Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare? (Houston, Dallas: new house, transfer)

[Yonkers]

I like how people think there is anywhere in Houston that is walkable.

[cla]

I thought this was America, where you could choose to live where you wanted. Country, city, suburb, exurb, downtown, uptown - whatever. People want choices - my preference is not the same as yours - so what. I don't care where you choose to live and I won't put you down for your choice and I would expect that you would show me the same respect. But why, time after time, do these threads turn into a surburb versus city battle? Why should any of us care where each other decides to live? Why should we care if someone chooses a long commute to work? (and remember - not everyone works downtown - i work in Westchase and my home west of 99 is a mere 23 minutes from home garage to work garage - when I lived east of 99 it was a 16 minute trip)
Anyway, someone HAS to live in the suburbs. How the hell are almost 4 million people going to fit in the loop?? I for one, don't want to live in a high-rise. But that's me. Do what you want to do. Live where you want to live. It's not better or worse. It's a choice. Jeez.

[Kenpar]

^2 Not even trying. Are you? Might want to stick to Yonkers there.

[modster]

The inner looper:

Those suburbanites are just crazy living way out there in their giant McMansions, commuting all that way to their cookie-cutter, soul-less, big-box retail master bland community.

The suburbanite:

Those inner-loopers are just crazy paying those high prices for some old cracker-box house in some run-down, higher-crime area with bad schools all in the name of "character."

The inner looper:

Why would someone pay that much to live so far out? Instead of some boring cookie-cutter house they could get a cool bungalow in town for that price with the better appreciation and reap the financial gain.

The suburbanite:

Why would someone pay that much to live so close in? Instead of some small old house they could get a huge palace in the suburbs with good schools and save the money they would spend on private schools, reaping the financial gains.

The suburbanite:

Just get on the toll road and you are there in no time.

The inner looper:

A freeway is involved? I'm not going.

The inner looper:

I'm not sure what we would find in the suburbs that we would like, but if we start a family, we may move out there for the schools after all.

The suburbanite:

I love it out here, but once the kids are out of school, we are thinking about selling the house and moving in town.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by cla

i thought this was america, where you could choose to live where you wanted. Country, city, suburb, exurb, downtown, uptown - whatever. People want choices - my preference is not the same as yours - so what. I don't care where you choose to live and i won't put you down for your choice and i would expect that you would show me the same respect. But why, time after time, do these threads turn into a surburb versus city battle? Why should any of us care where each other decides to live? Why should we care if someone chooses a long commute to work? (and remember - not everyone works downtown - i work in westchase and my home west of 99 is a mere 23 minutes from home garage to work garage - when i lived east of 99 it was a 16 minute trip)
anyway, someone has to live in the suburbs. How the hell are almost 4 million people going to fit in the loop?? I for one, don't want to live in a high-rise. But that's me. Do what you want to do. Live where you want to live. It's not better or worse. It's a choice. Jeez.

bingo

[Zhang Fei]

Originally Posted by SteveArmy

wow. thats like being in prison then coming back for the stash a decade later. i mean if they release you or if you want to get out

Comments like this are why I'm glad wysiwyg is back. You can always count on him for an angle no one else has thought of.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by cla

Anyway, someone HAS to live in the suburbs. How the hell are almost 4 million people going to fit in the loop?? I for one, don't want to live in a high-rise. But that's me. Do what you want to do. Live where you want to live. It's not better or worse. It's a choice. Jeez.

Four million would be quite crowded, but if there were 1-1.5M inside 610 (a little over 100 square miles) - there's maybe 500-600K tops now - it'd be comparable to inner Chicago density, still well below Manhattan and even that's not likely to happen anytime soon.

[Sampaguita]

Originally Posted by cla

I thought this was America, where you could choose to live where you wanted. Country, city, suburb, exurb, downtown, uptown - whatever. People want choices - my preference is not the same as yours - so what. I don't care where you choose to live and I won't put you down for your choice and I would expect that you would show me the same respect. But why, time after time, do these threads turn into a surburb versus city battle? Why should any of us care where each other decides to live? Why should we care if someone chooses a long commute to work? (and remember - not everyone works downtown - i work in Westchase and my home west of 99 is a mere 23 minutes from home garage to work garage - when I lived east of 99 it was a 16 minute trip)
Anyway, someone HAS to live in the suburbs. How the hell are almost 4 million people going to fit in the loop?? I for one, don't want to live in a high-rise. But that's me. Do what you want to do. Live where you want to live. It's not better or worse. It's a choice. Jeez.

Amen!

I guess this wouldn't be a worthy message board if people weren't taking pot-shots at harmless decisions people make about where they live.

[Yonkers]

Originally Posted by modster

The inner looper:

Those suburbanites are just crazy living way out there in their giant McMansions, commuting all that way to their cookie-cutter, soul-less, big-box retail master bland community.

The suburbanite:

Those inner-loopers are just crazy paying those high prices for some old cracker-box house in some run-down, higher-crime area with bad schools all in the name of "character."

The inner looper:

Why would someone pay that much to live so far out? Instead of some boring cookie-cutter house they could get a cool bungalow in town for that price with the better appreciation and reap the financial gain.

The suburbanite:

Why would someone pay that much to live so close in? Instead of some small old house they could get a huge palace in the suburbs with good schools and save the money they would spend on private schools, reaping the financial gains.

The suburbanite:

Just get on the toll road and you are there in no time.

The inner looper:

A freeway is involved? I'm not going.

The inner looper:

I'm not sure what we would find in the suburbs that we would like, but if we start a family, we may move out there for the schools after all.

The suburbanite:

I love it out here, but once the kids are out of school, we are thinking about selling the house and moving in town.

You sir, win one internets

[mikehtown]

I'm all for moving closer into the city and already have. Everyone hates commuting and most enjoy the variety available in the city. The reality in Houston and many cities is that families move to the burbs not only for the big house, but for better schools. HISD needs to improve. The reality is that the cost of a solid education increases dramatically as you move closer into town.