Metatalktail Hour: Show Us Your View!

August 8, 2021 5:38 PM

Happy weekend, MetaFilter! Don't miss our August fundraising or this week's Weird Science theme! I really love when we do "show us your X" metatalktails, so this week I want you to show us the view out your window! Or, if you don't love your view (but I love seeing your view! No matter what it is!), show me your favorite local view in your town!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 5:38 PM (62 comments total)

I had to spend ten weeks flat on my back for medical reasons this spring, and from my couch, I could see this tree out my living room window as it slowly woke up, budded, came into bloom, and then went into full leaf, and it was really lovely! So this was my view for ten slow weeks. :)
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 5:44 PM on August 8, 2021 [13 favorites]

First time on Imgur. Thank you edit time. I have front yard and back yard views. I am about 100 metres from Pacific Ocean.

http://imgur.com/gallery/XcE7ewg
posted by b33j at 7:11 PM on August 8, 2021 [7 favorites]

There's a tall tree in back of one of the houses across the street where the crows often enjoy a noisy confab of an evening. But you can't see them and, y'know, it's just an average-looking tree...meh. In its place, please enjoy this picture of a nice sunset that I took a couple weeks ago from my minuscule street-facing deck.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:26 PM on August 8, 2021 [5 favorites]

This view is usually covered by heavy drapes when I'm working. They are replacing our water supply lines, it's been terrible for working at home. Noisy, dusty, and then smelly when they are cutting or patching the asphalt. The weekly garbage collection skipped us on two occasions since this work started, probably because there wasn't space for the truck to come down our block. The temporary water supply pipes are running along the edge of the street, and so the cold water supply is heated by the sun. One result is that the toilet tank is warm enough that I can feel the heat at my back, which is just creepy.
posted by buildmyworld at 7:33 PM on August 8, 2021 [5 favorites]

I live on a dead end street next to a river; here's the view out our front window in fall, winter and spring.

(b33j, I also joined imgur for this!)
posted by sencha at 8:01 PM on August 8, 2021 [9 favorites]

I think that car is abandoned. It has not moved all year. :-)
posted by AugustWest at 8:43 PM on August 8, 2021 [5 favorites]

This is my view across into the neighbours paddock not that long ago. It was about 2C as I recall. Not pictured, a black cat frantically trying to find a dry patch of dirt to dig a hole for pooping purposes because the meticulously scooped litter tray and expensive litter aren't as good as the great outdoors. Happy to report that she did indeed find a place, dug five or six test holes, and eventually completed her business. Happy days.
posted by ninazer0 at 9:43 PM on August 8, 2021 [7 favorites]

It is so so rainy today, so here’s a picture from a few years ago on approximately this date when the raspberries were much happier than they are this year (they are three weeks behind, it has been cool and overcast). We are in Southcentral Alaska and look out over a bluff to Cook Inlet and it’s lovely. In the summer, you look but don’t touch because of nesting birds and general muckiness, but when it is frozen in the winter the mudflats down below us are an excellent playground.
posted by charmedimsure at 11:38 PM on August 8, 2021 [10 favorites]

I made a video of my view for Window Swap! I’m in Paris and overlooking the Eiffel Tower.
posted by ellieBOA at 12:23 AM on August 9, 2021 [11 favorites]

Oh this is a fun idea! I'm enjoying this so far.

Being a dual-career science family, we're driven to move every few years, which is a grind with two small kids in tow. Nevertheless, we've had a good streak with views I think: For a few years up until last year we lived in NYC, and enjoyed this view from our window. We've since moved to Heidelberg. I was not excited to move here, as I've mostly lived in big cities, but it's really very lovely, and for what we paid in NYC we get twice the space and (12-foot!) high ceilings. Anyway, it's very enchanting, and this is the view from our balcony (there's not always a rainbow).
posted by Alex404 at 12:27 AM on August 9, 2021 [6 favorites]

(sorry my metric-imperial conversions were off: they're more like 10.5 foot ceilings. I'm embarrassed for even mentioning this now but I can't let bad numbers stand)
posted by Alex404 at 2:27 AM on August 9, 2021

This *was* the view from my balcony (snow optional), but the fields have been since built on, so I can't see the city centre any more. But this is probably one of my favourite views. (The Mainhattan skyscrapers are behind me.)
posted by scorbet at 3:21 AM on August 9, 2021 [3 favorites]

I think that car is abandoned. It has not moved all year. :-)

Heh - that's mine; we do have a garage but it has a vintage car on one side and a lot of Stuff on the other, so street parking it is!

Here's a bonus view off our back porch in late winter during a snow melt - I had never seen snow curl like this before!
posted by sencha at 5:11 AM on August 9, 2021 [3 favorites]

From a couple of year ago... this youngster hung out on my front porch for a couple of days, just a couple of feet from my home office window.
posted by evilmomlady at 7:11 AM on August 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

Here are a few.. including “whoooo’s viewing whoooo” and other special appearances.
posted by daisyace at 7:15 AM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

My view? My view belongs to my dogs.
posted by phunniemee at 7:33 AM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

Front view, back view
There aren't always rainbows at my house, but I like to take pictures when they are there.

Here's an iguana on the back patio.
posted by Daily Alice at 7:37 AM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

The views from American Mefits are so spacious! Here's the view from my desk in the lounge, looking out past the kitchen onto the back garden.
posted by Faff at 7:44 AM on August 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

From the kitchen window last autumn: the ash tree at the bottom of our yard. We've seen it grow from a spotty youth to a grown up tree. Sadly ash-die back, a fungal disease, is going to sweep this species into oblivion like the elms in the 70s and 80s of the last century. View isn't Big Sky Montana but spacious enough.
posted by BobTheScientist at 8:15 AM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

Not sure I would've made it (so far) through the pandemic without this view. My last place had a lot more architectural character, but the view was limited.
posted by praemunire at 9:29 AM on August 9, 2021 [13 favorites]

We moved houses in September of last year and I'm quite happy with our new views, as are the cats. My desk sits in a corner with two windows. To my right is the neighbor's house, and Remy and Finley always keep an eye out. In front are more neighbors and more Remy. But the backyard is one of the main reasons we bought this house, and I often work from the couch. Chloe approves.
posted by cooker girl at 9:38 AM on August 9, 2021 [3 favorites]

A bit of a cheat because it's my partner's house, and I only spend some of my time here, but this is my view a few days each week.

The rest of the time I look across a small courtyard at my neighbors in a very Rear Window kind of situation. The other night I was hanging some clothes on a drying rack near the window and looked up to see the woman across the way doing the exact same thing. It feels exceedingly urban when compared to the days I work from the little treehouse/sunroom.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 9:43 AM on August 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

We have been in the same lil’ apartment for basically 11 years, this is the view from our balcony.
posted by snofoam at 10:44 AM on August 9, 2021 [7 favorites]

See also...
posted by y2karl at 1:57 PM on August 9, 2021

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to catch these kinds of shenanigans outside my 2nd floor bedroom office window. It used to be I couldn't see Loudon Heights Virginia in the summer because of the trees, but the neighbor across the creek lost 6 big oaks in a windstorm this spring and so now there's a bit of a glimpse. I love it after a good snowfall. Sometimes I get visitors. Some days the light is magical.
posted by drlith at 2:49 PM on August 9, 2021 [8 favorites]

Sometimes we see deer from our front window.
posted by obfuscation at 3:40 PM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

This view of the Andes from the window of my music room was taken about a year ago, so it's at least seasonally accurate. The higher peak is the Cerro Provincia, which I've climbed and camped on, so it's cool to see it when I'm playing guitar or bass.
posted by signal at 4:02 PM on August 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

Oops.
posted by Oyéah at 7:43 PM on August 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

I live on a lake. This was the sunrise at the end of last year. It was good, because it was clear, and normally it would have been covered in snow, but somehow it was still clear and still and peaceful.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 9:11 PM on August 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

This is the view from my bedroom window, the only window with any view at all. Having a view is one thing I miss from living in a flat. You can see Cape honeysuckle growing on the left side there, and a glimpse of my pot plants. I'm proud of the plants, when we moved here there was nothing but sand.
I get my views on my morning walk, especially from one particular bridge
. Same bridge, different day.
posted by Zumbador at 9:25 PM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

Absolutely loving these posts. So amazing to get a glimpse into people's lives. Also the "different seasons" views are so cool. Seasons do change here, but not with the drama of snow and blossoms.
posted by Zumbador at 9:41 PM on August 9, 2021 [2 favorites]

No good view from my windows, but since there have been several posts on the Blue about urban nature and lack or neglect of it, I'm glad that I live in a city which looks like it was built inside a forest, rather than the other way around.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 12:09 AM on August 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

Spiky church; inch plant with imperial ambitions.
posted by busted_crayons at 3:50 AM on August 10, 2021 [2 favorites]

The Erie Canal. Tug coming through; looking west from the lift bridge in the video; east along the towpath; heron flying along before the canal has been refilled for the season.
posted by thomas j wise at 6:24 AM on August 10, 2021 [4 favorites]

Morning visitors last spring as seen from my living room window - the garden is significantly more overgrown now but there was a deer out there today. Possibly the same deer!
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:32 AM on August 10, 2021 [2 favorites]

Oh I should add that although I do not have much of a "view" view from my house, this is a 3 minute drive or 15 minute walk (look, it's all uphill from here ;)) away and this is even closer. I have lived in some beautiful places in my life but the Oregon coast is the hands down winner.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:46 AM on August 10, 2021 [3 favorites]

I don't care that my office is in what used to be a tiny little conference room. Half of my walls are windows that overlook the Maumee River. I could probably get jobs that pay more but this view is worth at least 10k a year in mental health benefits to me.

Oddly enough, my favorite picture that I've taken is a depressing winter scene of the MLK Bridge.
posted by charred husk at 10:10 AM on August 10, 2021 [4 favorites]

Surely I'm not the only person without Facebook/Instagram accounts who's sad to be missing half of the pictures in this thread. :(
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:16 AM on August 10, 2021

I have the same issue Greg_Ace.
posted by AugustWest at 10:17 AM on August 10, 2021

As mentioned before, I like my view, but I genuinely envy those of you who have opportunities to see friendly animals on the regular or more water than my sliver of the East River.
posted by praemunire at 10:53 AM on August 10, 2021

My view out my home office windows is just the windows of the house next door looking back at me. There's only a narrow garden between the houses so unless the shades are drawn, there's not much privacy here.
posted by octothorpe at 11:52 AM on August 10, 2021

Currently staying with my partner's mother in Norway, so the view is a bit more impressive than my day to day view in London. Even if I am pretty happy with the greenery there normally.
posted by knapah at 1:31 PM on August 10, 2021 [3 favorites]

I didn't realize Instagram had gone all walled garden. Sigh. I'm sorry. I deactivated my Facebook account last spring but I still have kept Instagram; I suppose I should rethink that. I'm not an Imgur fan, i'll figure something else out.
posted by mygothlaundry at 2:09 PM on August 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

I don't have any favorite views in my town, which is one of the reasons I travel.

My two favorite views I've personally seen in those travels are in these pictures:

Looking out over the city of Oliva, Spain (first picture on the page), which was about a 20 minute walk from where I lived for 3 months in 2017.

And other favorite is here, in Pango village, Vanuatu, December 2019, watching the sunset over a friend's pool. Lived 5 min walk from there for 4.5 months.
posted by dobbs at 6:06 PM on August 10, 2021

I have the tree crotch crotch. The color of the merkin changes with the season.
posted by bendy at 8:27 PM on August 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

Green merkin.
posted by bendy at 8:34 PM on August 10, 2021

This a fun thread. Lovely seeing others' ends, yards, squares, backs, fronts and crotches (bendy).

120m above sea level in West Otago, an hour from the wild sea. Just up t' road, bowling club on the left (1904). Tractor Museum on right, church steeple middle distance. The Blue Mountains rising in back to 1010m and as yet largely unexplored by us. Amazing flora up there (series from my wife's blog).

The hill is mostly rough sheep pasture, with regenerating native bush in the gullies (solid ancient forest before 1830). The brownish colour on the slopes is mostly Darwin's barberry (Berberis darwinii), with a proven very strong growth/seeding response to eCO2 (but no one will listen to me on this).

We've wanted to live here a long time but property seldom comes up for sale so it took a while. It's ideal for my work with most sites being within a three hour drive (one way). One day I'll have a nice garden but too busy for now with other people's spaces.
posted by unearthed at 1:04 AM on August 11, 2021 [1 favorite]

I didn't realise that non-instagram users couldn't see my pictures, so here are my views again, slightly updated.
The view from my bedroom The houses here are pretty ugly. I used to feel like I was living in Minecraft, with that brick texture everywhere.
The view from my kitchen door.
When we moved in that backyard was just an empty concrete box. Now it's a bit more lively. Apart from all the insects and birds, there are also quite a few stripy field mice that live out there. Actually there's one coming into the house at the moment. During the hard lockdown I used to look across at those flats next door and see people in the windows. It was comforting.
posted by Zumbador at 1:16 AM on August 11, 2021 [1 favorite]

Here's one of the many foxes that pass through my garden in London.

Other than foxes there are plenty of cats, squirrels and birds. Feels absolutely full of life despite being within half an hour of central London.

It was a lockdown lifeline to have the garden space, even if we are paying a sizeable chunk of rent for it.
posted by knapah at 1:29 AM on August 11, 2021 [2 favorites]

I moved in late July. The only two windows in the entire apartment* that even have anything you could call a "view" are both in my bedroom. These are what you see in each - the back "yard" which is used solely for bike storage and the super's tool shed. We have been told in no uncertain terms that we may not add anything to the space or use it for any other purpose (although that awning in the first shot is over a basement-level exit which my roommate has access to, and the realtor hinted that he could sneak out there with a lawn chair and a cup of coffee now and then if he took it away right after).

Since we are on the ground level I plan to give the outside of the windows a really good wash, and will be suction-cupping a couple of bird feeders to the outsides there as well. Seeking other ideas for how to improve this view, though.

* All the other windows in this apartment either look out onto an alley, or are in the basement space my roommate occupies and have the same views but out of smaller windows higher up towards the ceiling there. My roommate tends to prefer it dark and this suits him fine.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:10 AM on August 11, 2021

Hit "post" too soon - I've abandoned the other windows as far as being "windows" goes; the two windows in my office will get rigged up with pendant lamps fitted with LED full-spectrum grow light bulbs, and will soon be home to my herbs. The last lone window looking out onto an alley is in the living room, and I threw a stacking wire shelf on there and it is now home to the house bar.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:14 AM on August 11, 2021

The views at my house are mostly from the Florida room. There you can see a very wet calico (her name is Little Feather but she'll also respond to 'Queen Cat' or 'Feather Anne' or simply 'Queen' because she is.) and the back gardens. The last couple pics are the views of the front gardens from the front porch. In the last one the Queen is dry and fluffy and being all regal in her favorite people-watching spot.

Super thankful to everyone for sharing slices of their lives.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:44 AM on August 11, 2021 [2 favorites]

This is *such* a great thread idea and I'm loving seeing all of your views!

I bought my house eight years ago and was struck by the fact that the backyard had no trees. Like, every other yard has several and mine was all bare naked. Thankfully, these two red maples have grown incredibly well and provide some nice shade and beauty.

And a good reminder I need to spend more lunch hours eating outside.
posted by Twicketface at 6:04 AM on August 11, 2021 [2 favorites]

the Florida room

A room so good they named a whole state after it!
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:36 AM on August 11, 2021 [2 favorites]

> the Florida room

A room so good they named a whole state after it!

My grandparents were fond of calling the sunroom in their house "the Arizona room".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:50 AM on August 11, 2021 [1 favorite]

The views from the three north-facing windows and back terrace of my house are variations of this -- at least, round midsummer, as it's above the Arctic Circle. (This was about a month ago, about 1am.) The view out the neighbouring window in midafternoon early January is rather different.
posted by myotahapea at 8:53 AM on August 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

knapah The tree in that image looks like one of the the NZ tree daisies - probably Olearia lineata - link 130 km from my backyard.
posted by unearthed at 11:34 AM on August 12, 2021

I would link to my instagram, which would be fine, except that it consists of 1,000 photos of my dog, which probably appeals to a very niche demographic.

Here's some scenes from my "office" window, plus "bonus" out the front in the snow.
posted by maxwelton at 10:38 AM on August 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

The tree in that image looks like one of the the NZ tree daisies - probably Olearia lineata - link 130 km from my backyard.

It does! It's actually a rosemary bush that was aggressively pruned at some point.
posted by knapah at 2:20 PM on August 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

No photos, but:

Front view: busy street (slightly less busy this year). Pub on corner with occasional annoying football crowds. Small Chinese restaurant that's been there since I moved in 10 years ago: super delicious, glad they're still here. Dry cleaner's (owned by the same family, I think). Turkish barbershop owned by a company that owns 2 Turkish restaurants, a café and another barbershop in the neighbourhood. Theatre that was closed for ages but (thank god) survived and has reopened. One sad little sweet gum tree where the occasional small bird will sing.

Back view: Balcony!! I am so grateful for the shelf along the railing that was there when I moved in. I've renewed the wood a couple of times, but it's structurally strong enough to hold a whole chorus line of plants that greet me whenever I look out the kitchen windows. Strawberries, leeks, garlic, lavender and herbs, some borage, one trailing tomato, a couple of baby holly trees that grew from berries off Christmas decorations, a daphne, a random feral buddleia that selfseeded in, and a few others. Beyond that: the uniform buildings of the next street over: yellow-brown bricks, bricked-over backyards, windows I try not to look into and I hope they don't see me either. If they do... look, some days I like to have breakfast in my underwear, OK? Don't tell me YOU never do underwear breakfast, mysterious across-the-street people.

Er... Hope everyone's doing OK.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:18 PM on August 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

My view from plane windows has been completely blank.

This isn't relevant at all but I recently realized that I haven't seen anyone in my family in three years.

My cousin got married on my birthday (August 18) in 2018. Some of my family was there but most of them weren't. My birthday was overshadowed by their wedding and I was totally OK with that. My cousin Ben (and my new cousin Kate) are freaking awesome and I was so glad to be there with them.

I'll probably make it back to New England this year and will try again for the meetup I proposed back in 2017.
posted by bendy at 2:46 AM on August 15, 2021

Our actual view is fairly dull, though I have had very good ones in the past. While in grad school I lived up on a hill north of Berkeley in a house with three other students. Looking out various windows we could see three different bridges— or, maybe more frequently, a blanket of fog over the Bay.

Although we don’t have a view from our house, we have some neat things nearby. This 3d printed house is on one of our “gotta get out of the house now” walks. It was pretty neat to watch them put up the system although I don’t think we actually saw it in action. I do hope it’s not a gimmick and actually does help with building more affordable housing; we definitely need it around here!
posted by nat at 12:25 AM on August 16, 2021 [1 favorite]