This Old Porch

By: Jay Heinrich

When I think of a front porch, I think of sitting around as the sun goes down, drinking my beverage of choice, and telling stories with my friends and family. I had a small front porch growing up, but it definetly served a purpose. While the number of front porches is dramatically decreasing with the large numbers of apartment complexes and condos being constructed, those who choose to live in a house in Austin are often drawn to houses with the symbol of togetherness that is the front porch.

In a recent Austin-American Statesman article written by Amber Novak, the author compares the front porch to types of Americana such as apple pie and baseball. I could not agree more. Emblazoned in my memory is my small town neighborhood with front porches on every home. Neighbors sitting around in the evening having conversations from porch to porch. Kids throwing a football or baseball in the street. The sound of baseball cards in tire spokes as bicycles went up and down the road. It seemed so normal. Since I moved to Austin, though, the normalcy has quickly faded.

There is still hope for the front porch, even in a growing city like Austin. In Novak's article, Lin Team, a real estate agent with the Kinney Co., says that front porches are, "a very important feature for my clients. They [the clients] are really attracted to a house with a comfortable front porch." Blooming neighborhoods like the Plum Creek community out in Kyle are giving families the opportunities to have the stage for social interaction. The article states that while a few houses in Plum Creek do not have porches, the large majority has porches that are at least 6 feet in depth. As a former resident of Plum Creek in its fledgling days as a community, I can speak first hand that the porch I had at my house was great for the same reasons my porch back in my hometown was.

If you can't think of any reasons why you should hold front porches in high regard, i'll give you three: late night talks, new friends, and first kisses. Like Robert Earl Keen said in the Front Porch Song,

"This old porch is just a long time of waiting and forgetting
Remembering the coming back, not crying about the leaving."

I want to go back to my small hometown and sit on my front porch right now. I bet someone will be there waiting.



Novak article:
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/statesmanhomes/10/07/1007porches.html

Robert Earl Keen Lyrics:
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/keen-robert-earl/front-porch-song-11823.html