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'How the Garage Became America's Favorite Room'

General Discussion
#1

‘In Philadelphia, where I live, a menace has invaded city streets. A number of new town houses, clad in nostalgic, deferential brick, have put at their bases a yawning portal: the garage, an offensive import from the suburbs.’

‘In their recent book “Garage,” Olivia Erlanger, an artist, and Luis Ortega Govela, an architect, coin a term, “garageification,” which describes a strange excrescence, initially unrelated to the central functions of the home, acquiring a life of its own and beginning to blend previously separate realms. Garages were, of course, designed to house cars. But they soon became much more: storage spaces, offices, man caves. Entire companies were concocted in garages, and several styles of music were named after it.’

‘[architect Frank Lloyd] Wright was an early adopter of the automobile - when he went to meet Robie, he drove his custom-built yellow Stoddard-Dayton, a low-slung motorized canoe with tall wheels and cartoonishly eyelike headlamps’

#2

Uniformed writer who hates cars written for an audience that doesn’t own cars about a subject neither group understands nor wants.

Garages are to protect the second most valuable thing people purchase. The earliest garages were carriage houses because wealthy homes HAD them already. Cars were stored inside because none were particularly water-tight and leaked oil and gasoline. Separate structures were designed to protect the home owner from fire. Attached garages came into their own in the 1960’s as cars no longer were the fire hazards of the past. Garages grew from one to 2 cars as the American family gained prosperity. In urban settings they protected the family car from inconsiderate drivers who park like Ray Charles, vandals and weather. They also provided a guaranteed parking space near the home to unload parcels and groceries.

Garages often used as expansion dens, bedrooms or storage spaces no longer housing cars as the family grew. Converting a garage is easier than moving. Weather resistant paints and window seals protected the cars far better so they looked good for the 5-7 years people owned them even when parked outside. In areas where slab foundations are popular and closet spaces aren’t, they collect the consumer goods no longer wanted or needed but the family can’t bear to part with. Garages are as important today as they always were. The growth of the 3 car garage is proof.

THAT was written by one who loves cars, lives in the suburbs, observes the culture and parks 2 cars in his small garage along with storage and tools and still must leave a 3rd vehicle outside.

3 Likes
#3

RT , you need a hobby besides looking for ridiculous articles .

#4

Thus you should take his obloquy as homage.

#5

I see no obloquy. The writer expressed his uninformed thoughts about garages while referencing others with equally uniformed thoughts. And an homage to what? Ignorance? Misinformation? Garages?

This is much like a vegetarian writing about the history of the preparation of steak.