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Why Do Italians Want to Put Kitchens In Basements?
Phillip Dampier:
Rochester has a huge Italian ethnic community. In listening to a radio ad the other day, I heard a woman talking about her wonderful experiences with a general contractor. In the ad she says, "I'm Italian and I wanted to put my kitchen in my basement just like my relatives."
Hunh?
I can't figure this one out. Is there some trait among the ethnic Italian community to put their kitchens in their basements? I have ethnic Italian relatives myself and they don't have a kitchen in the basement. (They did have the fountain with the Virgin Mary in the living room though... eeek).
I just don't get it.
David:
G.morning Phillip!
I have heard that being done around here in Connecticut too. But that is something that I have never actually seen. I think it goes back many generations when large Italian families lived together. Momma & Granda momma were always cooking and those were the days before Air conditioning. Eventually they discovered that the basements were always cool in the summer and they could use the upstairs former kitchen as a bedroom or other family room. The kitchen used to be the place to eat, visit, play cards etc.
Of course today, people are knocking down walls to join their kitchens and dining areas to make them more visitor friendly.
I have elderly neighbors who made their basement into a beautiful family room 40 years ago. No kitchen , but a full bathroom. They spend their summers down there in cool comfort and have never owned an air conditioner.
Another thing I never understood is why we have basements? In New England the houses were always huge yet had basements. Yet out midwest where all y'all have Tornados tear thru, virtually nobody does!
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: DavidinHartford on May 06, 2006, 10:43:48 am ---
Another thing I never understood is why we have basements? In New England the houses were always huge yet had basements. Yet out midwest where all y'all have Tornados tear thru, virtually nobody does!
--- End quote ---
Well, in the old days in New England, houses needed to be built with the foundation deeper than the frost line...hence, a basement. My 203 year old house has a pretty ratty basement, but it is a basement, nonetheless.
L
Ray:
My God! Your house was being built not long after my country was being discovered by whites!
Pipedream:
Luigi, dove sei?
Can you shed some light on this subject??
???
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