[quote author="bkshopr" date=1236306596]The American dream of home ownership was possible after the recovery of the Depression when developers and builders found a way to mass produce homes on cookie cutter lots in the suburb.
During the early 40?s young families were able to purchase home with modest income. Prior to that time homes in older neighborhoods like Floral Park and Park Santiago were built one at a time. Homes were expensive and only the upper middle class could afford them. Similar surveys were produced such as ?Value Village vs, Charming neighborhood? during the 40?s and value village won by a huge landslide. Home shoppers were excited to finally owning a home and aesthetic were the least of their priority. Function was important.
Builders and developers responded very well in addressing the needs of the consumers. Consumers wanted large lot and small common area. Neighborhood amenities were minimized to reduce operation cost. Builders satisfied the consumers by building sprawling single story houses with access to a huge backyard. Garages were positioned at the front with driveway and even a 15? side yard adjacent to the garage for RV parking. The garage was the place where the neighborhood men socialized and hung out. They displayed their manhood by drill press, table saw, vice grip, and pin up poster on garage walls. It was cool to work under the hood of a car and motor oil being drained to the curb.
Everyone desired a 65x100? lot and that was universally planned to satisfy the buyers craving. Buyers also wished to work near by so industries and offices were planned near by. Large companies set their West coast headquarter in the neighborhoods. Some even wanted bigger lots so developers carved other 75??x110? lots. Big grocery markets and their distribution centers, Nabisco, Kraft, McDonnell Douglas, Johnson and Johnson, Sunkist, Dow Chemical Corporation, Disneyland, Knott produce, GE and many other companies provided jobs for all of the value communities.
Families owned cars and campers. Pools and recreational equipment were quickly installed in backyard of homes. Schools were built in these new suburbs. Education was far superior in the new suburb than the inner city schools. Shopping malls and retail centers quickly went up to meet the demand of the new population.
The American dream of owning a house on a big lot in a cost efficient value village was the lifestyle that echoed through out the rest of the country. It was a smashing success in OC and LA County near the OC boundary. Floral Park and Park Santiago were considered old fashioned and homes were dirt cheap in the resale. Homes values were less than the new homes built in these functional value villages.
No one cared about community charm because the good life is offered inside the private properties. Families were happy with their lives and kids were happy playing with the hose in the huge front yard and splashing in the backyard pools.
I have just described the value communities in Bellflower, Cypress, Lakewood, Hawaiian Garden, Garden Grove, Stanton, Buena Park, Anaheim, and Westminster.
Lots are big. Homes are sprawling around the huge rear yards. There are plenty of driveway and frontal garages. RV parking along the side of the garage is now filled with used mattresses and rusted box springs. Schools were once distinguished and now a place where gang member hang out. Prominent companies left 25 years ago and the structures once housed the prospering industries have been desolate ever since. Neighborhood retails like Westminster Mall, Anaheim Plaza, Buena Park Mall, Lakewood Center Mall, City Mall (reinvented as the Block) and countless other retails have not been able to reinvent themselves.
These communities were all value villages where buyers did not care for neighborhood charm as long their needs were met within the confine of their large properties. So what did go wrong? Their desires back then were no different from this polls ? Value Village vs Neighborhood Charm?. History is a gauge in predicting the future. Go visit any of the older value communities the lots are at least 5,000 sf and did the large lot save the communities from becoming despair? Did the garages and driveway and ample RV parking side yards prevent the original homeowners from leaving? Why did all the neighboring commerce failed? Why do the malls only have Sears and JC Penney as anchors?
Charm = neighborhood identity = pride + proudness = reason for not abandoning = desirability = Holds RE value = Commerce confidence = Asian buyers and their children raising the bars for local schools = others also want to buy because of its success but just want a value village = the problem why Garden Grove and Stanton once a dream communities with 6000sf lots have failed.
Be very careful of what you wish for.</blockquote>
I think that value village in Irvine (Oak Creek) does not equal value village in Stanton. Also the definition of charm is subjective. I would agree that turtle ridge could be considered premium, but Woodbury gives the feeling of an over decorated apartment complex. Even the 1.5MM+ homes look like townhomes. Portola Springs has the sprawling hills that give a luxury feel, but its too far away.
So, if oak creek = value village, then keep on building value village. Its a nice community that people are very loyal to, and proud to live in.
During the early 40?s young families were able to purchase home with modest income. Prior to that time homes in older neighborhoods like Floral Park and Park Santiago were built one at a time. Homes were expensive and only the upper middle class could afford them. Similar surveys were produced such as ?Value Village vs, Charming neighborhood? during the 40?s and value village won by a huge landslide. Home shoppers were excited to finally owning a home and aesthetic were the least of their priority. Function was important.
Builders and developers responded very well in addressing the needs of the consumers. Consumers wanted large lot and small common area. Neighborhood amenities were minimized to reduce operation cost. Builders satisfied the consumers by building sprawling single story houses with access to a huge backyard. Garages were positioned at the front with driveway and even a 15? side yard adjacent to the garage for RV parking. The garage was the place where the neighborhood men socialized and hung out. They displayed their manhood by drill press, table saw, vice grip, and pin up poster on garage walls. It was cool to work under the hood of a car and motor oil being drained to the curb.
Everyone desired a 65x100? lot and that was universally planned to satisfy the buyers craving. Buyers also wished to work near by so industries and offices were planned near by. Large companies set their West coast headquarter in the neighborhoods. Some even wanted bigger lots so developers carved other 75??x110? lots. Big grocery markets and their distribution centers, Nabisco, Kraft, McDonnell Douglas, Johnson and Johnson, Sunkist, Dow Chemical Corporation, Disneyland, Knott produce, GE and many other companies provided jobs for all of the value communities.
Families owned cars and campers. Pools and recreational equipment were quickly installed in backyard of homes. Schools were built in these new suburbs. Education was far superior in the new suburb than the inner city schools. Shopping malls and retail centers quickly went up to meet the demand of the new population.
The American dream of owning a house on a big lot in a cost efficient value village was the lifestyle that echoed through out the rest of the country. It was a smashing success in OC and LA County near the OC boundary. Floral Park and Park Santiago were considered old fashioned and homes were dirt cheap in the resale. Homes values were less than the new homes built in these functional value villages.
No one cared about community charm because the good life is offered inside the private properties. Families were happy with their lives and kids were happy playing with the hose in the huge front yard and splashing in the backyard pools.
I have just described the value communities in Bellflower, Cypress, Lakewood, Hawaiian Garden, Garden Grove, Stanton, Buena Park, Anaheim, and Westminster.
Lots are big. Homes are sprawling around the huge rear yards. There are plenty of driveway and frontal garages. RV parking along the side of the garage is now filled with used mattresses and rusted box springs. Schools were once distinguished and now a place where gang member hang out. Prominent companies left 25 years ago and the structures once housed the prospering industries have been desolate ever since. Neighborhood retails like Westminster Mall, Anaheim Plaza, Buena Park Mall, Lakewood Center Mall, City Mall (reinvented as the Block) and countless other retails have not been able to reinvent themselves.
These communities were all value villages where buyers did not care for neighborhood charm as long their needs were met within the confine of their large properties. So what did go wrong? Their desires back then were no different from this polls ? Value Village vs Neighborhood Charm?. History is a gauge in predicting the future. Go visit any of the older value communities the lots are at least 5,000 sf and did the large lot save the communities from becoming despair? Did the garages and driveway and ample RV parking side yards prevent the original homeowners from leaving? Why did all the neighboring commerce failed? Why do the malls only have Sears and JC Penney as anchors?
Charm = neighborhood identity = pride + proudness = reason for not abandoning = desirability = Holds RE value = Commerce confidence = Asian buyers and their children raising the bars for local schools = others also want to buy because of its success but just want a value village = the problem why Garden Grove and Stanton once a dream communities with 6000sf lots have failed.
Be very careful of what you wish for.</blockquote>
I think that value village in Irvine (Oak Creek) does not equal value village in Stanton. Also the definition of charm is subjective. I would agree that turtle ridge could be considered premium, but Woodbury gives the feeling of an over decorated apartment complex. Even the 1.5MM+ homes look like townhomes. Portola Springs has the sprawling hills that give a luxury feel, but its too far away.
So, if oak creek = value village, then keep on building value village. Its a nice community that people are very loyal to, and proud to live in.
