This post is the first in a series of remembrances of various aspects of my childhood home – 1521 Ninth Street in the Fairview neighborhood of Altoona. My home, as detailed in RIP - 1521 Ninth Street, was converted into a handful of spaces in a parking lot last year. I realize that the target audience for this sort of post is pretty limited – can probably be counted on one hand (my brothers and sisters) – but some stories just need to be told.
I think our Front Porch was the most underrated and versatile room in the house. The space had wonderful natural light, surrounded on three sides by rows of curtained windows, which provided a nice balance between openness and privacy. On the side that opened up to the Shannon's at 1523 Ninth Street, there were two sets of tall screened windows that could be unlocked and swung open, exposing the porch to pleasant breezes in the Spring and Summer months or to the sounds of gentle rain showers or violent thunderstorms. The fourth wall featured a pair of French Doors that could open into the Living Room and the “interior” Front Door which led into the Hallway and the base of the Upstairs Steps.
Though it was completely enclosed from the elements, it wasn’t what they today refer to as heated square footage. While this somewhat diminished its utility between the end of October and the middle of March, the Front Porch really took center stage from Spring through Indian Summer.
For flooring, wall-to-wall “porch Astroturf” was installed in the Front Porch. This was a thin green layer of synthetic carpet (with no underlying carpet pad) that was meant to mimic real grass. Just as Astroturf took hold in the various cookie-cutter stadiums built in the National League cities in the late 60s and early 70s, porch turf was spreading like wildfire and was all the rage in state-of-the-art mid 70’s design and décor. The Nedimyers didn’t miss out on that trend.
At some point in the 70s, the Front Porch got a big time upgrade in the form of a new three-piece Redwood patio furniture set. (The upgrade was probably courtesy of Big Sis Joan, one of many 1521 Ninth Street home improvement projects she funded after starting work after high school). The set featured high quality cushions with a floral arrangement and was composed of a chaise lounge, a single seater, and a two seater with a center table separating the two seats.
Kidding aside, the center table was a useful and practical feature. One could place a cold beverage there or a book or magazine. After work, Cody N™ would often enjoy his pre-dinner cigar and Cold Ones out there while reading the Mirror. (Have to add that Dad thought it was a “trffic” piece of furniture.).
The Front Porch was multi-functional. It was a perfect venue for playing various board games with my sister Laurey or friends while sitting on the porch turf. It was also a good general-purpose spot for reading or relaxing or just doing nothing. It was probably the second most popular hang out spot in the house for all family members (after the TV Room). When we had friends over, the separation provided by the Front Porch from the rest of house also provided a nice buffer from the parents as well.
When daily shifts at the nearby Altoona Hospital rotated through each day, vehicular traffic on Ninth Street and Willow Avenue would pick up and it could get a bit noisy on the the Front Porch, but, outside of those time windows, it was a pretty quiet environment. On the other hand, its location provided views of the Fairview Cemetery, up Willow Avenue, and up and down Ninth Street. It was right in the middle of everything in our ‘hood – a front row seat to the entertainment that was part of the “daily ordinary” growing up.
Of course, since we all had boundless energy in those years and some days it did rain, I had to personally outfit the space with something against which my considerable athleticism could be applied (within constraints of course). To the rescue came the perfect indoor sport - Non-Expanding Recreational Foam (Nerf) Hoop. I am talking about the original Nerf Hoop here – it was challenging unlike its descendants that required almost no skill level. The original featured a small rim (8 inches in diameter or so) of 
Nerf Hoop, however, suffered from a design defect in how the cardboard backboard attached to the goal assembly. The result was that, after repeated play, the cardboard would tend to either lean slightly forward or slightly backward. This just scratched the hell out of my OCD itch and irritated the hoop’s purist in me, so I discarded the backboard altogether and instead used the tempered glass of the French Doors as a backboard – a much more aesthetically pleasing solution.
Endless numbers of imaginary games were played and won on the hallowed grounds of that porch turf (including almost every morning in the Spring before heading out to McNelis in Grades 5 and 6). Mom was not very fond of the streaks of my dried saliva on the French Doors that built up after repeated wetting/re-application of the suction cups, but she tolerated it. Occasionally, I would even battle a neighborhood kid in Nerf Hoop on the porch turf, mano-a-mano. During one particularly rambunctious game with my friend Robbie Furio, I remember Robbie took a hard foul on me and we both lost our balance and poured through the French Doors and into the Living Room. Tolerance level exceeded, Mom immediately established a moratorium on competitive Nerf Hoop games on the Front Porch and, duly chastened, I complied (at least when she was at home).
Loyal weblog readers are no doubt aware of my over 43 years (and running) emotional addiction to the Pittsburgh Baseball Club. There were two items on the Summer Evening Menu when I was growing up in Altoona in the 70s. If the Pirates were playing a televised road game, I would be in the TV room watching. Otherwise, I would be camped out in the Front Porch listening to the Pirate game on one of a number of radio’s that we cycled through that decade.
Though not wired for lighting, the Front Porch was outfitted with a full-duplex receptacle (located to the left of the French Doors) and the radio was always plugged in and turned on for the Bucs. As first The Gunner and Nellie King, and then later Lanny and Milo, spun the daily baseball yarn, it turns out that some incredibly deep and strong Pirate baseball roots were taking hold during those summer evenings on the Front Porch. Roots so deep and strong that they were able to withstand 21 straight years of poor soil conditions, limited hydration, and weeds that could choke a horse.
Lets. Go. Bucs.
Coming up on the next episode of 1521 Tour: The Downstairs Powder Room
