I have lived on cul-de-sacs most of my life (some call it a dead-end street). After living on cul-de-sacs for so long, my wife and have a hard time picturing living any place else if we are living in a city (a vacation house or country house would be a different story, as we would be looking for peace, quiet and tranquility).
Our current house is on a small cul-de-sac street and there are many kids with varying ages for our kids to play with. We know our neighbors very well and have enjoyed the extra “community” the cul-de-sac brings. An example is that we close the street off for a block party for the 4th of July holiday and have a potluck and fireworks as neighbors. Since we know our neighbors so well, if one of us is out of town, the others will keep an eye on the house, and perhaps feed a pet. We also have used neighbor kids for babysitting. The street is quiet, and any cars coming on the street that are not recognized are immediately noticed and scrutinized by many eyes. It definitely is a “community” as opposed to neighbors.
While I think that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, there are a few disadvantages that I can think of before considering a house on a cul-de-sac. One is that there is usually an added cost to living on a cul-de-sac, with some houses going for 20% more than the general area as a premium. Also, if you are more private, don’t want kids around, or do not want the relationship with the neighbors, that would be an issue. A personality conflict or dispute with the neighbor would also be a disadvantage, as there is no avoiding them. Also, there can be parking issues or access issues for people living on a cul-de-sac. There is also the “comparison game” where neighbors scrutinize/hold grudges or critique other neighbor’s house appears (think lawncare or house paint).
All that being said, we have thoroughly enjoyed being on a cul-de-sac and are nearing 8 years of being in our current house. With Jacob and Kendra getting bigger, there will be ample opportunities to take advantage of the “community” of the street… hopefully we do not annoy any of the neighbors too much!
How do you feel about cul-de-sacs?
Brian