What Does Home Mean to You?

With all the talk and angst around the economy and specifically around the housing market I thought I’d share some information about a new book coming out this month that for me celebrates the notion of what a home means to a person, a family - a life.

Can you imagine as a parent of two small children, living on a modest salary falling in love with a leaky old house that was infested with wildlife and had no functional plumbing or electricity? Probably not.

But if you’re the kind of person that is drawn to a home because of all the factors not related to the price of real estate but instead related to the people, history and experiences that define the community your home is in then you just might give this home a second look.

David Giffels is that person. After finishing college he didn’t join his friends and colleagues who picked up and left his home town of Akron, Ohio for greener pastures in larger cities and communities across the country. Instead he became a columnist for his local paper, the Akron Beacon Journal.

David began to deepen his understanding of his home town and in the process fell in love with it. Akron at one time was known as the Rubber Capital of the World. Firestone, Goodrich and Goodyear had their head offices in the city and during the early part of the 20th century the city thrived.

Being a rust belt city the Rubber Capital title crumbled as did the economy in the 1970’s and 80’s. David is one of those writers who covered the experience of change and decline that was so much a part of small town America during the last 15 to 20 years.

Given that new urbanism is a tender nod to the past, when I found David’s columns and publications a few years ago I was drawn in. Here’s a person of my generation who defines home in terms of people, memories and community.

A new urbanism champion if ever I saw one.

The New York Times did a feature on David’s experience in deciding to move his young family to a dilapidated old home 12 years ago. You’ve got to read it. Not only do you get a glimpse of the home through pictures, but you get to understand a little bit about David’s romantic but I argue very valid notion of a home and family life.

By the way the home he bought was a Gilded Age Mansion (owned by a rubber company executive). He got it for $65,000. He borrowed not one penny for the renovation. He had two toddlers as he embarked on the journey of fixing up this home while he continued as a small town writer and champion for his home town.

You’ve also got to read the book All the Way Home. The official release is May 27th but if you purchase now through Amazon you can get an additional 5% off of their already discounted price.

The photo above is from the New York Times article about David’s book, photograhper Jeff Swensen.

Tags: Featured, New Urbanism, Your Home