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.
Not all cities are created equal. Whereas all suburbs are equal...because they're all the same place.
And yet, they struggle to gain population, the "real" cities at least.
People like you exaggerate suburban living. Yes it can be mundane at times, but I would much rather my kids grow up here than in the central city. Now if I was an professional without kids, different story.
Living in the suburbs doesn't mean living in a McMansion though. And like cities, suburbs can also vary widely in size, density, and style.
You can live close to your work which can also be in the suburbs. Usually, McMansions are further out and hence the even longer drives. With the traffic the way it is, you own a McMansion, you kinda expect to have an hour or more long commute.
Nowadays most people with $$$ prefer to live in or very near the city. People with kids who cannot afford to live in the nicer parts of the city (or depending on the city cannot afford private schools) are basically forced to live in the subburbs to avoid living in a slum. But not all suburbs are created equal. I will take the closer in ranch/brady bunch suburbs that are at least a reasonable commute and closer to some form of cutlure over the cookie cutter far out Mcmansion suburbs any day- and the ranch/brady bunch suburbs are often cheaper than the Mcmansion areas.
Right. Because there's nothing more attractive than a polluted, crowded,
This was only true before World War 2...
as pollution greatly decreased, there was a mass exodus to the suburbs. Hmm. Makes no sense.
Quote:
crime ridden city with horrible schools.
The cities only became 'crime ridden' because the middle and upper classes left them. Crime is nowhere near as bad as it was a few decades ago, all throughout the country, including the inner cities. The suburbs are basically a reflection of the hysterical fear of white people towards living within 5 miles of minorities.
And with the schools, the inner cities are largely populated by poor people, especially compared to the suburbs. Children in poor households, on average do significantly worse in school than children of moderate/high income households - this is a fact, true of past and present, AND true regardless of what school a person goes to. If you put a smart child in a "bad" school, the smart child is still going to do well. But no, white people's hysterical fear of "terrible schools" keeps them away from the city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deportallofthem
Suburbia. It was a necessary step for America in order to harbor families closer to cities in large quanities.
There is nothing wrong with suburbia unless you can't afford to live there!
No, nothing wrong with it. Besides the environment degradation. The pollution. The destruction of American culture and sense of community (people are less trusting and less caring than they were decades ago, all tied with the suburban exodus - and they're no happier than before, either). The subsidies in freeway, highway development, and utilities to help pay for what is essentially an unsustainable lifestyle - nothing wrong with it. Ohh and running away from the people who are less off in society, and thus making their situation far worse. Especially because of racist and segregationist policies that suburban development has and is based upon. Nothing wrong with the excess consumption of fossil fuels for transport, heating, and air conditioning. You're an American, and it's your right to get what you want at the expense of everyone else.
My whole life I have always lived in a space less than 1000 square feet.
How you live in it, really depends on the layout of the place.
Things that are nice to have and make lives much easier.
More than one bathroom. Between 2-4 people, it is extremely useful, especially when you are all going somewhere at the same time.
FORMAL LIVING ROOM / DINING ROOM. I'm not sure why I'd ever want that. It's so passe. We do like to entertain, and we would certainly like to separate our "family" room from where we would entertain adults. But that could be accomplished by....
A finished basement.
Mudroom with a laundry
3 bedrooms. That leaves one room for a guest. (I have always wanted a place for a guest.
When I owned single family homes, I always had a living room and dining room. I LOVE dining rooms for nice dinner and of course holiday dinners. We have a dining room table (currently in storage) that seats 12 and we used it quite a bit. Living rooms are a nice place to sit and visit with friends, gather around a fireplace, etc. Of course it is wasteful if they're never used, but we used ours quite a bit.
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.
