You know your an *Urban* American when....

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Hoarfrost

I've got the vague feeling that I'm going off topic but visiting the city every other weekend is just not the same experience. There's nothing really like being right in the middle of it all for good.

Every experience is different...a family doesn't HAVE to live in the middle of an urban environment to experience culture and diversity - they exist in the suburbs too, and if the parents are any good they will make sure their kids experience exactly what they are supposed to experience.

I grew up in a suburb and didn't feel deprived of anything. Every experience is different, and I'm sorry yours was a suburb of such deprivation.

[MrSykes]

You folks are taking this thread way too seriously. Relax.

[Hoarfrost]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Every experience is different...a family doesn't HAVE to live in the middle of an urban environment to experience culture and diversity - they exist in the suburbs too, and if the parents are any good they will make sure their kids experience exactly what they are supposed to experience.

I grew up in a suburb and didn't feel deprived of anything. Every experience is different, and I'm sorry yours was a suburb of such deprivation.

I didn't say you had to. I just said that there's no substitute for it, and it has definite value.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I'm with Rachel here. What my kids did in the burbs, they could have done in the city. Believe me, all you younguns who haven't raised a family yet, when you are raising little kids, it doesn't matter whether you are in NYC, Denver, San Francisco, or Antelope, Wyoming. You're doing the same things. I mean, how often do you go to the zoo if you live in the city? About as often as you do if you live in the burbs, in my experience. Ditto, Children's Museum, Museum of Nature and Science, and all the others.

Depends entirely on the person, and probably the city - I go to the museums nearby all the time with my kid. It's easy because we can walk there and do it very spur-of-the-moment. Parents from the 'burbs bring their kids there, too, of course, but not as frequently because there's the hassle of driving into the city, the expense of parking, and so on. On the other hand, some places have museums and zoos out in the suburbs, which would be harder for me but easier for the parents who drive. It probably all balances out in the end. What my kid really gets out of the city is being able to walk everywhere, and eventually to be able to get around by himself by bus and train. There's also much more diversity - economic and ethnic - here than you can find in many American suburbs.

On the other hand, I agree that there isn't necessarily one "right" answer for where to raise your kids. The suburbs and the city (and the variations within) all offer their pluses and minuses, and kids with involved, caring parents are probably going to do just fine wherever they live.

[ThisIsAMinneapolitan]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

You folks are taking this thread way too seriously. Relax.

On the real. All the Liberal arty type were freaking out in the "You know your an American" post, and now in here its all the SUV driving neo-conservative suburbanites. Hahaha just kidding everyone.

[Rachael84]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Parents from the 'burbs bring their kids there, too, of course, but not as frequently because there's the hassle of driving into the city, the expense of parking.

Not when you can take the commuter rail that comes nearly every 15-20 mins and only takes 30-40 mins to get to the heart of the city

[pittsteelerfan]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Every experience is different...a family doesn't HAVE to live in the middle of an urban environment to experience culture and diversity - they exist in the suburbs too, and if the parents are any good they will make sure their kids experience exactly what they are supposed to experience.

I grew up in a suburb and didn't feel deprived of anything. Every experience is different, and I'm sorry yours was a suburb of such deprivation.

Now I know why you think the way you do!..........

You think that suburban life is similiar to urban life........

[nyc2va76]

When I first moved to VA and I could not sleep for the first 6 months because it was too quiet.
Also The area i lived when I first moved to VA was about 3 blocks from this club I used to go to. I used to get weird looks from females when I told them that I walked to the club from my house. (at least I did not have to worry about drinking and driving).