The homes in Hammond's Ferry are more my style. (Photo: Hammond's Ferry)
I’m not one to take quizzes on Facebook, and I’m definitely not into horoscopes. But I have to admit that I took the time to fill out the questionnaire for Housetrology, a Facebook app that asks,“What’s your house sign?” The questions are lifestyle-oriented – what’s your idea of a great way to spend down time, what you would want to see out the window of your dream house, that kind of thing.
My result: Urbanist. “You are the atypical nuclear family,” it said. "Having a minivan, a golden retriever and 2.5 children has never been your thing. You are living the city life and couldn't see it any other way. You’ll take car honking and passing els over cricket chirping and the rustle of leaves any day. Dream living to you is an 8,000-plus square foot apartment on Park Avenue, where you've got lofty views, chic décor and culture galore right at your doorstep. Livin' large is good livin’.”
Huh. I’m not quite sure where they got that from my answers to the questions. I said I’d like to see a white picket fence out the window of my dream house, not my neighbor’s window. On the question about what TV show house was most like me, I said ,“Desperate Housewives.” An 8,000-plus square foot apartment on Park Avenue? Gag. So not me.
Maybe I threw the house-trologist off when I said my idea of a great way to spend down time was to pop around the corner for a cup of coffee. That’s because my husband and I love hanging out in coffee shops. And on the question about your favorite meal, I picked the elegant Sunday brunch over Thanksgiving dinner or a barbecue.
Maybe, though, the app was channeling my urbanist tendencies. I’ve been a fan for a long time of the principles of New Urbanism, which promotes dense, walkable, mixed-use development. In fact, we went to Sunday brunch this week at Manuel’s Bread Café, a wonderful, laid-back bistro in Hammond’s Ferry, a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) on the Savannah River in North Augusta, S.C.
After brunch (I had the crème brulee French toast), we spent a good two hours walking around the neighborhood, looking in the windows of available homes and exploring the houses that are under construction. TNDs feature architecture that’s consistent with the region, narrow streets that slow down traffic and promote walking, houses that sit forward on the lots with porches that encourage getting to know your neighbors, private spaces and parking behind the houses, and village centers with commercial and retail space, such as restaurants, salons, dry cleaners, and other services.
Hammond’s Ferry has an organic farm to grow herbs and vegetables for the restaurant, and a community garden where residents can plant their own favorites. It has a variety of housing types, including single-family, townhouses and condos – all on the same street. Future phases will include live-work units. The neighborhood ties in to the city’s Greeneway, a walking and biking trail, and a park where there are concerts, a farmer’s market and outdoor fitness classes.
It’s a 10-minute drive to downtown Augusta, where my husband works, and to shopping. If we didn’t have nine months left on a lease, a boatload of property we need to sell in the city we moved here from, and serious concerns about the security of our employment, I’d be picking out a lot right now.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you guys. What was your house sign? And if you’re living in a TND, tell me about it. Is it as wonderful as I think it is?—Pat Curry