In Praise of the Philly Stoop

There was an article posted here a few months back lamenting how SF is gradually losing stoops and gaining garages, with driveways that cross the sidewalk.

People enter and exit their cars in the closed garage, never having the chance to greet their neighbors on the way, and also make what was traditionally a pedestrian-only zone more hazardous since now they drive across it (often with poor visibility).

As someone who has always lived in the Midwest or suburbs, when we bought our first house a couple years ago I was happy to have it be a rowhome in a small downtown, with an actual porch out front sticking into the sidewalk. I can sit out there on my bench swing thing and interact with my neighbors in a natural, informal way.

Never thought I would see an article on Philly stoops here on HN! They are certainly low-tech but there's nothing like a cold drink on a stoop with your friends in the summertime.

All of the comments are right, we, in Philly, never called it "Stoop," but simply steps. Stoop seems like an NY word. My mom still sits outside daily in the summer, she doesn't have a misting fan though (I didn't know those were a thing). I'll get her one

How asocial do you think air-conditioning has made people? The loss of porches, stoops, opening large windows, hanging out outside because​ you have to, etc. I read once that in NYC, Sheep's Meadow in Central Park was covered with people sleeping overnight on sweltering summer days.

Nowadays you've got to be really actively, intentionally social. It's just too easy to sit on the couch, order food, watch Netflix, browse social media and ignore real life.

Chicago apartment buildings have a similar design either like this or near ground-level front porch, and when I was a kid near everyone was using them in the summer. You'd be hard pressed to walk down a block and not see near a third of the units with people hanging out in front. They became like backyards, BBQ's and all, but more much social because you could interact with your neighbors.

Today, condo development has destroyed some of these designs and the old apartment buildings don't ever seem to have anyone on the stoop or front porch. I guess people are more indoors orientated now or simply less social with their neighbors, at least in more gentrified neighborhoods. I barely know my neighbors to be honest. Sounds like the times haven't really changed much in Philly.

I wish we had more of that.

In my Minneapolis neighborhood, it's all 100 year old bungalows. Some have proper porches, most have stoops, and the stoops are set back from the street. Even the proper porches tend to be three-season or four-season (hey, it gets cold here!), with screens or windows isolating from the outside.

I like sitting out on the stoop and playing guitar, but it's not an opportunity to really interact with the neighbors much. At least I'm putting myself out there, though.

Meta-comment: this thread seems to be HN's stoop. There's only 29 comments and we've got people talking about little bits of their lives, where they've lived, their current neighborhoods. It's pretty nice to have this little snippet of semi-off-topic HN.

Is there any interest in a "weekly stoop" thread where people just comment about whatever interesting thing that comes up, nothing in particular? Things people find interesting, little discussions, things people want to know about. The kind of things that aren't really big enough for separate submissions, but could make up a few comments. I feel like that'd be pretty interesting. Has it been tried before?

I've always been really fond of the front porch in Chicago for a similar reason. They are a bit more elaborate -- they are often covered, and are much larger as a whole, but they are pretty much the perfect place for 4 or 5 people to hang out.

I've met so many people because they are drinking on a porch or on a rear deck and I've started talking to them, and next thing you know I'm drinking a beer.

There's often a sunroom/living room/den connected to the front porch in Chicago. This room is known as the frunch room. I'm not entirely sure how to spell it, but it's a portmanteau of front and porch.

In West Philly we have porches

<3 community

Title is missing an 'e'.