The successful aspect of my home is our backyard. We built our home about a year ago and while it is in what many refer to as a ‘cookie cutter’ neighborhood, the lot is what sold us from day one. Working in midtown where each day is filled with the hustle and bustle of traffic, noise and interruptions, the extra few minutes to drive home is well worth what is waiting for us. Our neighborhood is tucked away and our lot provides a large backyard space for our girls to play and a chance to ‘retreat’ from the everyday chaos. We have had the privilege to spot deer in the backyard, study various species of birds and enjoy the beauty and privacy of such nature. There have been several mornings that I have been able to sit outside on the deck, watch the sunrise and hear the morning chatter within the ‘woods’ while sipping a morning cup of joe. In the summer the area becomes an enchanted forest for our four year old to explore and in the winter it reveals the homes of various wildlife and neighbors many yards away. I truly feel fortunate that we were able to build a home with such an established backyard in a new neighborhood—as many times you will find minimal trees, if any.
candance i think that this is so interesting because it seems to have this interesting juxtaposition of old growth, and perhaps preservation of forrest-scape, within a not so honored tradition of "cookie cutter development". do you know the ambition of the developer to honor the existing forested site situation in your backyard? is it zoned as some sort of preserve?
ReplyDeletealso, it is interesting to note that what makes your backyard so RICH is the established wildlife that have been there long before you. these types of "neighbors" do not exists when we completely deplete an existing landscape for flat and "tidy" plots. suggesting that maybe we work WITH our environment, rather than against it there are greater long term gains than monetary incentives.
I agree with Lindsey. The lack of foliage in any type of neighborhood has severely decreased the richness of areas. Potentially that is a way of breaking out of the "cookie cutter" stereotype not by changing the ways the homes are arranged or how they are one of three to five floor plans rather allowing a resident to the fullness of nature in a backyard and using landscape to start to present individuals personalities.
ReplyDelete"Jealous of the deck!"
lindsey and laura-
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you! The reason the forested site remains is because there is a large run off drain that leads to a preserved pond area. In talking with the builder, the SID behind us was not willing to remove the drains and the builder didn't want to foot the bill to do it, so they left it(lucky for us!!).
I long for the developer that doesn't let the money overrule the existing environment when laying out a neighborhood. I personally feel that cookie cutter neighborhoods wouldn't feel so 'blah' if there were variation in the vegetation and foliage in the area--it would help to hide and mask the every 5th house pattern repeat that most of these areas have. Not to mention having different yard shapes would help to remove the look and feel of the cookie sheet method for housing. Most builders already charge upgrade fees for the grading in terms of basement, daylight and walkout, why not allow for buyers to upgrade their lot too.
One thing I also like in our neighborhood is that there is an ordinance that has been put in place and everyone was given a tree on the front curb a 'keep Elkhorn/Omaha' green campaign. I look forward to 10-15 years from now to see the streets lined with these maple trees that were planted. It is a minimal attempt, but it does set the neighborhood apart from the other areas the builder develops.
I must say the deck is a favorite spot of mine all year long!
I agree that foliage is important in any neighborhood. In the neighborhood I live in, there are little to no trees and just a lot of concrete and buildings. The trees and grassy areas are scarce and I do believe the nature affects a person and the community around it, whether it is people or animals. I think having a place to "retreat" is important in this fast-paced world we live in. It's good to just sit and relax and enjoy our surroundings.
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