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For some the suburbs are the perfect match.
If you have kids the suburbs are much better than the city. Much of the entertainment in the suburbs is geared towards family and children.
Many people want there children to have big front and backyards for playing and barbeques. Others like me just like having my own personal space. I enjoy backyard barbecues and Frisbee games.
Than there's people like me. I love the hustle and bustle of the city, but sometimes I just want to be in a slow calming environment and I like sleeping at night in a super quiet peaceful area.
Many suburbs are less than a half hour from a city center. For me thats perfect. I can go to the city center, get wild, have fun, etc, than escape to my secluded suburb for some alone time.
I do have to wonder though, people who prefer the suburbs for "their kids" and flee to the Pleasant Valley of their choice, is it any wonder that the amenities and public offerings never get any better if people deplete the tax and population bases in their rush to abandon ship? I understand the consider your own child's well-being over the whole so perhaps that trumps any larger altruistic concerns. Strangely though, property does more often than not appear to be more expensive in the urban cores.
Many of us don't care to take a chance with our kids' educations. Lots of people in the city send their kids to private schools.
Not all parents prefer the suburbs or think that they are "better" for children. In some cities, though, rents (or home costs) are very expensive; it's one thing if you're able to live in a studio or 1-BR, but once you add in some kids and need a bit more space it gets increasingly expensive. The school issues present in many big cities compounds the problem. Still, take a look around most cities and you WILL see kids. It's just that in many of the biggest/most expensive cities, it takes a major commitment to raise kids in the city, at least if you're not wealthy.
In defense of suburbs, not all suburbs are the same. There are very walkable suburbs with good public transportation and interesting architecture.
Every house looks the same, people are the same, "entertainment" doesn't really include anything other than going to ____'s house. You can't really walk anywhere. You need a car for everything and shopping consists of little else than going to the local strip mall or Walmart. I don't know, it just seems like such a horrible way to live. It really perplexes me why people actually WANT to live in suburbia. I don't really mind living in a tiny apartment in the city because I spend most of my time outside anyways. In suburbia, you really are trapped in your house and can't go anywhere.
Some people, like me, enjoy driving. I see it as freedom to do and go where I want to anytime. There are no toll roads or bridges where I live. I have never paid to park here, either. I sure as heck don't drive around for an hour looking for a parking spot or run out in the middle of doing something to feed a meter or change the side of the street I'm parked on. Some people, like me, hate shopping and do 90 percent of it online, but most suburban areas have malls and a variety of supermarkets. Some people, like me, like nature and want to be fairly close to it not 60 miles or more away from it. City parks are not nature, in my opinion. It's a pain in the ass to leave large cities. You expect entertainment to come to you when you live in a large city because it's such a pain and expense for you to leave your city. The difference is we get in our vehicles and go to the entertainment. Because we drive everywhere, I bet we've seen more of the US up close than you have because I'm betting you mostly just fly from one big city to another when you non-vacation travel. It matters to me more that I'm closer to a lake and mountains and a variety of wildlife than being close to Starbucks although we have one of those, too. Some people, like me, don't need a three ringed circus around their home to be entertained. Some people, like me, get claustrophobic in large cities - too many people, too much noise, begging and I prefer the smell of freshly mowed grass and flowers to the smell of urine and b.o. in the morning. I'm not sure what's the difference between sitting around with your friends having a conversation in a chi-chi restaurant compared to sitting around with your friends at a picnic table having that exact same conversation except one of them is cheaper.
LauraC, I understand your reasoning, but you're jumping to conclusions, too. The "we've seen more of the US than you" thing, for one; besides the fact that many people living in cities still DO own cars (despite the cost and hassles), it's also very easy to simply RENT a car for a vacation. I know people who prefer to do that; they don't want to put the miles on their own car, or they want a bit more space to squeeze in everyone plus luggage. We don't own a car, but we rented a van for a long-distance driving trip this summer, for example. It's impossible to draw conclusions about travel habits based on whether or not someone has a suburban or urban address.
OP obviously has never been to Seattle. Our suburbs are functional and most at least attempt to be walkable and have some form of public mass transportation.
But I can think of many examples where he would be accurate. Burr Ridge, near Chicago, is one example.
But I think in general the reason why people go to the suburbs to live is easy - it's cheaper to buy larger houses, which is what people want when they have families.
Every house looks the same, people are the same, "entertainment" doesn't really include anything other than going to ____'s house. You can't really walk anywhere. You need a car for everything and shopping consists of little else than going to the local strip mall or Walmart. I don't know, it just seems like such a horrible way to live. It really perplexes me why people actually WANT to live in suburbia. I don't really mind living in a tiny apartment in the city because I spend most of my time outside anyways. In suburbia, you really are trapped in your house and can't go anywhere.
I do not understand why folks like the suburbs as well. Suburban life is pretty generic. If you closed your eyes, and were magically transported from one to another, they would all look alike: the same cookie cutter houses and McMansions, the same old malls with the same old chain stores, the same corporate restaurant food chains from cheap fast food to the up-scale. Folks tend to look alike as well. And there is little individuality. I prefer living in the city because they are melting pots of cultures and folks. They are more diverse. There is much more to do. I tend to think folks move to the suburbs because it's a better place to raise a family.
Every house looks the same, people are the same, "entertainment" doesn't really include anything other than going to ____'s house. You can't really walk anywhere. You need a car for everything and shopping consists of little else than going to the local strip mall or Walmart. I don't know, it just seems like such a horrible way to live. It really perplexes me why people actually WANT to live in suburbia. I don't really mind living in a tiny apartment in the city because I spend most of my time outside anyways. In suburbia, you really are trapped in your house and can't go anywhere.
Every house looks the same, people are the same, "entertainment" doesn't really include anything other than going to ____'s house. You can't really walk anywhere. You need a car for everything and shopping consists of little else than going to the local strip mall or Walmart. I don't know, it just seems like such a horrible way to live. It really perplexes me why people actually WANT to live in suburbia. I don't really mind living in a tiny apartment in the city because I spend most of my time outside anyways. In suburbia, you really are trapped in your house and can't go anywhere.
You obviously don't have children.
And there are some walkable areas of suburbia. It's a bit perplexing that you think that people are trapped in their houses and can't go anywhere just because they live in the suburbs. You should also realize that in many cases, some of the best retail in the region is in suburbia, so reducing retail to strip malls and Wal-Mart is quite unfounded. Also, suburbs are becoming increasingly diverse. I prefer urban areas myself, but you are grossly mischaracterizing suburbia.
I do not understand why folks like the suburbs as well. Suburban life is pretty generic. If you closed your eyes, and were magically transported from one to another, they would all look alike: the same cookie cutter houses and McMansions, the same old malls with the same old chain stores, the same corporate restaurant food chains from cheap fast food to the up-scale. Folks tend to look alike as well. And there is little individuality. I prefer living in the city because they are melting pots of cultures and folks. They are more diverse. There is much more to do. I tend to think folks move to the suburbs because it's a better place to raise a family.
Wow -- You managed to pack even more cliches about suburban living into one paragraph than the OP! Congratulations.
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