Gallery: The Suburban Yards That Divide and Define the Middle Class

  • Image may contain Plant Vegetation Hedge Fence Tree Grass Outdoors and Flagstone
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    01

    Property Line-Hedge Row & Roses

    Sacramento's suburbs may not drum up the tourism traffic of, say, San Francisco's Painted Ladies, but Neidigh finds hidden charm in these uncelebrated neighborhoods.
  • Image may contain Grass Plant Flagstone Tree and Roof
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    02

    Property Line-Stone & Brick

    Each property's distinct form takes on additional meaning by virtue of its neighbor.
  • Image may contain Plant Grass and Path
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    03

    Property Line-Cactus

    Each property's distinct form takes on additional meaning by virtue of its neighbor.
  • Image may contain Tire Wheel Machine Car Vehicle Transportation Automobile Spoke Car Wheel Plant and Grass
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    04

    Property Line-Black & White

    The competing views of how to order a small patch of nature, placed side by side, reveal something both public and private about the homeowners, Neidigh found.
  • Image may contain Plant Grass Tree Fir Abies and Lawn
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    05

    Property Line-Red & White

    California's drought crisis might make lawns a far less common feature in yards throughout the parched state.
  • Image may contain Flagstone Yard Outdoors Nature Grass Plant Tree and Slate
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    06

    Property Line-Green Stone & White Brick

  • Image may contain Flagstone Yard Outdoors Nature Urban Path and Slate
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    07

    Property Line-White Curb

  • Image may contain Plant Grass Roof Yard Outdoors Nature and Flagstone
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    08

    Property Line-Pink & Blue

  • Image may contain Flagstone Grass Plant and Tree
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    09

    Property Line-Tree Stump

  • Image may contain Plant Grass and Lawn
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    10

    Property Line-Brick Line

  • Image may contain Flagstone Plant Grass and Path
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    11

    Property Line-Blue & Green

  • Image may contain Yard Outdoors Nature Cottage House Housing Building Home Decor Flagstone Countryside and Shelter
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    12

    Property Line-Green Hose

  • Image may contain Plant Tree Fir Abies Conifer and Pine
    Photo: Roberta Neidigh
    13

    Property Line-Center Pine

Read More
Get Wired With the Best USB-C Cables for Your Phone, Tablet, and Laptop
Unravel the tangled world of cords and find the ones you need to charge your gadgets and transfer data.
Simon Hill
Donald Trump Is Ready for Fight Night. So Are Donors
The UFC event on the White House’s South Lawn is the president’s birthday gift to himself. Sources expect it to be a lobbying extravaganza.
Hugo Lowell
Wrongful Arrest Exposes Failures in One of the Oldest Police Face-Recognition Tools in the US
The ACLU is suing two Florida police departments over the arrest of a Fort Myers man in a child-abduction case, saying officers treated a flawed face-recognition match as a near-certain ID.
Dell Cameron
China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Center
With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the innovative data center uses seawater as a natural cooling system.
Fernanda González
These Are the Best $400 Digital Notebooks
The newest Kindle Scribe means there are now three digital notebooks you can buy in the $400 price range. Here’s which one you should get.
Nena Farrell
The Best Kindles to Take Your Library Anywhere
I’ve tried every single Kindle. Here’s how Amazon’s ebook readers stack up.
Nena Farrell
Get the Most Out of Your iPad With These Accessories
Kit out your Apple tablet with our favorite stands, cases, keyboards, and styli.
Julian Chokkattu
Finally, Some Affordable Laptops That Won’t Fail You in College
Laptops for college should be portable, offer long battery life, and remain reasonably affordable. Based on testing hundreds of laptops, these are my top picks.
Luke Larsen
Amnesty International Warns That World Cup Fans Face Potential Human Rights Violations
The organization claims that the FIFA tournament could have impacts on the rights of local people and visiting soccer fans in all three host countries.
Fernanda González
Artificial Intelligence Sneaks Into the World Cup Thanks to Google Gemini
The Argentine national team will be Google’s test bench and technological showcase during the World Cup.
Rosa Jiménez Cano
Mapping Every Flock License Plate Reader Near US World Cup Stadiums
Most US World Cup stadiums are surrounded by surveillance cameras. Want to know if you’re being watched on your way to a match? These maps will help you.
Maddy Varner
This World Cup, You Can Watch the Game From a Ref’s Point of View
Referees for the 2026 World Cup will be wearing cameras positioned at their temples, allowing TV audiences to see a live view of the pitch from a vantage point they never have before.
Ben Dowsett