[quote=briansd1][quote=UCGal]
Correction – YOU want clean/updated/spacious… Not everyone prefers that.
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haha… you have have a point. But people are attracted to new suburbs for a reason. The growth is in the suburbs.
Don’t you think it would be preferable to accommodate new population in the areas that are already developed rather than having build new roads, sewers, etc…
It has a very charming spanish style bungalow in the front, and a very contemporary loft style 2 br home in the back. All in the walkable neighborhood of Kensington. Based on the style you like – I could see you liking the modern loft. Personally, I prefer the cove ceilings, built-ins, and retro tile, arches, etc, in the front house.
Like I said – everyone has different taste.[/quote]
Kensington is a nice areas. But it still too “suburban” for me. It was a one of the first master-planned community in the city, I believe.
I looked at that bungalow, but honestly prefer the two-story next door, which could make a nice rehab with modern amenities.
Without central HVAC, that front bungalow would be too hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
If I owned the bungalow, I would like to tear it down and build a new house without resistance from the planning people and from the neighbors. I would want to do it quick and not deal with any drama.
Don’t get me wrong. I love old stuff. But not everything old is worth saving. Cabinets with with 5 coats of paint, Spanish tiles grossly installed, and decades of charges are not charming in my opinion. To do a proper rehab you might spend more money than building a large new larger house.
The house look well maintained though. But another bungalow like that, with deferred maintenance, could be more economically razed and rebuilt new.
The growth is in the suburbs because more **families** want a larger lot or larger home in which to raise their kids.
Wouldn’t you agree, Brian, that part of this “globalized” philosophy you espouse would be the recognition that not everyone wants to live the same way? You’re single and childless, so it makes perfectly good sense for you to live in the city with no yard and a small dwelling. For people who have larger families, they want something else. Mr. CAR and I like older architecture far better than “newer and more modern” architecture, too, so we would resent people coming in here and trying to turn older neighborhoods into something **they** prefer for themselves.
If you want to live in a tight space with no parking, you’re perfectly free to do so. We prefer to live in the suburbs, and we should be free to do so as well. That really is the most “progressive” thing we can do — recognize that we’re not all the same, and allow people to be who they choose to be.
BTW, we regularly use the sidewalks in our neighborhood, as do most of our neighbors; it’s a very walkable neighborhood because of the sidewalks and front yards. I think you have a distorted view of what suburban neighborhoods are like and why people prefer to live in them.
