Surroundings of Your House

How can I describe the exterior views from my house?

"Borrowed landscape" (or borrowed scenery) is a Japanese concept in which distant elements (such as Mount Fuji) are incorporated into the composition of a garden. Exterior views from inside your house do the same. The spatial quality of each room reaches out to include whatever is visible beyond the window. That's why views matter. Like a natural history diorama, rooms have foreground and background layers.

Which way does my house face?

The cardinal directions of the human body (forward, backward, left, right, up, down) and colonial European map conventions (north is up) influence how we think of house and street orientations. Although we think of Robie Street running north-south (civic orientation), below North Street it's rotated 20 degrees and above North Street it's rotated 40 degrees. Your house is probably rotated, too. Google Maps can show you. Your front window may even face Mecca.

 

Where is my house in solar time?

We assume that the sun is highest at noon, but because Halifax is at 63.58°W longitude (rather than at the middle of the Atlantic time zone, 60 degrees west of Greenwich), the sun is not at its zenith until 12:16 pm. During daylight savings time in the summer, it's even later: 1:16 pm. From the sun's point of view, the firing of the noon gun at the Citadel is always early.

Who owns the land in front of my house?

Your land probably ends at the back edge of the sidewalk. To confirm this, you can check the survey plan you received when you purchased your house. The street is owned by HRM. That includes the road, the curb, the verge, and the sidewalk. HRM is responsible for maintaining them. Although we think of the road as flat, it has a higher crown in the middle to carry stormwater off to the sides. Halifax Water is responsible for the catch basins (storm drains) and fire hydrants along the street. You can report potholes that need repair.

 

The verge (which HRM calls a boulevard) accommodates many things: fire hydrants, utility poles, posters on utility poles, trees, parking signs, green bins and recycling bags for pickup, and piles of snow. HRM prunes healthy trees, removes infirm trees, and plants new trees. HRM also invites homeowners to plant native species of plants on the verge in front of their house.

 

The sidewalk is for pedestrians and small-wheeled vehicles such as skateboards. Personal transporters (e.g., segways) can use the sidewalk at speeds up to 7 kilometres per hour; otherwise, they must use the road. Children 16 and under are permitted to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. Older cyclists must use the road; the fine for riding on the sidewalk is $151.25. Electric scooters are not permitted on sidewalks. After a snowfall, it may take hours for HRM to clear the sidewalk, depending on the priority level of your street, so you may want to shovel a narrow path for pedestrians before the Bobcat arrives.

Are there notable features in my neighbourhood? 

The authors of The 99% Invisible City point out that we are surrounded by odd urban details that usually go unnoticed. Halifax's residential streets are no exception. Observations depend on your speed. Walking or standing will reveal some of that 99%, including:

• door handles

• red front doors

• graffiti penmanship

• sign-eating trees

• fairy doors

• sidewalk imprints

• ​metal birds

• electrical box art

• little free libraries

• survey markers

• manhole covers

• porch skirts

• driveway materials​