Do Americans actually sit on their front porch much, or is that more of a movie image than real life?

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ExplanationMiddle@reddit

I had never thought about this before, but just recently my husband pointed out that about half the houses in our neighborhood have chairs or benches or a porch swing on the front porch. In 25 years I don't think I've ever noticed people using them. (We used ours some during Covid instead of inviting people inside.). People are much more likely to sit on their back porch.

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Organic_Bat_1489@reddit

Not much of a porch on my house, but a big deck in the back.

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imalittlefrenchpress@reddit

My dad used to drive back to Staten Island along the Palisades Parkway after we’d visited my grandparents’ grave in Nanuet.

That was back when the Tappen Zee Bridge looked very different than today. Thank you for that memory.

Specialist_Goat_2354@reddit

In New Orleans I saw so many sitting on their absolutely terrible porches out front of their house which was crazy cause it's too hot and awful outside there.

But nowhere else I've been. But tbh. I don't travel ti the south much and it feels like a southern thing.

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rottnappl@reddit

My family doesn’t even have that great of a front porch and we still use it. If it exists we sits.

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Deep_Downlow@reddit

If its not too hot or cold, or theres something on TV or the kids aren't..... there's many a reason I didn't use the great outdoor space I meticulously set up and used less than a dozen times over a few years.

I had one house that the front porch got too hot in the afternoon, another I didn't like the view, another it was too far from the kitchen and I drink coffee much too quickly, or I got distracted....

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RealWeekness@reddit

Whqts a mud room? Ive seen a few people mentioning these lately. Growing up im california, Ive never heard of or seen one here.

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Deep_Downlow@reddit

It's a room to take off your muddy shoes so you don't track mud thru the house, additionally, there's an interior door so all the cold doesn't get in the rest of the house and then the door to the exterior open to either the driveway/ side yard or if in the front, the front yard.

Sometimes its just a poorly insulated porch/ sunroom. Other places it's a larger room with nice benches installed and then little cubbies for your shoes and coat hooks. Other times it doubles as the laundry room.

In California terms if you enclosed your front porch or the little outside entry way and put a storm door up front and then your regular door to get in,before you go on in to your house or apartment.

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Ironwarsmith@reddit

For some reason, every fucking house built this century has decided I never wanted to sit on a porch to begin with so they got rid of them.

I fucking miss having a front and back porch, all they have anymore is a fucking 4ft sq concrete slab that's in direct sunlight from sun up to sun down.

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justovaryacting@reddit

In my corner of the US, there are many houses with front porches (some big and very nicely decorated), but, at least in my city, I’ve never seen anyone actually sitting on one. If people hang out outside, it will be in the back screened in porch or backyard.

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rexeditrex@reddit

I just moved to a new place with a front porch and I just came inside a little while ago!

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DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit

Yes, for sure, I'm in full agreement with u/Innuendo64_ . I don't have a front porch because I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment complex. But when I lived in a house with a front porch, yes, we made regular habit of hanging out on it.

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PunchDrunken@reddit

Totally accurate. There's usually a dart board too. We got out the Jager shot ice luge (homemade) in the winter also

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jamesonbar@reddit

How Midwestern of you.

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gansett@reddit

Great spot from which to view a thunderstorm roll in. (Isn’t that why they call it a Tornado Watch?)

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Fairycharmd@reddit

if you are not sitting in a camp chair watching the tornado ripped through the neighboring field in your garage, beer in hand

Some places. Depends on neighborhood and orientation of the house and proximity to the street.

Growing up we sat out on the back porch to watch the trees sway and lightning bugs flicker in the evening enjoying a nice breeze in tranquil setting among friends and/or family sipping bourbon.

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mjc500@reddit

I never see anyone sitting on their front porch near me. A lot of houses have them, but they’re unoccupied. I live in a very densely populated suburban/semi-urban area and it’s rare to see people just hanging out. Lots of traffic, pretty busy atmosphere in general… you would definitely hear a lot of cars if you were on the front porch.

When I was younger and lived in a different suburban area that felt a bit more chill - people were on their porches all the time.

I think the general noise and chaos is a factor.

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boneyjoaniemacaroni@reddit

I’m honestly surprised by the number of comments from folks who regularly use their front porch. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone sitting on their front porch. I live in Oregon and I think it’s just not as much of a thing on the west coast. My fiance is from NC and he LOVES the idea of sitting on a front porch (we don’t currently have one but he’s dying to set our front yard up in a way that he can sit out there). I find it kind of a weird invasion of privacy to sit out front when we have a perfectly good back yard that’s much bigger, prettier, and utilitarian.

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imalittlefrenchpress@reddit

I grew up in NYC, and people were always sitting on the stoop regardless of noise. Something changed. Maybe it was 9/11. Maybe we don’t feel quite as safe as we used to. Maybe it’s the climate.

America is a big place.

Where I live, no it's not that common. But it's possible you see more of that in other parts of the country.

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ActiveDinner3497@reddit

We drag out chairs and sit by our garage in the driveway. Wave at people passing while we chat.

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Correct_Weird_4780@reddit

Sit on the front porch on a regular basis. We speak to those walking by and our neighbor walks over to have coffee at all times of the day.

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phiz-35@reddit

I have a nice front porch and a swing I built for it. I sit out there when it's is warm enough

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mostlygray@reddit

If you have a nice front porch, absolutely. Like a 2 season or 3 season porch.

I lived in a house with a nice front porch and we used to sit outside all the time. It was screened in so it was fine in the summer. Back on the farm, we sat on the screened in porch as well.

audiojanet@reddit

Lots of homes have no fence or delineation.

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awkwardchip_munk@reddit

I’m just confused how people know what property is theirs, if you and your neighbor have no fence where do you stop mowing lol. I have lived in about a dozen cities (and towns) across the country and have never seen a house not had clear property lines whether that be a fence or hedge, even my childhood home that was 10 acres in a wooded area had a fence, it’s pretty standard to outline your property in the US, at least in the south, Midwest and east coast (where I have lived).

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PopcornApocalypse@reddit

In the 90s me and my neighbors moved onto the pavement for basketball and street hockey.

CAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!

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StrawberryAqua@reddit

“Game on!”

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Americans. The most extroverted people who don’t know their neighbors

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Mambo269@reddit

American here, I know all my immediate neighbors, their kids and dogs, and yes, we all talk to each other.

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FloridaSalsa@reddit

I don't always remember my neighbors' names, but always remember their dogs' names. Talk to both.

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spinningnuri@reddit

Yep, I just had a conversation with the neighbors on my left while walking my dogs, and I spent an hour hanging out with my elderly neighbor on the right yesterday -- and I have her kids numbers as well in case of emergency. Our backyard neighbor works an odd schedule but we catch up every now and then when we catch him coming and going.

I can recognize most of my other neighbors by sight and chit chat occasionally.

700867@reddit

In small town Williamston we sat on the front porch so you could say Hi to your neighbors walking down the street to the school.

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Notnow_Imtoodrunk@reddit

Stoop kid never leaves his stoop

I'm from Australia and went to visit family in Chicago years ago. They didn't understand why I loved hanging out on the front stoop so much, something about it just felt so novelty.

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notonrexmanningday@reddit

We stoop-sit in the summer. It's one of our favorite past times

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cozynite@reddit

Just posted about it too! Love it.

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Fish-x-5@reddit

St Louis has an old stoop sitting tradition too.

This-Reindeer6063@reddit

Yeah. Even in shitty cities, there will be someone outside on a rocking chair on their porch.

I grew up in the country and there's nothing quite like sitting out there with a cup of coffee, watching the sunrise disperse the mist over the mountains.

But particularly after WW2, cars became much more popular. They started building communities around having a need for a car. Thus the street garage became the rage.

If you live in a suburb that doesn't have alleys, it's next to impossible to not see a house without a street-accessed garage.

Ok-Temporary@reddit

Our front porch is by far the largest 'room' in the house (somewhat comically, it also has the most expensive furniture). We're in a neighborhood of 100+ year old craftsman bungalows - most with large front porches. The houses are close together, and close to the street. Because of all those details, we actually know all of our neighbors, and we all spend time together on the front porch.

My sister owned a similar home (albeit 1400 miles away), and it was seeing how close all of her neighbors were that caused us to look at this neighborhood.

I'm so introverted that if I lived in a 'normal' suburban house, I wouldn't know any of my neighbors.

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dijoncatsup@reddit

Not in places where it's over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for more than half of the year.

I love some things about Arizona, but this ain't one, lol.

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Interesting_Neck609@reddit

Ive made friends by approaching front porches.

Regional.

We don't have front porches where I live in the same way other places do. We might have a front patio (not attached to the house).

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Training-Alfalfa-854@reddit

In our 20s we would do a lot of “stooping” too. So hanging out on the porch/steps with beers for people watching (instead of a bar or something).

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General_Ad_6617@reddit

My neighborhood doesn't have porches at all.

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WhatsYourTale@reddit

When I lived on a farm, yeah absolutely. The front porch faced a private garden and it was a great place to hang out and have tea or coffee. Now that I live in a condo, absolutely not--way too public.

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Connect_Office8072@reddit

A lot depends on the neighborhood. Lots of buildings in big cities have an ally in back, where they put the garbage cans so the front porch (or front stoop) is the only option.

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husky_whisperer@reddit

I live across the street from what used to be a beautifully maintained park, funded gladly by my taxes

The fuckstick politicians in my city, also gladly, decided that the mentally ill can put a tent there. They are a disease

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DidAnyoneFeedTheDog@reddit

I sit on the front porch all the time in summer. The deck in the back is super hot, while the front is shaded.

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Remote-Wafer3321@reddit

Find yourself up a holler and you'll see plenty of it

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TrittipoM1@reddit

Do we? Yes, we often do. Of course, it may depend where you are (central urban/smaller city/suburb/rural or which state). Modern tract homes don't often have real "porches."

My current house (the one Hubert Humphrey lived in when he was mayor, built in 1924) doesn't have a "porch" so much as it has a small roofed "stoop." But I routinely sit out on it in good weather to watch the world go by, greet neighbours, enjoy the air, et. And where I grew up in central Indianapolis, I often set on the porches at my house or at either of my grandparents' homes.

FirstPersonWinner@reddit

If I had a front porch, sure. Usually you set a chair or two or a bench out there and can just chill outside. A little sunshine is good for you, even if you're just reading the news or on your phone or something

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Sober_Navajo1996@reddit

I have a front porch, but I’m much more likely to sit on the back porch. Our backyard is bigger than our front yard; and most of the time I sit out the back, have a smoke, keep an eye on the kids and the dog- but if I have to go back inside for a moment- they’re safe in the backyard, I don’t have to bring them in even if I’m only going inside for a matter of seconds like I would if they were in the front yard.

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Disastrous-Pack-1414@reddit

I sit on my side deck a lot more than my front porch. We have a nice view of the valley from there and there is a lot more room for everyone to sit and the kids to play.

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Hot_Gas_8073@reddit

Oklahoma folks are huge porch sitters. I practically live on my porch for 8-9 months of the year

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SystemSea457@reddit

I sit on my front porch all the time (Kansas City, Midwest checking in here). I actually have a porch glider swing I put together and I will watch the birds at the feeders as well as the squirrels and deer. For being in the city limits, we get a lot of wildlife here in my neighborhood.

I have a porch, I sit on it every day. It's covered so even in rain or snow or intense heat it's still sitable

Growing up I feel like it used to be a lot more common than it was now. Primarily during the fall or summertime.

Nowadays it’s more of the backyard. Also newer homes don’t have a front porch anymore.

Id bet money it was passive government push over the years to take away from friendly communal camaraderie and push more solidarity as a form of controlling the masses. That’s a whole other can of worms though.

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Neb-Nose@reddit

It depends on where you live. My mom and dad sit on their front porch all summer long. They literally say hello to everyone walking by and have great conversations with neighbors and it’s very, very sweet. It feels like it’s from a different era.

I live in a historic district in an Alabama town. Almost every house has a front porch. On a lovely spring evening, many people are out enjoying libations.

By full summer, we're all inside in front of a fan where we stay until October.

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I spend equal time on my front porch and my back deck. For me, front porch is for solo sitting with a coffee or cold beverage, maybe reading a book or magazine, and watching cars drive through the neighborhood, and occasionally nodding or waving at neughbors that walk by. Back deck is for cooking and eating or for larger gatherings with friends.

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zoonazoona@reddit

It surprised me when we moved here, but yes they do. In general houses are further back from the road here, so less reliance on back gardens than in Europe too.

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No-Resource-5704@reddit

When I was growing up in the 1950-60s in the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, we had a sizable covered porch both in front and on the back side of the house. Due to the direction of the setting sun we would often sit on the front porch during the late afternoon as it was too sunny and hot to sit on the back porch. (Insects were rarely a problem.)

When I lived in the north end of the Sacramento Valley it was generally too hot to sit outside most of the year. Later when we were located in a close suburb to Sacramento, many of our neighbors would sit in their open garages (most of the smallish tract houses did not have real front porches).

andmewithoutmytowel@reddit

It's less common now that most people have air conditioning. Most houses by me don't have a front porch, it's more likely that you have a back porch or deck, and we do use ours quite a bit, but it's also covered and has a ceiling fan, so it's usable about 8 months out of the year.

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OkConsideration123@reddit

My area doesn’t even have a lot of porches either, but we did have a recent heat wave and I definitely noticed a few people sitting in the front yard in the evenings. One man even got up from his chair to pet my dog on our walk. Air conditioning is not ubiquitous in my town.

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slothdonki@reddit

Went to West Virginia once to visit with my now-ex and his parents. They did not have air conditioning so there was a lot of porch-time.

I frequently grew up without electricity too(I think even during that visit) and I often slept on the front or back porch at night during the summer.

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farrieremily@reddit

Sleeping porches were a thing!

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Mark_Underscore@reddit

Came here to say that before air conditioning, you'd sit on your front (or back) porch in the evenings and wait for the house to "cool down". Right after sundown it would be too stifling hot to sleep inside and so people would hang out on the porch in the cool of the evening while the house cooled off....

Especially if your bedrooms were on the second floor.

I remember when i was a kid in the midwest in the 70's the neighbors had a big screened in back porch and the kids would actually sleep out there during the summer because the house didn't have central air.

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Oakland-homebrewer@reddit

This.

And before TV, people would hang out in the neighborhood and talk to each other! Amazing!

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Oystershucker80@reddit

Yes, but it's not as common as it is in the movies, and not as common as it used to be.

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Environmental_Run881@reddit

We used to have really only the back deck/patio, so we sat there. Now we have both and it’s pretty equal

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Technical-Bit-4801@reddit

In the early 2000s I lived in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District in Oak Park, IL. It’s home to some of the most beautiful houses (not designed by Wright) you’ll ever see, with fantastic, fully decorated wraparound front porches…that nobody ever sat on. It used to drive me nuts. Like: WHY do you have this if you’re not going to USE it?

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BZBitiko@reddit

Piffle. Half the old Maine “Bert & I” stories start with people sitting in their front porches, watching the people and the traffic.

Growing up in rural Indiana, in the 70s-80s, we had porches. We also walked the neighborhood. We stopped and talked to people. We had kids who moved in who cooked meth. We recognized when neighbors weren't great.

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elainegeorge@reddit

Sure. It’s shady, and you see the neighbors. What’s not to like? I’m more likely to be in my backyard than out front due to privacy. Plus, my backyard is awesome.

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amphigory_error@reddit

Front porches are used a lot more in houses without AC or locations with very pleasant weather.

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clementynemurphy@reddit

I have a full on living room in my garage, so I sit and work out there all day and talk to nbors. Front porch is too small . But I can still fit my car.

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SimpleAd1604@reddit

If you have a front porch, yes. In my little town of 1700-2000, we had the best front porch. Right on Main Street, one block from downtown. I have a picture of me and one of my older sisters sitting on the…what’s the word., edge. It’s one of my favorite pictures. A five year old and a fifteen yesr-old hanging out on the front porch together. Watching the town go by.

When I had a good front porch, I was out there any time the weather was nice.

I'd sit on my swing with a glass of wine and either a good friend or a good book.

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docawesomephd@reddit

Yup. I live in New England so the front porch is only accessible seasonally for but yes, weather permitting I am on it

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Drunktrucker@reddit

https://youtu.be/e0iXfnyAZhs?si=6sNfvyGGSGxBEdAE

There is a house on the way to my mom’s place, where the woman is always on her front porch. Reading, drinking coffee whatever.

AuntRobin@reddit

I'm 50. In the suburb I grew up in, we didn't really have front porches or decks. They were for the backyard.
Several neighbors did put folding chairs in the driveway and sit and chat. As people would take a walk they would stop over and visit for a little while. We were close enough that you could even yell from one driveway to another. Children could play in the street because all the grownups could see them.

Hot_Depth_3367@reddit

I sit on the front porch so often I've been given the nickname Gargoyle! I turned it into a verb. I'm going to go gargoyle on the porch for awhile if you need anything!

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I wish I had a nice front porch. I'd be out there all the time. I'm currently on my back patio in a comfy rocking chair listening to the rain while I fart around on reddit. It's not the same.

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Shadow_Lass38@reddit

Not anymore. They're inside binge-watching Netflix or taking cover in the air conditioning because it's 9 o'clock and still 80 degrees outside.

My husband and I would often drive home on beautiful nights, especially in the spring and the fall, down an avenue lined with beautiful, mostly Victorian homes. Each of these homes had beautiful front porches that were beautifully furnished with wicker or wood chairs, tables, pretty lamps, ceiling fans, flowers, etc. like outside rooms. We had driven this route for probably 15 years before he passed away. Not once on any of those beautiful nights did we ever see anyone sitting on their beautiful porches enjoying the fresh air. In the summer, when the air was still hot and smothery, they weren't outside either.

Thanks! All it took was us moving to a fairly low-cost-of-living area for it to happen (we were extremely fortunate that our jobs allowed us to relocate).

To answer your question: no. No prior knowledge whatsoever. We bought a few deck building magazines from Lowe’s and Home Depot and looked up the rest online. To be fair, we were replacing what was already existing. The decking itself was rotten, so laying new decking isn’t exactly rocket science. If we found joists that were rotten, we’d just replace them with new lumber. The difficult part was that our entire roof and part of the 2nd floor is cantilevered over the front porch, so the columns holding up our entire roof were resting on the porch, so figuring out how to replace those without the entire house coming down was…nerve racking.

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natigin@reddit

Thanks for the great reply, gives me a lot of confidence!

That’s basically our plan, we’re in Chicago now but hope to retire in either SW Michigan or the Driftless region of Wisconsin where things are affordable and I definitely want a lovely front porch (complete with rocking chair and lemonade).

1337b337@reddit

Why have a porch if you're not gonna use it?

mittychix@reddit

Yes. Upstate NY here. We sit on the front porch any day the weather is nice, and sometimes also to enjoy a thunderstorm. We have wicker chairs and a wooden porch swing. It’s not screened, but we do have a sun shade.

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TheMarshmallowFairy@reddit

I’ve lived in dozens of houses in my life and the only one that actually had a porch where you could set up a couple of chairs wasn’t even in the US lol.

It definitely happens in houses with big porches (though not all) and in some areas big porches are more common, but everywhere I’ve lived, it’s more common to have a small slab of concrete at your front door and we just call that the porch (unless you have big money; I’m just talking about average suburban middle class houses). Some do have chairs in the grass, walkway, driveway, etc. though, especially if you are watching kids play.

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bearfootin_9@reddit

Sitting on the porch right now. It's raining, we're having a thunderstorm, and the air smells amazing.

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heyitslola@reddit

Sitting on the front porch is the best! My favorite thing is to sit out there as a big thunderstorm rolls in.

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am_I_invisible_@reddit

Yes, I was recently in Spain and noticed hardly anyone taking advantage of their balconies!

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StatisticianBoth3480@reddit

Fo sho.

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MacNeal@reddit

I've got a nice covered porch attached to my little log home which sits near the top of a western slope in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California. Oaks, pine, buckeye and manzanita all around. Sutter Buttes in the distance is framed perfectly by closer hills.

I usually sit on whatever porch gets the most sunlight. I'm in Alaska, so I'll always use the better weather porch. Then, because I use the better weather orientated one, that one will always get the better upgrades for comfort.

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Lopsided-Letter1353@reddit

Depends how bad the mosquitoes are that evening. But in the summer I enjoy it.

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Teri-k@reddit

I sit on the front porch (and the back deck/yard) a lot, in every state I've lived in where I had one. I was out there this afternoon reading and drinking tea. I've done it in Colorado, California, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia.

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Nyx_Shadowspawn@reddit

I should put a bench on my porch. My back patio is really nice, I do spend a lot of time on it. It's nice to relax in fresh air. And my neighbors are nice.

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Bear_Salary6976@reddit

Houses built after 1990 are a lot less likely to have a front porch. If you are in such a neighborhood with newer houses, then you will likely not see anybody on a front porch. If you are in a neighbor with don't porches, then you are more likely to see some people.

HooksNHaunts@reddit

On the 3 days a year the weather is good enough to sit outside without dying, yes.

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tinyrubberduckies@reddit

If I had furniture for my front porch, I would totally be out there every morning, drinking a cup of coffee with my newborn in my arms. I told my husband that’s why I want a back porch, but we haven’t built that yet.

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NYOB4321@reddit

No front porch. I have a small side porch it's not really useable for sitting.

It depends largely on two things: region and demographic. Most people around me barely spend time outside at all. Most younger people tend to stay inside behind a screen and the older ones are who you mainly see sitting on the porch or walking. A lot of people also tend to relax in the back to keep to themselves because so many around me are antisocial and hate interacting with other people.

I personally enjoy sitting on the porch on a nice day with a nice coffee, whiskey, lemonade or cigar. I don't spend much time doing it though because I get lonely.

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Trinx_@reddit

I don't do it myself, and my family doesn't. I don't see much of it. Occasionally I'll see people in Chicago on their stoops, but not so much in the north neighborhoods.

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ChainWise6768@reddit

My intuition is that Americans have more porches so that's why they spend so much time sitting on front porches. Europeans tend to have doors right at the sidewalk with a back garden. Pacific Islanders tend to have the entire front of their house be halfway outdoors, so technically they hang out on their front porch all the time, so much so that it's fully furnished as a part of the home.

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Karamist623@reddit

I lived in Philly with my grandparents. No front porch, but a nice yard and steps. Everyone would sit on their steps in the evening.

We don’t have a front porch and they are uncommon where I live. (Desert California). I have a courtyard though.

Spring and fall is porch weather in Arizona, but summer can be too brutal, and at my elevation, winter is just too cold.

I've never lived anywhere that had houses with front porches. I've lived in CA, WA, MI, VA, NY.

I think that's usually more of a southern US style though obviously people can build a porch on any house they want to.

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patty202@reddit

I have a back patio/porch where I sit and hang out.

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FIRElifeRVA@reddit

I live in a subdivision where ever single house has a front porch. Most of these porches have nice seating, but I can't remember the last time I've ever seen anyone actually sit outside.

I do have a back porch where I sit occasionally, but the problem with living in the Southeast is that it's covered with a thick layer of pollen during those perfect temperature months where it's not too cold and not too hot and humid.

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Fun_Independent_7529@reddit

Regional, I think. My neighborhood and surrounding areas don't have that kind of porch. New builds tend to be in winding cul-de-sac type areas, also with no porches.

Older homes in Tacoma & parts of Seattle might have porches though. Don't think I've ever seen anyone sit out on one.

Betorah@reddit

I dig in my back deck. I don’t have a front porch, just a front stoop.

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calcato@reddit

Backyard more than front porch, for me, at the moment. It really depends on how close the neighbors are, or how close the public right-of-way (sidewalk or parking) is; or even, are there plants/trees that block the view into your space.

I grew up in NYC where the stoop was where you sat.

Where I moved to in New Jersey, no one sits on stoops. They don't even call them stoops, and they sure as shit don't sit on them. They would all sit on their decks in the backyard, so I had a deck built.

We use our front porch and we greet our neighbors walking through the neighborhood on the sidewalks. We have a patio in the rear which we do not use as it has no view. We do not have a fenced in yard.

We certainly did when I was growing up

Now I live in apartment in Los Angeles, but if I was a kid or visiting a family house back east or in Michigan, sure

In Philly we're so into the front porch we have an unlicensed music festival built around it. Believe it functions by exploiting block party permits.

https://westphillyporchfest.com/pages

Americans enjoy hanging out and relaxing on the porch. My home has a nicer back patio. But, homes with great porches in front are nice as you get to interact with more of your neighbors.

Whether sitting out front or back, it helps us to get some fresh air, connect with the environment & community. Similarly, we like to walk around our neighborhood for an added bit of exercise. These are common things to do after a nice meal with family or friends. We move outside with drinks on the patio/porch or go for a walk around the neighborhood.

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shermywormy18@reddit

I’m sitting on my front porch as we speak, so yes.

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Devierue@reddit

Here in the South, many of us embrace the PorchCouch.

I'd never seen it before living here but it seems if you have a covered porch, some old spare couch inevitably gets set out on it. It's ugly and torn up and full of pollen and regret, and yet probably the comfiest place to watch the world go by.

Is the fabric weatherproof? Of course not, this thing is a hideabed from the 70s.
Do roaming cats piss on it? Most likely, but they do it at night when I'm not around.
Does it stink? Surprisingly no, and yet each one smells gently different
Critters living in it? Possibly, spiders for sure. If you're worried about snakes, give it a little kick.
Do you like pollen? Because it loves couch fabric and you by proxy.

But there's no better place to watch a thunderstorm
have a cup of something delicious and reflect on life
talk about how much we needed this rain
or get set up to shoot a tornado with your rifle

We have a tiny front porch, and I put a small wood folding lawn chair on it and listen to the birds and read.

I think it depends on your home setup. Our front porch isn't very large, but even if it was bigger, we would still be more likely to sit in our back deck or patio for the privacy.

ProfessorUrandom@reddit

It’s 10:52am right now and I’m sitting on my porch enjoying coffee and watching the waves crash.

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Serious-Mongoose-387@reddit

a chair would take up my entire front porch. it’s more of just a big covered step.

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PlanMagnet38@reddit

Some neighborhoods are front porch communities and others are back porch communities. Generally, front porch communities tend to view themselves as deeply connected to their neighbors whereas back porch communities tend to value their privacy and choose who they invite to socialize. Neither is better or worse, but it’s definitely different ways to think about “the neighborhood”

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Hell yeah I sit on my front porch. I'm there now. Front porch life is the good life.

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GlobalTapeHead@reddit

Yes, in many cases if there is a decent front porch, we sit out on it during the evenings. I think it was way more of a thing to do back 50 years ago but we still do it today.

One of the reasons it was popular many years ago was because it was cooler to sit outside during the heat of the summer. This was back before air-conditioning.

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pinksparkleberry@reddit

Well. It depends on whether you have a front porch.

musing_codger@reddit

We have a front porch with a bench. We use it about once a year. Someone stops by, it's nice out, instead of inviting them in, you both sit down and chat.

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Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit

Yes, I do. I love sitting on my porch drinking coffee in the morning. At nighttime, I have a whiskey or beers.

I set the room up for games during the Covid sequester and it really helped our mental health. It’s our nightly ritual now.

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atomfullerene@reddit

This is more of a historical trope than a modern day one, if you see it in a movie, it's quite likely the director is trying to create a feel of a bygone era, when life was slower. Older American homes often had big front porches and smaller front yards, which helped out in an era when AC didn't exist and cars were either not invented or just rarer. They let people hang out in a cool shady area and talk to people passing by. It's less common nowdays, but certainly not that unusual for people who live in houses with good front porches. These days people are more likely to spend time in the back yard though, and houses are built to reflect this.

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BamaSef@reddit

It depends. In the south where I live, “porchin it” is definitely a thing. The front porch or the back depends, usually we porch it on whichever one is nicer or has a better view. In the summer here a screened in porch with a fan is ideal, keeps out most of the bugs and blistering heat.

Old people usually like to sit on the front porch and drink sweet tea and wave at the neighbors driving by. My 80 year old uncle does this just about every day, for hours. People my age (early 30s) usually like to sit on the back porch and drink beer, shoot the shit, and listen to some tunes. One of my buddies lives on a lake nearby, and his back porch overlooks the water. We’ll have “porch parties” ranging from just me and him to several people. Drinking beer, grilling some smoked sausage and burgers, jamming to tunes, and waving to boaters as they float by.

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My family has a yard, and we have full meals outside for much of the year. Why not if the weather’s nice?

If I had a front porch, I would sit on it.

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Icy-Whale-2253@reddit

If I had a porch… but alas

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d_ippy@reddit

I have never sat on the bench on my front porch. I’m more of a backyard person. I’d rather look at the park than the street.

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No_Visual3270@reddit

I live on the west coast and it's common in my neighborhood. Mostly century old homes with nice porches, where lots of people sit outside and drink their tea/coffee, smoke, read a book, chitchat, etc.

Yeah, it's nice. I have a greenway in the back and a front porch. We all kinda go out when the weather is nice and wave to each other or whatever. Since I'm in a townhouse, I call it the "throne of judgement" but just for fun.

I think this is not unique to America. Although when I lived in some Arab-Islamic countries, it was much more private, whereas when I lived in Amsterdam, it was much more public.

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Then_Body844@reddit

I would say yes. Even those that don’t have a porch, I’ll see sitting in a lawn chair in their driveway to enjoy nice weather.

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WritPositWrit@reddit

When i was little and visited my grandmother’s house the next town over, we spent a lot of tine just sitting on her front porch (unless it was really hit, then we sat put back under the tree)

I wish i had a front porch.

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WokeUpIAmStillAlive@reddit

If the weathers nice, then yeah

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LawfulnessAware8410@reddit

I sought out a house with a covered front porch because I love rain and storms and I want a good seat, plus for shade in the summer. I use it constantly

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Weird_Squirrel_8382@reddit

I grew up with Southern transplants to the Midwest. They loved sitting on their porch. I wish I had one but they're not standard in my neighborhood, so I'm gonna have to build one.

I can't tell you the last time I heard of someone building a front porch, but people are often excited to build or update the back patio or deck. I suspect people who like a front porch look for houses where they're included.

And that might also include the neighborhood culture. My grandparents neighborhood is gentrified now, and I remember seeing a bunch of new people go past with their heads down like they were avoiding any of the old heads saying "hey baby how you doing?"

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Brunbeorg@reddit

I have a patio, rather than a porch, but I absolutely sit on it if weather allows. I'll sometimes sit out there and read, or just enjoy my coffee and meditate. I'll even work outside (writer, so I can work anywhere) sometimes if the weather's particularly nice.

I practically live on my front porch

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OneNerdyLesbian@reddit

It's pretty common to sit on your porch when the weather is nice in my neighborhood, but I imagine this varies a lot across the US.

In Michigan, the front porch was common pre World War 2. You will often see them on older houses, commonly from those built in the late Victorian wra (1900-1920s).

Yes, it's common.

I don't have a front porch, but I sit in the swing on my balcony a lot when the weather is nice. I like to enjoy the fresh air and listen to the birds while I read.

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ghost-girl-7575@reddit

Most of us can't afford homes with front porches but if I had one, I'd be sittin my ass out there all the time LOL

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AndrasKrigare@reddit

Depends a lot on the region. I lived in a very small town in a rural area for a while, and there were a couple of houses with elderly people who would sit out on their front porch all day, just waving and nodding as people drive/walk by.

Now I'm in the suburbs and front porches in general are pretty rare; folks mostly have back porches if anything.

In the summer on a nice day, of course. Retires south of the mason Dixon line sometimes are relgious about being outside on the porch a few hours a day.

Weather and climate matter a lot in the culutre. Being from North Dakota originally you are really only getting maybe 2 good weeks of Weather a year, and relaxing on the porch is pretty limited to summer and fall.

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I do in the summer. It’s a nice covered porch and a peaceful neighborhood in a small town.

Usually with a cold drink by my side.