The Porch Is the Whole Point

There is something about being inside that draws your field of view in and narrows your attention. That is great for things like reading or watching a movie, but it also changes how your brain sees the world.

The porch, especially in the South, is how we open up to the world and invite it in. It is the way we become part of our neighborhood, and by that, improve the experience of our neighborhood.

Think about it. When you pass a house and look inside and see someone sitting on their couch looking at their phone, you get a particular thought and emotion. There is a touch of “othering” them. You think, that person is… or that person isn’t…

But when you see a couple of friends sharing a drink on a porch on a warm summer day, you have a different experience. You feel the corners of your mouth pull, and a smile gets pulled onto your face. There is a sense that all is right in the world.

We spend all this time lusting over bathrooms, kitchens, and closets. But when it comes to living well in Chapel Hill, it turns out the porch is the whole point.