I am very fortunate to share that I live in a very nice neighborhood. My house is the small one at my intersection, and I do not live in a small house. However due to the layout of my property, I do not have a back yard for my son to play in. He does have a small side yard that has a tree swing and where he plays with his yard trucks. Unfortunately it is not big enough, for much besides those activities, so when we want some space to play, we use the front yard.
My house is also on a street leading to one of the most popular restaurants in town, as well as on the historic home driving tour of our city. Because of this we often get strange, rude, or double-take looks as people drive by and see a kiddie pool out in front of our house. I have yet to have a neighbor complain, but we do put everything out of sight before we go to bed for the night.
I love letting my son play outside, I think it is good for him to splash in his pool or burn energy playing teeball in the yard. I see so many parents stress about the appearance of their house, both inside and out, to the detriment of the fun they could be having. My house is never as clean as I would like it, but I would rather be playing trains with my son than scrubbing the corners. My house is by no means a horrible mess either;,just a little dusty and a little unorganized. There are almost always toys on the floor and a couple dirty dishes in the sink. I always apologize for the state of the house, because I feel like I should, however, my friends tell me that my home feels comfortable and welcoming. I'd rather have a comfortable place to relax than a home where I don't know where to safely set a glass.
If you see us in the yard, stop by and say "hi," we might even let you play in the pool. :-)