Monster Houses

I took a stroll around my old neighbourhood on Saturday morning. It is not what it used to be. It was first developed in the 50's and 60's when there was an abundance of room and lot sizes were large.  

Today these lots are sought after because they are the only properties in town that can accommodate monster houses.

I suppose soon this is the only type of house we will see, but right now, the old 1200 Sq. Ft. homes are dwarfed by the massive houses on every street.

There are no front or rear gardens, and limited landscaping. The houses take up the whole property.

Absolutely every one of them is built and owned by East Indians. It is their culture to house many families in one dwelling, enabling larger and larger numbers of family members to come to Canada.

It may be a clever thing to do, but it changes the neighbourhood. There are parking problems, and when the houses have lost their polish, they are generally poorly maintained and the landscaping is neglected.

Personally, I would not want to spend that much money on a house in a neighbourhood without underground wiring. It is ugly.

These homes are causing controversy in our town, not just because they are so huge, but because there are illegal suite issues and huge revenue losses to the city. Our mayor is one to turn a blind eye, however, because he knows on which side his bread is buttered.  

Here is a rare one that borders on the tasteful.

This one is on my old street, about a block from where I grew up. At that time, we had the nicest house on the block.

And, finally, a photo of an original home on my old street that shows what really should be happening in the old parts of town. A tasteful up-grade is not all that expensive and maintains the character of the subdivision. Of course, if this owner is offered above market value for this home, to be pushed over for a monster home, can you blame him for selling out?