# The Strip by the Curb AKA settle a debate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226 "2018-09-12T16:02:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/41 "2018-09-15T22:02:00Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’ve never heard a name for that strip here in Canada. I agree that it is owned by the municipality, but maintained by the property owner. > > No one gives a damn if you walk on it. > > There is a wiki article on it, and I suppose I may have heard it referred to as the boulevard. > > [Road verge - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_verge) Pennsylvania here. I have never heard a name for them in my many years of life. I have noticed that there are gas and water hook up locations in that space adjacent to the corresponding house so I agree that the municipality is the owner and the homeowner maintains the area. In fact it is common for everyone to park on your own strip of grass for the occasional street sweeping event. Generally there is a small strip of pavement running perpendicular to the grass in front of each home (but not all) that you can walk on from your car to the house. In the winter that is where I will shovel the snow. As others have mentioned it is a bit hazardous because of the animal droppings. Because of this I do usually make use of my little strip of sidewalk that keeps me away from such unpleasant encounters. Have never heard of any kind of “respect” issues other than special landscaping avoidance. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/42 "2018-09-15T22:13:52Z")
I’ve heard it called a boulevard. In my city, the municipality maintains the trees. In fact, you can get in trouble if you trim the tree yourself. If the tree in front of your house has to be removed for some reason, you can choose the replacement from a list they give you. The homeowner maintains the grass, plants or hardscape although I imagine there are limits to what you can do there. ETA: I’ve never heard of a anyone caring if you walk on it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/43 "2018-09-15T23:15:18Z")
I never heard of anyone caring whether you walked on it, and in my experience everyone does. I don’t recall ever hearing any name for it in New York where I grew up, or anywhere else. In the rare case someone has done some ornamental planting there, of course I would avoid it. But not wanting to walk on gravel or grass is just weird. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/44 "2018-09-16T03:13:31Z")
As I suspected, my beloved is weird. I’m keeping him anyway. He’s my cutie-patootie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/45 "2018-09-16T04:11:02Z")
In another classic example of _“seeing what you want to see”_, I thought this was a thread about Strip Clubs. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/46 "2018-09-16T07:22:00Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > In another classic example of _“seeing what you want to see”_, I thought this was a thread about Strip Clubs. Is a Strip Club something that a homeowner keeps by their front gate, for beating anyone who walks on that bit of grass? ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/47 "2018-09-17T01:32:06Z")
In New Zealand, that strip, known as a berm or the verge, belongs to the city/district. Your own land stops at the boundary line, which is usually 2-3 metres from the curb. There’ll be usually be a footpath and grass strips out the front, and the path may be butting up to the boundary, but may also be half a metre out too. I guess it depends on what the developer of your suburb decided to do. One of my friends, who works for the local city council, told me anything I plant in that area now belongs to the city. I don’t care too much as long as they don’t come along and rip out my feijoa tree. There used to be a silver birch there but it split in half one year and the next year it broke at the split and the council came and removed it. They asked if I wanted it replaced and I said yes, but they never did put a new one in. And to answer the OP, I totally use the area to get out of the car and onto the footpath. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/48 "2018-09-17T16:10:56Z")
> [@fstbk1968](#): > > That strip is called the parkway. It is owned by the village/county/state and maintained by the adjacent property owner, in general. Trees in that zone are maintained by the village/county/state. I have never heard of not walking on it to access your vehicle parked on the street. The width of parkways varies based on the width of the right of way, it some locations there can be a considerable distance between the curb and the sidewalk; how is a passenger supposed to get in and out without stepping on the parkway? We call it the boulevard. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/49 "2018-09-17T18:19:27Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > In our area, it’s “owned” by the city in that the city has an easement for the curb, parkway, sidewalk, and a utility area behind the sidewalk. It’s still on the owner’s deed, which is why the owner gets to maintain it. Technically, if the sidewalk is damaged, the owner is on the hook for repairing it. That usually doesn’t come up unless the owner wants to expand or renovate their building. Also, the commonest cause for sidewalk damage is heaving caused by trees that the city planted in the parkway, and the city’s on the hook for that. (We know which trees are ours, too.) > > I can’t speak for all cities, but Stockton considers the parkway to be part of their sidewalk, which makes it pedestrian access provided by the city. Now, if the owner has planted the parkway full of pansies, I’d try not to step on them. But if I planted up my parkway (and I’ve considered it), I’d include paving stones or strips, placed so that anyone parking there could exit their vehicle without stepping on the plants. Currently mine is grass, so step away. That’s what grass is for. Same here. Technically, the city/county requires homeowners to submit a request to plant trees or put in garden boxes on that strip, but nobody pays any attention to that and they don’t have the people to enforce it. I put in planter boxes on mine for the express purpose of discouraging people from parking there, but I don’t care about people walking in the gaps where I’ve put paving stones. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/50 "2018-09-17T19:20:30Z")
I’ve only ever known it as the parkway and often, it’s ‘city parkway.’ Mine has a 40’ tall honey locust that belongs to the city. I planted some spring bulbs around the base of the tree and you’d have to go out of your way to stomp them. If it is like most neighborhoods here in Chicago, a parkway is about 10 feet deep and I’ve never heard it rude to walk on the grass. However, some neighborhoods like Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast have smaller parkways. These are frequently planted with decorative, non-turf plants which obviously shouldn’t be trampled. Many are raised beds and/or have little knee high fencing installed. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226/51 "2018-09-17T19:44:51Z")
Back to the dispute: Walking on it, from an etiquette standpoint, is tantamount to walking on someone’s lawn. I would walk on it if I were doing so to visit the home that it is in front of, but probably not otherwise. I never thought of it until you asked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strip-by-the-curb-aka-settle-a-debate/821226.md?page=2)