Tall and Skinny Virtue

As the proud owner of a tall and skinny (house), I feel compelled to write after reading two letters condemning these homes.

Both letters, dated March 4 and 18, claim the homes have robbed our beach communities of wide open spaces. But as I see it, all that has been taken from us is a bunch of dilapidated boxes with poorly maintained yards.

As I look from my front balcony, I see a row of well kept homes and neatly trimmed gardens. My back balcony overlooks one of these “prized” 50-foot lots with a house badly in need of paint, a roof that needs patching and the yard--well, the weeds are as high as the fence, and everything, including a kitchen sink is thrown and stored there.

The idea that it is everyone’s dream to have a sprawling back yard is a myth. With today’s fast-paced lifestyle, two working people per household, few have the time to take care of a yard, let alone enjoy it.

These homes are built for today’s way of life, and I thank the builders who have given us all the modern amenities and low-maintenance yards to make our lives easier. Instead of doing yard work, I can take my daughter and head for the beach. After all, isn’t that why we live in this area anyway?

KATHLEEN PARSONS

Redondo Beach