What's the deal with all these gated communities?

[pk305]

Our Seagrove neighborhood has a gate on one end of the street only... due to the location of the street, it quickly became a raceway, cut-through & is a narrow street, often with lots of little kids close to the street. I couldn't believe how some people gunned down that street before the gate. Every other solution imaginable was discussed ad nauseum. The gate was the first thing tried and it has worked perfectly!! Anyone can still drive down the street coming in from the other end, they just have to turn around & go out the same way.

 

[Cil]

pk305
That's really a special case, but I am curious:
Were speed bumps ever discussed as a solution?

 

[sunshine]

Prior to moving here, I would have never imagined living in a gated neighborhood - it seemed snooty. But, we live in a gated community in SoWal and I must admit, it's kind of nice.

Here's an example of why: Last year, some friends from Memphis stayed with us for several days. Their son Peter was perhaps 3 and had not been allowed to go out in his front yard alone. His mom relaxed when she realized that there really was no traffic on our street, and Peter got his first taste of independence that trip. It was extrememly sweet.

Poor dad, when they left, mom, Peter and his older sister were all bawling in the car.

 

[Cil]

That's a cute story, Sunshine, though it could be argued that every child needs to learn to be street smart, and low traffic is not a good reason to leave a young child unattended in a front yard.

I dunno, living behind a gate just seems like kind of a sad trade-off.

I picture teenagers having to check in with the security guard before they TP a house. ;-)

Our neighborhood in Denver contended with cars shooting down the street.
They added a stop sign but denied us speed bumps. My next door neighbor took things into her own hands and began walking with eggs in her pocket, which she has indeed thrown upon occasion.

 

[pk305]

pk305
That's really a special case, but I am curious:
Were speed bumps ever discussed as a solution?

Speed bumps were debated, discussed a lot.
Funny thing about speed bumps. Several neighborhoods in Nashville (which have become big cut-through streets in the last few years) installed speed bumps, infuriating a lot of people
Well the word got out to just HONK while driving over each bump.....in a few months the bumps were outa there!!

 

[Smiling JOe]

Speed bumps were debated, discussed a lot.
Funny thing about speed bumps. Several neighborhoods in Nashville (which have become big cut-through streets in the last few years) installed speed bumps, infuriating a lot of people
Well the word got out to just HONK while driving over each bump.....in a few months the bumps were outa there!!

Great idea. I hate speedbumps.

 

[Cil]

So people were able to get rid of speedbumps by honking. Wow, I don't know whether to salute the honkers for defeating The Man or waggle my finger at them for acting like middle schoolers. ;-) But yeah, I know speed bumps are annoying.
The reason they would not install them in our old Denver neighborhood is because the authorities said it would be problematic for emergency vehicles, which is understandable. One thing they did do was periodically drop off one of those portable machines that clock your car and display your speed.

 

[DBOldford]

Gated communities were inevitable in South Walton when property values began soaring. People are drawn to the area because of its small town values, but bring their own synergy (and fears) with them from elsewhere. We had no gated homes in the Napa Valley until we began getting the second home McMansions. We call these the "ME" gates. Now they all try to outdo one another with the gates and intercoms. People with 25,000-sq. ft. houses have to build a freestanding guest house of 5,000 sq. ft. so they don't have to share space with their "loved ones." It is silly in that any person can usually step around the gates to access these properties and I believe they are simply an announcement that there might be good booty to be had in a house that is seldom occupied.

The sad thing about gated communities and "no trespassing" signs at the beach is that it flies in the face of the past spirit of the place. People always walked past your house or cut through your property on the way down to the beach. That was one way we made new friends or invited people to dinner when you bagged too many fish. You went to the beach to mix it up with people, not to get away from them. I was really turned off by all the "members only" and "private" signs at WaterColor, especially since Seaside is so generous to share their events with others, a greater sense of community.

 

[Mermaid]

The sad thing about gated communities and "no trespassing" signs at the beach is that it flies in the face of the past spirit of the place. People always walked past your house or cut through your property on the way down to the beach. That was one way we made new friends or invited people to dinner when you bagged too many fish. You went to the beach to mix it up with people, not to get away from them.

Donna, that's the sentiment that I feel when I see the gates, the reason why they don't sit well with me. I've always thought of the beach as the place that you go to escape from the things that make people want to erect gates around their homes in the first place! Gates at the beach smacks of bringing "excess baggage" with you to the place where it doesn't belong. Thanks for articulating my thoughts about this much better than I could.

 

[TreeFrog]

Purely speculation on my part...

It wouldn't surprise me if the gated developments were being built by folks from South FL, who don't understand they aren't needed or wanted here. I agree that some buyers may bring their "home mentality" as well.

I've always maintained that if you don't feel safe without a gated community or a walled-in lot, that you should move somewhere else. Not being ugly, it's just that you can't have peace of mind if you've got a bunker mentality.