The evening began when Chris and his wife Kay brought a batch of homebrewed beer over to the front porch of cross-the-street neighbors Harvey and Lorie. The kids dropped in after returning home from the pool. Then came next-door neighbor David. He'd been taking the trash out, heard the chatter, and joined the gathering quite easily. But then joining in on a porch sit is a regular occurrence on Morris Street; a quite tree lined boulevard with what most neighbors agree is a “healthy porch life.”
“You can’t live here and not socialize” said Harvey.
In fact, porches have become such a gathering spot for homeowners in the neighborhood that Harvey and his family sometimes swing on the their neighbor David's porch even when no one is home. The porch is that inviting of an outdoor space; decorated with vintage metal furniture, thick potted ferns and, of course, the swing. It's the perfect place to watch the world go by on Morris, a peaceful and friendly street with plenty of kids and dog walkers…great entertainment for porch people.
"The street is boring in a great way," said Harvey. "I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Porch sitting in Grand Rapids is no different than any other city. People sit in easy chairs or sway in swings, watch cars go by, sip on cold drinks, poke fun at the neighbor's lawn, tell stories or read the paper. Of course, unlike other cities, Grand Rapids has the longer Michigan summer evenings which make lingering outdoors more inviting.
But the porch people of Morris Street signal something more important for this revitalizing city: the return of street life and a growing sense of community. The porch began loosing its appeal toward the end of World War II as air conditioning, automobiles, and changes in social patterns fueled declining interest in civic engagement. Indeed, the porch nearly lost its social function because more Americans wanted privacy. New homes were built farther off the street and porches became smaller.
Now the porch is making a comeback. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, 42 percent of new single family homes had porches 14 years ago. Today, that number rises to 53 percent. The rediscovery of the porch also is evident in the older neighborhoods of Grand Rapids, where property owners are renovating historic homes, fixing up the porches, and relaxing out-of-doors in front of their homes.
A Proud Porch History
The revival of the porch is part of the broader movement known as New Urbanism, according to local home designer David Maxam. At its core, New Urbanism believes in the power and ability of traditional neighborhoods to restore functional, sustainable communities. Practicing urban designers strive to rebuild walkable streetscapes, mix residential and commercial uses, and decrease dependence on the automobile. They also often build new homes closes to the street and include front porches so neighbors can easily greet those walking by.
"A porch is the transition space between the street, which is public, and the living room, which is private," Maxam said. "It provides the space to greet someone coming to your home.”
Grand Rapids boasts some impressive porches. Drive through the neighborhoods where homes were built in the earlier part of the last century and you will find some of the finer porches, architecturally speaking. Their features include brick archways, wooden floors and ceilings, columns, wide stairways, and sometimes the historic carriage steps that led homeowners and guests into horse-drawn buggies. The older homes almost always have more porch space than those built in later years, many of them spanning the entire width of the house.
Keepin' it Real, Hangin' at Home
Today those unique gathering spots are capturing the interest of a new generation. Consider a handful of recent college graduates living on Lake Drive near Eastown have discovered the benefits of porch sitting.
"We hang out every night," said Allison, one of the roommates living in the house that once served as a dormitory for the Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music.
"You can watch the whole city go by [from the front porch]", said Zoe, another roommate. “The busy street keeps it interesting."
When asked why they weren’t inside watching TV likes most other people, the girls agreed that "TV is boring." They said they prefer conversation and the porch is their “conversation place.” In fact, the girls admit sitting out on their front porch for six to eight hours at a time, from "post-dinner to 2am." They talk, play the guitar, have parties, eat, and use their computers on the porch.
They also have grown familiar with the regular patterns of dog walkers, joggers, and other characters typically moving through the neighborhood. Sometimes people they’ve never met just come up on the porch, sit down, and introduce themselves.
“When you have a porch on a place like Lake Drive it becomes a very fun social place for people to sit, gather, relax,” said Christine, a third roommate who has "taken their porch to the internet."
Using the online community Facebook, Christine started a club called "Porchin’ It," whose members include people that live in the house as well as others who regularly hang out on the porch. Facebook provides a place for college students across the country to connect online.
Emily, a fourth roommate, sits on the porch after work "to unwind." She also notes the litany of gatherings the girls host on their porch to have fun…a tuxedo party, Fourth of July party, Octoberfest, barbeques, birthday parties and, instead of a “Labor Day” party, they held a “Neighbor Day” party and invited their neighbors. Like the residents of Morris Street, their porch has become an important part of their social scene.
And the post office doesn’t have anything on these people. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail…weather will not deter this group from their porch post. They have pictures of friends sitting on a snow covered porch. And the recent heat wave didn’t deter them either.
The porch people I sat with in Grand Rapids are doing more than simply saying "hello" to passersby. They are choosing to spend time together with friends, neighbors, and new faces on a regular basis. They are shutting off the summer reruns and reality shows and talking to one another.
Photographs by A J Paschka - All Rights Reserved
Image descriptions top to bottom:
Emily Shatto, Don Goris, Kelly Sierenga and Christine Foust frequently gather on the porch
A neighborhood gathering on David Lincoln's porch
David Lincoln, Hunter Lincoln and Lorie Tensen
Kelly Swieringa goes acoustic
Emily Shatto enjoys a glass of wine on the porch