Small Home Gazette, Winter 2023
Letter From the Editor: Who Are We?
When the Twin Cities Bungalow Club launched 28 years ago, its purposes were clear: education about, and advocacy for, bungalows and bungalow neighborhoods. At the time, bungalows were considered too old, too small and wholly undesirable. Grandma houses. Starter houses. Disposable.
Then, in 1995, Longfellow neighborhood resident Kristi Johnson swung into action, issuing a call to join a new “bungalow club.” Its goal was to vigorously reframe the way homeowners and city leaders viewed bungalows. And it worked. Within five years, Longfellow was posting signs on street corners, touting itself as “A Traditional Bungalow Community.”
Much has changed since the ’90s. Instead of being nameless old houses, bungalows are generally viewed in a positive light. Their value is no longer questioned. In fact, they are often priced out of the range of middle-class workers. And millions of people now understand that inflated square footage does not necessarily create a house that functions better, and that compact, walkable neighborhoods enhance residents’ quality of life. In short, the primary reasons the Twin Cities Bungalow Club was launched have now been, to a large degree, rendered moot.
Furthermore, while we once saw ourselves as undisputed champions of city living, we now sometimes find ourselves enmeshed in controversy. When the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan was unveiled a few years ago, many residents of bungalow-rich neighborhoods loudly objected to the significant loosening of building codes. I railed against the Plan in this space (Winter 2019 issue) and was subsequently chastised (gently) by a Bungalow Club member who convincingly argued that our neighborhoods must change (Summer 2019 issue). Also, we have often waxed nostalgic about the quaint, picturesque lifestyles of our bungalows’ original occupants. But advocates have laid bare ugly truths about how some of those occupants routinely used threats, intimidation and violence to keep—or drive—Black people and other minorities out of these neighborhoods.
If our original goals have been largely accomplished, why are we here? If you are expecting a conclusive answer to that question, you will be disappointed. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can articulate some of the reasons I’m still here.
I am here because these century-old houses require ongoing maintenance and updating, which I believe should be done gently and with respect for their original style and scale, inside and out. Like it or not, these homes’ aesthetics are one of their most valuable assets.
I am here because, when civic leaders propose policies that would significantly affect our neighborhoods, we would like to be part of the conversation (see the Star Tribune article “Are Twin Cities bungalows an endangered species?”).
And mostly, I am here because it’s just plain fun to be part of a group of great people who share my interest in vintage houses!
Why do you belong to the Twin Cities Bungalow Club, and what do you think its purpose(s) should be? Drop us a line at mail@bungalowclub.net.
