Brit Reacts to 5 Ways British and American Suburbs Look Very Different

[@Marndarrr]

Every house I’ve ever lived in in Texas, every neighborhood, has had a 7-9 ft tall wood fence in the backyard. It really depends on your neighborhood.

[@Banyo__]

I 100% agree. I live in TX and most of us have wooden fences. Every house I've lived in, in my life, huge wooden fence. The only times I've seen the chain link fences are in much older neighborhoods or low income neighborhoods which makes sense because they are cheaper to build vs the wood ones, but I think even then, a lot of people will put up hedges or something to try to gain some privacy between the neighbors.

[@Big_Tex]

Yeah the general pattern is no fence in front and a board fence in back. Though there are certainly exceptions, sometimes no fence in back either.

[@Cody38Super]

Me three. I live Houston, same thing.

[@L3WGReacts]

rightt, i'm happy to go to texas anyway

[@jhood758]

Texas here too. We have our privacy fence in the back yard even though I live out in the country side.

[@Renassainceman]

What he's describing as a "Verge", is actually the strip of grass (or lawn) that is between the pavement (sidewalk) and the curb. Technically it's a part of your property that the city or county can access anytime to maintain underground utilities like water, electrical, telephone or cable TV lines. It is still the responsibility of the home owner to maintain its appearance, mowing, watering, etc.

[@laurataylor8717]

I have never lived in a house with a sidewalk (pavement) in front, so I've never had a strip of grass to consider what it's called, and I've never heard anybody call it anything. When Lawrence said some people call it a median, I consider that to be a grassy area in the middle of a major road dividing the different directions of traffic, like on a highway.

[@bettyir4302]

For anyone who doesn't know, that strip is a right of way for city utilities. It is city property but you must keep it mowed. The sidewalk is usually also city property so they must repair cracks. However, sometimes the homeowner will put one in but on their property.

[@marthapackard8649]

In western Massachusetts I called it the verge but the grass areas between highways were always the median or median strip.

[@cyirvine6300]

I call it the strip of grass that dogs poop on so when you get out of the car you step in it. Dog poo grass?

[@DepressedPotato10]

You also have to have your part of the side walk shoveled of snow within 24 hours of it ending.

[@1079walter]

We have privacy fences in the US, usually about 6' high. HOAs (Home Owners' Associations) are a major pain with sometimes insane "rules" about a property's up-keep, but, thankfully, they do not appear in all communities...usually the more affluent ones.

[@L3WGReacts]

ill 100% have to get myself a privacy fence. Yeah i've heard HOA's can be really annoying

[@RescuePitties46]

Any house I have lived in has had 6 ft solid fences as well as trees and high bushes. No gates! Pretty much everyone in my neighborhood has dogs too so having privacy fences is pretty much needed so the dogs are not always making eye contact and barking at each other. I got myself some big old dogs, like an 80 lb pit bull. He likes his privacy and I like my neighbors NOT seeing me in my bikini swimming...I am sure they don't mind not seeing that either..

[@spaceshiplewis]

@@L3WGReacts Like the bathrooms, Americans are just not nosey, we follow the bubble of privacy. Part of that is that we don't know who's packing heat, unless you are in Texas where you can just assume everyone is packing.

[@Twinspinner]

I've never heard of any of the terms used in this video describing that front bit of grass. In my area of Ohio, I've only ever heard it called a "tree lawn" since as Laurence himself described, they often will have a tree on them

[@accidentalfarmer6739]

​@@L3WGReactsannoying is a major understatement. You can loose your home just for painting it the wrong color, or planting the wrong kind of flowers or trees in the yard. They are set up where you cannot disagree with them.

[@Scotsirish775]

I lived in the UK for 10 years and I can absolutely validate everything you say! I’m back home in Georgia, USA and I have a renewed appreciation for everything we have here!

[@peppernc429]

The chain link fence is usually to keep your dogs in their own yards.

[@m2hmghb]

The fence you're talking about is called a privacy fence. A lot of places have them. The type you see Laurence having is called chain link and is more to keep pets in your yard then it is to keep people from looking.

[@L3WGReacts]

right make sense

[@ViolentKisses87]

Pets and small kids

[@darcichambers6184]

They are also much much cheaper than a privacy fence. Or at least they were the last time I was actively looking. Now I got lucky and bought a house with a 6 foot brick walls.

[@darcichambers6184]

@AmethystRock What Laurence has is a Chain-link fence. They are 4ft high and are the cheapest fencing available. Thus, you will often find this type of fencing in lower middle class housing. Why? Because our houses weren't built with fencing. So owners had to pay for them after they bought the house, and it gets expensive quickly. Also, there are zoning laws. In many areas, you can't have a fence facing the street, be higher than 4 ft. So people who have corner properties will get chain-link because they can't by law get privacy fencing.

[@AmethystRock]

You can't by law have a high fence to protect your own property?! That's crazy to me! Do you not get people that pass by and scan what you have in your house/garden and then come back later to steal things? Like if you leave your kids bikes in the back garden or have expensive garden furniture etc

[@b.slocumb7763]

If you have a dog, or kids, you need a fence of some sort in the back. They don’t always have fences in the front. Chain link fence I think is typically the cheapest and you can still see through it. But when you have nosy or rude (or messy) neighbors, you want to put up something taller that you can’t see through so you can have a little bit of peace.

[@misslora3896]

Please keep in mind not all neighborhoods in America are as nice as this. We've got our fair share of run down, unkempt shit. If you want to live in a place like this with a lot of mature trees and greenery, choose an older neighborhood in the eastern half of the US. In newer neighborhoods the builders put more emphasis on size and squeezing in as many homes as possible so, they usually clear cut and plow under everything. Personally, I prefer an older midwestern type neighborhood like Lawrence's. The houses have more "character", it looks and feels more park like and the area has an overall more warm and homely feel.

[@Kim-427]

While I don’t disagree with everything you say I do think that even in some city neighborhoods you can find nice homes and neat yards and it would still look better than a regular UK home on a regular street. Our neighborhoods are just set up different. You don’t have to have a lot of money or be rich to have a decent looking house in America. And it doesn’t have to be in a suburb for it to be nice. I live in Western Pennsylvania and there are many nice city neighborhoods and nice lawns. It isn’t just a suburb thing.

[@martina21953]

My dad and grandfather built numerous homes in Buffalo, NY for the soldiers coming home from WWII. Many of them are still in good shape to this day.

[@robertcasey7312]

@@Kim-427 I’m from a suburb in the same area. Some of my most successful friends bought beautiful homes in beautiful city neighborhoods.

[@garycamara9955]

There are neighborhoods like this in California as well.

[@camillep3631]

San Antonio has strict guidelines about how many mature trees can be cut down for a development, major fines for non-compliance. Also, development is curtailed over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, that's where we get our really clean water that filters through limestone deposits. Yes, it's hard but really clean

[@stephaniemccarthy1676]

Many of us in America are neighborly. I chit chat with my neighbors yet we still show respect for each other's privacy as well. A little privacy goes a long way.😀🇺🇲

[@sortaamy3003]

My backyard has barbed wire fencing. Keeps the cows in. Since our nearest neighbor is miles away, I doubt they're peeping at me through the acres of forest between us. Of course, I don't live in a subdivision, either. When I did, we didn't have a HOA. It was a requirement of mine when we were looking. I didn't want to pay people to tell me what I could paint my own front door on a house I was paying for.

[@starparodier91]

The first sentence took me by complete surprise until I read the next! 😂

[@sortaamy3003]

@@starparodier91 😂 keeps the prisoners in too ...sometimes

[@ashleyrumm4794]

Yeah in older homes chain link fences are more common, at least in my gulf coast area of Texas. Here they're also called hurricane fences because unlike wooden fences they don't blow down in the wind. Hence why there's probably so many more of them left then wooden ones. The mountains you said were beautiful were the smokey mountains around Tennessee. They are even more beautiful in person. Covered in morning mist...

[@marthapackard8649]

The geography of the U.S. is so beautiful and amazingly varied. I haven't traveled much but I have been through the Smokey Mountains and they were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. When we retire we hope to see more of this country.

[@Ginoulmer]

There are many beautiful neighborhoods in America, and there are some neighborhoods that have requirements for your yards and such, but many don't. I am surrounded by miles of pine trees and views of the rocky mountains of Montana on 2 sides, and we still have green grass around the house. I'm at an elevation of almost 6,000 feet.

[@LePapillionBleu]

I live in California and we have a brick wall that separates the properties. It just depends on your taste. There’s that metal fence wooden fence brick walls hedges depends on where you live.

[@JonBlaze1014]

At least for me, my backyard fence isn't for privacy. Mine is mostly for keeping my dogs on our property while unsupervised. It also keeps some animals from getting in....including my neighbors little bad ass kids lol

[@kathyb.8363]

I laughed out loud when you said “At this point let’s just call it grass”….I’m Maryland born and raised and I don’t remember having a special name for that area of our front yard….Cheers!

[@musicgirl8977]

I’m from Kansas I don’t have a name either, it’s just a part of your yard.

[@mrskitkatlady]

From St. Louis, it's grass. Lol

[@tarapapacek7731]

In MN, I’m pretty sure we call it “grass”. Sometimes, on rare occasion, we call it the easement but that is usually when the local government temporarily confiscates it, rips it apart, makes you pay for the privilege of having it ripped apart, then makes you clean up the aftermath of ripping it apart.

[@garycamara9955]

We call it a lawn.

[@mortimerbrewster3671]

I never knew what to call it. I would just say the grass between the street and sidewalk.

[@pkpattih1965]

In the neighborhood where I grew up, there is what we called an easement which technically belongs to the city but is maintained by the homeowner. It's the strip of lawn between the sidewalk and the street.

[@DragonflySigns]

I'm in New Jersey. I never heard of the term "grass bay"… We call it a grass strip. Where I live, nobody really says downspout either we would say a drain pipe. We can say sidewalk or pavement. You can say that the sidewalk down the block needs to be fixed because the pavement is broken. We use both terms.

[@fermisparadox01]

In Georgia it's the city right of way and if you ever buy gutters that part is called a down spout.

[@DragonflySigns]

@@fermisparadox01 ... yeah we call them gutters also in New Jersey… I forgot about that word😀👍

[@marthapackard8649]

​@@DragonflySignsIn western Massachusetts I would call it a downspout and the gutters would be the part that was up along the roof edge to catch the rain and channel it into the downspout.

[@aleigha9141]

I live in a very rural part of Northern New York and very few people here have any fences at all. Most of us have larger parcels of land that our houses sit on though, so we aren’t right close to our neighbors. Usually at least an acre or more. Also, it really depends on where you live whether or not there is an HOA. There are none up here in my area. Not for miles and miles. Usually the suburbs near larger cities will have a neighborhood with an HOA. I’ve only heard people complain about them 🤷‍♀️ we do have A LOT of green here. I really live in farm country, so there are fields and fields of green and crops etc. we also have lots of trees. All different types. I love seeing the leaves change in the fall. It’s beautiful. Right now (mid October) they’re just past peak fall foliage. So tons of colors. Can’t wait for you to come over to the USA and experience all of this for yourself! 😊

[@impresarioe6824]

I don’t mind the chain link fence. Sometimes when I or the neighbors have cookouts, we pass hotdogs and burgers over the fence if folks are hungry. However, you can change the fence if you want more privacy.

[@Crystal_3777]

In Arizona, most of our backyards have a 6 ft block or brick fence. That surrounds all the way around to the sides with an R.V. gate.

[@noone_inparticular]

The chain link fences aren't as big a thing anymore but it used to be. Doesnt require painting, keeps pets and kids in the yard etc. He lives in an older neighborhood so you see more chain link fences. New neighborhoods will have the 6 ft wooden privacy fence around the back yard. We dont fence the front yard.

[@bluflaam777LSA]

In my hood we call that narrow grass strip next the curb 'the lawn'. Basically the front lawn includes any land from ones house to the curb. You are, in most cities, responsible for ALL maintenance to the curb. Some cities over tree/brush maintenance, some don't. There are reasons for all that but it takes each city to explain them. Gotta remember, each state makes their own rules and most state let each city within, make their own rules... to a degree.

[@DeAnna_Im_Not]

The chain link fence is typically to keep your dogs in your yard and not so much for privacy. However more often than not individuals have privacy fences rather than chain link fences if they install them (or the contractors) themselves.

[@revgurley]

The back fence thing really depends where you live and how old the house is. We bought a house built in the 1950s, and it had a chain-link fence along the back yard. We knew we wanted to adopt a big dog (we did), so we tore the chain link down and put up a wooden fence (but it had to have decorative finials because....rules or something). That's another thing to look at when you're thinking about moving - how much are the HOA monthly fees? Are there HOA rules that you're going to have issues with? (They'll usually give you their rules if you're considering moving in). Luckily, we live in a "city within a city" so we don't have an HOA, but we do have town rules about keeping your lawn mowed, trees you cannot cut down (we have an almost complete tree canopy over the entire neighborhood/city), what kind of replacement windows you can get. It's one of those annoying "adult" things you don't think about until you're in it.

[@jameydupuy9280]

I forgot to say, in HOA communities, if you do not pay your violation fees, the HOA can put a lean on your house that will really hit you in interest when you go to sell! They will get their money eventually. Not all communities have HOA, only private communities. More upscale or gated communities. I think y'all have something like HOA in the townhouses or row houses/ flats over there?

[@diannegadbois5225]

I'm from Pennsylvania, and we call it a curb. As for fences, everyone is different. But front yards are common and are frequently beautifully planted. The backyard is normally set up for family and relaxation.

[@Torquex92]

One thing about the ending of this video, a lot people don't remember that America is the size of all of the UK plus more of Europe. When you travel from England to Ireland, there are tons of things that those two groups call differently. Same for America. Usually segmented in to 5-10 states, groups will call different things, different names.

[@cathleenfarmer9979]

I live in a modest neighborhood in Georgia. The house are small, close together, but the yards are big. We have 3/4 of an acre with lots of lawn. Most of the houses have no fences. There are many flowering trees in the spring. There is a mature oak tree in our front yard. I enjoy my neighbors. We respect each others’ privacy. America is so green because of abundant sunshine, and we have lots of room for big yards and gardens.

[@vampirefurby]

I didn't even know the "verge" had a name! LOL! The city usually plants trees on the verge, but yeah, we're responsible for mowing it. Also, most yards around here do have the chainlink fence but you can put up a privacy fence if you want. I guess we're also responsible for the condition of the sidewalk in front of our houses? I've never had the city tell me I needed to do anything to it - but I have received notices telling me to mow my grass or they would do it and charge me $100 (which is pretty high for my size yard).

[@karenlynn6860]

I truly feel for you. You love your country, of course! But your looking at greener pastures. Must really be difficult. But your young and ready for change and adventure. I wish you all the best in your future, whichever way you land. The U.S. loves you.😊

[@secretsquirrelgames]

Congratulations on hitting 30k subs! -- Also, like he said, in South Florida, the grassy area between the sidewalk (what you refer to as the "path") and the curb/street is also called the swale, which technically means a small ditch or drainage area, and that's what they are often used as, to keep water from the roadway from flooding the yards and sidewalks. Also, though many don't realize it, it technically is usually not part of the private property owned by the homeowner (at least in most cities/counties). The homeowner is still responsible for maintaining it, usually (especially in areas with homeowner's associations), but if city/county planners decided to widen that road, they can come in and pave all the way up the sidewalk without issue, since it technically belongs to the city/county, not the homeowner.

[@williamcotten4539]

Fencing is varied across the United States. The mesh fences you see are primarily designed to prevent small children or pets from running into the front yard or into the street. Privacy can be had by installing a privacy fence.

[@garycamara9955]

Those mesh fences are called Cyclone fences here.

[@chippackard]

Here we call them chain-link fences. They're mainly to keep children and pets from leaving the property. They are also much cheaper than a privacy fence.

[@Marndarrr]

Nobody I’ve asked has ever heard a name for that grass between the sidewalk and street. We just call it “the part of the the yard/lawn by the street.” xD

[@Nitehawke]

It's actually called the "verge". I have no idea why, lol.

[@xiiguardian]

Same. That grass that I never have had to refer to before and probably won’t again. Lol😂

[@jgriff0581]

In Utah we call it the Parking Strip.

[@jeanmichaud1733]

In Ohio it’s called the devil strip

[@brucew7062]

I grew up in Missouri where we called that the parkway (or park way). That part actually belongs to the local city/municipality/town, etc.

[@TrueLibraGirl]

Most people choose their fences based on needs. If the budget is tight, that affects the materials used, height, length, etc. If safety/security is the priority, a taller, privacy fences are built. And some people just put up fences to mark their property lines. Some neighborhoods (like those with HOA’s) have rules about what’s allowed.

[@garycamara9955]

Every house Ive lived in, except the current one, has had a 6 to 8ft board fence in the backyard. Our gardens are in the backyard, the lawn and bushes are in the front. But most houses are on at least a half acre. Our current house is on 2 lots, with 6 acres of empty forest behind us. Nothing can be built in the forest because you cant build within 150ft of a stream or creek.

[@narlycat]

There are privacy fences in the US but the metal chain link fences are usually meant to prevent trespassing and to keep in the dogs.

[@AlystraKriss]

It’s called a chain link fence used to keep dogs from running off. It also deters pedestrians from cutting through your yard/garden. They have the option of adding privacy panels to them. They are steel. Less expensive than wood or masonry. It costs a lot to add a fence and most houses do not come with any fences.

[@sarahfullerton6894]

There are a lot of neighborhoods, especially older ones, that do not have an HOA. However, in the suburb I live in, north of Chicago, which considers itself a "tree city", a homeowner needs a permit to cut down a tree, or trees. Several years back, our neighbors removed an old, large tree in their front yard, without a permit, and the city planted 3 flowering trees on their side yard, for which they had to pay. Same thing happened several years later for our former neighbors right next to them. Different 3 types of trees, on a differing parts of their property, but similar!

[@superxnatrl1941]

HOA is usually for rich neighborhoods, and you can use whatever fence you want

[@Mountlougallops]

We call that space btw the sidewalk and street the tree lawn.

[@Byebyebye22-mv3xh]

All depends where you live! Living in the mountains of Colorado we have no sidewalk, no verge, no mowing grass, no fences, actually no yard work at all - only lots and lots of trees - LOL

[@marthapackard8649]

Same here, only in the New England hilltowns.

[@kcook2256]

We’ve always referred to the grass out front as curb grass on the other side of the front lawn. We love our privacy and have fences , locks, privacy plants to block etc..

[@Nitehawke]

If you want privacy, you put up a solid 6 foot high fence or a nice high hedge. As long as it's far enough inside your property line (usually a foot to conform to building codes), you're good. Funny thing about street names in Maine, almost every town has a "Town Farm Rd" that at one time literally had the town farm on it, a farm where those in the community in need could work in the farm fields in exchange for some of the produce grown.

[@arielview6601]

in Texas they are called Farm to Market roads or FM and then a number.

[@emmef7970]

Where I live most people have tall wood fences for privacy. Most people use the chain fences because they are cheaper. I have a friend that removed her front wood fence & replaced it with a chain fence because she wanted her dogs to be able to run around and not feel so caged up in a yard. She said she wanted her yard to have a more "dog park" vibe so her dogs can watch the cars, cyclists, dog walkers, delivery people. etc. I think it makes a lot of sense, happy, friendly dogs. This neighborhood is not an HOA development. It just looks like your average American neighborhood. Counsil housing is what we would call "public housing or low income housing". Housing where renters need to apply and make under a certain amount of income to qualify. The rent is a much lower rate than average homes in the area. Oftentimes the rentals are regular apartments, sometimes the entire apartment complex is low income and sometimes they are houses if it's a large family. HOA neighborhoods are generally well kept houses and condos up to and including McMansions that have rules & regulations in which the homeowners pay additional fees over and above their mortgage payment. My son and his family live in a nearby HOA community that has their own lake, hiking trails (open to the public) 3 Olympic size swimming pools, a clubhouse that can be used for day or evening parties, wedding receptions (not open to the public) and many other amenities including one of the best malls in the city. So there are benefits to living in an HOA also. However, most Americans do not live in HOA neighborhoods. Most homeowners don't want to pay HOA fees nor do they want an HOA Association to have any control over what they can & cannot do on, to, or with their property, ie: anything from the color you can paint your house to the kind of fence you can put up, what kind of landscaping you can have, what kind of vehicles are allowed, house and yard maintenance, architectural changes, whether holiday decorations are allowed, noise level, number of occupants, etc. Regulations vary by community. Personally, I don't want anyone telling me I can or can't do something with my property. If you are not paying my mortgage, you have no say in what I do on or with my property. I understand the reason and purpose of HOA's, it's just not for me. And, some of those board members are down right control freak, militant, nut jobs. lol.

[@aprilstilskin5733]

I don't agree because I don't want my neighbors to paint their house purple. And if you live with an HOA, no one's allowed to junk up their lawn with rusty trucks and washing machines. HOA serve their purposes by keeping the value of everybody's home from dropping. My neighborhood HOA contracts with the trash company, snow plow company, and lawn care company to keep the public areas mowed. We have lots of public land around our neighborhood that needs care and since we all work nobody else is going to do it. Also with an HOA we control how many college kids live in our neighborhood. The college is just literally across the street. They take up all the parking spaces and trash the neighborhood and the HOA deals with the school concerning them.

[@emmef7970]

​@@aprilstilskin5733 No doubt there are neighborhoods such as you describe. And, if I was in your neighborhood, I may feel the same way. The difference here is that I would never purchase a house across the street from a college (or any school for that matter) church, store, business, etc. With that said, there are millions of neighborhoods, old and new where the problems you describe do not exist, places where people don't let their property go to rack & ruin, no purple houses, no washing machines or rusty trucks either. Some people just self govern and take pride in their homes, yards, etc. and don't need someone else monitoring & governing everything down to the smallest detail and where your neighbors are also likely to be monitoring every little thing you do. Seen and heard about incidents a number of times with friends that live in HOA's. I have also known people that regret purchasing homes in HOA and a couple that sold their property because of all the drama within the community between the residents and board members. Too much drama for them. There are some serious out of control HOA board members out there. There are plenty of them on KZbin. They are being recorded for the entertainment of the masses on KZbin. lol. Different strokes for different folks. Pay my mortgage and I might consider it. lol.

[@michaelhitchcock9255]

HOAs - Home Owner's Association is a relative new thing in most of the US, maybe all, idk. They mostly occur in developments built by a single company where people give up their rights by signing a contract which limits things like colors you can paint your house, fences around your yard, pets you can allow outside and such. You also have to maintain your lawn (yard, garden) to a certain standard. Generally, they supply some community recreation facilities such as swimming pools and tennis courts. You have to pay a monthly fee to defer costs of the maintenance of all community amenities. Frankly, they are very un-American and there have been successful court challenges to them. Except in some suburbs of major cities, they aren't very common.

[@WhatsNextwithNora]

A British friend came over last year and was more impressed with everyday suburban houses than anything else (oh and the tacos 😂). She was most struck by the open front lawns and the fact that every house - even small apartments - has an en suite (master) bedroom.

[@Username4real]

Those fences are called chain-link. They’re often built because they are cheaper and last longer than a wooden fence. But I agree, we have a wooden fence I don’t like the idea of people peeping in my backyard lol. We also call it an easement here in Florida - didn’t hear that at all 😆

[@L3WGReacts]

ohhhhhhh, i thought that most americans just didn't care about privacy XD

[@elkins4406]

@@L3WGReacts Many areas also have zoning laws forbidding fences over a certain height in the front.

[@WWatch48]

Fences are common where I live, probably because we have a lot of children or pets. We also have different terrain levels, so a fence in higher terrain is needed as protection from falling or tripping on uneven ground. We just called the front area a grass or front strip.

[@Big_Tex]

This chat about fences made me notice a nice neighborhood I was driving around today (Dallas-fort Worth suburbs). There was quite a variety of fences -- wood board, stone, iron spike, pickets, all different from one house to the next. The one thing I did NOT see was any chain-link mesh fences. I don't think there's much of that around here, but will have to keep a lookout now.

[@mbrant4973]

Grew up in the Dallas area. We had a chainlink fence in the 60's when our house was new. All new houses in the burbs usually have a wood fence now.

[@birdie4426]

The area of lawn that he's calling a "verge" is called a ROW (Right Of Way) here in Tacoma, Washington. The city will actually give you trees to plant there and dig the holes for them if you ask. It's part of the city's initiative to be more "green". The city also gives new homeowners coupons with deep discounts for three more trees for anywhere on your property. We took advantage of these benefits as soon as we bought our house. We ended up get two fruit trees for our yard with the coupons and make canned jam every year from our harvest.

[@Big_Tex]

The neighborhood I grew up in in Arkansas was a newly developed neighborhood in the 1970s. Not very many trees in the peoples’ yards. In 1996 the neighborhood was hit by a tornado that seemingly stripped or blew down a lot of what trees were there. But people must have planted or nature took its course: you go through there now, it looks like houses are embedded in a National Forest.

[@Calibir1]

The area in front and in the back of your house is the "front yard" and "back yard"... A "garden" is space that you grow food and herb crops, etc.

[@martina21953]

I live in Norfolk, VA. I have a small yard, a front yard, and enough vegetation to keep the birds and the bees happy. I have a chain link fence in the back.

[@hyett1954]

My property in Connecticut is about 1/3 of an acre and is not fenced in at all. There is a low fence across the back yard that my neighbor put up to keep his dog from getting out. Other than that, my yard is wide open on the sides which is fine, I like the open look and I don't have to maintain a fence. The lack of privacy doesn't bother me probably because I have good neighbors.

[@suzehunt-henderson4129]

Here in sunny Southern California we call the grassy area, "a parkway". Also in my area, we have either a 6 foot high or 2 meter high cinder block wall or we have a 6 foot high wooden picket fence. Also, some may a wall of very closely planted cypress trees. Also, in our gated community we have a HOA that takes care of front yards and all common ways.

[@justmare111]

We call it a backyard and front yard in the U.S.. Fences are different all over. In the neighborhood I live in (track houses built in 1958) we have block walls separating our backyards - some have wooden fences, but all have fences that block out the neighbor being able to stand there and see what you're doing (unless they're upstairs in their house looking out a window into our backyard!). There are small fences, about 1-1/2 feet high, separating our front yards. Even with the 6 foot fences in the back yard we still talk with our neighbors over the fence. I'm a gardener, so I pass fruits and veggies over to them when I have spare to share. The road is called pavement (asphalt) and the walking pathway made out of cement/concrete is called a sidewalk here. The strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road is called a parkway (Southern California). Not all neighborhoods have HOA's (Homeowners Association). Those that do have a board of people that will check on things to make sure they're as stated they must be in the rules... if they're not, they can warn you to fix it or cite you and fine you. Homeowners must pay the HOA's dues each month and those fees can be quite a bit of money. My neighborhood does not have a HOA, thank goodness, but if I were to let my yard get really out of control or park a bunch of old un-drivable cars in the yard, the city could cite me and fine me because each city has rules, too.

[@lindasmith1370]

I live in North Texas. Nearly all of the home in my town have a 6-8 foot privacy wood fence.

[@michaelbroska3144]

You really need to come to the U.S. to see the differences in every community!

[@ladylisaromance8129]

We have big yards... most of us and the fence keeps our animals and kids safe. My yard is massive but I live on a busy, curvy road. I have a private residence without a HOA but we keep our yards mowed. We have a riding mower because it's about 3/4 an acre.

[@ohslimgoody]

I'm sorry dude has me crackin up over the difference of the colors of the greenery 😂🇺🇲

[@kevincamp2913]

We always called the "verge" just part of the front yard or lawn. Technically it is the easement where city/county services enter your property (water/sewer/etc).

[@esleyhamilton4056]

The verge is owned by the council but maintained by the adjacent property owner. It is called a tree lawn here, and the council is responsible for maintenance and replanting of the trees. "Arborist" is the name of the town employ who is responsible for the street trees. One way to tell if a community is failing is if it has allowed its street trees to disapppear.

[@barbmatthews5783]

In St. Paul Minnesota you have a side walk then what we call it a boulevard that is in front of your house and it’s considered your responsibility to mow it even though it’s city property. What you call a garden we call a lawn a garden is a separate area where we plant flowers or vegetables. I plant flowers in my front garden & vegetables in my backyard garden and I have a chain link fence in my front yard and a nice 6 foot wooden privacy fence in my back yard.

[@jeffjerome]

Tree lawn…the strip of grass between street and yard.

[@tycobb2580]

11:04 yeah . . . I'll call it grass since that's what I'm already used to calling it

[@norvaz94]

I was walking through the streets of Loughborough and yep ... pretty much looks like that. They had no yard but a front concrete patio.

[@Krickett14]

Idaho we call the grassy area between the sidewalk and road a Sway..They dip in the middle so during the winter snow plows can push snow of roads..kinda a pain to mow.

[@annikathewitch3950]

Plenty of people have big wooden fences, and there are some hedges, but they're usually like, waist high and found mostly in front yards

[@billsalas9643]

“Doom and gloom.” I Can’t get enough of you, Lewis!!! You go, boy!

[@allengator1914]

I live in Northern Indiana and here the strip of grass between the street and the sidewalk is often called a Tree Lawn.

[@karenmariecraig5619]

Those fences are the ones used when I was a child in the 60s to the 70s. In older neighborhoods, you can find them but almost every everybody’s house has a wooden fence around it. Both houses that I have owned have always had wood fences. Although I really kind of like that chain-link it just gives up I don’t know I do like it.

[@teresanorris5905]

Hurricane fences (the first metal fence) can allow wind to whip through. A great advantage is you have a place where winds can be strong-like Chicago.

[@jaimemicelotti8539]

I can only recall two houses that I lived in that had a chain link fence. They were older houses. One was really tiny and was built in the 40’s. The other house was built in the 60’s. The rest have had a cider block, rock wall, wroth iron, wooden fence or sometimes a combination of both. I had a house that had both cinder block and two wooden fences for the backyard. It was a corner house. My front door was on one street. The three car garage, driveway and back door faced the other street. It’s what is known as a ranch house. It was a custom built California ranch style home. Single story home on 1/3 of an acre. That house was in Southern California. I’ve lived in a few states. Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana, Florida (very briefly though) New Mexico, and now Texas. The one thing about Texas that I’ve noticed is a lot of the houses have the garage/ driveway in the backyard area. They have alleys so you don’t see the garage as the main feature.

[@kathyr2792]

In Upstate NY we call the grass between the curb and the sidewalk... wait for it...... the grass between the curb and the sidewalk. The median is the wide strip of grass separating opposing lanes of traffic, usually but not always on thruways/highways and very busy heavily traveled roads.

[@tracylbuxton2957]

Chain-link fences between homes in the US are super common. Mostly because it keeps pets & small children safe in the back yard of the house. It also keeps neighbors and their pets, kids, nosy assed "Karens" out of your yards.

[@Eniral441]

In Wyoming we often didn't have a more steep. The sidewalk was up against the curb. I prefer that. It's called a right of way in Minnesota and Wisconsin because it is technically owned by the city. That way they can deal with gas and drainage in neighborhoods. You can't build on it at all. Just grass, trees, and shrubs. It often includes the sidewalk.

[@nicholecreasman9272]

Boulevard...that's what we call that odd piece of grass between the street and the sidewalk. HOA is a Home Owner's Association but that only applies to certain neighborhoods. "Backyards" have different fence situations. My neighborhood isn't allowed to have a fence in the front yard, but my backyard is surrounded by a 6 foot tall brick fence. Downspout? We call a rain gutter in Montana.

[@OttersAndOreos]

We call the strip of grass between the road and sidewalk "Devil Strip"

[@brat46]

The strip of grass between the road and the sidewalk is called public right away. It is where the water, sewer and gas lines are laid out. They could also be on the homeowners front lawn. Sometimes the wooden fences are so dogs can not try and bite the neighbors. It could also due to a pool being in the backyard. They are called attractive nuisances, and you can be sued for them. The picture you are showing of UK burbs, here in Mich. we call them apt or townhouse complexes. Suburbs here, usually mean stand alone houses. Connected houses are either Duplexes or townhouses. Duplexes can be in a burb, but its not common in my area.

[@kerushii868]

Most of these things you find in an American suburb depend on a few factors like how new/old your neighborhood is or what the wealth of the people living there is. For example the house I currently live in the neighborhood is quite old and its not a part of an HOA so there are no side walks or typical street lights. Some of my neighbors wanted street lights so they bought and put in some decorative ones but not everyone has a street light on their property. Also since its older and people had free reign to build their houses how they want our neighborhood has every kind of house you can think of from a very modest 1 floor 2 bedroom home to 2 floor homes that have a barn-like look to them and even a couple houses are essentially mansions. The fence you're talking about is a chain link fence, I think they're common due to them being cheap and won't need repairs or replacements as often as a wooden fence would. Most people in America know to keep to themselves so unless you unfortunately have a very nosy neighbor most people don't see any reason to spend the money and time to get a new fence.

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

Verge = grass between curb and sidewalk. Call ours "the right of way" "easement" or as my husband says "the city's lawn". Our back yard=chain link in back and sides, wood fence in front. HOA's are not everywhere. Fences = keeping animals in/children in or out/safety. I definitely would feel closed in if my car was parked on the street next to the house. Street signs=the names two roads that intersect.

[@CooT317]

The patch of grass between the front sidewalk and the street is called a parkway in Illinois exburbs

[@ZianaSue]

I usually call it (the grass between the street and the sidewalk) curb strip, curb grass, or roadside grass. Chainlink fences are less about privacy and more about separating one property from another, as well as keeping your dog in your yard.

[@danamcgiffin1150]

I grew up in the Midwest. Fort Wayne, Indiana. It depends on the Home Owners Association HOA on the type of fence you are allowed. However I grew up in an old Queen Ann Victorian home built in 1893. It no longer had a rod iron fence in the front but My Dad had a chain link fence (the metal fence that you can see through) put up in the back with gates to keep little kids from running off. Our strip of grass is called a devils strip. But sometimes I say things different because my folks are from Akron, Ohio. Cheers!

[@GeoffreyPenner-jp5mk]

The "verge" is the strip of grass and lawn between the curb and the sidewalk.

[@catherinesearles1194]

Not every home has chain link fences...perhaps in the front as a property divider, sometimes it's a hedge line, sometimes none at all if you have a big yard. There are privacy fences, made of wood or pvc, even chain link with slats of wood filling in the spaces. They are usually installed at the back of the house or even with the front of the house with a gate. Moreso if you have a pool you must have a six foot high fence surrounding your yard to keep people out as an insurance requisite.

[@robertcrundwell2782]

Most of the US do not have HOAs. HOAs are found in apartment areas to help maintain the buildings, and cover services on property such as gyms, pools, etc. They are also found in "tonier" suburban areas where the owners have guidelines to follow, along with fancier services in order to meet certain standards for uniformity such as only certain outside paint colors etc.for houses and driveways, types of fencing to give a uniform appearances.

[@richardmartin9565]

I grew up in Massachusetts. Typically we can't see long distances because of the terrain. When I drove cross-country and saw different terrains, I was wowed and actually felt smaller than I did in Massachusetts. Out west you can see for miles. A big mountain might be 50 miles away. The big sky and silence of the west can't be experienced in Massachusetts. I doubt if it can be in England either. Some things must be experienced to fully appreciate.

[@susansato4587]

Some states have a Keep it green communities where you have to have a metal fence lined with bushes. Some have HOA’s some don’t. Most homes you can the type of fence you want.

[@coreyjunk4392]

A swale is more of a feature you add to a lawn to help with drainage. It allows rainwater to be directed out of your yard.

[@peachesnola7860]

2:26 In Louisiana suburbs, the "verge" is usually a ditch for drainage. Can't mow the grass because of the angle, but you can use a weed eater if you need to. Best thing tho is (as a kid) playing in the flooded ditches after heavy storms 😂 just gotta keep an eye out for the fire ants!

[@bethedinges5685]

I'm in rural Illinois. We call the strip of grass between street and sidewalk the "parkway."

[@danielott8737]

HOA stands for Home Owners Association, and that little grassy space by the sidewalk is called a "common strip" in my community located in Maryland. Cheers! 😊

[@doylebrockman8225]

A "Garden" in U.S. is where grow fresh vegetables. The rest of the property is grass "lawns" . Driveways, decent transportation, often taken for granted. Freedom, privacy, etc. Love our land, especially finest agriculture in the world.

[@tanya41277]

It's so funny when they call the yard...the garden....gardens have veges...

[@sreneethomas]

😂 it’s true…in the US, a garden always had edibles, whether it’s herbs or veggies. Just grass is “the yard”…And if there are just trees it’s “the woods”

[@MERollered]

I live in PNW we call it a median, the fencing you don't like is one of the cheaper fencing we got it because I could pay for it on my own and it showed property line. We have that so our neighbors who don't really have much of a yard knows the boundaries for legal reasons and also for well neighborly reasons. Why I say that is before it was fenced there was quite a bit of argument on where to place things. I solved the argument by getting a city surveyor and a contractor. My contractor put the fence .5 inch (about 1.3 cm) on my fence line to prevent neighbors from using it. We also got it to keep the dog in. I don't hang out in my yard beyond to play with my pup and that's because I am highly allergic to grass (if it touches my skin I welt up, spring and summer is filled with nonstops nosebleeds). Not everyone has an HOA, I will never buy a home in one because of the nonstop horror stories I've heard.

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

We had our chain link put in for the same reasons. No real neighbor problems, but kids playing hide and seek out back near the house bugged me.

[@MERollered]

@@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586 yeah our neighbors to the right are amazing, love them. The neighbors to my left are a rental so who we get varies. The one we got a year into us living here she'd move my bins because they were on her property (no they weren't), she'd do little passive aggressive stuff like that. So after a few talks with her and the fact that I was back fostering dogs and would eventually get one I had the survey done and the fence put in. She couldn't complain anymore and because it was that tiny bit 1.3cm on my property I could tell her to remove anything hanging off the fence (she washed the thin plastic bags grocery stores used and would line dry them... why I don't know). But it comes in handy when you have a neighbor like that and a brother in-law for lawyer. Because I stopped playing nice when her roommate left his dog in my fenced area without talking to me or telling me when he'd get back and 6 hours later he came back and was like "oh that's where I left her!"

[@Frog-qe7yh]

Most cities have a minimum street width plus parallel parking. Then the curb and gutter for storm water management. Then the "verge" to run underground utilities, then public use sidewalk, then the required house setback from the street. That's what makes the look of a typical suburb in he USA

[@mikecarew8329]

Fences vary. We have. Large 6-7 foot wood privacy fencing in our backyard but also large hedges. We’ve always found chain link fences to be a bit tacky / lower class. I grew up on Long Island in an NYC suburb and now live in the Pacific Northwest - we’ve always called the grass strip near the curb the parking strip.

[@secolerice]

Lawrence lives in a older part of the Chicago suburbs. If I remember correctly, his house was built in the 1930s. They are closer together and don’t have privacy fences in the back. Newer suburbs allow for 6 foot wooden fences for privacy in the backyard. Several different kind of front yard fences will be seen or no fences at all, but they have to be lower, I think, by city code. We don’t have any fence in our front yard. We have a 6 foot wooden privacy fence in the back, and we have a big backyard. We do not have the grass in between the sidewalk and the street. Our yard goes to the sidewalk and then there’s the curb and street. The old part of town has what he calls the verge. I have never heard of that term by the way. Not every area has an HOA. I would never live in one. They are very restrictive. We don’t have councils, we take care of our own properties. The city and utility right of way, which might be under the verge or under the first section of your yard, is a legal easement that they can use to repair, utilities, etc. But the city doesn’t take care of it, we do.

[@zacharyricords8964]

Ive never thought about the strip of grass by the sidewalk. I always just thought it was part of the yard