Patio Party

The nice suburban home covered in garish tchotchkes. Every town has one. In my home base of Ogden, Utah, we had the troll house, an old Victorian plastered by tiny naked dolls with neon hair. In Colorado Springs, where I recently moved from, we had the Theatre of Mankind. The...

By Sean Cronin

August 1, 2007

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The nice suburban home covered in garish tchotchkes. Every town has one. In my home base of Ogden, Utah, we had the troll house, an old Victorian plastered by tiny naked dolls with neon hair. In Colorado Springs, where I recently moved from, we had the Theatre of Mankind. The owner died two years ago from an aneurysm as he nailed a photo to the façade of his home, already swathed in trophies, silk flowers and a Davy Crockett statue.

Today, I was lucky enough to discover the Denver locale. This South Clarkson gem features a Disney animal motif, replete with a stuffed cougar perched over the door and a red and black snake wrapped around a patio umbrella. As much as it resembles an 11-year-old’s jungle party, it’s a welcome relief from suburban repetition. And a precious find for rubberneckers like myself.

--Naomi Zeveloff

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