Urban Living: Veranda vs Porch Envy

A trip to South Carolina this winter left me with a serious case of “veranda envy.”

I love to sit on my veranda/porch and say “Hi!” to people who walk by, or just watch people play in the park across the street. Sometimes I just enjoy just sitting and being a “Porch Philosopher.”

Me sitting on our porch/veranda enjoying the garden and saying “Hi!” to everyone walking by.

DYK: Verandas are large and wide outdoor spaces attached to the house at ground level and often run along the side of the house. Porches are smaller and serve more as an entryway with a small sitting area. However, even with a south-facing porch I am limited to late spring to early summer sitting in Calgary.  And perhaps a few days in the winter when we are enjoying a Chinook.

While flaneuring the older residential areas of Conway and Charleston, South Carolina I was impressed by the huge front verandas.  Some even had a balcony veranda on the second floor.  I have sometimes thought I would like to create a small veranda off or our master bedroom (whoops I mean primary bedroom! Must be careful these days with your terms).

The origin of the front veranda is most often thought of as an element of southern American homes -both luxury and modest homes - starting in the mid 19th century.  It was a place where the family could retire to as the outdoor air provided a somewhat cool alternative to the summer heat and humidity.  In most houses, the veranda was an extension of the living room taking up the entire front of the house and sometimes wrapping around one or both sides.

Big lots and big houses like this one in Conway, SC are ideal for large verandas. More examples below.

Found these side veranda homes in Charleston’s inner city. These verandas also serve as covers walkways to the upper home.

Verandas come in all sizes.

in the south rocking chairs and swings are popular seating on verandas.

I love this veranda as there are no railing obstructing your view of the street. Sometimes I feel like I am in jail when sitting behind the railings.

Impact of TV

Before TV, the veranda was the place where parents and grandparents would tell stories. It was also a place where parents would meet or say hello to other parents who were out walking waiting for the house to cool off. It was a place where neighbours could catch up on the news from the community and plan events (there were no phones, no texting or emails).  The porch was the community meeting place!

It was also a place where adults could keep an eye on their children who commonly played in the front yard and street, i.e. pre community playgrounds and local parks days.

The veranda started to fall out of fashion in the ‘50s with the advent of TV and the introduction of the attached front garage.  By the ‘60s, the fenced-in backyard, commonly included a deck (complete with BBQ and patio furniture), as well as a lawn area (which used to be a vegetable garden, but became space for private swings, slide, sandbox and sometimes a pool). Houses (and people) turned their backs on the street. The backyard became a private family playground!

By the late 20th century, more and more houses had air-conditioning, which further reduced the need to sit outside at night.  

This is my veranda/porch.

Impact of density

In Calgary, although some new infills in established communities with back alley garages do have a front veranda, most don’t as the house is too narrow and veranda too shallow.  In new communities, smaller lots and attached front double garages make it almost impossible to have a veranda. 

For the past 50 years, urban living in North America has become more and more private vs public.  People have abandoned public transportation for the privacy of the car, live in larger homes that are more backyard than front yard focused.

And, houses that do have a veranda, it is often “for decoration only” or perhaps a place to store bikes, strollers and lawn mowers, rather than a place to sit and interact with the neighbours.  

‘50s and ‘60s bungalows abandon the front porch in Calgary and most Canadian cities.

But bigger lots in estate communities still had front verandas in the middle of the 20th century.

By the 21st century new inner city infills, maximized the indoor space, which meant no room from front porch.

Calgary has many early 20th century homes with great verandas.

In Sunalta, an early 20th century neighbourhood, there are entire streets where every home has a porch.

Here is my favourite Calgary verandas.

Love how these attached infills are designed with front porches.

Last Word

Indeed, the veranda, which once fostered a sense of community and neighbourliness in North America is sadly missing on many streets in old and new communities today.