What do you think of people who live in "trailer parks"? I know the media depicts such people as low-class, lazy, dumb, fat...generally what you'd see on peopleofwalmart.com. They are seen as generally not into keeping up their house or their yard, leaving beer cans around, having a crappy junker car parked out front, etc. And I know there are people like that in some places who totally fit the stereotype. But for the most part, people who live in "trailer parks" are hard-working, good people, who simply choose not to live in a more traditional home or apartment. Maybe they can't afford it, or maybe they just like the less upkeep factor, or they don't like having to have a huge chunk of savings for taxes at the end of the year.

So I'm wondering...what's your general opinion of people who live in trailer parks/manufactured home communities/modular homes/etc.?

I'm asking this because I'm about to move into a community that could be termed a "trailer park". It's a lot different than what's seen on tv/other media though. None of the homes have hitches or wheels, some of them have garages or carports, they're all clean and neat, they all have the vinyl siding and shingled roofs of more traditional homes, they have nice decks and garden areas, the lots are bigger than you'd think (the homes aren't that close together) and the whole feel of the place is a normal (albeit not 'rich') neighborhood. The thing is, I've already gotten flack from some people. Someone actually said "You're moving there? Why?" like it's some horrible place. But my parents and I were talking and we realized, why do we need to have a big home and a big yard to impress someone? That shouldn't matter. As long as we're comfortable and happy, that should be all that matters.

Do you live in a place that people give you shit for, just because it's seen as 'poor or low-class', when it actually isn't or you really like it anyways?

I'm just sitting here at work, thinking about all this, wondering if I'm really going to be happy there and if I'll be able to just ignore the idiots who try to put me down for where I live

Growing up I had a lot of friends that lived in trailer parks, so I've never thought anything negative of the locations - there are plenty of 'trashy' people with broken cars that have messy yards anywhere you go; they're definitely not exclusive to trailer parks! It's a shame that people can be so judgmental, and you don't need that kind of negativity in your life. if it's a place you enjoy living in and you & your family are happy, if it feels like home, then you should enjoy it as much as you can c:

We don't really have an exact analogue here (all our mobile home parks are either for old retired people or gypsies/pikeys), but well aware of the stereotype in the US.

Of course cheaper accommodation means people living there are more likely to be poor, and thus lower-class or rough. But it would be ridiculous to tar everyone with the same brush if they don't live up to the stereotype!

I grew up mostly in an area that had a bad reputation, on a council estate (like public housing). It had that reputation for a reason, and lots of the people there were rough as fuck. The only reason I wasn't, was because my family weren't from there and I didn't hang around the streets like my brothers. Living in lower class area doesn't automatically make you lower class in attitude. If your neighbours are inconsiderate cunts, never sink to their level :>

i don't think we have trailer parks where i live but some lower income areas generally fit the same negative connotations. it's really 50/50 there in my experience, either people are very warm and welcoming and fun to be around or they're the type of obnoxious assholes who play loud music at 3am on a weekday, litter, and get pitbulls to look cool.

There are trashy people everywhere. Some areas (like trailer parks, apartments and townhouses) attract more trashy people only because those trashy people usually don't have much money and so gravitate towards the cheaper housing. I don't think trailer park = trashy, though.

I've heard of gypsies, but what are pikeys? Never heard that term before. And I don't intend to sink to the neighbors' level. I intend to be a sneaky bitch about it and if there's a problem I have no problem at all sneaking an anonymous letter to the management or the police if need be. ^_^

I think where in the world you live will depend on how people view trailer parks. I know when I was visiting Florida they were freaking everywhere; I probably saw more trailer park homes than I did regular houses. When my grandparents lived in Arizona, they lived in a really nice trailer park meant for retirees (I never got to see it first-hand, but I saw plenty of pictures).

Where I live, however, they're often seen as pretty trashy - and this is mainly because I live in Canada. They're really not all that common up here; so if you do live in one, it's likely because you can't afford a real house. And when I say "real house", I mean something built with decent insulation and roofing to protect from the elements (ie, snow) - something that's pretty dang important, given our harsh winters. That's less of a factor the further South you go, where they seem to become a lot more common and more socially acceptable.

At least that's what I've discovered, anyways.

I live in Michigan (the town is just south of Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan is) and our building codes are pretty strict here. Something I learned about the home (and all the homes in the community where we're buying) that we're buying is that the walls are actually thicker than the 'traditional' home we live in now (2x6 vs. 2x4) so technically, our insulation should be thicker too. I know it goes by R-value, but I don't know what the number is. We have crappy winters here too, so I know how important those kinds of things are! I know the parks in Texas (I have family in Houston) are the epitome of crappy though...basically cardboard boxes on wheels.

It's definitely all about the landlord or whatever their called. If they have rules and things are kept looking nice then there's no reason anyone should say anything negative. It's when things don't get maintained that the stigma's stick.

I'm from lower east Michigan too! :)

I find a lot of open-minded and people with alternate lifestyles gravitate to Ann Arbor. That's how it seemed when I'd visit there in high school at least... compared to the more conservative middle-of-nowhere suburbs. The most famous example of someone from a trailer is Eminem who hated it, because he was poor, in a bad neighborhood, and didn't have a choice, and I know it all adds to the negative stereotype. Which I'm sure is not something he does intentionally, but any negativity in the media about anything gets lumped together with the unknown in the public's eye. If your community has high standards and so do you, all you can do is inform someone where they're being ignorant (if it's worth the battle). I don't know that much about mobile homes myself. It's true they can be moved right? I think that's so cool, the sort of freedom that goes with that.

Sneakity is the safest way ;) And pikey is just a less polite term for itinerants, but often used specifically for Irish travelers, a.k.a tinkers.

Unfortunately, I'm one who goes more with the stereotypical view on trailer parks because, again unfortunately, I haven't seen any better really. Part of my "family" is in West Virginia and they act like total gut-toting hicks who are the epitome of the definition of "hill billy."

Of course, I know that not everything's like that but that's what immediately springs to mind when someone says "trailer parks," I think of the extremely dysfunctional, insane side of my relations. (I can't even call them family.)

I just have to say there's a pretty big difference between a trailer and a manufactured home. That said, I don't generally have a bad opinion of those that do live in trailer parks.

Personally,having lived in a trailer for several months back in 2005 I don't think they're really all trashy or dumpy like the media and some snobby assholes make them out to be.I've come across more of the trashy people that live up to some of the stereotypes in dumpy apartments than in some of the trailer parks.And I had a few neighbors that were trashy that lived in residential homes.There were some other ones in town that were nice and kept up,and not nasty.

I did have a negative viewpoint in the past because of certain shows, but I don't too much now.I really think it depends upon the owner and the manager of the trailer park.And it also depends upon doing your homework and checking out the place before you decide move in.

I don't even really have an opinion to be honest. With this economy, who can afford a big house? My only concern is the safety and happiness of you and your family.

To some people, trailer parks are they're home. And it's kind of sad how some people (example: the media) portray these people. I know it can be true sometimes, but you can't base these facts against people.