Levittown vs Santa Clarita - The Brothers by

Open Land Converted to a Densely Populated Community

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-19 20:32:55 UTC

Diminishing Fields - A Repeat →

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-19 20:45:38 UTC

Levittown, at the time, seemed like a city that spontaneously grew out of nowhere. Notes on the project specify that it started as farmland and open fields before the city erupted from nowhere, similar to the happenings of the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV). The origin of SCV can be smelled throughout the city, recalling the vast onion fields and barns that once was Santa Clarita.

← Tract "Cookie-Cutter" Housing - An Inspiration

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 07:00:13 UTC

Levittown featured a style of neighborhood called tract housing. This design type made houses in an area look very similar or in some cases even identical to one another. Tract housing can be found in most parts of Santa Clarita, while not appearing in others. In the picture to the left we see an example of tract housing in SCV. Tract housing provides the people with cheaper housing at the expense of a lower quality house and blander neighborhood. Another advantage of this building technique is the ability to have a completely customized inside, while staying within the style boundaries on the outside.

"Stop Copying Me!"

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 07:59:36 UTC

→ What Room is That? - Similar Interior →

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 08:02:47 UTC

The houses of Levittown featured the new hot tradition of multi-duty rooming. An advertisement for a residence in the old town prominently showed off it's triple-duty room where a dining room, living room, and kitchen all meet. This open room is seen in most houses and apartments today. The exact same rooms can be seen joined together in the photo on the right which was taken in a home in Santa Clarita. It's an obvious duplicate of the elderly Levittown which continues to have inspiration in our city.

Multipurpose Rooms - A Duplicate

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 08:13:52 UTC

↓ Crew Cut Homes - Some Contrast

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 08:15:35 UTC

The typical house of Levittown looked rather short. The trend called 'ranch style' was a nice design at the time. This differs from today's taller multistory houses. A handful of the houses in SCV still have those low roofs though, and can be found in several areas even though its an outdated model. Another difference found on the top of these homes is the material our roofs are made of. Levittown roofs were made up of tar and crushed marble, while most homes in SCV today have ceramics ordered in a fashion called "Spanish tile." The tall brown-tops of Santa Clarita certainly look different than the short white-tops of Levittown. In the picture below you can find the casual tall brown-roofed house of SCV.

→ There's a Rainbow in my House? - Not Even Close →

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 08:18:53 UTC

The interior of a house is where the fashion boomed in Levittown. All types of colors could be seen everywhere you looked. Blue linoleum floors and bright green toilets (with matching toilet paper) wasn't too unheard of at the time. Now-a-days we like to keep our floors wooden, tiled or carpeted and painted a shade of white or some dark color as to not draw too much attention to it. In the bathroom, our porcelain thrones have been overhauled with a clean two-tone or three-colored look most usually. We've obviously gone astray from our Levittown brothers in the sense of good fashion. These contrasts between SCV and Levittown are rare.

"I Was Here First!"

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 09:28:46 UTC

"Just a Little Off the Top, Please."

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 09:29:42 UTC

↑ I Can See Everything! - Common Californian Practice ↑

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 09:36:13 UTC

A common trait seen with building style in both Levittown and SCV is the many windows accompanied by a large front window. Looking around, most houses will have a distinctive large window towards the front along with several other smaller windows around it. This connection is made with nearly every house in the Santa Clarita Valley. It is not only to look through, but to look at! That's most likely why this feature continued through the decades.

No Peeping

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:21:18 UTC

← Dude, Where's My Car? - Subtle Difference

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:22:50 UTC

Why have a garage when you can... not have a garage? Levittown parking consisted of carports attached to housing. Carports aren't as secure as a normal garage and it doesn't look too fancy, leading to it's downfall. They are almost impossible to find anywhere anymore, and won't be found anywhere in Santa Clarita. Today, cars will be found in a garage, driveway, or street. This difference was definitely a good adaptation.

← What to Wear... - Commonality ←

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:31:23 UTC

A closet is something you use everyday for storage so why not make it easier to access? The good ol' folks at Levittown decided it was time for a wardrobe change. The open closet design is one that has stuck in many homes. Although walk in closets are still abundant, a closet built into the room is more common. This is just another of the many commonalities between SCV and Levittown.

The Garage

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:36:39 UTC

Wardrobe Change

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:37:02 UTC

Support a Family for Cheap - An Unfortunate Cease →

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:39:14 UTC

A 3 bedroom ranch style home in Levittown cost a mere $10,000 which would only be around $88,500 today. This is extremely cheap, especially for a house that can support a full family. The current house price average in Santa Clarita is $400,000, which is about 4.5x as much! If only the trend of cheap housing were to continue into today's society.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 10:58:06 UTC

Overall, Levittown and Santa Clarita are similar in more ways than they are different. The biggest differences are just fashion style trends such as the colors and 'futuristic looking' design. Many style trends are also continued though, such as the open closets and blended rooms. Trends are always doomed to change, and considering the decades between Santa Clarita and Levittown, it is surprising how many similarities there are. Could you ever imagine your neighborhood having mismatched houses, unorganized designs, and seemingly random structures for architecture? It's a good thing we got tract housing for a common ground. In more ways than not I would argue that Santa Clarita is like a modern day Levittown, even through the history of the area. Both started as open fields and rose from almost completely out of the blue. Levittown seems to have been inspiration or even a trend setter for the creation of Santa Clarita. Perhaps we'll be the same inspiration for other counties in the future.

"Who Are You?

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 11:09:14 UTC

"I Am You"

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 11:09:20 UTC

Boring Colors

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 16:39:06 UTC

By Ben Berman

thebenjaminberm — 2014-03-21 16:49:37 UTC