Elizabeth: “No Place Like Home”

Identification:
Green Valley, Nevada- a corporate master- planned community just south of Las Vegas.
Parkside Valley- one of Green Valley's 35 developments.
American Nevada Corporation- designer and builder of Green Valley
Brian Greenspun- family owns the American Nervada Corporation.
Robert Fishman- author of Bourgeois Utopias: The Rise and Fall of Suburbia.
Suburbia- appeared in the middle of the 19th century, offered an escape from the squalor and stench of the new industrial cities.
Phil and Marie Anderson- interviewed by the author, came to Green Valley because of forces they could not control in San Diego that was not healthy for their children.
Perimeter walls- required around all single family residentil projects, used to enforce safety and security.
CC&R- covenant, conditons, and restrictions... manners which define Green Valley
Pittman Wash- a short stretch of desert area in Green Valley. Very undeveloped because it is useful for drainage and seen as unbuildable.
Jim Collins- 9 year old boy who played in Pittman Wash searching for lizzards. Showed the author his backyard.

In No Place Like Home the author begins with a brief description of this gated community in Green Valley, Nevada. He explains how the developments in the community are made to represent a sort of utopia for its residents. All the boulevards and parkways are cleared of gas stations and fast food restaurants. They merely contain golf courses and shopping plazas. The author’s curiosity for why residents would want to live in such a community brought about his visit. He met people such as Phil and Marie Anderson who did not want their real names mention for fear of other people’s reactions. They explained there being in Green Valley based on uncontrollable forces such as drugs that threatened the livelihood of their children. Green Valley is looked upon to many as the best and safe place to live. However, it is a place governed by the American Nervada Corporation. They plan out the guidelines and restrictions for the community also known as the CC&R’s. The residents are not allowed to have clotheslines and Winnebago’s. They are limited to how many dogs and cats they can have and they also can’t have bells or whistles or any device that create noise. These rules and restrictions contribute to the safety from threats both real and imagined. The children in the community such as Jim Collins, seem to dislike the pleasant feel of the neighborhoods as well as the strict security. They tend to hang out in areas such as Pittman Wash were they can drink beer and write graffiti.

The best quote that clearly expresses the mood of the essay and the feel of the community would be the warning signs placed on every corner stating, “ WARNING: NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM IN FORCE. WE IMMEDIATELY REPORT ALL SUSPICIOUS PERSONS AND ACTIVITED TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.” Another sign on the garages read, “WARNING: YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE WATCHING.” Green Valley is like a safe haven community. It seems like a peaceful, quiet place to live, with limited crime and enforced security. But as pleasant as it sounds it’s not at all perfect. There were reports about a rapist and a serial killer running loose in several neighborhoods. Armed robberies were also reported to the police department. But these events were quickly put down and dealt with accordingly.

My question to you is: Should more corporate dominated communities such as Green Valley be established in urban areas?