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The Fall of the McMansion


monsoon

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I'll agree that last one is unique, which can be appealing. The entryway could really use some work, though. Core idea is nice, but it's way too big and pretentious. Could probably use a removal of stairs, too. Just like most McMansions where front doors are just decorations, most people probably use the side door over that front door with the steps.

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Thanks for the (amusing) clarification. I definitely agree that front-only brick (or stone work) and exurban location are leading indicators. Initial D's pics were classic. I don't think much infill (Dilworth, South Park area) development qualifies, does it?

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I would also characterize mcmansions as putting a premium on space verses quality. I've seen homes around here in the half mil range that have 3 sides vinyl and a brick front. Some of these have walk out basements and easily hit the 5,000 sq ft range. I've always thought that if buyers could live with a little less, say 2,500 sq ft instead of 3,000, homes would look a lot nicer.

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Thanks for the (amusing) clarification. I definitely agree that front-only brick (or stone work) and exurban location are leading indicators. Initial D's pics were classic. I don't think much infill (Dilworth, South Park area) development qualifies, does it?
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I have not seen any superior construction going on in Myers Park and some of them are closing in on 7000 sq ft. This in a neighborhood that was originally built with 2000 sq ft homes. If anything, some of the tear down homes in Myers Park are the most gaudy examples of needless excess that we have ever talked about here. They are not historically important, don't have any relevance to the surrounding neighborhood, completely out of character and are often a tacky train wreak of architectural mis-design. Any definition of McMansion would definately fit these homes.

Myers Park has no historic designation so the owners are free to do as they please there as long as they meet municipal regs. You don't see many tear downs in Dilworth because exterior changes are subject to review since it was changed to an official historic area. Myers Park did not want this which is why there is a difference.

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To put it in perspective, people have been constructing lavish castles and homes for over a thousand years. The idea of building something large, excessive and utterly unnecessary is not new. I think that sometimes it's just the whole package of how its done and where it's done that leads to the subjective determination of what a mcmansion is. I don't disagree that there are some travesties being built in Myers Park today.

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I think some of the worst examples in the area are along McDonald and nearby streets off Ideal Way. This section of Dilworth falls outside of the Historic District purview and you can surely tell :sick: I agree that much of this is in the eye of the beholder but having these hulking masses looming over and shadowing the older bungalows is jarring. At best having some life in them would soften the edge but now since nobody is buying they just sit there creepily empty, radiating tacky blight.

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Agree on McDonald. I used to own a one story house on that street but ended up selling two years ago. There was no way I would have been able to keep up with the neighbors. I would say half of the new houses on the street are nice and the other half, not so much. The only good thing is at least they are by different builders and don't look like a typical suburban neighborhood.

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I think some of the worst examples in the area are along McDonald and nearby streets off Ideal Way. This section of Dilworth falls outside of the Historic District purview and you can surely tell :sick: I agree that much of this is in the eye of the beholder but having these hulking masses looming over and shadowing the older bungalows is jarring. At best having some life in them would soften the edge but now since nobody is buying they just sit there creepily empty, radiating tacky blight.
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OK, seriously, why would anyone buy a home in one of these neighborhoods...I see no mature trees, small yards, street facing ugly garages, big driveways, and the worst trait of all, brick on the front, vinyl siding everywhere else....to me that is the worst trait of McMansions...at least wrap the home in all brick or all vinyl so it looks better....btw, no sidewalks? Where are you supposed to walk the dog or ride a bike? No front porches either....that would truly, truly suck..it may be surburban sprawl, and probably not built w/ great materials, but at least new places like Baxter Village have front porches, a few mature trees, and more or less hidden driveways, and sidewalks.
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I'm answering with their logic, not mine:

A ton of house for the money. (most) Big lot. Escape the percieved undesirables who live inside cities. Pursuit of the American Dream. Low county taxes if they are in the 'burbs. Brought up to believe you must have tons of space if you have a kid or two. Better schools. Bigger is better.

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I guess I had a different understanding of the term "McMansion" than the rest of the posters. The last two pages aren't (mostly), in my mind, McMansions at all; they're cheap construction that's not fooling anyone. For me, anything with vinyl siding is, by definition, not a McMansion. I'm thinking more of the new-ish construction I saw at Quail Hollow a few months back during the Wachovia (or whatever it's called these days). Or in McGregor Downs in Cary. The pics on here are hideous, certainly, but that stuff was known as tract housing when I was a younger man. McMansions are full of things like Brazilian virgin-timber hardwoods, $10,000 freezer/fridges and brushed-nickel bidets in every toilet. They're stone or brick and not unattractive but not especially remarkable save for their ridiculous size (and, once again, although ugly and big, 3500 sf of vinyl ain't a McMansion; 7,000 sf of slate on the other hand....).

Most importantly, McMansions say, "look at all this money I dumped into this house. I'm the man now, dog." When, in reality, the folks living in 2400 sf homes in Elizabeth just shake their heads and wonder WTF Humpy built a brick-encrusted particle-board castle in eastern Union county for if he's doing so well.

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I guess I had a different understanding of the term "McMansion" than the rest of the posters. The last two pages aren't (mostly), in my mind, McMansions at all; they're cheap construction that's not fooling anyone. For me, anything with vinyl siding is, by definition, not a McMansion. I'm thinking more of the new-ish construction I saw at Quail Hollow a few months back during the Wachovia (or whatever it's called these days). Or in McGregor Downs in Cary. The pics on here are hideous, certainly, but that stuff was known as tract housing when I was a younger man. McMansions are full of things like Brazilian virgin-timber hardwoods, $10,000 freezer/fridges and brushed-nickel bidets in every toilet. They're stone or brick and not unattractive but not especially remarkable save for their ridiculous size (and, once again, although ugly and big, 3500 sf of vinyl ain't a McMansion; 7,000 sf of slate on the other hand....).

Most importantly, McMansions say, "look at all this money I dumped into this house. I'm the man now, dog." When, in reality, the folks living in 2400 sf homes in Elizabeth just shake their heads and wonder WTF Humpy built a brick-encrusted particle-board castle in eastern Union county for if he's doing so well.

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