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Rofl I lived in the city my whole life. Born in Brooklyn, lived in Philly, back in Brooklyn. The suburban upper middle class kids aren't really "natural" urbanites but if they are in the city a lot and enjoy it, than that can make an argument. Most suburban kids have no street smarts. To tell the truth, if you don't have street smarts and you live in the city than you haven't lived in the city all your life. Having street smarts is like seeing the tip of an iceberg. Yes it can save your life but its so much more than that. Typical urbanites with streets smarts usually know how to present themselves, hustle well in bad situations without mommy and daddy, where to eat, the best way to save money, what places to avoid, who to avoid, how to find there way around, relax in simple situations, have common sense, and much more. If I took one of these 19y/o so called hipster urbanites from CD and dropped them in the middle North Philly, they'd probably couldn't even understand how a bus work, would most likely look at someone wrong, and probably crap themselves. So no, I don't consider them natural urbanites but moreso as transplants just learning urban environments.
Street smarts, the art of knowing how to choose the right restaurant, be fiscally responsible, dress good and have good manners, have an easy going disposition and being good with directions. I'll need to remember that.
Street smarts, the art of knowing how to choose the right restaurant, be fiscally responsible, dress good and have good manners, have an easy going disposition and being good with directions. I'll need to remember that.
I was born in the Cragin neighborhood on the NW Side of Chicago and spent my youth on the 2nd floor of a two-flat. Grandparents and aunt & uncle (for awhile) also lived in the two flat (ther was a probably illegal basement apartment).
Since my dad had the only car we got around on bus and the L, and did most of our shopping in the city...usually neighborhood shopping centers like Belmont & Central or Six Corners, or for special trips The Loop.
I also recall we would walk to the bakery and supermarket and drug store, and barber and five & dime and hardware store, etc etc, on the busy street (which in our cases was Fullerton and the Grand & Armitage intersection)... but would also walk to the corner store, which was also the butcher shop. I also walked to school every day and walked home for lunch.
And on Sundays we'd all (granparents, I, & My Dad) would walk to church.
Walked w. my ma to the PO. or with my grandfather, who showed me a lot of stuff since he was also born in Cragin (and remembered it from before WWI when there was still open country around).
Also used my bike a lot to explore the neihgborhood.
For fun the parks. Neighborhood parks like Blackhawk Park or Hansen Park, or in the summer swimming in the lake at Montrose or North Ave beaches. And the Forest Preserves for picnics and sledding in the winter.
So my entire young life was spent mosty within the confines of the City of Chicago. We did go out to suburbia on Sundays house-hunting, and for some shopping in those new shopping centers (which in retrospect where just big strip centers, like Harlem & Irving Plaza and Winston Hills). But life was in the city. My folks' freinds and relatives all lived in the city, too, so we'd go to different neighborhoods to visit them (two were Palmer Square and the place now known as Roscoe Village).
So, yeah, city living. But this was back in the 1960s and early 1970s, so a rather different experience for city living nowadays.
Last edited by Dayton Sux; 01-16-2013 at 06:37 AM..
I should qualify a bit that the afortmentioned aunt & uncle (& my cousins) eventually moved to the suburbs (Des Plaines), so we did go their to visit them. We had to take the train, though. We'd take the bus to the commuter train station and then catch the 'Nortwestern' (C&NW railroad) train to and from Des Plaines and they'd meet us at the station (they didnt live that far form downtown Des Plaines, tho).
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I don't think people's issues with "urbanites" are about birthplaces, most of us move around. I think it's about attitudes towards the city. Some people seem to see the city as primarily a playland for their consumption, their latest toys, their trendiness. Not a positive model of urbanism. And then there are the rest of us--living our lives, trying to be good citizens (at least if it's not too much work), maybe relating to our neighbors (or maybe not). That kind of urbanite can come from anywhere.
Yeah...I dont live in the city now, not here in Dayton.
Through my life Ive lived in suburban and city environments, and now I live in a sort of an 'edge city' environment, aka sububia, but multifamily, with a lot of offices and retail & restaurant stuff around.
I dont consider myself an urbanite now. Urban means sort of ghetto these days, implies a sort of badass/pioneer/hipster thing & hi-tolerance for bad stuff like petty crime, vs the kind of blue collar city-kid thing I grew up with.
Probably the best visuals for my era would be some of those Barry Levinson Baltimore movies, or Goodfellas (tho those are East Cost not Chicago...similar vibe).
Last edited by Dayton Sux; 01-16-2013 at 07:01 AM..
My mom was in the military when she had me, so I was born in Ft. Bragg, Nc....but was only there for two months then moved to Brooklyn (my moms birthplace) where I lived until I was 13. Interesting enough I was given a New York social security number. Then moved to Durham for 3 years and have been in Atlanta since (with a brief stint in Charlotte).
I consider myself an urbanite because of my earlier days in Brooklyn. I'm all about the fast pace life city living gives you.
Born, raised and flourished in the Great city by the Bay, San Francisco. Lived on 6th and mission for my early years then moved to the Upper Height until 18. I was the token white guy in my group of friends. also a member of the Height Street Crew that fought the skinhead invasion back in the 80's. Had many run-ins with the local po-po.
Street wise and hip-hop was my way of life until I joined the military. I out grew the need to be hard about 10 years later.
Now married and happy with my family in a rural area of Florida.
Born and Raised in Milwaukee until I was 17. I use to take the City Bus to and from School. Also would take the bus downtown to basketball and hockey games, had a pretty fun time in the city.
Rofl I lived in the city my whole life. Born in Brooklyn, lived in Philly, back in Brooklyn. The suburban upper middle class kids aren't really "natural" urbanites but if they are in the city a lot and enjoy it, than that can make an argument. Most suburban kids have no street smarts. To tell the truth, if you don't have street smarts and you live in the city than you haven't lived in the city all your life. Having street smarts is like seeing the tip of an iceberg. Yes it can save your life but its so much more than that. Typical urbanites with streets smarts usually know how to present themselves, hustle well in bad situations without mommy and daddy, where to eat, the best way to save money, what places to avoid, who to avoid, how to find there way around, relax in simple situations, have common sense, and much more. If I took one of these 19y/o so called hipster urbanites from CD and dropped them in the middle North Philly, they'd probably couldn't even understand how a bus work, would most likely look at someone wrong, and probably crap themselves. So no, I don't consider them natural urbanites but moreso as transplants just learning urban environments.
Did you ever stop and think of all the suburbs that are actually "harder" than their city counterparts? I think you are seeing things as being way too black and white (a common occurrence on this site).
I'm not sure what you would call the city I am from, it is suburban in design (i.e. 90 percent SFH and strip malls) but fairly large (150k+) and the largest / central city in its metro. While it is looks like a suburb from first glance, it is not what I'd call a typical suburb either. Very high crime rate, terrible school system, high rate of illegal immigration / teen pregnancy, I took the bus a lot as a kid and in high school to get to my fast-food job across town (and tried to walk as much as possible in a totally car-centric city) - honestly taking the bus in a suburban city is 10x more difficult than an urban city with good, frequent bus routes.
Remember, Compton is a suburb. So is Palmdale. Not all suburbs are built the same.
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