Sidewalks in urban Texas? (Dallas, San Antonio: houses, neighborhoods, live)

[ColdCanadian]

I've heard many people say they're rare or don't exist, but last night I was watching "King of the Hill." I looked carefully and saw plenty of sidewalks in Arlen, TX.

I know it's a cartoon, but it supposedly was based on ideas from a guy who lives in Texas. (Mike Judd?)

What about fences in the front yards like on the cartoon?

I think I've seen tall wooden board fences like in the cartoon on pictures of a Dallas neighbourhood. Are they common? That real-life neighbourhood picture I saw looked more like a military compound with the 5-7 foot high solid wood fences that lined the perimeter of every house in this Dallas sub-division.

[ColdCanadian]

Oops, maybe I should have called it suburban TX.

(Arlen doesn't look very big, lol)

[jread]

Some of suburban Texas is without sidewalks, but it just depends on where you go. Austin is very pedestrian/cyclist-friendly and there are sidewalks, bike lanes, etc. almost everywhere you go. In fact, I haven't even seen a neighborhood in the suburbs here that didn't have sidewalks.

[neddy]

The show is making fun of Garland Texas its right outside of Dallas city lines on the Eastern side. Yes wood fences are the norm in Texas however not in the front yards. It was strange to me that the north did not have them! Most of the neighborhoods in Dallas that I grew up in and played in had sidewalks although not all. In San Antonio, I know a lot of older neighborhoods don't have sidewalks, some of the newer ones also don't have them. Most of San Antonio don't have alleys but we do have wood fences (majority that is)

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by neddy

The show is making fun of Garland Texas its right outside of Dallas city lines on the Eastern side. Yes wood fences are the norm in Texas however not in the front yards. It was strange to me that the north did not have them! Most of the neighborhoods in Dallas that I grew up in and played in had sidewalks although not all. In San Antonio, I know a lot of older neighborhoods don't have sidewalks, some of the newer ones also don't have them. Most of San Antonio don't have alleys but we do have wood fences (majority that is)

We have wood fences too in some people's back yards, but they aren't solid looking; they built in an overlapping pattern with 1" air gaps between each board.

I couldn't believe the pictures I saw of nice 2 story homes surrounded by tall wood fences with their only openings a few feet on either side of the driveway; just like the cartoon.

Is it only like that in Garland?

Alleys in suburban areas? What are they put in or used for exactly?
(we have them sort of, but primarily downtown)

[neddy]

In Dallas area that I grew up in those solid type fences are everywhere. In San Antonio there are those overlapping type of fences (in the areas that were built in the 80s it seems. ) Post 1990 type homes it seems builders at least in my part of town went back to those solid type of fences. Alleys in the housing divisions are were the garages face and the garbage gets picked up in the back of the house. SA does not have a lot of alley ways. My hubby said that in King if the hill in the show where all the guys are standing around drinking beer and a garage if facing them they are in the alley.

[ColdCanadian]

If the garage faces the alley which is also supposed to be in the back of the house, what's in front of the houses?

We definitely don't have alleys. Nothing behind the house but a backyard. Our garbage is put out "by the curb" near the street.

My neighbourhood was built in the early 80's; maybe that explains the fences?

Wouldn't solid looking fences make more wind resistance, which might make it easier to blow down in a storm? Any ideas to why they're popular?

I myself sometimes like fences, but prefer "airy-looking" ones.

[neddy]

Front door on the street side with no cars except on the street! Its a nice look sometimes. Yeh it could make the fence blow down easier but we never had a problem with it. I like the solid ones.

[momof2dfw]

LOL!!! Well, I'm in Garland and have never watched the show. Not everyone in G-Town stands around in the yard drinking beer. The city is full of professionals and has some rather high end housing. We also have some areas that are not and then we have some beautiful areas of older ranch homes on large lots that back to creeks w/ large trees.

Homes in the 70's started having more rear entry garages and that is where the alley came into play. This is also when the 6' wooden fence became the norm. In my old neighborhood and in many post war neighborhoods in Dallas you will see front or side entry garages with the then typical 4' chain link fence. We had a few neighbors back then that would put up a wood fence. Every now and then even in new neighborhoods you will have the people that have no fence. Nowadays the only time you see front entry garages are when homes back to a golf course/greenbelt/park or the developer conned the city into allowing really small lots and homes. In homes w/ rear entry garages the front yard is all pretty much lawn and flower beds. Every neighborhood I've ever lived in had a front sidewalk. I like the rear entry garages so that the kids can ride their bikes on the front sidewalk and you don't have to worry about cars pulling into or backing out of drives or cars parked blocking a sidewalk.

[Muhnay]

El Paso is famouse for its Rock Walls, we dont have wood Fences out this way, even though I have started to see a trend in hidng the rock wall with a wood fence or to add height to add privacy. El Paso, really does not have burbs.. well what I would consider a burb any ways.

All, ok well 98% of the houses in El Paso have a front drive and attached garage, most garages are now sunken dens lol.

how differant life is here than the rest of Texas.