The WTPC (White Trash Pool Club)

I know people who have bought apartments in Manhattan just to make it convenient for their children to come for Sunday Brunch. I know people who have bought summer homes just to entice their grown children to visit. In fact I know people who have bought second summer homes for the same reason when their families expanded. My brother and his wife even recently bought a time share just so their family could be provided with an excuse for more family time together. And while I totally buy into the concept, and despite not being poor, I have not the financial means (even if I kill my mother off for her beanie baby collection) to buy a second (or third) property. I can only provide the LIRR transportation money for them to come home and visit the house in Garden City.

But because I buy into the philosophy of “if you build it they will come,” and because my budget is comparatively limited, it was necessary for me to channel Nate Berkus and HGTV to create a summer paradise that would entice my children to come home despite it still being our own backyard.

I began first by re-landscaping to create more green space as well as create an aesthetically pleasing private back drop. I used stone borders ala Grandpa Vespo to create texture. I put up iron estate-style fencing in keeping with the Tudor tradition on the perimeter. We also purchased a pergola with a shade for the patio and new furniture and an outdoor fireplace. And I planted perennial flowers with successive blooms and a Myrtle tree to add color and a natural breeze.

But the piece de resistance---and the thing that keep my girls (and their friends) coming back home for more-- is the creation of the WTPC (White Trash Pool Club). Not only did I count on the theory “if you build it they will come” I banked on the idea that despite their chronological age, they were still little girls who still like little girl toys. And because I have the most patient husband in the world who indulges me creative control of every house project, I have created (with his help) a respite for the family to enjoy.

Now you have to understand that there is a very strict building code in Garden City. You are not even allowed to have permanent basketball hoops on your garage. And residents move here just to avoid the unsightly structures permissible in neighboring towns. So I had to be really careful and walk very fine line when designing the WTPC space. But ultimately I gave new meaning to the term Tar Beach. First of all, nothing is a permanent structure—in keeping with town code.  I (okay my husband ), laid down 14’ x 20’ Astroturf carpet on top of the driveway (its full width) closest to the garage. Then my husband built a free standing 14’ wide by 4’ tall white trellis privacy fence that sits on the edge of the Astroturf blocking the view from the street. Behind the privacy fence, on top of the Astroturf, sits a 12’ round, 24” deep blow up pool with a filter, chlorinator, and pool cover (we also have a pool vacuum) from Big Lots. In the pool is a blow up lounge chair with a cup holder. I have set up 3 blue lounge chairs with match pillows and a table from Overstock.com facing the pool. And in order create a more tropical feel; I have placed several large planters with 5’ hibiscus trees and banana trees surrounding the pool club area. I also have hung 2 outdoor pictures from Homegoods on the frame of the garage. The ambiance is further aided by the fact that Jimmy, my next door neighbor, has a stone water feature in his yard which is loud enough to hear from the WTPC. But my husband also purchased an outdoor IPOD/stereo system for everyone’s listening pleasure just in case the trickling water is not enough for relaxation purposes.

The thing is, when I am floating on the longue chair, in the pool, with my eyes closed, in my black bikini with my spray tan that only the squirrels can see, and the birds are chirping, and Jimmy’s rock water feature is trickling, it’s no different than being in a million dollar pool. When my eyes are closed, and I am soaking up those cancerous rays, there is peace in the world. I am in a tropical paradise.  And it is precisely that peace and coolness of the water (even in a blow-up pool from Big Lots) that entices my girls to keep coming home to visit. And I accomplished it all without spending the 1.5 million dollars for a summer house out east. I built it, and they come. I call that priceless.