It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Green

…at least not for the front yards of Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, where much of the grass of my youth has now been replaced by gray concrete. A paved front yard is easy to maintain and allows for extra parking. A grass front yard, on the other hand, requires regular maintenance and takes up space that could have been used for the aforementioned extra parking. This reasoning has become enough of a trend that recent city zoning regulations in a number of districts require front yards to have a minimum percentage of planted area. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the flooded residents of Manhattan Beach were advised that a planted lawn was not only good for the environment but also a form of protection: dirt is porous and can absorb water, filtering pollutants while also helping protect a home during a surge. Having a green front yard won’t save us from the inevitable effects of climate change, but it can mitigate some of its effects. Plus, I miss them.