Living in one place for nearly twenty years certainly leaves you with a sense of stability about life. This post is about the neighborhood where I grew up.
From the time I was in elementary school through college I lived in the same neighborhood. The house was in a small, newly-constructed, late 1950’s subdivision in Tampa, Florida.
The surrounding neighborhoods featured much older, similar-sized homes.
I walked a few miles to my elementary school. Later, I rode a bike to junior high school. Then, drove to the nearby high school. I never rode a school bus after we moved there. I commuted to college from that house.
Actually, my first job in high school was close to that neighborhood. I didn’t move out permanently until after getting married the same month I turned 25.
The Homes
The house itself was very modest, and very small. It had three bedrooms, one bath and a carport. Probably 900 – 1200 square feet.
Over the years my parents added a bedroom and a bathroom. Eventually, after I moved out, they added central heat and air.
Homes in that neighborhood were concrete-block construction. Ranch-style and one story. Carports only; no garages. Many of the garages, like ours, were closed in to add a bedroom or family room.
The house was fairly simple. There was no separate pantry off the kitchen. No formal dining room. Or French doors anywhere. And no walk-in closets. A tub only; no walk-in shower. Certainly no double vanity or separate master bathroom. No island in the kitchen. We didn’t have a dishwasher.
“For most of the time I lived there I had no reason to feel like my life was lacking or less than others I went to school with.“
Although this was Florida, there were no in-ground swimming pools in the immediate or surrounding neighborhoods. And, certainly no homeowner’s association!
Remember, this was before cell phones so there was only a single, land-line phone on the wall in the kitchen!
Windows were jalousie – multiple thin glass slats in a frame. Those windows were popular in the 1950’s in the southeast U.S. before central heat and air was widely used.
The original roof was gravel held on by tar. Asphalt shingles were a later addition.
The home was built on a concrete slab. Floors were vinyl tile. Carpet in the living room came much later. The washer and dryer were outside, in a utility room that wasn’t heated or air conditioned.
The yards were very small. Most of the yards were fenced in the back. Some were fenced in the front as well. However, it was chain-link fencing not white picket.
The accompanying photo is an undated Google Maps picture of the house.
The Surroundings
There was a railroad track close by, meaning within a short walk for a kid. We could hear the band playing during Friday night football games at the high school.
Essential services were also nearby. For example, there was a public library beside the high school.
Also, there was a mom-and-pop grocery store a short drive away for occasional needs. And, a local funeral parlor!
A short drive further was a grocery store in one direction. In the other direction was a strip shopping center that included a department store, barber shop, and optometrist. Enclosed malls in the U.S. weren’t invented yet!
“…as I grew older I began to make comparisons and see differences in lifestyles since the church we attended was attracting many young, aggressive, upwardly-mobile, college-educated professionals.“
The Neighbors
The neighbors were all like us, lower middle class. Almost no professionals. Instead, exclusively white, working-class families. There was no racial or ethnic diversity.
That said, people were friendly. You knew their names, at least those living closest to you.
But, my closest friendship growing up was with someone from church, not someone from that neighborhood or my school. Moreover, I met my wife at church. Thus, she wasn’t “the girl next door.”
Actually, the female next door was old, grumpy, and retired! Hum, that description sounds a lot like who I am as I write this post!
Many of the neighboring families were young. As a result, there were lots of other kids in the neighborhood to play with. My sister and I could stay out and play after dark.
It was a very safe place to live. And, a great place to ride bikes. Or, play hide-and-seek. We played seasonal sports like baseball and football all hours of the day and night.
Since the houses were so close together, it was great for walking during Halloween. Occasionally, an ice cream truck would circle through the neighborhood.
After I got my own car I was free to build friendships at work and outside of that immediate neighborhood.
Attending college, including a year as a co-op student in Washington D.C., further expanded my view of what was available.
Some Takeaways
Living in one place for nearly twenty years certainly leaves you with a sense of stability about life. As a family, we attended a single church during that entire time period. It’s good to know what to expect every day.
For most of the time I lived there I had no reason to feel like my life was lacking or less than others I went to school with. However, as I grew older I began to make comparisons and see differences in lifestyles, and possibilities, since the church we attended was attracting many young, aggressive, upwardly-mobile, college-educated professionals.
I moved away from that neighborhood in 1975 when I got married. We visited there, from time to time, until my parents retired and moved to a different state.
Approximately 40 years after leaving I came back to that neighborhood while in town on a business trip. Surprisingly, much less had changed than I was expecting.