Why are houses in America so...ugly? (Huntington Park, Santa Cruz: low income, apartments)

[r.humboldt]

Originally Posted by edwardius

You are paying for different things in Davis. Davis has the best public school system in the region.

Davis may well have the best public school system in the region, and the point is appreciated. That said, San Juan USD's (Carmichael) Mira Loma HS may be a good comparison to Davis HS. Rio Americano (also SJUSD) is a good school, but it appears Mira Loma scores higher than Rio Americano and Davis in some rankings. For example, the Newsweek rankings of the top 1500 high schools in the US ranks Davis at 733, Rio Americano at 1019, and Mira Loma at 505. Davis has declined in the rankings over the years, just as Mira Loma has, but Mira Loma continues as higher-ranked than Davis in Newsweek.

www.newsweek.com/id/201160

Newsweek rankings are based on

We take the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests given at a school in May, and divide by the number of seniors graduating in May or June.

However, using the Sacramento Bee source you cited, Davis sends 76% to college, Mira Loma sends 71%, and Rio Americano sends 73%. Your point on direct entry to 4 year universities is significant. As for parental education levels, they may be important to the overall family but, on another view, it might be unfair to use them to determine the quality of education provided by the school.

Taking all of this together, most would be pleased to send their kids to these 3 schools for academics. Other issues like sports, clubs, neighborhoods, might be significant factors in a final decision.

[Latchkey Kid]

Originally Posted by DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing

It's greek revival not garish!

If you are referring to the picture of the house posted by MapleLeaf, it's not Greek Revival.

[edwardius]

Between 2003 and 2007, Davis High graduated 2688 students and sent 788 students to the University of California and 381 to the California State University. That means in an average year they sent a little more than 156 students to the University of California and a little more than 76 to the California State University.

See which high schools send the most students to college - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Now compare that with Consumnes River College.

California Postsecondary Education Commission - Transfer Pathway Charts

Basically Davis High and Consumnes River College are sending about the same number of people each year to the University of California, but Davis High has an enrollment of 1770 where as Consumnes has an full time equivalent enrollment of 7269 students.

http://groups.dcn.org/dhpta/dhs/spro...607/enrollment
Cosumnes River College

The reason I discount the community college numbers is that so few people in community college actually manage to transfer to a four year college.

Its not that Mira Loma nor Rio Americano are bad schools, they are better than most of the schools in the region.

But your chance of getting into a four year college from Davis is 45.8%, from Rio its 35.7% and Mira Loma its 26.6%. A Davis High grad is more than twice as likely to go to a four year college than a Mira Loma grad. I can see why people will pay a premium for that advantage.

See which high schools send the most students to college - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

See which high schools send the most students to college - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

See which high schools send the most students to college - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

[charles strickland]

If you are looking for pretty homes, you really should spend sometime looking at Citrus Heights. Its filled with homes with lots of character. Its also where all of the artists, street poets and musicians live. Its where all of the hip people in the area are moving.

[Chango]

I think America stopped building attractive houses after about 1939. Right after that consumer culture was invented and we were suddenly all happy living in identical mass produced cubes. So you can blame the "McWorld" for America's crappy architecture. It's just our way.

[charles strickland]

That is true everywhere but Citrus Heights. In Citrus Heights even the homes built after 1939 are filled with tremendous character. You really should check it out. Its an amazing funky happening place.

[Chango]

Originally Posted by hellaslover

I don't understand why houses are so ugly and cheap made? I mean, in Europe we use brick and stones to build a house, here they are made out of wood. I was told once it's because it's cheaper to make them out of wood + we have lots of trees. But it seems to me that houses here are more expensive compared to Greece (where i'm from), for example a million dollar home here is not worth that much in Greece. And why not use clay tile roofs? And another thing that bugs me the most, why do they put the garage door in the front? Shouldn't there be the entrance or a large window in the front of the house? Why do they build the houses with entrance on the side and a huge garage door (sometimes 2) in the front? And not only that, a lot of houses that i see have a tree right in front of the entrance, it's like they are doing it on purpose to not show any house other than the garage! Is it a privacy issue? Seems like million dollar homes are built this way, is it that hard to make cheaper homes look nice? And what's the deal with tiny doors? In my country most entrance doors are double, made out of nice wood with glass, here's it's just a wooden door. Is there a reason homes are built this way or do americans have no sense of style?

You are absolutely right, architecture does suck in america, especially compared to Europe (but there is plenty of garbage built across the pond too).

It is more of an age thing than location though. Even in Europe, the most attractive looking houses are the older ones.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Chango

You are absolutely right, architecture does suck in america, especially compared to Europe (but there is plenty of garbage built across the pond too).

It is more of an age thing than location though. Even in Europe, the most attractive looking houses are the older ones.

And have you seen many of the older homes on the east coast from New England down to Savannah? There are some absolutely gorgeous homes.

Nita

[Chango]

Originally Posted by nmnita

And have you seen many of the older homes on the east coast from New England down to Savannah? There are some absolutely gorgeous homes.

Nita

Exactly my point. Most everything built before WW2 is attractive, while afterwards it isn't. The same goes in my hometown. I don't know why we decided asthetics didn't matter anymore, or that good domestic architecture could only be available to the very rich, but apparently we did. Probably the only reason Europe looks better is because they had more stuff built before the age of commericalism and actually believe in keeping historic structures rather than tearing them down.

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by hellaslover

I don't understand why houses are so ugly and cheap made? I mean, in Europe we use brick and stones to build a house, here they are made out of wood. I was told once it's because it's cheaper to make them out of wood + we have lots of trees. But it seems to me that houses here are more expensive compared to Greece (where i'm from), for example a million dollar home here is not worth that much in Greece. And why not use clay tile roofs? And another thing that bugs me the most, why do they put the garage door in the front? Shouldn't there be the entrance or a large window in the front of the house? Why do they build the houses with entrance on the side and a huge garage door (sometimes 2) in the front? And not only that, a lot of houses that i see have a tree right in front of the entrance, it's like they are doing it on purpose to not show any house other than the garage! Is it a privacy issue? Seems like million dollar homes are built this way, is it that hard to make cheaper homes look nice? And what's the deal with tiny doors? In my country most entrance doors are double, made out of nice wood with glass, here's it's just a wooden door. Is there a reason homes are built this way or do americans have no sense of style?

to the US! yeah, i think architecture after the 40's took a nose dive, here in the states. just my opinion.

when you see view of city roofs in greece, i'd say it tends to be picturesque. i can feel where you're comin' from.

anyway, welcome to this country. i hope you like some of what you see!

kate