My Neighborhood

With the last post fresh in my mind, I headed out for a walk. I live in an unpretentious apartment complex (rent: $525.00/month for a large two bedroom apartment with garage and pet fee, which will no doubt shock those of you in big cities) on the fringe of a commercial district and a single-family residential neighborhood. The homes in that neighborhood are relatively recent construction (post-1980, certainly, possibly post-1990). Mostly one story with rather dominating two-car garages. Many trees, but not on the edges of the broad streets, which means it's not a shady neighborhood. No sidewalks (which strikes me as uncivilized, un-neighborly, and short-sighted, but whatever). Many cul-de-sacs, dead ends, and "No Outlets" (same observation). Expanses of well-manicured lawns; few dandelions. Swings, benches, many standard issue basketball hoops in the driveways. SUVs everywhere. Children, I suspect, but not very visible, not at any sort of physical play; the few kids I saw were really chubby, as if they had eaten too many pizzas and Happy Meals and spent too much time sitting on sofas playing video games (wait a minute: "as if"?). More "For Sale" signs than I expected, and most of those "For Sale By Owner" (where is everyone going, I wonder?).

A pleasantly average American neighborhood, in short, with aspects I dislike, to be sure, but not without its middle-class appeal. As I walked, I thought: cheap energy made this all possible, and without cheap energy, it won't be possible anymore.