Am I the only one who doesn't like cul de sacs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I kind of like the camaraderie of sharing a cul-do-sac. It's a little like "Rear Window". We talk to our neighbors more. The kids, though run back and forth across the street which isn't always safe.

I realize this thread is now several years old but ... have you seen Rear Window?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate them. I actually refused to buy a house on one.

First of all, they're always filled with a bunch of cars parked on the street.

Second of all, I hate the idea of kids learning to ride their bikes or play hoops in the street.

I know lots of people who live on them, and not one of them have mentioned block parties. I'm inclined to think that, at least in the suburbs, that really doesn't happen as much on people on DCUM like to believe. I'm sure tons of posters will come on and say, "but we have one every month," blah, blah, blah. But as I said, IRL, I know lots of people who live on them, and none of them have ever heard of any block parties happening.

Third thing I hate, is that whenever I see a cul-de-sac, the houses seem to be very close together. I don't know if that's because of their popularity (builders try to fit as many in as possible), but it always seems like you have more neighbors close to you on a cul-de-sac than on a regular street.

Fourth thing, while people say they get less traffic, I've noticed (while visiting friends who live on them) that they get a ton of people who turn in to make a turn and go the other way on the road.

But yeah, most people and real estate agents think they're wonderful. So be it. I also hate neighborhoods that have a lot of them. It doesn't make for ideal traffic flow. And it makes the neighborhood seem disconnected. I guess people like that, but I don't.

+1. I could have written the same post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I currently live at the end of a cul-de-sac and I also work from home. I am constantly yelling at people who don't even live in our neighborhood to shut up and stop hanging out right outside my house. They claim it's a public street, but don't I have any rights to keep them away? There are always toys, bikes, kids blocking the end of my driveway and one of these days I'm going to hit one of them. At certain times of the day, then sun is blinding and I can't see backing out of my driveway. I wish the Damm kids would just stay in their own yards, or let the parents take them to the massive rail trail to ride their bikes on. They don't need to ride around in a circle a thousand times, screaming like idiots while people are trying to work!

Wow, I wonder if you live near me. I would never yell at anyone, but we have kids constantly screaming at each other while they ride bikes and play, and none of them ever seem to wear masks. It’s kind of crazy! All the kids within a couple streets seem to think our cul de sac is a playground or skate and bike park, so always kids in the street with no parents in sight. I do worry about cars driving in and out as the sun is setting.

I would never again buy on a cul de sac. Parking is an issue for the people at the end of the street so they park in front of everyone else’s houses, especially the people with teenagers or young adult kids living at home, so lots of extra cars per house. And yes, it is true what another poster said about the houses on the circle part being closer to each other, at least in the front.

[Anonymous]

I don't like them at all either. I don't like block parties or kids hanging out. We specifically bought a house that is by relatively major road, but set far from the road and the back yard connects to a park. I love that I don't have to say hello to anybody as soon as I open my front door, like I had to do it in my previous house. I like privacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate them. I actually refused to buy a house on one.

First of all, they're always filled with a bunch of cars parked on the street.

Second of all, I hate the idea of kids learning to ride their bikes or play hoops in the street.

I know lots of people who live on them, and not one of them have mentioned block parties. I'm inclined to think that, at least in the suburbs, that really doesn't happen as much on people on DCUM like to believe. I'm sure tons of posters will come on and say, "but we have one every month," blah, blah, blah. But as I said, IRL, I know lots of people who live on them, and none of them have ever heard of any block parties happening.

Third thing I hate, is that whenever I see a cul-de-sac, the houses seem to be very close together. I don't know if that's because of their popularity (builders try to fit as many in as possible), but it always seems like you have more neighbors close to you on a cul-de-sac than on a regular street.

Fourth thing, while people say they get less traffic, I've noticed (while visiting friends who live on them) that they get a ton of people who turn in to make a turn and go the other way on the road.

But yeah, most people and real estate agents think they're wonderful. So be it. I also hate neighborhoods that have a lot of them. It doesn't make for ideal traffic flow. And it makes the neighborhood seem disconnected. I guess people like that, but I don't.

+1. I could have written the same post.

Also, we just get the city to shut down our street 2-3 times a year for parties (in NW DC). Seems good enough for us. Cul-de-sacs make it harder to walk to stores and stuff. But I guess people in cul-de-sac areas mostly drive everywhere; so walking distance isn't be a big issue?

Are there cul-de-sac areas with pedestrian pass-throughs? Berkeley effectively did that by putting concrete blocks randomly throughout their grid, with only sidewalks passing through. Seems like the best of both worlds.

[Anonymous]

I don’t like them

[Anonymous]

I hate the idea but DH grew up on one where everyone was best friends and they all had kids who played together so he is very nostalgic about it. We almost grossly overpaid for a house on one but I drew a line and thankfully we got out-bid.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

We live on a double cul de sac. There are zero cars parked on the street, zero block parties and zero traffic besides residents. It’s heaven.

[Anonymous]

My neighborhood of 58 homes consist of 6 cul de sacs and I don’t care one way or another about them. Our home is the 2nd home when you enter the neighborhood and there’s no sense of privacy their either as one has to pass out house coming in and out of the neighborhood.

We loved the house so it didn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Hate 'em. Kids more likely to get hit by car. Less safe because isolated. Everyone is always paranoid of strangers. Cut off/no walkability/poor urban planning. Prefer my regular street where I can go places and yes there's through traffic but I see people I don't know and *gasp* that's ok.

[Anonymous]

I was neutral to them living on one but now with waze redirecting through previously quiet neighborhoods, I’ll keep my cul de sac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live on a double cul de sac. There are zero cars parked on the street, zero block parties and zero traffic besides residents. It’s heaven.

+1 love the quiet, little to no traffic, and safety for kids to run around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to look at a house today on a cul de sac which I know a lot of people love. It was a really tight circle though and I kept thinking it would be pain in the ass to turn around in or to have friends try to park. There were a lot of cars parked there too and I'm guessing they're the neighbors cars. Anyway, I'm wondering if people on cul de sacs have these issues or if I didn't give it a fair shake. My wife didn't mind as much.

The whole cul de sac development pattern has ruined any future of retrofitting a good chunk of our built environment. I couldn't live on one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I kind of like the camaraderie of sharing a cul-do-sac. It's a little like "Rear Window". We talk to our neighbors more. The kids, though run back and forth across the street which isn't always safe.

I realize this thread is now several years old but ... have you seen Rear Window?

LOL! Yes it should not be considered aspirational!