In the Before Times, you might have hastily checked your peephole before dashing outside to take out the trash, just to ensure your neighbor, Gus, didn’t catch you in a 20-minute story about how your marigolds need watering and how his cat almost got out yesterday and hey, when you have a sec, can you see if that cut on his back looks infected? But after a year and a half at home, we’re appreciating human interaction on a whole new level, and chances are, you are too (bizarre stories and all). It’s no wonder that landscaping company Yardzen has seen rising demand for “social front yards,” aka spaces that encourage neighbors to stop by and catch up.
The concept itself is nothing new, Yardzen CEO and cofounder Allison Messner says:
“People have long congregated on their front porches and stoops as [an] in-between space between home and community. But, during the pandemic, as all of us lived our lives within the confines of our properties, we saw a 10x increase in the number of people who wanted to safely socialize with their community at home, and the front yard became the place to do so.”
And as many parts of the country combat drought, homeowners are rethinking what their front yards could—and should—look like. Suddenly, replacing a water-hungry lawn with a permeable hardscape or groundcover and a hangout seems more appealing than ever.
