Barrio Style (Tucson: lower-class, 2009, houses)

[JillBoBill]

I was looking at houses on TarMLS and came across one listed as 'barrio style'. When I looked up 'barrio' - it's Spanish for neighborhood. So the house is a neighborhood style house?

Wikipedia says... "More commonly, however, in the United States, barrios refer to lower-class neighborhoods with largely Spanish-speaking residents, basically the Latino equivalent of a "ghetto". The word often implies that the poverty level is high in such a neighborhood, but this inference is not universal." So... it's a crummy house in a bad neighborhood?

What does this really mean?

Here's the listing for reference: link

[sierraAZ]

That's certainly not a barrio house in my book... Here are some examples:



http://beautiful-landscape.com/New%2...io-bicycle.jpg



http://www.tucsonazrealestatemarket....11-300x225.jpg



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/...b059b1.jpg?v=0

[JillBoBill]

Is it kind of like how they bill small, cramped and old houses as 'cozy'?

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by JillBoBill

Is it kind of like how they bill small, cramped and old houses as 'cozy'?

These houses are just old. At the time most houses were "cozy"...

[ZonyPony]

Wikipedia says... "More commonly, however, in the United States, barrios refer to lower-class neighborhoods with largely Spanish-speaking residents, basically the Latino equivalent of a "ghetto". The word often implies that the poverty level is high in such a neighborhood, but this inference is not universal.

Hi, J,JBB... good topic! Tucson definitely has neighborhoods with "Barrio" titles.

However, barrio has always only meant neighborhood in the Spanish language. For some reason, unbeknownst to many in the Hispanic culture, the word has plummeted, and taken on a bad "ghetto-like" meaning.

Granted, there are some bad neighorhoods everywhere. However, there are good and decent hard-working people who are of Hispanic backgrounds, who happen to have lower incomes, which live in certain of these neighborhoods (or barrios) which may be considered less than desirable. Unfortunately, they may be lumped in with those people who also live there and are undesirable!

Barrios (and Hispanics), unfortunately, receive not only that kind of evaluation, but this kind as well:
"Oh, I know an Hispanic family down the street, BUT they're very nice people!"
Its like saying: I know a Scandanavian family down the street, BUT they're very nice people!"

These are cultural habits that will need to be dealt with before there is much understanding amongst the different ethnic groups in Tucson - or anywhere.

[Chorizo]

*dons troll mask*

I know the troglodyte family down the street, but they seem to be nice people?

I don't know for sure, they never come out of their cave... home.

[JillBoBill]

I understand the cultural reference, Z. I just wasn't sure if 'barrio' was denoting a certain style of house (like colonial, adobe, modern, ect).

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by Chorizo

*dons troll mask*

I know the troglodyte family down the street, but they seem to be nice people?

I don't know for sure, they never come out of their cave... home.

I loved the TROGS "Wild Thing"!

Originally Posted by JillBoBill

I understand the cultural reference, Z. I just wasn't sure if 'barrio' was denoting a certain style of house (like colonial, adobe, modern, ect).

Gotcha, J,JBB. I wanted to expand on the info about the barrio thing a bit more, based on what's been happening to the word, even here in Tucson.

[JillBoBill]

No, it's okay. That's why I was confused. The association with the word isn't really a nice association, but the house looked nice. I was a little confused.

I thought maybe they were calling houses with stone/adobe walls around them 'barrio style' (which is cool 'cause I love those walls).

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by JillBoBill

No, it's okay. That's why I was confused. The association with the word isn't really a nice association, but the house looked nice. I was a little confused.

I thought maybe they were calling houses with stone/adobe walls around them 'barrio style' (which is cool 'cause I love those walls).

If THAT's supposedly a "barrio" house - it looks really incredible to me - really nice! I'd say go ahead and BUY it!