I live in an area with quite a number of gated housing 'projects'. Converted schools, warehouses and the like. And although, when walking passed them I secretly envy the tidyness and general upkeep of these places, they also seem to state a certain detachment to the rest of the area, to the rest of us. But perhaps that is one of the raisons d'etre?
Do you aspire to living behind gates? Or if you are living in a gated community, what are your experiences?
To be fair there have always been such places, private roads and estates owned by trusts with a 5 bar gate to deter intruders but the new sort really are the end of civiisation as we know it. I dare say if you were elderly such places would add an extra strand of security but they are often a Trojan horse in fairly rough and ready communities and you have to ask why people want to live there in the first place. You may as well go the whole hog and have arrow slits and castelllations on the roof!
would be great for kids, can let them play and know they're not so likely to go off somewhere. i read that article yesterday and din't like the idea of being told what to do by some stranger in charge, but would like the idea of someone who is not so clean, tidy and considerate being told what to do iykwim. can imagine service charges are sky high and your life could be ruled by someone with nothing better to do than make up more rules and regulations.
i suppose the main thing is crime, and i can't argue with that, who would'nt prefer to live somewhere that is substantially safer.
my hubby aches to live in one of those places (there are lots in isleworth)but i'm not so sure, wouldn't not buy because of the gates but would be wary of busybodies, feeling i have to be friends with people just coz they live there, locking the rest of the world out etc
My immediate thoughts (after having had to call the police because some inconsiderate get parked on my driveway on Friday without even putting a note through the door! It was an EA, visiting a house 6 doors down, by the way!!! ) is yes, great!
I agree that it would be good in terms of letting your kids out to play, but having looked at a house in such a place, it felt really weird and detached from reality.
So I'm really not sure. And anyone dictating to me the appearance of my space would get really short shrift!
___________________________________________________________________________ strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!
I don't like the new ones. There is a local planning regulation that all new developments are to be fully walled off, and they are a mass of confusing cul-de-sacs that are detached from all the main roads so there is no throughroute from anywhere to anywhere any more. I know they don't want places used for "rat runs", but you have to link A to B somehow! The 1.5 miles from the bypass to my door takes 70% of my journey time now, to a location outside the city boundary. Given that every development is walled there is nothing special about it, but perhaps if it were to be gated too that would be better. they only gate them to cars, though, and it's roaming groups of kids on foot and bicycle that are an issue around here, so no point.
after having had to call the police because some inconsiderate get parked on my driveway on Friday without even putting a note through the door! It was an EA, visiting a house 6 doors down, by the way!!!
Parked on your actual driveway?! A note wouldn't have made any difference. The sheer lack of manners would've forced me to park my car blocking them in my driveway till I saw fit. Like March.
Originally posted by cakehead: but they are often a Trojan horse in fairly rough and ready communities and you have to ask why people want to live there in the first place.
The definition of "rough and ready" is an arguable one, although admittedly we all know more or less to what kind of area this would refer.
Your question has however plenty of answers: relatively affordable property; good transport facilities; good choice/diversity of eating places, fine theatre with an equally fine programme (although i'm conscous of the fact that this might be an exeption rather than a rule, which will probably also apply to; green spaces; and yes, dare i say it: cultural diversity; the list could go on.
Perhaps your question was directed at people who live behind gates in these areas and hereby in a way disassociate themselves from their surroundings?
Originally posted by holy cheeses: Parked on your actual driveway?! A note wouldn't have made any difference. The sheer lack of manners would've forced me to park my car blocking them in my driveway till I saw fit. Like March.
Yes, the actual driveway, right in front of the house, off the pavement . I was very tempted to do as you suggest, HC, but it's all double yellow lines round our way so it would have been muggins that ended up with the parking ticket....
Ohh, I can't wait to move!
The shocking thing was the police said he was doing nothing illegal!
___________________________________________________________________________ strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!
Originally posted by cakehead: but they are often a Trojan horse in fairly rough and ready communities and you have to ask why people want to live there in the first place.
The definition of "rough and ready" is an arguable one, although admittedly we all know more or less to what kind of area this would refer.
Your question has however plenty of answers: relatively affordable property; good transport facilities; good choice/diversity of eating places, fine theatre with an equally fine programme (although i'm conscous of the fact that this might be an exeption rather than a rule, which will probably also apply to; green spaces; and yes, dare i say it: cultural diversity; the list could go on.
Perhaps your question was directed at people who live behind gates in these areas and hereby in a way disassociate themselves from their surroundings?
Not sure whether I totally catch your drift but my attitude towards them is, as I said, that they are interlopers - affluent relative to their surroundings but considering their neighbours to be jealous of their belongings. It would be different if the communities weren't gated but the fortress mentally is patronising and it would hardly be surprising if they got their stuff pinched, short of putting up a sign saying - We're Not Like You - it would be hard to imagine more socially divisive accomodation.
I can't argue with the advantages of city living but it's the city of dreams, all the buzz and convenience with none of the associated menace. Until you leave the gates..........
Not sure whether I totally catch your drift but my attitude towards them is, as I said, that they are interlopers - affluent relative to their surroundings but considering their neighbours to be jealous of their belongings. It would be different if the communities weren't gated but the fortress mentally is patronising and it would hardly be surprising if they got their stuff pinched, short of putting up a sign saying - We're Not Like You - it would be hard to imagine more socially divisive accomodation.
I can't argue with the advantages of city living but it's the city of dreams, all the buzz and convenience with none of the associated menace. Until you leave the gates..........
Sorry if my 'drift' wasn't as clear as it could have been (probably not helped by an unintended smiley), but I think you got the gist of it.
I do agree with you on the patronizing aspect: We like you, but we're not like you.
Of course you can only enjoy the positive aspects of your environment if you actually venture into it (and "leave the gates"). But hey, I'm sure you were conscious of that irony.
i live in a gated development in one of the "deprived areas" of east London. I have to say it's a big seller in some parts of london. At lesast i can park my car and not worry about theft or vandals- plus my insurance is lower. I don't have to worry as much about break ins as well. It looks clean and tidy- if you look at a lot of nice developments in London without gates, rubbish from the surrounding areas finds it's way outside fromt doors. It costs more on service charge but peace of mind is more important.
Originally posted by Jinki: i live in a gated development in one of the "deprived areas" of east London. I have to say it's a big seller in some parts of london. At lesast i can park my car and not worry about theft or vandals- plus my insurance is lower.
The parking aspect is a valid point actually.
Do you think contents insurance would be lower as well?
Out of interest (well, curiousity really ) which "E" are you in?
Originally posted by Jinki: i live in a gated development in one of the "deprived areas" of east London. I have to say it's a big seller in some parts of london. At lesast i can park my car and not worry about theft or vandals- plus my insurance is lower.
E14 Poplar.
The parking aspect is a valid point actually.
Do you think contents insurance would be lower as well?
Out of interest (well, curiousity really ) which "E" are you in?
There's another type of gating, which I think is peculiar to northern England. Here, older towns often have narrow roads ('ginnels') behind the houses, originally used for collections and deliveries and general refuse or cleaning things. If they are gated, the entire back becomes the property of the households, each of which, after say 3 years, gets a key. So you have nice plants etc flourishing there, tables and chairs, and a safe area for kids on bikes etc. Salford has examples of this.
after having had to call the police because some inconsiderate get parked on my driveway on Friday without even putting a note through the door!
This just reminded me about the best way I've ever heard of getting your own back on inconsiderate parkers. A friend who ran a haulage firm once had his yard's drive blocked by a car, so he got out his fork-lift, moved the car and left it neatly stowed on top of a container! I'd have loved to have been there when the driver returned.
) is yes, great!
; green spaces; and yes, dare i say it: cultural diversity; the list could go on.
Yes, the actual driveway, right in front of the house, off the pavement 
. I was very tempted to do as you suggest, HC, but it's all double yellow lines round our way so it would have been muggins that ended up with the parking ticket....
) which "E" are you in?
