mindstalk | University Village balconies (Reply)

Near me is University Village, a cluster of I think UCB-owned housing, 2-3 stories of apartments around courtyards and such. I biked up and down its quiet private streets today, and looked. Most if not all of the units have balconies, fairly sizable ones. Even at my low bike speeds, my ability to identify everything I saw was limited, but I'm fairly confident that a majority of the balconies had Stuff. Chairs, bicycles, plants, tables (with patio umbrella), sofas, unidentifiable junk, and clothes racks, in roughly that order. Sample image 1, sample image 2.

So another data point for people actually liking balconies and using them, at least in California.

I don't think I caught anyone actually out on a balcony, so another data point for that being difficult. 4 PM on a Tuesday afternoon, FWIW.

Tangentially, while the buildings are all of a similar style, the designer managed to avoid making them be too cookie-cutter, in either color or design. The most obvious tell was when units apparently stopped having balconies, and I had to return along the opposite side. Kudos.

Anti-kudos for the total lack of external shade other than (accidentally) from balconies.

Also anti-kudos to a separate building on San Pablo, which has no balconies nor shade, but does have fake overhangs -- slats that would break up the sun a bit, but not provide real shade. The vague visual outline of an awning without the functionality. Take a look.