Gated communities offer controlled access for privacy and safety, often used by celebrities and the wealthy. They can provide upscale amenities and services, but are controversial for being elitist and detached from the community. However, they can also offer necessary privacy and security for public figures and government personnel.
A gated community is a residential area with controlled access used to protect the privacy and safety of the residents. They are often used by celebrities and the wealthy to protect their expensive homes and keep them away from the prying eyes of the press and paparazzi. Gated communities are typically quite expensive areas and can offer upscale amenities to residents as a means of creating a community feeling.
Some gated communities are meant for a specific demographic; planned retirement communities are often gated and provide additional medical and safety services to local residents. Controlled access in a gated community can be as simple as an actual gate that residents have a key to, or a security kiosk complete with armed guards who request clearance before allowing anyone into the compound. Simple gated apartment buildings are common in large cities in order to maintain security and maintain amenities for the use of those who live there. The most serious gate deals are often to protect famous or infamous residents, government personnel, or visiting dignitaries.
Commonly, a gated community will offer residents accessible amenities and features. These can include playgrounds, barbecue areas, swimming pools, hot tubs and laundry facilities. The more exclusive areas can also provide gyms, health clubs, private security operators and golf courses. In large-scale gated areas such as retirement communities, there may be local shops, restaurants and businesses all within the compound’s gated area. Some gated communities are so elaborate and offer so many amenities that residents have little reason to leave the area for necessities.
Gated communities are highly controversial, as they are often portrayed as an elitist escape from an actual city or community that includes those who are too poor to afford a better way of life. Critics suggest that residents of a gated community are detached from their place and do not see their city’s problems because they are gathered together in a homogenous affluent area. The current physical gates keeping people out of the area are seen by some as an insult to personal freedom and a means of discouraging interaction between economically diverse people.
Yet the rationale for creating safe housing for the famous or notable is clear: it provides some privacy and security for those who need it most. In the day and age of entertainment photographers who aren’t averse to climbing trees or chasing celebrities, it’s important for public figures to have a safe place to retreat from exposure. For security reasons, guards and even private police firms may be needed to protect famous people from violent crime in their homes. High-level government personnel, in particular, need a gated community lifestyle, if only to protect them from threats to their privacy and person.
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