And it seems the porch trend is here to stay. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban ...

Front porches, she adds, served as spaces for convening and sharing information, and even as an unofficial neighborhood watch ...

After all, the front porch is a prime spot for a spontaneous, I-was-just-in-the-neighborhood catch-up compared to the backyard, which is more often reserved for more intimate, pre-planned gatherings.