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Family Friendly probably means different things to different people. But, for me, it boils down to providing an environment that will be fun and enjoyable for my children.
Some things that I would consider as making a neighborhood "family friendly" are:
Children near the same age as my child so they can have friends to play with. The more the better. I wouldn't want to be in a neighborhood where there weren't other playmates around.
The neighborhood needs to be "safe". By that, I mean that I want to feel comfortable letting my child go outside to play, and not worry if I don't see them for a couple of hours. They may be at a friends house, at a playground, jumping on a neighbors trampoline, or climbing in a tree house.
Room for the children to play. This can be a group of yards where the parents are OK with the kids romping across them, a playground/park within the neighborhood, or nearby wooded areas. But the kids need room to play outdoors.
The streets need to be safe. Yes, I read the posts about streets not being for playing. But children ride bikes, scooters, skateboards, and roller skates/blades, and this usually happens in the streets. The streets are used when walking or running to friends houses. When playing in the yard, balls roll into and across the street, and children will inevitably retrieve them. Children like to play street hockey. I want a neighborhood where all of these are relatively safe for my child to do.
A neighborhood pool is a big plus. Wonderful place for the kids to be entertained during the summer. Yeah, I can drive to one if there isn't one in the neighborhood, but it a whole lot more convenient to let my child walk to the pool on their own if they want to play with friends.
There are probably a bunch more, but these are off the top of my head.
I see both sides of the issue on kids playing in the street. Growing up in the 80's, all the kids on my street played outside. We rode our bikes and roller skated in the street, but we were taught that if we saw a car coming, we got off the road immediately, well into the yard. There weren't even stop signs in the neighborhood at the time. One kid in the neighborhood actually did get hit by a car, chasing a ball into the street. Oh yeah, we also shot hoops, my Dad installed a hoop on the roof over the garage so we could play in the driveway instead of the street. It wasn't convenient to put that thing up, but it was safer.
Now, my parents still live in the same neighborhood (not in NC) and new families with young kids have moved in. Mothers sit outside in the street with their little kids (between 3 and 8 years old) usually between 4:00-6:00 pm when people are coming home from work. They let their kids bring toys into the road and leave them there. When a car is coming down the road, the mothers get up and stand in front of their kid, making the car go around them. My father (with experience of raising two grown daughters and their friends on the same street) has spoken to the mothers about this behavior, and they remain stubborn and retaliatory towards him. He finally had to get the police involved because he didn't want to see a child get hit on their street. This is the kind of behavior that is really ridicolous. As well as denying neighbors access to their driveways, just rude and selfish.
Kids can be unpredictable, and I think most people are just worried for their safety, not that they don't want kids to have fun. No one wants to be the one that the child runs out in front of.
The street is a paved area that is accessible to cars, and used for other purposes.
Kids-friendly neighbors drive like there might be kids living in the neighborhood.
Cary Police timed Modena Drive, a "one-ended" collector street in our neighborhood. They determined that 30% of the drivers were up to 5+ MPH over the posted 25 limit, but statistically that is not enough to justify stepped up enforcement.
I think that street can be scary at 25 MPH, and don't mind doing 15 on it. Slower if needed. No problem.
I could not live long enough and rationalize enough to console myself and my heart for the tragedy of hitting and seriously injuring or killing a neighbor's baby.
Folks have always played in public thoroughfares.
My dad played in the street. I played in the street. Neighbor kids play in the street. It will continue.
I'm a big boy now and responsible for the 4,000 pound car I drive.
Maybe the definition of 'family friendly' ought to also include sidewalks? That way the kids don't have to do all these activities in the street?
Makes sense to me, at least.
I wouldn't give up 5 feet of green for another strip of concrete on my lot on a quiet culdesac.
The street is so quiet, walking and playing in it is thoroughly accepted.
But there is a neighborhood for every need, and sidewalks are making a comeback. Those who place a high priority on them can certainly find them.
We chose to live in an apartment that I could vacuum from one plug for three months with a newborn and a 3 year old in the dead of winter waiting for a house to be built - BECAUSE it was on a cul-de-sac of 8 homes, 6 of which had kids.
We have block parties, the only time we block the street. We have fireworks (legal, of course ) on New Years Eve and the Fourth of July, and yes, the kids set up a basketball goal and shoot hoops. a lot. One of the "childless" neighbors has grandkids who enjoy their time here. One is a single guy who smiles and waves as he pulls in to his garage, but that's about all we see of him. ALL of our kids scatter to the curb the minute a car comes to pull in to a driveway, but all of our kids are safe, and all of the parents watch out for each others kids. They're not running amok, unattended.
At this point in our lives, we could afford to move to a "nicer" neighborhood, but I wouldn't trade this cul-de-sac for any home in the world, at least not right now. And btw, we all have very nice, fenced, flat backyards - some with very nice swing sets. But guess where our kids like to bike and roller blade and ride their scooters?
I agree 100%. I love to sit on my front porch and watch the children play. If someone needs to get into their driveway, the kids just get out of the way. One of my favorite sounds is children playing outside on a summer night. I guess it brings back great memories of hide and seek and green light red light when I was a child. I guess that when you don't like kids in your neighborhood, it is time to move to a adult community.
That's great as far as HOA's fining people for having them. But here in Raleigh if people want something done about it all they have to do is complain and the problem can go away since it is against the law.
When I was a kid in the 80's my friends and I never played in the street other than riding our bikes in it. Streets are for vehicle/bicycle/pedestrian use only, not for playing games. I played basketball almost everyday as a kid and I'd ride my bike to the park to play. If it was cold outside my parents or friend's parents would take us to a school/gym/ymca to play.
Playing in the street is not family-friendly. Sure, kids do it everywhere and parents allow them to do it all over but that doesn't make it correct. Playing in the street is showing disregard for you own personal safety and putting yourself at risk. Unless otherwise posted the speed limit is 35 mph. If your kid gets hit while playing in the street the driver of the vehicle won't be at fault. Your child will be at fault and you will be paying the owner of the vehicle to get his car fixed in addition to other charges.
A kid playing in the street is no different from a dog running around off leash or people throwing their cigarette butts out into the street. For many people the above mentioned activities are common practice however you have to think about your fellow citizens and stop selfishly thinking only about your own happiness/convenience.
35 MPH on a residental street?? ARe you kidding me???? Maybe that should be addressed, not that kids are having fun in the front yards of their homes.
Here's a town ordinance relevant to this discussion -
Quote:
In addition, the Town of Apex Ordinance is:
Sec. 14-28. Playing upon streets, sidewalks and public places.
(a) No person shall play at any game upon any street or use any street for the purpose of recreation.
(b) No person shall engage in any game or recreational activity upon any sidewalk or public place in the town in any manner so as to:
(1) Impede pedestrian traffic.
(2) Endanger property.
(3) Endanger the life, limb or health of any person.
(4) Prevent the full and complete use of such sidewalk or public place by other persons for the intended purposes thereof.
(5) Constitute a breach of the peace.
(6) Constitute unreasonable annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities.
(Code 1973, § 13-26; Ord. of 2-20-96, § 2)
Seems pretty straightforward to me. The speed limit in my neighborhood is 25mph - but I can tell you people don't drive that slowly. Not only neighbors, but the various commercial vehicles that come through. Luckily we have sidewalks, and I guess 'somehow' people find room on their .20 lots and/or driveways for their kids to play safely.
Here's a town ordinance relevant to this discussion -
Seems pretty straightforward to me. The speed limit in my neighborhood is 25mph - but I can tell you people don't drive that slowly. Not only neighbors, but the various commercial vehicles that come through. Luckily we have sidewalks, and I guess 'somehow' people find room on their .20 lots and/or driveways for their kids to play safely.
Thanks for that data, it just makes me sad. I guess that is one more thing that will be different in NC, the restrictions for children playing in the front yard. I guess I am glad my children are all grown up.
Thanks for that data, it just makes me sad. I guess that is one more thing that will be different in NC, the restrictions for children playing in the front yard. I guess I am glad my children are all grown up.
Nothing says that kids can't play in their yard, front, back or side. I admit, I am floored by the amount of people that feel playing in the street is acceptable behavior.
When I was growing up (in the 70s mind you) it was grounds for a neighbor to call your mother to go remove and punish you. Now the parents are telling their kids to do it!!
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The street is a paved area that is accessible to cars, and used for other purposes.
) on New Years Eve and the Fourth of July, and yes, the kids set up a basketball goal and shoot hoops. a lot. One of the "childless" neighbors has grandkids who enjoy their time here. One is a single guy who smiles and waves as he pulls in to his garage, but that's about all we see of him. ALL of our kids scatter to the curb the minute a car comes to pull in to a driveway, but all of our kids are safe, and all of the parents watch out for each others kids. They're not running amok, unattended.
