but what of the parents who couldn’t at that moment?
Sadly, seeing kids out playing on our street is extremely rare.
Ren
October 26, 2012 @
9:17 AM
Oh and I can’t really vote Oh and I can’t really vote without seeing an actual example. Many older homes are functionally obsolete (which makes them terrible for parties).
Assuming a good layout and only minor work required, I’d take the bigger yard.
spdrun
October 26, 2012 @
9:30 AM
Oh and I can’t really vote
Oh and I can’t really vote without seeing an actual example. Many older homes are functionally obsolete (which makes them terrible for parties).
Sheesh, it’s not the home: it’s the people you invite. Given a living room capable of fitting 10-20 people, some booze, food, music, and maybe a backyard, a party can occur in even the worst hovel. (Ask my friend’s frequently-flooded basement apartment below a Pakistani restaurant in Jersey City for proof.)
Ren
October 26, 2012 @
11:42 AM
spdrun wrote:
Oh and I can’t [quote=spdrun]
Oh and I can’t really vote without seeing an actual example. Many older homes are functionally obsolete (which makes them terrible for parties).
Sheesh, it’s not the home: it’s the people you invite. Given a living room capable of fitting 10-20 people, some booze, food, music, and maybe a backyard, a party can occur in even the worst hovel. (Ask my friend’s frequently-flooded basement apartment below a Pakistani restaurant in Jersey City for proof.)[/quote]
Sure, but more so in your 20’s. In my experience, every party ends up with a packed kitchen (no matter how small it is), so it’s a matter of easy access to the aforementioned booze. I like the Great Room concept.
spdrun
October 26, 2012 @
9:23 AM
The drivers definitely seem
The drivers definitely seem worse around here. Back when I was growing up, I don’t remember seeing people drive 45 mph+ on residential streets.
True – it would be hard for them to get up that sort of speed (45) in my area, but I can see it in San Diego. Lights, and the fact that my street is basically only a block and a half long before being interrupted by a park.
This being said, when I grew up in NJ, there were people who did that. Definitely not 70+ in a residential area, though. The cops would have been down on them and burned their license in front of their eyes.
SDEaves
October 23, 2012 @
11:31 AM
flu wrote:It depends. How [quote=flu]It depends. How close are you to a nearby park/school?[/quote]
Other variables stay the same- same distance to parks/school, same neighborhood, etc.
Coronita
October 23, 2012 @
11:34 AM
SDEaves wrote:flu wrote:It [quote=SDEaves][quote=flu]It depends. How close are you to a nearby park/school?[/quote]
Other variables stay the same- same distance to parks/school, same neighborhood, etc.[/quote]
my vote stands on the bigger/older home
Hobie
October 23, 2012 @
11:45 AM
Big yard and you will have Big yard and you will have neighborhood kids over to play at your home where you can keep an eye on things.
You will soon experience there are some real wacky parents out there that you don’t want your kids going over their homes;)
sdduuuude
October 23, 2012 @
12:49 PM
“I like big lots and I cannot “I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude
UCGal
October 23, 2012 @
3:21 PM
sdduuuude wrote:”I like big [quote=sdduuuude]”I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude[/quote]
That made me laugh.
(And unfortunately stuck the song in my head…)
CDMA ENG
October 23, 2012 @
3:31 PM
sdduuuude wrote:”I like big [quote=sdduuuude]”I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude[/quote]
Forget the kids!!! I want a big back yard so I can build a Garage-Mahal… Like my man Duuuude…
My fortress of solitude…
CE
LuckyInOC
October 27, 2012 @
1:04 PM
sdduuuude wrote:”I like big [quote=sdduuuude]”I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude[/quote]
I liked it better when it was pic-n-save…
svelte
October 24, 2012 @
7:57 AM
It largely depends on what It largely depends on what you mean by “tiny” and “large” backyard.
The minimum depth I would settle for when I had kids was about 20 feet deep. Over that, we were good to go. Under that, we passed on the house.
anxvariety
October 26, 2012 @
9:48 AM
Pets don’t even like tiny Pets don’t even like tiny backyards. I grew up on an acre which was a blast. It joined a several hundred acre park and much vacant land. Was awesome and I wish every kid can have that experience. Didn’t get the ice cream truck experience, and I wasn’t mowing peoples lawns but I was chopping their bamboo(that doesn’t work) and cleaning up their tree falls.
October 23, 2012 @ 11:22 AM
It depends. How close are you
It depends. How close are you to a nearby park/school?
October 23, 2012 @ 11:29 AM
All depends on
All depends on school/park/other amenity quality/proximity, and neighborhood character (other families? or all older).
All things being equal, definitely would prefer the large yard! But they are not equal, at least not in SD as far as I have found. So we live with the very small house/yard in order to get those more important other qualities.
October 23, 2012 @ 11:31 AM
What’s the obsession with
What’s the obsession with newness in SD? Shouldn’t quality matter more than age?
October 23, 2012 @ 11:35 AM
Kids just don’t run off to
Kids just don’t run off to the school play ground(they are often locked now), park or hitch hike to the lake to go fishing anymore.
October 23, 2012 @ 11:50 AM
Kids just don’t run off to
I did both in the 90s. Actually, we generally bicycled to the lake 🙂 Things in my hometown haven’t changed much in that respect either — I’m still there regularly since we have a rental there. It’s sad if kids in CA aren’t allowed the same kind of independence as in many Northeastern towns. Especially since crime has gone down a lot over the past 3 decades.
October 23, 2012 @ 11:59 AM
I hate how new houses cram
I hate how new houses cram you in or make you live in a huge house. I much rather have a bigger yard.
October 23, 2012 @ 12:41 PM
spdrun wrote:
Kids just don’t
[quote=spdrun]
I did both in the 90s. Actually, we generally bicycled to the lake 🙂 Things in my hometown haven’t changed much in that respect either — I’m still there regularly since we have a rental there. It’s sad if kids in CA aren’t allowed the same kind of independence as in many Northeastern towns. Especially since crime has gone down a lot over the past 3 decades.[/quote]
It is sad today, and yet I can not let my kids do it.Beside my own worries about them, I don’t think it is too unrealistic to worry about getting in trouble with CPS or the law, or both, if something happened to your unsupervised kid. Oh well, they can wait until they are older than we did to have the same freedoms. Meantime, we have a big yard.
October 23, 2012 @ 12:56 PM
^^^
Having never had/been a
^^^
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.
October 23, 2012 @ 1:45 PM
spdrun wrote:^^^
Having never
[quote=spdrun]^^^
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.[/quote]
I think around here(California cities), the more restrictive parenting came on pretty quickly starting in the 80’s and early 90’s. I really haven’t studied it.
It is sad from many angles. Most of my friends were so fit just from bike riding, running around and playing games in the school yards and parks that we broke 6 minutes the first time running the mile in the 7th grade. The teacher gave an automatic “A” for that too. From the looks of things now, some people will never know what it’s like to be fit from having fun.
October 23, 2012 @ 3:24 PM
Blogstar wrote:spdrun
[quote=Blogstar][quote=spdrun]^^^
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.[/quote]
I think around here(California cities), the more restrictive parenting came on pretty quickly starting in the 80’s and early 90’s. I really haven’t studied it.
It is sad from many angles. Most of my friends were so fit just from bike riding, running around and playing games in the school yards and parks that we broke 6 minutes the first time running the mile in the 7th grade. The teacher gave an automatic “A” for that too. From the looks of things now, some people will never know what it’s like to be fit from having fun.[/quote]
I can speak to this somewhat.
I grew up in the house I live in. (Bought it from my dad.)
As a kid we played in the streets. Cars slowed down while we moved out the way during touch football, or whatever.
Now – cars don’t slow down.
I walked to school, without adults, from Kindergarten on. Same school my kids attended.
I did not let them walk unattended till 4th grade – till I was sure they knew how to walk defensively. Again – it’s the drivers, not the kids that have changed.
Now that my kids are a little older – they play in/around the neighborhood… riding their bikes up to the park, etc.. But only after I trained them about cars… because the drivers are NOT looking for kids on bikes or walking… It’s not the same as it was back in the old days.
I don’t worry about stranger danger… I worry about aggressive drivers.
October 24, 2012 @ 12:48 AM
UCGal wrote:Blogstar
[quote=UCGal][quote=Blogstar][quote=spdrun]^^^
Having never had/been a kid in San Diego County, I guess that this is a cultural difference between well-to-do areas on the two coasts. Is this a recent phenomenon? From a traffic standpoint, the immediate coastal areas of towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas seem very walkable, and thus safe for kids without a car.
This being said, if you’re really worried about trouble with the law, sounds like a good cop in your town is one that’s been just rear-ended in a Crown Vic, and is in the process of being roasted like a pig.
If that sounds harsh, it’s because I’m disgusted by officials who perpetuate the nanny state of fear.[/quote]
I think around here(California cities), the more restrictive parenting came on pretty quickly starting in the 80’s and early 90’s. I really haven’t studied it.
It is sad from many angles. Most of my friends were so fit just from bike riding, running around and playing games in the school yards and parks that we broke 6 minutes the first time running the mile in the 7th grade. The teacher gave an automatic “A” for that too. From the looks of things now, some people will never know what it’s like to be fit from having fun.[/quote]
I can speak to this somewhat.
I grew up in the house I live in. (Bought it from my dad.)
As a kid we played in the streets. Cars slowed down while we moved out the way during touch football, or whatever.
Now – cars don’t slow down.
I walked to school, without adults, from Kindergarten on. Same school my kids attended.
I did not let them walk unattended till 4th grade – till I was sure they knew how to walk defensively. Again – it’s the drivers, not the kids that have changed.
Now that my kids are a little older – they play in/around the neighborhood… riding their bikes up to the park, etc.. But only after I trained them about cars… because the drivers are NOT looking for kids on bikes or walking… It’s not the same as it was back in the old days.
I don’t worry about stranger danger… I worry about aggressive drivers.[/quote]
The drivers are probably worse now because there are so few kids on the street. Back when we were growing up, kids were all over the place in residential areas and drivers knew they had to be careful.
We’ve also recently started giving our kids some more freedom, and they absolutely love it. The other neighbors saw us doing it, and now everyone in the neighborhood is letting their kids out to play on a regular basis. I can’t tell you how many of them have commented on the fact that they didn’t want their kids out playing because they also worried about what cops/neighbors/CPS would do.
If we all do it, then law-abiding citizens will control the streets. If we sit in our houses, we give the streets to the very criminals who make us fearful to begin with. Criminals hate being seen by witnesses. The best thing we can do is get out on the streets and let them know that we (and our kids) are watching and taking care of one another.
I honestly believe that this lack of independent outside play time is largely behind the “obesity epidemic,” especially where kids are concerned. Like Rustico said, when we were kids, everyone was outside playing almost every single day, riding our bikes, skateboarding, running around, etc. for hours and hours. Remember when we used to *walk* to school, friends’ houses, and activities? Now, parents drive their kids around the corner (literally). We could (and often did) eat total crap, but it didn’t matter as long as we were always moving. I feel sorry for today’s kids.
October 24, 2012 @ 12:50 AM
Oh, and would definitely
Oh, and would definitely choose the large yard with older/smaller house.
October 24, 2012 @ 7:38 AM
Are drivers really worse?
Are drivers really worse? Cars are better-handling, better-braked, and the accident rate has gone down since the 80s.
I don’t get it: if kids can skateboard and hang out on the street in my little corner of NYC (and yea, taxi drivers pass through there), why is it so much less safe in a quiet part of San Diego?
I think it’s an attitude thing. My building/general neighborhood is about half foreign-born, if not more. Those people didn’t grow up poisoned by the Anglo media to think that every anomalous event in the news happens frequently.
Same in the city where I grew up. Mostly WASP, Irish, Italian, and Greek American, several generations off the boat. But a lot of families have lived there for 50+ years, tend to be conservative, and do things the way they’ve always been done.
October 24, 2012 @ 8:47 AM
spdrun wrote:Are drivers
[quote=spdrun]Are drivers really worse? Cars are better-handling, better-braked, and the accident rate has gone down since the 80s.
[/quote]
The roads have changed and drivers are much more distracted.
I know in Irvine, basically every square mile is bordered by 8 lanes and 55 MPH traffic driven at 65 MPH.
You aren’t letting your kids cross a street, they are crossing a highway.
October 24, 2012 @ 9:02 AM
That vastly depends where in
That vastly depends where in SoCal you are. North County within 5 miles of the coast isn’t like that at all, since it developed earlier. Nor are the beach cities really.
October 24, 2012 @ 10:30 AM
My vote isn’t an option- I
My vote isn’t an option- I chose new constuction AND a large yard. 1/2 acre big enough?
October 24, 2012 @ 11:22 PM
spdrun wrote:Are drivers
[quote=spdrun]Are drivers really worse? Cars are better-handling, better-braked, and the accident rate has gone down since the 80s.
I don’t get it: if kids can skateboard and hang out on the street in my little corner of NYC (and yea, taxi drivers pass through there), why is it so much less safe in a quiet part of San Diego?
I think it’s an attitude thing. My building/general neighborhood is about half foreign-born, if not more. Those people didn’t grow up poisoned by the Anglo media to think that every anomalous event in the news happens frequently.
Same in the city where I grew up. Mostly WASP, Irish, Italian, and Greek American, several generations off the boat. But a lot of families have lived there for 50+ years, tend to be conservative, and do things the way they’ve always been done.[/quote]
The drivers definitely seem worse around here. Back when I was growing up, I don’t remember seeing people drive 45 mph+ on residential streets. Around here, they do that pretty regularly. If a kid were to run out from between cars, there is no way they’d be able to brake fast enough to avoid hitting them, IMHO.
What NSR said is correct, too. There are too many areas with 6+ lane roads and 55 mph traffic (usually going quite a bit faster) around here. While the kids might be relatively safe on the streets contained within these roads, there is no way we’d let our kids cross or even ride on the sidewalks of those faster streets. There are always lots of accidents, and people end up on the sidewalks, medians, etc. People need to slow down.
October 26, 2012 @ 9:06 AM
We made the mistake of buying
We made the mistake of buying on a long, straight residential road. It was so peaceful every time we went to look at it! We should have sat out front for an hour, but lesson learned. Culdesac or very short street for the next one.
Sure the limit is 25, but more typical is 40ish. One monster truck I guesstimated was doing 70. This was at 5:30pm when people like me were just getting home with their kids. I was holding my 2.5yo’s hand as always, but what of the parents who couldn’t at that moment?
Sadly, seeing kids out playing on our street is extremely rare.
October 26, 2012 @ 9:17 AM
Oh and I can’t really vote
Oh and I can’t really vote without seeing an actual example. Many older homes are functionally obsolete (which makes them terrible for parties).
Assuming a good layout and only minor work required, I’d take the bigger yard.
October 26, 2012 @ 9:30 AM
Oh and I can’t really vote
Sheesh, it’s not the home: it’s the people you invite. Given a living room capable of fitting 10-20 people, some booze, food, music, and maybe a backyard, a party can occur in even the worst hovel. (Ask my friend’s frequently-flooded basement apartment below a Pakistani restaurant in Jersey City for proof.)
October 26, 2012 @ 11:42 AM
spdrun wrote:
Oh and I can’t
[quote=spdrun]
Sheesh, it’s not the home: it’s the people you invite. Given a living room capable of fitting 10-20 people, some booze, food, music, and maybe a backyard, a party can occur in even the worst hovel. (Ask my friend’s frequently-flooded basement apartment below a Pakistani restaurant in Jersey City for proof.)[/quote]
Sure, but more so in your 20’s. In my experience, every party ends up with a packed kitchen (no matter how small it is), so it’s a matter of easy access to the aforementioned booze. I like the Great Room concept.
October 26, 2012 @ 9:23 AM
The drivers definitely seem
True – it would be hard for them to get up that sort of speed (45) in my area, but I can see it in San Diego. Lights, and the fact that my street is basically only a block and a half long before being interrupted by a park.
This being said, when I grew up in NJ, there were people who did that. Definitely not 70+ in a residential area, though. The cops would have been down on them and burned their license in front of their eyes.
October 23, 2012 @ 11:31 AM
flu wrote:It depends. How
[quote=flu]It depends. How close are you to a nearby park/school?[/quote]
Other variables stay the same- same distance to parks/school, same neighborhood, etc.
October 23, 2012 @ 11:34 AM
SDEaves wrote:flu wrote:It
[quote=SDEaves][quote=flu]It depends. How close are you to a nearby park/school?[/quote]
Other variables stay the same- same distance to parks/school, same neighborhood, etc.[/quote]
my vote stands on the bigger/older home
October 23, 2012 @ 11:45 AM
Big yard and you will have
Big yard and you will have neighborhood kids over to play at your home where you can keep an eye on things.
You will soon experience there are some real wacky parents out there that you don’t want your kids going over their homes;)
October 23, 2012 @ 12:49 PM
“I like big lots and I cannot
“I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude
October 23, 2012 @ 3:21 PM
sdduuuude wrote:”I like big
[quote=sdduuuude]”I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude[/quote]
That made me laugh.
(And unfortunately stuck the song in my head…)
October 23, 2012 @ 3:31 PM
sdduuuude wrote:”I like big
[quote=sdduuuude]”I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude[/quote]
Forget the kids!!! I want a big back yard so I can build a Garage-Mahal… Like my man Duuuude…
My fortress of solitude…
CE
October 27, 2012 @ 1:04 PM
sdduuuude wrote:”I like big
[quote=sdduuuude]”I like big lots and I cannot lie.”
– sdduuuude[/quote]
I liked it better when it was pic-n-save…
October 24, 2012 @ 7:57 AM
It largely depends on what
It largely depends on what you mean by “tiny” and “large” backyard.
The minimum depth I would settle for when I had kids was about 20 feet deep. Over that, we were good to go. Under that, we passed on the house.
October 26, 2012 @ 9:48 AM
Pets don’t even like tiny
Pets don’t even like tiny backyards. I grew up on an acre which was a blast. It joined a several hundred acre park and much vacant land. Was awesome and I wish every kid can have that experience. Didn’t get the ice cream truck experience, and I wasn’t mowing peoples lawns but I was chopping their bamboo(that doesn’t work) and cleaning up their tree falls.