Why the wrought iron fencing in front of older tract homes?

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by LABornandRaised

I still cannot figure out how anyone ever thought chain-link fences were in style.....ever.

They're functional, not stylish.

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by LABornandRaised

I still cannot figure out how anyone ever thought chain-link fences were in style.....ever.

I doubt anyone ever installed one because they thought they were stylish. But modern, practical, and problem solving? And cheaper and easier than installing a wood fence? Sure!

We don't consider them modern now, but at one point they must have been considered a great big improvement on what had come before!

[bouncethelight]

And once again Fontucky says it better in four words, than I did with many many more words...

Agreed. It's a case of function, over style.

[BeauCharles]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

They're functional, not stylish.

Let me say this in the kindest way possible (since you're one of my very favorite posters in the California boards)...

They're butt ugly. I agree with the wood picket fence route (even if it costs more). Here's a house that's for sale in Reseda. For about a half block east there are no front yard fences and it looks so much better IMO.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=19028...=12,206.8,,0,0

Just noticed - seems like every house is pending or accepting back up offers. Investors? Or is the market rebounding down there?

[genjy]

Wrought iron fence makes sense for many people because it's the best compromise of style, durability, price, and visibility.

Chain link fence is ghetto, brick wall offers no visibility, and wooden fence is too high maintenance.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by BeauCharles

Let me say this in the kindest way possible (since you're one of my very favorite posters in the California boards)...

Why, why... thank you. **bats eyelashes seductively**

[gerry-CA-native]

Fences do a great job at keeping kids and dogs in, outsiders out. The wrought iron fences are easy to keep up and still let the people inside see out, and the outside in.

Many other parts of the country people have no fences at all, not in front or even in the back. You also have to consider this is Southern California. That means they were semi-cheap to install. Other parts of the country you might have to extend the concrete block down four feet into the ground to get below the frost line, here you could get by going 12" down (no freezing). The wrought iron sections were probably made down in Mexico and cost almost nothing compared to costs elsewhere.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by BeauCharles

Well, like this street in Valley Glen (there are many like it). Lots of metal fencing and driveway gates on modest tract homes that didn't originally have it. Its very rare to see it up here in similar neighborhoods. Not unheard of of course - the old man who lives next door to me has it in his front yard so his three yappy Chihuahuas can bark at passing kids on bikes.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=13817...12,165.39,,0,0

You can see one side of the street has a lot, the other side not so much. These actually don't look too bad - others I saw were a weird mish-mash of fencing types and styles that was kind of jarring. No continuity which made the neighborhood look kind of weird.

Here in the Bay Area you see this in places like Shoreview, Fairoaks / Eastside RWC, EPA, East San Jose, Fruitvale, etc.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Here in the Bay Area you see this in places like Shoreview, Fairoaks / Eastside RWC, EPA, East San Jose, Fruitvale, etc.

Yard = chihuahua/pitbull dog run. Also, keeps cars off the lawn.

[2Easy]

Most of these fences have gone up over the last two decades. They are actually pretty cheap to install and people that have them like the look and feeling of extra security. Often they have a dog in the yard as well. FWIW it's almost entirely a Mexican-American phenomenon.