Why do u like suburbs over city? (Chicago, Naperville: apartments, renting)

[JohnDoe2008]

be honest please, i never undesrtood it, still dont.i might have serious problems, cause i hate even looking at pictures of suburbs, they disgust me so much, ive never lived there, so maybe thats a reason. so answer my questions suburban lawn mowing ppl.

[mommyjnny]

I for one am not a "city" person. I actually live in a suburb about an hour or so from the city. The city is more expensive. No lawns. No quiet. I have a family and love having my yard for the kids to run around in. I hate driving in the city....can't parallel park and hate all the people. For me my smaller town is perfect.

[sbd78]

I've lived in the city and the suburbs, and I liked them both for different reasons. I lived in the city for 5 years after college and had a great time. I was single, enjoying the great nightlife and restaurants, renting small apartments, and at that point in my life I would have been bored to tears in the suburbs. Now I'm married with a 2-year-old and I'm really enjoying my life in the suburbs. I would never want to live in the city at this point in my life. Nightlife and trendy restaurants are no longer a priority to me. I have a yard (we just built my son a swingset over the weekend!), we are becoming friends with all our neighbors (who all have kids as well), we now have a house with waaay more space for our money. Both the city and suburbs are great, just depends on where you are at in life and what your priorities are.

[Steve-o]

Why do I like the suburbs? Hmmm, where do I start?

First off, I can go from bustling downtown Naperville and out to a forest preserve, etc,
in a relatively short time. One minute I can hear cars honking, be stuck in back-to-back traffic, the next Im sitting beside a lake and looking for snakes. Can you find wild prairie, pristine creeks, abundant wildlife and cacti in the big city? Didnt think so. I can also spend time shopping at the new latest shopping centers (ie Geneva Commons), and a few minutes later stroll through some quaint shops that were built in the mid-to-late 1800s. If I want, I can take in one of a dozen weekly car shows and cruise nights, where anything from a 500hp Mitsu Lancer Evo shares a corner of the show with a 55 Corvette. If I get hungry I have endless varieties of restaurants (including many that are found in Chicago proper), too. I also prefer to own a car, to which I have hundreds of miles of empty roads (that actually have curves in them, believe it!!!) to which me and my friends go cruising on late at night, carving them up w/o another car in sight. I prefer these types of things to big city living. Dont get me wrong, Chicago is one of my favorite cities, but I enjoy what many suburbs offer, too, and thats the reason I choose to live out here.

[Crimmy]

Originally Posted by sbd78

..both the city and suburbs are great, just depends on where you are at in life and what your priorities are.

I totally agree.

I've lived in Chicago since 1989, (I was 17), and big city life has always been attractive to me. (Only not so much now as a married, with 2 kids and dog, 36 year old.) I met my wife in high school, got married in 1992 when I was 20 years old. We saw and did everything in our early 20's. Clubs, restaurants and parties, etc. We've always rented, never had a place of our own. Our priorities lately are about spending lots and lots of time with our 2 kids and dog and less about checking out the hip and trendy downtown scene. Sure, we go to Navy Pier and the museums from time to time, but it's less attractive to go because of parking prices and public transportation is very crowded with drunken baseball fans, bums and foul mouth youngsters now days. (I don't judge too harshly because I was a young, drunken, foul mouth youngster riding the exact same train once! My wife works in the western-subburbs and commutes 70 miles back and forth every day. It's killing her. We've decided to buy a house 10 minutes from her job. It's in a school district that's light years better than the Chicago Public school that my kids attend now. It has a yard with a privacy fence big enough for my family. I'll have a 2 car garage and living space to grow. I couldn't afford a place as big in the city. I couldn't!! So for us it makes sense and it really boils down to what my needs and goals are.

[tcs1366]

Ditto of what mommyjnny said... but i can parallel park.

Uggg, hate crowds with a passion, hate traffic with a passion
could not imagine having a lawn to mow, to let my dog run and play, and the kids too.
my father is the reverse ... he loves the city, hates the burbs.
he moved to Evanston 20 yrs ago, sold his car, bought a condo ... walks everywhere or takes public trans.

to each his own......

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by sbd78

I've lived in the city and the suburbs, and I liked them both for different reasons. I lived in the city for 5 years after college and had a great time. I was single, enjoying the great nightlife and restaurants, renting small apartments, and at that point in my life I would have been bored to tears in the suburbs. Now I'm married with a 2-year-old and I'm really enjoying my life in the suburbs. I would never want to live in the city at this point in my life. Nightlife and trendy restaurants are no longer a priority to me. I have a yard (we just built my son a swingset over the weekend!), we are becoming friends with all our neighbors (who all have kids as well), we now have a house with waaay more space for our money. Both the city and suburbs are great, just depends on where you are at in life and what your priorities are.

I don't agree with that. You make it sound like people who stay in the city don't care about their kids, and that's offensive and silly. I'm in my thirties, married, have a kid, and would stay in the city forever if I could make it work financially. And I know many others that would as well. The biggest issues for most people are schools and affordability.

If I could afford a three-bedroom house in a vibrant neighborhood (i.e. one with great restaurants, a walkable business strip, a park, and an "El" stop) and afford good private schools on top of that, I would stay in the city forever. I stil may depending on how things shake out in the next five years. But the allure of good public schools and slightly cheaper housing makes some inner suburbs appealing. And most of my urbanite parent friends (and there are many of us) would only consider leaving the city for the same reasons.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by tcs1366

Uggg, hate crowds with a passion, hate traffic with a passion
could not imagine having a lawn to mow, to let my dog run and play, and the kids too.

Traffic is worse in most suburbs. I rarely drive so I don't have to deal with the traffic. You don't have that choice in most suburbs. Even if you commute using the Metra, suburban life is largely automobile-centered (with a few exceptions, of course).

As far as crowds are concerned, only a few city neighborhoods have crowds to speak of. Most are peaceful and quiet 90% of the time.

[tcs1366]

well, sure -- you can debate that all you want.

I'm a house wife... i do not have to leave the house for days if i see fit. I do not go out at rush hour, i rarely shop on weekends .... I have that luxury.

I will never be a city dweller, if I could tomorrow --- i'd move farther 'into the sticks'.

[gardener34]

The city is good if you work near/in the the city. City is expensive, taxes, etc. I lived in a 2 flat there for 7 years. You always had to make sure everything was locked up, bolted down, even when you were home. Security is a top priority. Don't go out after dark alone. all that stuff wears you down.

Although I moved to suburbia and I keep the same security habits which I probably don't need to - which is a good thing.

I have to say though, we have had way more vandalism problems out here in the stix than we did in the city believe it or not. These suburban/semirural kids are bored and like to raise h*ll.

I like being able to drive wherever - because owning a car is not cost prohibitive like it is in the city... i.e. parking spaces, insurance is higher, etc.

And there are downtowns in suburbia where there are condos, etc. you don't have to do the 3 kids and a house with an immaculate lawn thing. Suburbia is a very diverse experience now. You can find every kind of ethnic cuisine these days in most parts of suburbia.

The city's big homeless population is disturbing. This is a pet peeve of mine, that mental health care is escaping so many of our population... it is just terrible.

If I want culture, I can take the metra in. And there are many suburban towns that have their own museums, art, concerts, symphonies, live theatres, festivals, etc.

Just my 2 cents...