Lawnophobia (Decatur: 2013, town-house, neighborhoods)

[Cameron H]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I hope nobody is too upset.

I feel like I've gone out on a limb to even mention the L word.

Too late to close the barn door now. I predict a fifty page thread.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Interesting point, indeed LL. I rather remember it being a bit of a competition between families in my neighborhood. I still see 'Lawn of the Month' signs in subdivisions.

wtf...that's a thing now??

Originally Posted by arjay57

I hope nobody is too upset.

I feel like I've gone out on a limb to even mention the L word.

I wasn't the least bit upset. I LOL'ed at the OP because of how off-base it was.

Seriously, man--you gotta think through these things before you post them.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

wtf...that's a thing now??



I wasn't the least bit upset. I LOL'ed at the OP because of how off-base it was.

Seriously, man--you gotta think through these things before you post them.

Yeah, has been for about 50 years.
I'm pretty sure that Arjay thinks most everything he posts through. Why don't you just relax?

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by cabasse

i'll admit it - i took care of my parents lawn as soon as i was old enough to push a mower, and still help out sometimes to this day when i visit my folks in the burbs at 30. i'd rather share a lawn as a park instead of spending precious time dealing with my own.

I couldn't wait to be old enough to mow the lawn when I was growing up. I even had a little business mowing lawns for some of our neighbors. I loved it...it's lost a little of the luster since then, but do still love working in my yard. I get almost instant gratification from it.

I agree that younger people aren't as into it...I wasn't either when I was 25 - I didn't want a yard.

[BackInATL2011]

In my opinion this isn't a suburban versus city argument. its a lifestyle difference.


Point number 1. Live close to work decision regardless of where the job is.

If my job was in the suburbs (and if I planned on staying in that job for a long time) I would try and live near my job so I can commute as little possible.

My job happens to be in Midtown so I moved nearby in the Highlands, I only commute only 5 minutes each day. My parents live in an suburban city and commute to another suburban city an hour and ten minutes each day back and forth.

If you do the math on a regular year I am free (not at work, not in the car coming or going to work) more than 23 full days a year more than them. Thats more life to live, I guess you have to enjoy life in order to want more of it.

105 min X twice a day X 5 days a week X 52 weeks in a year / 60 = 346 hours. 346 / 24 = 23+ full days of time in a car every year that I am spending at home, with my wife and baby, or with friends, or cooking wholesome meals at home instead of eating junk food outside of the house.

The perimeter is getting more urban not because people want to live closer to their work. Why waste any of your time in traffic? I don't get it!

Point number 2. Priorities.

What do you consider fun or being successful in life? Is it owning the biggest house (no matter how far from work it is) or owning the newest car (no matter how expensive it is or how much debt you have to have to own it?) I prefer to drive a really old car with no payments, live close so I don't pay that much gas driving to work, and I have very cheap liability insurance. I live in a condo so I don't have to spend that much time on maintenance either it be the lawn or the HVAC system or the christmas lights, or cleaning the attic or the garage. There are condos that offer low maintenance life in the suburbs. So I hope this doesn't become a suburb versus city topic. Its a lifestyle preference where I enjoy meeting new people very day, I wouldn't prefer to stay at home mowing a lawn or being stuck in traffic.

I would rather add up all of the savings in regards to skipping out on the newer car, more expensive insurance, more gas costs and put that money toward vacations to other states to visit family or just pleasure vacations. I have a 6 month old. When she's older she will be able to enjoy 3 kids playgrounds and parks within walking distance (North and Freedom Parkway, the new Historic Old 4th Ward park, and the skate park small playground that are all connected by the beltline or the path trails.

I come home sooner and get to see my baby grow up more because of the lifestyle that I have chosen. If I can duplicate this lifestyle in a suburban city then I would and I may in the future if my career takes me to the far suburbs. I am happy that I happen to work in the city because I prefer to live in the city where there is more excitement and more happening but I could easily be just as happy if a suburban city accommodated my lifestyle desires.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Arjay, I did get a chuckle out of this. And yes, I did get pressed into service when it was my turn to mow the lawn growing up.
The amount of lawn remaining in our SSI yard is pretty small, so we use an old fashioned push blade mower to do it. Very 'sustainable', as they say.

I got a good chuckle out of it as well. I'm not a millenial, generation x-er, or baby boomer. I think we were too lazy to come up with a name for my generation.

I have shelled more peas and picked more greens than anyone in my age group so I'm exhausted. (My grandmother had a huge yard and garden.)

I think some of it could indeed be laziness at this point. When my neighor kept pushing his lawnmower across my driveway and cut my front lawn, I was so shame. Clearly things were getting out of control. You'd think moving forward I'd have gotten out there and handled it myself, but I hired someone. Now, I opt for concrete and some herbs in the windows

[arjay57]

A man used to take pride in the little piece of wilderness that he'd carved out for himself and his family. A place where his children could breathe fresh air and run and play in safety. A place where there was soft grass instead of hard pavement, and where he could hear the birds sing and watch the plants go through their yearly cycle.

But I guess that is just another part of the American dream that has been cast aside.

[AtlJan]

Beautifully said, arjay. I would add to your reputation but I need to spread the love before I can do that.

[Pemgin]

Originally Posted by arjay57

But I guess that is just another part of the American dream that has been cast aside.

What does the American dream even mean? If people prefer an apartment over a house and lawn, haven't they achieved their version of the American dream? Glad you got your version of it, but there are countless ways to interpret the "dream." Having a huge lawn and children running in it would be a nightmare for some.

Also, I'm curious about the wording in your original post referring to walkability as a problem.

[erick295]

I know this is tongue-in-cheek, but in all seriousness many people who live in town are buying or renting houses with lawns. Atlanta has plenty of single family homes in walkable neighborhoods. Millennials are rejecting car dependence and physical/social isolation, not grass.