US Culture Shock: British Verdict on American Suburbs

I've lived in the American suburbs for the past four months. Here's my verdict so far.

[NevTheDeranged]

It always gives me a chuckle when Brits refer to an American yard as a "garden". For most Americans, at least where I've lived, a "garden" is specifically the part of the yard where you grow flowers or vegetables (a flower garden or a vegetable garden, specifically, although sometimes people mix them together). But also we often have sections with bushes or flowers that aren't called a garden, they're just, like, decorative, along walkways, or right in front of the house, or maybe in the corners of the yard or whatever. The "lawn" is the grass part of the yard, obviously. You'd mow your lawn, but never mow your garden.

So I guess that raises the question, what do Brits call the part of their garden where they specifically grow flowers or vegetables? What do you use the word "yard" to refer to, if anything?

As they say, Britain and America are two great nations separated by a common language!

[Shako_Lamb]

My favorite types of neighborhoods are the "streetcar suburbs" that developed in the early part of the 1900s. Smaller, detached houses on smaller lots, usually walking distance to a commercial downtown. Much cozier and doesn't feel as isolated, but not too crowded either, and being in walking distance of shops means my exercise routine can be more productive as well, and I don't need to use my car for absolutely everything. I've been renting in a 1920s streetcar suburb for about 9 months now and I love it. As a student in architecture history, Laurence's house looks to me like probably a 1940s wartime house, right at the end of the streetcar era, transitioning to the more famed postwar suburbs.

[DonP_is_lostagain]

About dog ownership: I live in Dallas in an apartment complex. I owned a dog and now foster them. I know the names of about half the dogs in this place, and recognize the rest on sight. I don't know the names of any of their owners though. 🙂

[julienielsen]

I saw a small white sign in a yard I go by often. I thought it must have been a marker for a pet that had died there. Eventually I took the time to stop in my car a read it. It said : Here lies the body of the last person that let their dog poop on my lawn.

[Archangel]

Definitely depends on the neighborhood. No chain link fences where I live, plenty of white fences, though. A lot of HOAs won't allow the British style garden and instead require grass lawns. (Abolish HOAs!)

[glcol]

Plant an English type garden, Laurence! I planted a wild flower strip on one side of my driveway and enjoy the endless supply of butterflies and bees all summer. But be ready to have some neighbors act like flowers just growing all over and not tightly controlled in a concrete planter is a crime against suburbia. Ignore them, I did. They at last learned to leave me TF alone.

[janinawaz]

I'm the American suburban "weirdo" who admires English gardens. My small plot has zero lawn but it's crammed with fruit trees, native plants, herbs, vegetables, flowers, and a few hens in the back. I could never live with an HOA.

[odysseusrex]

Welcome to America Laurence. Whenever I grow pessimistic about the state of our country, your videos always cheer me up again.

[tess]

As a Brit (living in UK) the word ‘yard’ always make me think of a small area of concrete outside with bins and tools rather than grass and flowers. It sounds soulless. A garden conjures up greenery and flowers and calm (not always the reality of course). I’m not a lover of suburbia (in any country) I like to be walking distance from shops and train stations so I’ve always lived in towns. I’m a five minute walk in to my local town but tucked away in a very quiet side street which to me is the perfect location. (Also a five minute walk to the sea so an ideal location all round).

[mbrennan]

Suburbs have changed over the decades. I grew up in the suburbs in the 1960s and 1970s. Everyone knew everybody. There wasn’t a house in my neighborhood I hadn’t been in. We had block parties, holiday parades, the kids all walked to school together, and group activities. As the 80s began things began to change as our society changed. Less familiarity between neighbors and a tendency toward isolation. My brother owns the house we grew up in. He says the only neighbors he knows are the ones who moved there the same time we did (50 years ago).

[drsynnk]

"In suburbia there is always four sides to every argument" and five opinions.

[Kelnx]

I've lived in suburbs, on military bases, short term in a city, and in rural areas and I don't know if there's a name for it but I've found the "sweet spot" of living, at least in the US, is that twilight zone right where the suburbs end and rural begins. It's like the best of both worlds. Close enough to everything that you can get to anything you need or want in a 30 minute drive or less, but far enough out from the city to get a good stretch of land and a lot less neighbors. I don't know about anyone else but the worst part of suburbs was trying to sleep in on a Saturday with the sudden sound of 30 lawnmowers up and down the street dragging me out of bed. Not a problem in, uh, SuburbaRuralia.

[privacyvalued]

Pro-tip: If mail is marked "Presorted Standard, " it's 100% junk mail. You can look at it if you want, but you'll get the same offer again next week. If you want all of the bulk mail to stop, you can ask the Post Office to only deliver First Class mail. Then the deluge will largely stop.

[Pyedr]

Older interior Chicago suburbs are not at all representative of what most Americans experience in suburbs.
Rectangles (grid development) were thrown away in favor of cul-de-sac layouts that are sprawled as far as possible and are actively hostile to any form of transportation besides cars (to actually get anywhere, not just recreation), and residential-only zoning extends for miles in every direction.

[BizziCat]

So true about the dog walking. I got to know a large group of people when I had dogs and we would all meet up in the mornings at the park and natter away! ( yes, I’m a British transplant) it was a very enjoyable time!
I also had to point out I recognized your background music towards the end as the theme tune for some other very popular You Tubers called ‘ Adventures with Purpose’. I’m not here to plug them, it’s just a very noticeable tune! Lol
Always love your videos!

[Sonny_McMacsson]

Tip: Put a "NO SOLICITING" sign on your front door.

[andyjwagner]

You are in pre-WWII American suburbia--it's different, and a lot more charming than post-war suburbia.

[SteffiReitsch]

I see somebody already beat me to it below, but just to reiterate: In America, a garden is where you specifically grow plants, like a vegetable garden, flower garden, etc. The territory in front of your house is the front yard, and behind, it's the backyard. Calling the whole lot a "garden" sounds very bizarre. My own backyard is like a forest, nobody would ever say it's a "garden." lol. Sheesh. One quirk is that front yard is spelled as two words, while backyard is one.

[VeretenoVids]

First thing we did when we moved in to our house is to rip out the front yard and start a proper garden for the pollinators. Neighbors were dubious at first, but I get compliments now, so go for it!

[christine]

I can’t believe you used Suburban Commando as a reference about Suburbia! I worked on that movie years ago. Hulk Hogan was the nicest guy. Also the Undertaker played one of the character. Thanks for you channel!