Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My life dramatically improved when I ditched the suburbs for city life. It was like coming out of a new womb with a different feel and breadth to it. No more dull neighbors filled with superficial personalities who spend 90 percent of their days gossiping about you and others, then when they approach you it's always with "happy "phony" smiles." Living on a street "perfectly manicured" lawns and bushes and you have to "comply" with the attitude/culture of the nighborhood. People function "mechanically" for fear that they might be out of line. Driving an hour and a half each way to work and back, worrying about car not starting and enormous gas costs. Having to drive to sprawled out shopping centers and drive all the way back home, buy the time you get in you just feel like collapsing. Whereas the city everything is right in front of you, people are not afraid to be themselves and behavior is not as restrained. You KNOW where people are coming from (like you or not) it's not a guessing game. Children appear to be so much happier and "free" to roam to different places and not worry about parents "driving" them. The city is filled with so many resources "right outside your door" and public transportation to get you anywhere you want. More cultural diversity and an opportunity to get to know people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. To me personally, there's nothing that can top that. I respect those that choose to live in the suburbs but for me that will never happen again.
My life dramatically improved when I ditched the suburbs for city life. It was like coming out of a new womb with a different feel and breadth to it. No more dull neighbors filled with superficial personalities who spend 90 percent of their days gossiping about you and others, then when they approach you it's always with "happy "phony" smiles." Living on a street "perfectly manicured" lawns and bushes and you have to "comply" with the attitude/culture of the nighborhood. People function "mechanically" for fear that they might be out of line. Driving an hour and a half each way to work and back, worrying about car not starting and enormous gas costs. Having to drive to sprawled out shopping centers and drive all the way back home, buy the time you get in you just feel like collapsing. Whereas the city everything is right in front of you, people are not afraid to be themselves and behavior is not as restrained. You KNOW where people are coming from (like you or not) it's not a guessing game. Children appear to be so much happier and "free" to roam to different places and not worry about parents "driving" them. The city is filled with so many resources "right outside your door" and public transportation to get you anywhere you want. More cultural diversity and an opportunity to get to know people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. To me personally, there's nothing that can top that. I respect those that choose to live in the suburbs but for me that will never happen again.
Re: the bold areas: I do not agree that city people are somehow more 'genuine'. Have to go to the right restaurants, drink the right wines, see the artsy movies, etc. (Some of them) And of course, couldn't dream of living in some sterile suburb where everyone is worried about their lawns and watches "American Idol" for entertainment. Less restrained behavior? Well, yeah, there is more crime in the city, so I guess that's true.
It doesn't sound to me like you respect anyone's choice to live in the suburbs. I drive 12 minutes to work. My DH drives about 15. That's less than either of us drove when we lived in the city. Our kids rode their bikes all over the place when they were younger.
Re: the bold areas: I do not agree that city people are somehow more 'genuine'. Have to go to the right restaurants, drink the right wines, see the artsy movies, etc. (Some of them) And of course, couldn't dream of living in some sterile suburb where everyone is worried about their lawns and watches "American Idol" for entertainment. Less restrained behavior? Well, yeah, there is more crime in the city, so I guess that's true.
It doesn't sound to me like you respect anyone's choice to live in the suburbs. I drive 12 minutes to work. My DH drives about 15. That's less than either of us drove when we lived in the city. Our kids rode their bikes all over the place when they were younger.
Read before you comment: I RESPECT THOSE THAT CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THE SUBURBS BUT FOR ME THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
High crime in the city? Have you been following statistics, rading the newspaper etc., Who do you think comes in to the "city" to purchase cocaine, heroin and the like? "Bored/spoiled suburban kids with disposable income from mommy and daddy. The serial killers, arsonists, rapists, child molesters are from the "suburbs" Sure the city has it's share of problems but to imply the suburbs are at a higher level of safety is ludicrous. Only difference between the two is everything is hidden behind closed doors but people aren't blind and know what's going on.
Supernova & pittnurse--Part of the misperception comes from how crime is reported, and the multi-dimensional aspects of cites as opposed to suburbs. My city has a high crime rate, but my city *neighborhood* has lower crime than many of the suburbs. Similarly, many suburban school districts are considered "better" than the city district, but that's because of the lack of depth among suburban populations. Yes, there are lots of drop outs from our city high schools, but there also lots of National Merit scholars. Another way of saying it is that comparing statistics of a city to a suburban municipality is an apples/oranges proposition.
Personally I can't be more than a couple hrs. from a large city.
Give me an older established small city between a large cities
cookie cutter suburbs and the boondocks.
I drive a Subaru, but that's where I draw the line.
Death before tract housing !
Back to the original post, I live near Carmel, it is a very affluent area. Mercedes, Beamers, huge deluxe homes.
I personally am not rich, and I cannot find work in my area in this town so I am looking to move.
If you can afford to live here, you are lucky.
Supernova & pittnurse--Part of the misperception comes from how crime is reported, and the multi-dimensional aspects of cites as opposed to suburbs. My city has a high crime rate, but my city *neighborhood* has lower crime than many of the suburbs. Similarly, many suburban school districts are considered "better" than the city district, but that's because of the lack of depth among suburban populations. Yes, there are lots of drop outs from our city high schools, but there also lots of National Merit scholars. Another way of saying it is that comparing statistics of a city to a suburban municipality is an apples/oranges proposition.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. There are many suburbs of Denver that are as diverse as the city.
There are many suburbs I would not want to live in. If I mention any of their names, I'll get shellacked, so I'll leave it at that. There are many city neighborhoods I would not want to live in, either. Ditto.
My DD used to date a guy who believe the "sterile suburbs" myth. On Labor Day Weekend last yr, DD had an epiphany. The annual "Fall Festival" was going on in our little suburban (gasp!) city. It was Saturday morning, and the kids were lining up for the pet parade. Kids had their dogs on leashes, their cats in covered coaster wagons, their birds in their cages, ready to walk down Main Street and be announced as they passed the reviewing stand. DD looked at the scene and said "who says the suburbs are sterile?"
The bf is from Seattle, so I"ll ask you pwright1, does the city government do such an activity there?
supernova7, you won't tell us where you live, so I'll ask you generally, does your city have a "Parade of Lights" in December where any group or individual can festoon itself in lights and walk down the street? In our little "sterile suburb" it is mostly Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops who do this, then Santa comes at the end. Santa then sets up on the city hall lawn to talk to "good little boys and girls".
And my buddy Drover, does Chicago have a 4th of July picnic with free brats and hotdogs cooked by Hizzoner the Mayor, the city council and staff? Would you eat one if they did?
These are all things that happen in my little sterile suburb. If I want to see a play, there is community theater. We have a couple of art exhibits a year. And we are very supportive of our high school sports teams.
If I want to see a world-class theater production, I can go to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. I like the Denver Zoo, the Colorado History Museum, the Denver Art Museum, etc. And I do like to attend professional sporting events. Before you say that I enjoy all the amenties of the city but don't want to pay for them, I will tell you that Colorado has a "Scientific and Cultural Facilities District" that collects tax from everyone in the metro area to support these things in the cities and the suburbs. Furthermore, we the people voted for this tax ourselves, because that's how we do things in Colorado. We are not just all sitting around "poppin' a few tops' and watching "The Sopranos" on our satellite TV.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
