One two car garage containing: two cars, washer, dryer, 2 books shelves (full), a storage rack (with suitcases, packed seasonals, etc), stockpiled brokedown moving boxes, two 8 foot high by 4 foot wide storage cabinets (holding pantry/sundry bulk purchase), two bicycles, two long boards, one gorilla ladder, one 6ft step later, a 32inch working live TV and DVD player, an elliptical crosstrainer (used regularly), a work space with the computer printer (working), a work bench, and additional wall mounted storage with and assorted work tools and sets and enough space to easily get out of the cars without dinging the doors.

stepping_up - 15 January 2009 04:47 AM

tmare - 15 January 2009 04:33 AM

The two car garage holds the pool table and all of the baby crap I need to get rid of. I really wish the cars were there, but it just never seems to happen. The driveway can hold at least 4 cars although not side by side. I’ve always dreamed of having the cars in the garage, I guess I’ll have to keep dreaming.

My mom is a hoarder and always buying us tons of crap. When I tell her that I don’t have room for something she brings up our garage. I tell her that we want to park in there once we get an automatic garage door opener and she always argues with me that people don’t use their garages for cars, rather to store stuff. Even though we store stuff in our garage, we could fit two cars in it. Driving into it is another story. Do we really all have that much stuff that we have to pile it in the garage?

Yes, mothers. We have to take everything in the house to the Goodwill just before Christmas because my mom thinks that if one of something is good, we must be able to use ten. It’s a battle we have agreed to lose, there is really very little she enjoys anymore. Giving us crap is one of her greatest pleasures in life.

People who call their garage “Storage” and their driveway “Private Parking”...stand up and unite against tyrants like T!M!

I have a two car garage that currently houses…..............3/4 of one car.  You have no idea how many pieces there are to a car till you take one apart and then decide to put it back together.

I guess I’m one of the few who uses the garage for cars!  We actually get two cars and one motorcycle in a 2.5 car garage.  The rest are parked on the driveway and/or street.  We have to continually rotate.  Too bad the association is so strict or we’d be parking them on the lawn.

acpme - 15 January 2009 04:47 AM

we have tandem spaces yet always park both cars in the garage.  also manage to keep side-by-side washer dryer, a storage cabinet, and 4 bicycles in the garage. 

my car has been hit twice by NEIGHBORS didnt have the courtesy to fess up to it.  i only found out because another neighbor ratted them out.  one of the downsides to those quiet irvine neighbors.

Didn’t you take the option of opening up your tandem into a covered patio?

almon - 15 January 2009 07:43 AM

People who call their garage “Storage” and their driveway “Private Parking”...stand up and unite against tyrants like T!M!

I accidentally gave you a thank-you. I didn’t mean to.

I think part of the problem is many of the same people who call their garage “storage”, do not have a driveway and call the curb in front of their neighbor’s house “private parking”.

SoCal78 - 15 January 2009 05:50 PM

almon - 15 January 2009 07:43 AM

People who call their garage “Storage” and their driveway “Private Parking”...stand up and unite against tyrants like T!M!

I accidentally gave you a thank-you. I didn’t mean to.

I think part of the problem is many of the same people who call their garage “storage”, do not have a driveway and call the curb in front of their neighbor’s house “private parking”.

Great idea! I recommend further enhancement of your “private stall” by using these in front of your neighbor’s house.

I agree with SoCal78 100%.  I can care less when my neighbours park their car ON their driveway instead of their garage.  However, when they start to park at the curb in front of other people’s house on a consistent basis, it really ticks me off.  I am one of those people who will call the cop to issue parking tickets when I see the same cars park at no parking zone on my street, or park head on at the cul-de-sac.  I am just so glad that there is not enough space to park a car in front of my house due to the location of my house.

irvine123 - 15 January 2009 06:33 PM

I agree with SoCal78 100%.  I can care less when my neighbours park their car ON their driveway instead of their garage.  However, when they start to park at the curb in front of other people’s house on a consistent basis, it really ticks me off.  I am one of those people who will call the cop to issue parking tickets when I see the same cars park at no parking zone on my street, or park head on at the cul-de-sac.  I am just so glad that there is not enough space to park a car in front of my house due to the location of my house.

So you live in this 3 story home. Newest irvine prototype 200 units per acre!

Ya, was my house, until HOA told me to tear it down.

Well… if you have problems with neighbors parking in front of your house, put one of these up:

I believe Irvine uses the yellow ones.

There are enough rules in the HOAs now.  So I guess it won’t be a big deal to add one more:  for single family house with two garages,  if your neighour complain about you parking directly in front of their house, and have a photo or video to prove it, then you will be fined $25 dollars per offense.  The money will be split between the HOA and your neighbour.

some might think this is not reasonable. Well ifyou live in an irvine community with HOAs right now, you can’t do major backyard or front yard improvements without getting signatures from your left / right / behind neighbours, right? You get the point.

I have a “2.5 car” tandem garage that could fit 2 vans or 3 subcompact cars, with alcove for washer/dryer/water heater to the side.  I use it for storage and to park 1 car.  I own 2 cars and the other one sits outside.

Commenting on BK’s post, the skinniest house in USA is actually located in Long Beach, at 708 Gladys Ave.  It’s a 3 story, Tudor style home that measures 10 feet x 50 feet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinny_House_(Long_Beach)

In Vancouver, Canada, the Sam Kee Building near Chinatown is measured at 4’11” at tis base and 6’ wide on 2nd floor.  This building is recorded as the world’s narrowest commercial building:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Kee_Building

I bumped into the Sam Kee building by accident in Vancouver couple years back.  Seem to recall it was occupied by a real estate agent on first floor.

momopi - 15 January 2009 08:23 PM

I have a “2.5 car” tandem garage that could fit 2 vans or 3 subcompact cars, with alcove for washer/dryer/water heater to the side.  I use it for storage and to park 1 car.  I own 2 cars and the other one sits outside.

Commenting on BK’s post, the skinniest house in USA is actually located in Long Beach, at 708 Gladys Ave.  It’s a 3 story, Tudor style home that measures 10 feet x 50 feet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinny_House_(Long_Beach)

In Vancouver, Canada, the Sam Kee Building near Chinatown is measured at 4’11” at tis base and 6’ wide on 2nd floor.  This building is recorded as the world’s narrowest commercial building:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Kee_Building

I bumped into the Sam Kee building by accident in Vancouver couple years back.  Seem to recall it was occupied by a real estate agent on first floor.

I can’t find it! Need to check address?

Here is another view of Irvine123’s home.

[img]
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Sam Kee building 6’ wide.

Many of you may not know that I got kicked off my lot in Shady Canyon.  By “lot”, I mean the space in the parking lot of the Golf Club where my tent was pitched.  I used funds I received from TARP to purchase a detached condo in the Sage tract of Quail Hill.  I’ve razed the former structure and hired bkshopr to build me a custom on the lot.  He promised that there would be a 4-car garage.

acpme - 15 January 2009 09:53 PM

Many of you may not know that I got kicked off my lot in Shady Canyon.  By “lot”, I mean the space in the parking lot of the Golf Club where my tent was pitched.  I used funds I received from TARP to purchase a detached condo in the Sage tract of Quail Hill.  I’ve razed the former structure and hired bkshopr to build me a custom on the lot.  He promised that there would be a 4-car garage.

Uhh…. take a number buddy… I’m first in line for a bkshopper multi-car wide garage custom home.

acpme - 15 January 2009 09:53 PM

Many of you may not know that I got kicked off my lot in Shady Canyon.  By “lot”, I mean the space in the parking lot of the Golf Club where my tent was pitched.  I used funds I received from TARP to purchase a detached condo in the Sage tract of Quail Hill.  I’ve razed the former structure and hired bkshopr to build me a custom on the lot.  He promised that there would be a 4-car garage.

Perfect house with a lift in the garage but just make sure you back your car out at level ONE!

irvine_home_owner - 15 January 2009 09:57 PM

acpme - 15 January 2009 09:53 PM

Many of you may not know that I got kicked off my lot in Shady Canyon.  By “lot”, I mean the space in the parking lot of the Golf Club where my tent was pitched.  I used funds I received from TARP to purchase a detached condo in the Sage tract of Quail Hill.  I’ve razed the former structure and hired bkshopr to build me a custom on the lot.  He promised that there would be a 4-car garage.

Uhh…. take a number buddy… I’m first in line for a bkshopper multi-car wide garage custom home.

I am thrilled and can’t wait>

Here it is an extra bonus garage to your dream home. Your front door is to the right of the picture and just enough room for a door.

Drinking bleach while typing.

bkshopr - 15 January 2009 09:13 PM

I can’t find it! Need to check address?

The Skinny House in Long Beach is a registered historical landmark.  It’s in the Rose Park Historic District of Long Beach.

You can kind of see it from the bird’s eye view here (zoom in and rotate around):

http://lalife.com/address/708_Gladys_Ave_Long_Beach_CA_90804/birdseye

For anyone who might want to visit, please note that this is a private residence.  Despite its size, it’s got 860 sq ft of space inside.  It was on the market back in Oct 2001 for $225,000, and LA Times ran an article on it:

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/29/local/me-63028

* Update:  There’s a refin entry for the house!  You can’t see it via “street view” but the bird’s eye view works.  Here’s the sales history:

May 30, 2002     Sold $212,000     26.9%/yr   Public Records
Apr 05, 1999   Sold   $100,000   202.1%/yr Public Records
Dec 22, 1998   Sold   $73,000   -50.1%/yr   Public Records
Mar 11, 1998   Sold   $125,739   2.2%/yr   Public Records
Feb 17, 1994   Sold   $115,000

3cg is for two cars and a stable of bikes, tools, Christmas crap, where else would you store your guns, and end-of-the-world supplies.

When I see a garage bursting at the seams with some savage’s worthless shit I want to throw a Molotov cocktail into the middle of it.

Neighbor, “Hmm, that’s odd.  Every time I park my POS car in front of AVRenter’s house someone draws phallic symbols all over it with surfboard wax.”

AVRenter - 16 January 2009 02:15 AM

Neighbor, “Hmm, that’s odd.  Every time I park my POS car in front of AVRenter’s house someone draws phallic symbols all over it car with surfboard wax.”

Please tell me you use green label Sex Wax.

After reading your posts most of you used one of the car stalls for storage. My argument is for a 3rd car location to be located in a tandem position since most will use it for storage anyway and why waste the land for a third driveway in front of the storage. A better solution is to utilize the land for a bigger yard or more space inside the house. Better yet, trade the land back for a discount on the house.

bkshopr - 15 January 2009 11:19 PM

I am thrilled and can’t wait>

Here it is an extra bonus garage to your dream home. Your front door is to the right of the picture and just enough room for a door.

Drinking bleach while typing.

Wheh’s dah eemaj?

bkshopr - 16 January 2009 05:04 AM

After reading your posts most of you used one of the car stalls for storage. My argument is for a 3rd car location to be located in a tandem position since most will use it for storage anyway and why waste the land for a third driveway in front of the storage. A better solution is to utilize the land for a bigger yard or more space inside the house. Better yet, trade the land back for a discount on the house.

No no no no no.  I never thought I’d disagree with you, bk, but I just have to with this one.  The garage is my room.  It’s for my stuff.  It gets personal.  Tandem garages just suuuuuck.  Every one I’ve ever seen is attached to the house/garage door which means you have to walk through it to get to your vehicle.  That means there’s less room to store all your junk because you’re constantly walking through there with babies, groceries, flame throwers… 

The last thing I want are all my bikes getting in the way.  Not to mention, how is it a “3rd car garage” when, if you put a 3rd car in that spot you can’t get to your two main vehicles?!  Also, when those animals that design the garages put in a tandem they then think it’s OK to screw you over on the width of the regular garage because they’ve graciously given you extra room to walk to your cars.  Last time I checked vehicle doors opened horizontally which is why the 3rd space should be next to the other vehicles!  You would think it would be standard that everyone in the vehicle could exit/enter the vehicle while in the garage not out in the driveway in the elements like a bunch of peasants. 

Front yard space is nice but not at the expense of my garage space.  And I don’t want to trade the land back for a discount - I just want a simple 3-car garage.  That’s all I ask, for the love of God (We’ve been keeping an eye on LR lately and I’ve come to the realization that I’m probably going to have to buy a bigger house (or older) than I’d like just to get a damned 3rd spot so I’m a little aggravated).

Would someone please mail me a voodoo doll with “garage designer” labeled on it?  If you could include some matches and sandpaper I’d appreciate it.