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| Laurel Parks, left, and Stephanie Vasconcellos |
In an ideal world, homeowners with odd-numbered addresses would buy a lawnmower, while those with even numbers would buy a snowblower. They’d pair off and share, halving the cost. In an ideal world, kids from down the block would play in your yard, uninvited. You’d look out your window, see them, and smile.
Alas, we do not live that world, but this one, with our dibs, our fences, our jealously-guarded possessions and valorized selfishness.
But occasionally, a glimpse of that ideal world appears. Such as the story of how Laurel Parks ended up sitting on the front porch of Stephanie and Matt Vasconcellos.
“I’ve honestly been thinking about it for a couple of years,” said Parks. “My plan last year was to put hand-written notes in the mailboxes of people whose porches I like. In West Lakeview there are a lot of nice porches.”
But not on the “great apartment” where she has lived for 13 years.
“I love it,” said Parks. “But there is no outdoor space. Just this window. I get home from work, and I’m not ready to cook dinner. I want to be outside, but don’t want to walk. I want to be able to sit comfortably and peruse the internet, maybe drink a beer.”
Park, 39, an office manager at an investment firm and executive assistant, who moved to Chicago from California in 2009, decided to try something novel.
“Dear porch-possessing neighbors:" Parks posted April 12 on the “What’s Happening in Lakeview” Facebook page. “May I occasionally borrow your porch? As the weather finally starts to turn, I am once again confronted with the harsh reality that I am porchless. I am humbly requesting the occasional use of a porch, somewhere in West Lakeview, for low stakes activities such as: • Reading fairy smut • Staring at my phone • People watching...”
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Fairy smut is an entire genre of romance that is quite popular and its readers use the term to encompass a larger set of fantasy romance that involves all mythical creatures ….not just fairies. After the show Heated Rivalry became a phenomenon my husband was surprised to learn that gay hockey smut was a huge genre also….”you mean there’s more than one book about this?”
ReplyDeleteI hope this starts a trend of sharing our good fortunes, Neil, you might be on to something!
ReplyDeleteI grew up with a huge front porch on our house. We sat out there every night, enjoying the porch swing, talking to neighbors who walked by, and just enjoying the weather. It was delightful. I've been missing having a porch, partly because I live across the street from a row of old Victorians (like the one I grew up in), with their big porches and no one is ever out there on them. Such a shame. Thanks for this article!
ReplyDeleteNobody is ever on big Victorian front porches because folks don't want to live that way anymore. They'd rather stay inside, where they can be glued to their screens in air-conditioned comfort. No iced tea or lemonade in the afternoons, no evening breezes, no greetings to dogs and their owners, like when I lived in DeKalb and Evanston.
DeleteNewer homes don't have porches. Or even front stoops, like I grew up with. Many front entrances are only accessible through garages. People don't want to encounter other people anymore, including their neighbors.
America has become a lonely, anti-social, alienating place. Maybe some inner city and small-town neighborhoods have not yet become this way, but I don't live in any of them. If newer residences have any porch at all, it's usually in the rear, facing the yard, where nobody will bother you. And it's a bore.
Our pre-war bungalow is blessed with a screened-in rear porch, facing a fence and our garage. Only ever see our neighbor...who's young and not friendly and seems to be something of a loner. We built a deck on the porch roof. We see trees and sky and people walking by, but they're too far away to call out to in the twilight. So they just mosey on by. It's a lot like watching TV with the sound off
I have lived in 4 houses all build at the very least in the 70's and they had no porches. One was my parents which we were the first owners. No porch and no garage until a cuoupl of years after we move in. There was a patio. We lived in a new neighborhood but I don't think there was one house with a portch. We just lived a little bit north of a much older subdivision. Some of the homes are 100 years old. I don't recall any porches. One day I will I will have to take a ride through there.
DeleteThere are bright spots in these dark times.
ReplyDeleteMake today better than yesterday.
I assume there was no fairy smut recommendations.
My house sits at the end of a dead end street, by a wooded area next to the Cal-Sag channel. My deck is a great place to sit in the evening. I sit there alone. It's much too far for Laurel Parks to visit, but I like the idea.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on the south side. We all had porches but ours was the one everyone seemed to congregate at. Even after all their 8 kids moved out my parents still sat out and talked with neighbors. When my mom passed away, some of the neighbors (who were much younger) brought over a bench with a small plaque commemorating my mom. I was there with my dad and we both shed some tears. Now we live in a subdivision with no front porches. Never see neighbors unless we happen to be out getting mail or garbage cans at the same time. It’s a shame.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Berwyn with a big front porch, the house obviously not a Berwyn bungalow. The online version delightful story does not abide by the Sun-Times stylistic standards. In the print edition, Lake View is correctly spelled as two words, as the Sun-Times has always done. Apparently the digital version uses a separate contractor (maybe the Tribune) to publish its digital version.
ReplyDeleteDang it, every time I'm ready to throw in the towel on humanity, someone comes along and shows me there are still pockets of decency.
ReplyDeleteThis column published the day after I spent a lovely Sunday evening sitting on the swinging bench on the front porch, sipping beer, and enjoying the cool breeze. I contemplated how much I like that people stroll around quite a bit: whole families, young couples with strollers, folks with dogs, older people getting the blood pumping...smiles and pleasantries exchanged...all of us sharing the leafy green common part of the neighborhood, going about our day.
A front porch (and it's sibling back patio) are fine luxuries that I don't take for granted.
We've a stoop . No room for a chair let alone a table. Most of the place I've lived have just a stoop
ReplyDeleteThe neighbors to the east be stooping as well they are very friendly and chatty. Three generations of their family live in their 2 flat even with the second floor apartment vacant. From what I understand it's not fit for occupancy .
The 20 somethings that are out there all hours of the day and night have a lot of friends that pull up out in front in their car they go over and shake hands with them and off they go with the music blaring.
When will you use our patio in the rear, there's people out back too sometimes a car pulls up behind the garage if there's nobody out and knocks on the rear window. They sure have a lot of friends
From what I understand their family's been living there for 43 years.
We've been there just more than two and we just stay in our Lane
Long time reader
This is a swell column. I grew up with a front porch that my family and I much enjoyed, then I went a long time with no outdoor access and really missed it. For years now, we've have a balcony, which is quite a step up from nothing, but not as quaint as a porch.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the kind of person that would ask to sit on somebody else's porch, though it seems like an interesting concept. (Then again, I wasn't the kind of person to ask neighbors if I could shoot baskets in their driveways, but I was desperate enough to do that when I was young.)
Coincidentally, yesterday was Porchfest, "featuring local musical acts performing across front porches throughout Lakeview." As we meandered down one street going from one performance to another, we happened to see a large, very faded light blue flag flying on one porch which simply read "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP." Having already read today's column on the S-T website, I mused that it must also be "Neil Steinberg Day" in the neighborhood. 😉
Cleveland's Porchfest began in 2009, in the Larchmere neighborhood. Started out very, very small, and quickly mushroomed into a sprawling carnival over the years, Best way to do it was on a bike.
DeleteBut now Porchfest has been consumed by its own popularity, like so much else has been. Too many cars, too many bikes, too many pedestrians. Too many food trucks and vendors. Maneuvering through all that on two wheels is now a real ordeal. And at our age, it can no longer be done. So we pick out a few porches and we try to do it on foot once again. Not so easy at our age.
Over time, the music has changed as well. More hip-hoppers. more funk, more rappers. More techno-indy-house jive, if you get my drift. Not what I want to be seeing and hearing at 78. Or at any other age.
The big headliners, on the last street on the schedule, now draw a more streetwise and edgy crowd. Maybe a thousand or so. Not much more I can say about that. Just waiting for Cleveland's Larchmere Porchfest to be ruined by gunplay. I'm expecting it. That would be sad and shocking. But surprising? Hell, no.
I grew up in grand crossing a frame house 2 flat in the 50’s. Front porch had 4 steps. The porch was splintered wood. The “ice cream man would come jangling Down the street selling” past 9 he’d be out except for a stray cracked popsicle or 2. The porch steps were also used for “steps” ball. Balls preferably pink, which made wonderful “thwatting”noises.
ReplyDeleteLove the audacity of Laurel Parks. In her shoes, I would have done something similar. In 1995 I moved from a wonderful Victorian house with a screened in porch to a condo building in the South Loop. Every Tuesday during the summer we have a Pool Party where everyone brings a beverage and a snack to share. It is revealing that most of the people who attend are of an early vintage. We always try to get younger people to join us, but much to our disappointment they don't seem interested. Maybe they don't understand how rewarding it is to know their neighbors. Being old school, when I see someone new, I want sit beside and get to know them. One of our elderly residents asked, "Why to you do that? You don't even know them."
ReplyDeleteMy answer is, "That is exactly why I do it!"
Way to go Laurel and Stephanie. Hope you have a great summer.