Living in a cul-de-sac

I grew up in a cul-de-sac, it was fairly wide ,so it didn't feel like we were on top of each other, but I do notice today that they are often built in very small areas & pretty much on top of each other. I don't think I would like that , not just because I would be viewed all the time ,but because I would feel as if I was being nosey just by looking out of the window etc

I'd forgotten that Nellie

Kittyl This has reminded me of your story about your mother being rather scathing about a child of hers living in a road referred to as a street.

We have lived in a variety of roads! My favourite, from the point of view of getting to know neighbours, was a small purely residential road. Least favourite road was our last house: long, busy main road, night buses etc. Just knew immediate neighbours.
Current house is in a cul de sac of 7 houses. Unfortunately, most of our neighbours, though very pleasant, are short term tenants. The two home owners are lovely: one is in her late 80s and the others are a young couple who got married a few weeks go and of course us! 6 houses are new (2008) but ours is 1898 and only gained vehicle access when the new houses were built (we did not live here then). I think cul de sac is not the issue but neighbourliness!

We live down a driveway off a cul-de-sac and although we are surrounded by houses it's their back gardens that overlook us. It's very peaceful and safe for our cat and it's also lovely when the grandchildren visit because there's no passing traffic.

Crafting like you events happened in our cul-de-sac. One man set fire to himself in his garage, another had shingles and threw himself out of a bedroom window and a lady cut her throat in the bath. This all happened over a couple of years when we first moved 38 years ago.

We lived in a cul de sac for 13 years. It curved round a nice green area and, at the time, backed on to fields. Our children were small then and played out with lots of others. We were nearly all young families with not much money ( this was mainly the 70's) and the time we young mums spent together was a life saver. Happy days.

I have lived in both and much prefer a cul de sac. They are much quieter, allowing me to listen to the birds, not the traffic and my cats are safer!

Not sure if my road counts as cul de sac, probably about 250 houses, goes round in a large loop. It's actually quite nice, large enough not to feel I have speak to every neighbour, but quiet enough when kids were young for them to ride bikes out etc. Also several alleyways that link to other roads to get to station etc easily.

My Sister and her Husband live in a Cul-de-Sac. It is like a mini neighbourhood watch. Luckily they have some fabulous neighbours. In fact, once a year, one lovely Lady opens her door to everyone in the Cul-de-Sac for an afternoon tea to raise money for Charity. There is something special about living in a Cul-de-Sac.

I used to live in one never again. Nosey neighbours watched virtually everymove we made. Several times I was asked why didn't I go to work on a certain day, or you had a lot of shopping delivered are you having a party? Couldn't wait to get out of there.

Much prefer a main road I can put up with a bit of traffic noise as opposed to when I lived in a cul_de_sac drivers constantly coming in to turn around parking was a nightmare and nosey neighbours

We live in a detached house that once was owned by the well known actress Flora Robson. It was like being in a cul de sac as the lane was so quiet with a greyhound stadium built on it and the t.v vet program "Creatures Great and Small" was occasionaly filming there.
Not any more though, the stadium has been replaced now by a new housing estate with direct access to the busy A5 . So our lovely little lane that had just 13 houses built on it has now turned into a busy road that is equal to any motorway
Ahh well, so much for progress

Cul-de-sacs are great for kids safety. We lived in two, before moving here to a through road. I like seeing the children going to school, the dog walkers, the joggers, and the mums with prams. All life passes my window.

We live in a small cul-de-sac in a small market town, and have done for over 30 years. Actually I've never really thought about it.
My friend who lives around the corner ,in the same type of house, is on the main drag through the estate. I do find it very disconcerting ,when in her lounge, to see cars passing by. It's just what you get used to.
However, I would hate to live on a busy main road.

We raised our three kids in our home on a cul-de-sac.

They loved it but we'd have to go into town to people watch.

At home we welcomed each other without any prior arrangements (just like when we're first living as a married couple in the Falkland Islands with no TV).

Now retired, we live in a place with no road front or back and look out over common land where kids play and people walk and poop their dogs.

So, in 45 years of looking for homes we've tended to seek easy access to a freeway/motorway while avoiding the close proximity of vehicles and their exhaust pipes.

As an ex Estate Agent I can assure you that it is a selling point to have a house in a Cul de Sac.
That is one of the reasons we bought this house & yes- it is quieter with no through traffic.The front gardnes are quite big so we don't feel overlooked at all.

It is very nice as we know most of our neighbours & have street parties in the summer. The downsize is children playing outside which as the road has a 90d bend means approaching cars cannot see them. One child was killed there some years ago by a visiting motorist. If they went to the end to play- where there is a turning circle it would be fine but they play just past the blind bend & it terrifies me! My own GC are not allowed to play out there ever. We have large gardens & woodland opposite so there is no need anyway.

Cats often take themselves off exploring though, even if they live in a cul-de-sac

I prefer to live in a cul-de-sac as I have cats so less likely for them to get run over as generally cars will be travelling slower. However, it can attract the footballers and other ball players, I agree, so there are downsides too but I still prefer it to living on a (possibly) noisy through road.

Cul-de-sacs are safer for children but there is the problem of footballs and not just kids, parents seem to think it's ok to come out with the kids and kick a ball around.
We lived in a square, which was great when my children were young lots children in the square played together, until they got older. Not so good. Have now moved.

i was brought up in a house at the "open end" of a cul de sac [still a quiet residential road though] and all the children used to play in the road. the best play of all was going up one side of the cul de sac, round the circle and back on the other side of the road - whether on scooter, bike or trike. it was safe and there were no accidents.
when i got married i lived on a through road although it was a quiet residential street again - not too many people going past or cars/vans hurtling past.
i then moved towns and again lived on a quiet through road so it didn't seem much different.
after i left my husband i moved into a little terraced house at the end of a cul de sac. most of the houses in my road are social housing but there are two which are privately owned [mine being one of them]. i love living here! my kitchen window looks to the front and i can see the children playing on the square of grass outside [my part of this cul de sac is built as three sides of a square]. however football isn't allowed on the grass - two boys destroyed my fence by using is as a goal!!
but, given a choice, i'd choose to live in a cul de sac again [if i ever moved that is] whether it be private or social housing, older or younger houses or whatever. i don't feel threatened in the slightest or isolated.

I'm guessing cul de sacs are considered desirable because people might envisage the lifestyle of the residents of Brookside or Neighbours - everybody getting on and dropping into each others' homes to borrow some sugar!
I think it's because we're too busy going out to work that it wouldn't appeal to me at the moment, although I wouldn't rule it out when we retire.
What is the difference between living in a cul de sac and in a close?

I would never live in a cul se sac again. Everybody seeing you and your visitors coming and going, it felt like living in a goldfish bowl. I didn't feel private at all, just eyes all around. And always a nosey neighbour and a gossip to contend with.

In the school holidays and at weekends the neighbouring streets would discharge their children to play in our safe cul de sac. We had kids [and accompanying noise] on bikes and scooters up and down, so driving home or going out could be a hazard and only safe to go 2 mph. Oh and the odd verbal abuse from the kids too!

Then we had a spate of football matches taking place, and balls being kicked into and onto parked cars, causing damage and scratched paintwork.

Now I am on a not too busy main road but it means police cars regularly go by, there is good street lighting, street is swept often, snow cleared away, people are only passing by not lingering or playing footie. But it's quiet enough, busy enough, people are friendly enough and it suits me far better.

We live in the end/top house of a cul de sac so we have no traffic or people walking passed. There are 31 detached and semi's altogether, apart from 4 including us who've been here for 20+ years there seems to be constant change of ownership so we don't really know very many neighbours!