Porches and stoops, those symbols of a vibrant social life, stopped being used as gathering places for a rather practical reason--air conditioning.
( ( ( ( ( ( Porches and ) stoops ) , ) ( ( those symbols ) ( of ( a ( vibrant ( social life ) ) ) ) ) ) , ) ( ( stopped ( being ( used ( as ( ( gathering places ) ( for ( ( ( a ( ( rather practical ) reason ) ) -- ) ( air conditioning ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (NP (NNS Porches) (CC and) (NNS stoops)) (, ,) (NP (NP (DT those) (NNS symbols)) (PP (IN of) (NP (DT a) (JJ vibrant) (JJ social) (NN life)))) (, ,)) (VP (VBD stopped) (S (VP (VBG being) (VP (VBN used) (PP (IN as) (S (VP (VBG gathering) (NP (NNS places)) (PP (IN for) (NP (NP (DT a) (ADJP (RB rather) (JJ practical)) (NN reason)) (: --) (NP (NN air) (NN conditioning))))))))))) (. .)))
People simply prefer to be comfortable inside rather than outdoors in the sweltering heat.
( People ( simply ( ( prefer ( to ( ( be ( comfortable ( inside rather ) ) ) ( than ( outdoors ( in ( the ( sweltering heat ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (NNS People)) (ADVP (RB simply)) (VP (VBP prefer) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB be) (ADJP (JJ comfortable) (PP (IN inside) (RB rather))) (PP (IN than) (NP (NP (NNS outdoors)) (PP (IN in) (NP (DT the) (VBG sweltering) (NN heat))))))))) (. .)))