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Slice of Suburbia

Dad, enjoying the "lawn."
Dad, enjoying the "lawn."

Suburbia can suck it. Clans isolated in their castles, moated by lawns, concrete, and cars; no decent food joint or watering hole within walking distance. It works for kids, who can frolic carefree in protected cul-de-sacs – I loved my suburban childhood. My sisters and our respective gangs of kids from neighboring houses owned the streets – each yard was a new territory for us to discover and conquer. But as an adult, with no kids of my own to watch over? BORING.

I like to be where things are happening, to see the world hustle and bustle. I’m a city girl. It’s in my blood. Both of my parents were born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where the only playground was the busy street in front of rows of tenement housing and apartment buildings. My father, who currently lives in Mission Hills, is known to set up his lawn chair on the sidewalk in front of his building and read a book or simply enjoy a cigar while watching the activity in his hood.

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But, despite my city living, I admit there are aspects of suburbia that I miss. Namely, all things green. Not that a lot of grass is (or should be) happening in a drought-ridden city like San Diego, but all of the residential kingdoms my sisters inhabit contain well-manicured gardens, grass, trees, green

Having a fondness for plants doesn’t keep them alive, and though I wanted a lush garden on our new patio, I knew that in my hands the green would be brown within a week. David, unwilling to become my gardener, but understanding my need for green, came up with a solution: fake grass. He researched and found a company called NewGrass, which made realistic looking and feeling turf, and then he ordered enough to cover our terrace.

A glimpse at my yard.

Now I have my own little slice of suburbia in the heart of the city. I can enjoy coffee on my “lawn,” and still be able to walk a short distance to the nearest sushi bar.

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Home Sweet Homeless?
Dad, enjoying the "lawn."
Dad, enjoying the "lawn."

Suburbia can suck it. Clans isolated in their castles, moated by lawns, concrete, and cars; no decent food joint or watering hole within walking distance. It works for kids, who can frolic carefree in protected cul-de-sacs – I loved my suburban childhood. My sisters and our respective gangs of kids from neighboring houses owned the streets – each yard was a new territory for us to discover and conquer. But as an adult, with no kids of my own to watch over? BORING.

I like to be where things are happening, to see the world hustle and bustle. I’m a city girl. It’s in my blood. Both of my parents were born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where the only playground was the busy street in front of rows of tenement housing and apartment buildings. My father, who currently lives in Mission Hills, is known to set up his lawn chair on the sidewalk in front of his building and read a book or simply enjoy a cigar while watching the activity in his hood.

Sponsored
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But, despite my city living, I admit there are aspects of suburbia that I miss. Namely, all things green. Not that a lot of grass is (or should be) happening in a drought-ridden city like San Diego, but all of the residential kingdoms my sisters inhabit contain well-manicured gardens, grass, trees, green

Having a fondness for plants doesn’t keep them alive, and though I wanted a lush garden on our new patio, I knew that in my hands the green would be brown within a week. David, unwilling to become my gardener, but understanding my need for green, came up with a solution: fake grass. He researched and found a company called NewGrass, which made realistic looking and feeling turf, and then he ordered enough to cover our terrace.

A glimpse at my yard.

Now I have my own little slice of suburbia in the heart of the city. I can enjoy coffee on my “lawn,” and still be able to walk a short distance to the nearest sushi bar.

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The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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The Fellini of Clairemont High

When gang showers were standard for gym class
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The White-crowned sparrow visits, Liquidambars show their colors

Bat populations migrate westward
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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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