Would you live in a Gated Community?

[Tinker]

Spotted this whilst flicking through the ST today. People choosing to live in 'Gated Communtities' - "Executive homes" by the look of them, with big gates on the outside to stop all the yobbos. So, would you choose to live in a ghetto?

No need to say sorry dinosaur, it is both funny and annoying - still think it would be funnier if they got dyed blue though. If the estate management don't go for the blue dye in the water (and I think that in my heart I know that they won't) then I might go with your water pistol idea. And it doesn't even have to be blue dye, stale urine or hydrocloric acid would make me laugh just as much.

I don't have a view - let people live in/where they want to...
Personally I owuldn't choose to live in one because they tend to be in "urban" areas (i'd miss the mud too much)and of a modern/trendy style ( I'm just old fashioned and crome and glass get finger marks on )

I live in a relitivly isolated cottage (2 miles from village)with no neighbours. We have a fantastic stone garden wall and our own electric gates - so in a sense "the sonnets" live in our own gated community and choose to keep the "undesirable" elements out - those that drink cider and pee in "countryside" phone boxes

refer to townies/country thread to get my little joke...

There was a fairly shocking article in the telegraph about middle-class gang warfare inside the gated communities. They reported on a group from arizona that had killed another teenager, regularly had fights etc, al inside the gated community. it seems that the kids were bored!

Not sure that a 'gated community' is a 'ghetto'. I agree with Hulababy and others who said that they would do it if it meant a higher level of security/peace of mind for myself and my family. I think it is very unfair to condemn peole who actively choose to buy property in this kind of style.

FWIW, there is a new 'executive' gated development just released for sale near me, which is unfortunately slap bang in the middle of a pretty grim council area ! Needless to say that I wouldn't choose to live there, gates or no gates.

So will all the yobs wait outside the gates for the rich-pickings to come out?

When dd was 1 we considered living in Jamaica (where dh is from) but due to our level of income over there (great exchange rates) we were advised that she would be at risk of being kidnapped unless we lived in an enclave. This was where the schools Hosp shops etc were behind barbed wire and there were guards with machine guns searching cars in and out. We couldn't do that
I don't know how accurate this threat was but it scared the out of us and we decided the UK had definate advantages