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This is probably a stupid question and is largely a result of my own ignorance, but I've been watching a lot of horror movies in anticipation for Halloween and I was wondering if the same sort of "suburbia" (I got this from the fact that basically every slasher movie is some non-descript suburb being terrorized by a murderer) exists out east as it does out west? I know that generally speaking, the east is denser and less sprawled, so I'm wondering if the whole concept of suburbia is as common and if there is as much of a culture of people commuting to work (work would obviously be in a major city center downtown) out as it is on the west.
Maybe it's because I'm from a smaller (but still major) metro area, but the whole notion of living downtown would be so strange out here whereas it's commonplace on the other coast. If anyone has any insight, I'd appreciate it. I apologize in advance if any of this stuff sounds overly stereotypical/too general, but again, it's my own ignorace of not knowing much about the other side of the country that's causing this.
Now I know this a point of contention but I'm going to take East to mean the Atlantic coast, not just the Northeast. That said:
Yes, we have lots and lots of suburbia and suburban culture is plentiful. Now, the suburbia might not be the exact same sort of thing in terms of physical look and all that, but it's generally the same thing. I think Atlanta is now the most famously sprawled city in America. Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. are sprawlsville, USA. Washington, D.C's low density sprawl has swollen all over Virginia and Maryland. New York City ate the Long Island (which was practically New England before), and Eastern Massachusetts' "quaint" New England villages have been absorbed into a suburban monster. The Stepford Wives was set in Connecticut. Charlotte is single-family central. Jersey is America's bedroom state. There is little league and karate, 2 cars in the driveway, 2 acre lots, hour commutes to downtown by train, Mexican restaurants in towns that are -5% Mexican, and pools in middle class backyards.
In fact, Eastern sprawl is typically much less dense the Western sprawl. Which is interesting because as we all know Western cities (with the exception of SF) are much less dense than Eastern cities. A lot of that actually has to do with geography. In the West you have deserts and mountains in the way so you have to be economical with space. Here, you generally don't need to be.
Yes and that could be why city living may be popular or is viewed as something different. Suburbs are everywhere and you can find similar types of suburbs pretty much anywhere.
And the East has at least two distinctly different kinds of suburbs: urban suburbs with streetcar layouts, moderate to downright high density, walkable communities, etc....these are basically extensions of the central city; and suburban suburbs, with your stereotypical cul de sacs, big box retail, and other more associated amenities/characteristics of suburban USA.
When most people think of the word "suburb" they don't typically conjure up images of Hoboken, NJ, Bethesda, MD, Lakewood, OH or Cicero, IL.
And the East has at least two distinctly different kinds of suburbs: urban suburbs with streetcar layouts, moderate to downright high density, walkable communities, etc....these are basically extensions of the central city; and suburban suburbs, with your stereotypical cul de sacs, big box retail, and other more associated amenities/characteristics of suburban USA.
When most people think of the word "suburb" they don't typically conjure up images of Hoboken, NJ, Bethesda, MD, Lakewood, OH or Cicero, IL.
I would say there's a third type of suburb as well. Most of New England was actually laid out as fairly rural towns (often with commercial cores) well before suburbanization happened. After suburbs kicked into high gear, they densified, but the resulting road pattern is nothing like the typical cul-de-sac pattern of suburbs elsewhere in the country. Instead the roads just seem random and meandering, and the lot sizes are very large. Here's my hometown, and you can see what I mean. For the most part, you just can't pick out where different builders filled stuff in - and not only because it's been many decades since the bulk of construction.
I would say there's a third type of suburb as well. Most of New England was actually laid out as fairly rural towns (often with commercial cores) well before suburbanization happened. After suburbs kicked into high gear, they densified, but the resulting road pattern is nothing like the typical cul-de-sac pattern of suburbs elsewhere in the country. Instead the roads just seem random and meandering, and the lot sizes are very large. Here's my hometown, and you can see what I mean. For the most part, you just can't pick out where different builders filled stuff in - and not only because it's been many decades since the bulk of construction.
This is probably a stupid question and is largely a result of my own ignorance, but I've been watching a lot of horror movies in anticipation for Halloween and I was wondering if the same sort of "suburbia" (I got this from the fact that basically every slasher movie is some non-descript suburb being terrorized by a murderer) exists out east as it does out west? I know that generally speaking, the east is denser and less sprawled, so I'm wondering if the whole concept of suburbia is as common and if there is as much of a culture of people commuting to work (work would obviously be in a major city center downtown) out as it is on the west.
Maybe it's because I'm from a smaller (but still major) metro area, but the whole notion of living downtown would be so strange out here whereas it's commonplace on the other coast. If anyone has any insight, I'd appreciate it. I apologize in advance if any of this stuff sounds overly stereotypical/too general, but again, it's my own ignorace of not knowing much about the other side of the country that's causing this.
Thanks in advance!
Not only is suburban culture widespread on the east coast, but there are wide expanses of farmland and lots of small towns as well. I'd say most people on the east coast probably live in suburbs.
Connecticut is largely suburbs of New York City. New Jersey is basically suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. Maryland is largely suburbs of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.. etc., etc.
You will find fall harvest, pumpkin patches, hay rides, farm animals, farmer's markets all over ... even in a densely populated state like New Jersey. Halloween is a great time. So is Thanksgiving and of course Christmas.
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