When "For Sale" Signs Depress You

The New York Times recently published a feature article about the consumer debt crisis' origins, outcomes, and long-term consequences. This hits right at home for millions of Americans and my guess is plenty of Minnesotans (including myself: Minnesota Private Colleges are affordable to a point, as in, sophomore year). The sprawling new developments in Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Arden Hills, etc. are strange reminders of excessive consumerism leading to our current bear market. I think it’s the harbinger of a cultural demise.

Recently, I drove to the residence of my good friend's parents in Maple Grove. He was in town staying there while he took a break from his Chicago graduate school life. On the phone, prior to my arrival, he gave me the address and directions. He lived in 89th Place off 89th Street. And be sure not to make a left, because then you're on 89th Lane. I shuddered, knowing I was driving into one of these black holes of American society. Up until that day, I always knew I had a low tolerance being outside the 694/494 ring. A threshold broken when I realized that I was still driving after twenty minutes in the car.

I had never quite assembled this distinctly American trend in my head until that moment. Scores of my friends lived in these residences. Each time I would go to their home to crash for a weekend, whether it be Sartell or North Branch or even Mankato, I was stunned at the vast space these homes contained. Vaulted ceilings seemed to be the most distinguishing architectural feature. American home builders clearly engineered these structures with cheap energy in mind. Hardwood floors, high-end carpeting, solid oak banisters all added to the aesthetic of an affluent middle class.

And now, people can't jettison these homes from their life fast enough. Whole neighborhoods lay vacant. Banks owning these structures after sucking down massive mortgage backed securities are far from their actual location. Letting them rot in their place, it's likely the most poignant metaphor for American culture at large. Tracts of beautiful new homes, sitting vacant, not a car in the street to answer the blitzkrieg of "For Sale" signs out front.

Gas has steadied over the last few months at four dollars a gallon, despite the recent historic drop of 12% last week in the price for a barrel of crude on the NYMEX, and it's now taking its toll on my social life. That same friend I came to visit, asked me out for a beer. He didn’t want to drive to Minneapolis from Maple Grove. I didn’t want to drive to Maple Grove because it’s expensive for gas and the edge of America’s cultural disintegration. So we didn’t meet. We’ll soon see each other again, likely in Chicago. But what if you live in Maple Grove and work in Minneapolis?

As I drive into these new housing developments, I can’t stop the feeling of emptiness that comes over me. It’s as if no one in these neighborhoods speaks to one another. All the homes look the same save a different bay window here, a different trim color there. It’s as if the Soviets inspired American homebuilders. There’s nothing organic about these homes and neighborhoods. They’re all a developer’s artificial dream believing that if you build it, friendly neighbors will come and all will be perfect. Human societies are simply not cultivated the same way corn is. Sure, you can add all the necessary elements, but the soul of the street will always be absent. That takes time. That’s why I live in Minneapolis.

Live richly, interpersonally.