Monday, July 20, 2009

Floating Down the River... in a House

Welcome Back! Hope y'all had a fabulous weekend.  I got in some great girl-time Friday and Saturday and then Mr. Southern and I attended a golf tournament to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on Sunday.  And I am NOT a golfer.  But I made a few decent shots that we actually used!

During the outing, one of my friends mentioned an event she attended earlier in the weekend- a party on a houseboat.  Oh, the houseboat. 
 
Dusk at the Marina by Blue-eyed Devil.
Gangplank Marina Washington, DC via Flikr


When I lived outside of Washington, DC, I snagged invitations to several parties floating on the Waterfront.  Though I struggled somewhat with the fact that the house was moving- exacerbated by our imbibing - few things are cooler than a party on a houseboat.

There are several houseboat neighborhoods across the country-way more than I ever could have imagined- and several much more famous than DC.

Metroship mooring locations map.

Many of these locations also feature "floating homes," which differ from houseboats in that they are not self-propelled.  The history of Houseboat across the US varies by location, but reports suggest it dates back to at least the 1880s.  In Washington, DC, the houseboat community grew due to the shortage of homes during World War II.  Nearly every houseboat community, in the US at least, has been embroiled in political battles- regarding property taxes, water usage, ownership challenges, etc. 


Eastlake in Seattle





San Francisco, CA (Sausalito)
 





photo via Boing Boing


Central Lagoon at Waldo Point Houseboats
photo via Boating SF

This is also not a US-phenomenon- I found houseboat listings in the UK,  Canada, Australia, Netherlands, etc.
Amsterdam


 




London
view from opposite canal bank 
Main bedroom
Bathroom


What do you think?  Could you adopt the Houseboat lifestyle?  Perhaps for a vacation?

--Emmie