Why do new parents feel the need to move to the suburbs when they have children?

[hml1976]

I think what's wrong in this discussion is the belief that as adults we would rather live in the city. That its just our kids that "force" a move to the burbs. I think for a lot of adults there comes a time when the pace of the city just doesn't agree with us anymore. I say this as someone who lived in NYC throughout my 20s and loved it.

Some would call where we live a small town, but its fifteen miles from a city so I think it qualifies as suburbia. I look out my window at the mountains. My kids run wild in the neighborhood with other kids without worrying about traffic. There are trails and fields and lakes to explore. We hand out candy for three hours straight on Halloween. We have a small town parade on the 4th of July and Veterans Day. Its quiet, its pretty, the schools are good, my kids each have their own bedroom. There are museums, concerts, great restaurants just down the highway...its nice to go visit but I have no desire to live there.

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by Lucario

Well, I'm originally from Chgo and was raised near Philly. While that does not make me THE expert on either place, I think I have some idea of what's happening.



I love the city. I love Chicago, like Philly and New York. I just don't see any reason to live in the city the way things stand now, with one kid in high school and one in middle school. There is not one public neighborhood high school in Philadelphia that I would feel comfortable in sending my kids to. In my suburban district, Mandarin Chinese is offered as a language choice starting in the fourth grade. There is a comprehensive choral and instrumental music program for kids starting in elementary school. The athletic facilities - my sons are very much high-level in basketball and football - in my district are top-notch. In Philly public schools, none of this is an option.



Does it have problems that keep me from wanting to live there? Yes. There are many aspects to life in Philadelphia that keep me out. Many of my reasons have nothing to do with education.


I don't disrespect urban parents. My parents were urban parents. It's just that the educational climate (as well as other aspects of the climate in the city) is not as conducive to giving my children the best possible situation from which to succeed as what is available in the suburbs.



That would be gall. Gaul is an ancient name for what is now France.

If you had been educated in the suburbs, you'd know that.

(Just kidding.)

If you read my earlier post you will see that I was educated in a suburban environment, downstate Illinois but that was because of a job transfer from my dad and not out of choice to leave the city. GAUL seriously was a mistype and I know you were kidding.

Anyways I am glad you recognized it that it is primarily a lifestyle choice, you are a suburban person and I am an urban person. I guess the only thing I take issue with is the idea that kids can't succeed in the city, if you want to live in the suburbs fine but for the most part it is good parenting (and yes a good school suburban or urban) that creates success and not an environment where houses or yards are bigger. Also my disdain is more for outer sprawling suburbs than inner suburbs that are often walkable and fairly urban but in the same token many outer city neighborhoods have much in common with outer suburbs. I know I live just one block from the city limits here in Chicago and honestly there is no difference in the quality of life for the kids on either side of that line.

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by Lucario

Bingo. As a black man, I will not subject my physically big children to danger from both our own people AND the murderous police force. Philly has a very high murder rate among young black and Latino men, as well as a high incidence of police brutality.

I hate to bring race into the discussion but since you mentioned you are black that does give a different perspective because unfortunately in many cities it is much easier for the white middle class to find a place to live in the city than the black middle class.

I say this because in the last census Chicago lost a large percentage of its black population (like 15%) and that was the primary reason that the city lost 6.9% of it's population last decade. This happened primarily because our housing projects were torn down and some of those african americans got section 8 in suburbs but also because some of them moved to black middle class areas that created crime issues which pushed the middle class out. In other words black flight in the same way that white flight existed in Chicago from 1950-1990. Some were drawn by easy mortgages in the suburbs (and in some cases they bought the risky mortgages they shouldn't have leading to the bubble burst, but that is another story).

Anyways my perspective is as a white middle class Chicagoan, so much of my vitriol is directed at white yuppies that move from the north side to suburban McMansions. My neighborhood (SW side near Midway Airport) is nice but it is a white neighborhood with some hispanics. Now I personally would have no problem with black middle class families living here but I know the old guard Archie Bunker types would, it is unfortunate but true. I also have the luxury of not needing to worrying about murder nor police brutality, heck many Chicago cops live in my neighborhood. You said you were lived in Chicago so you probably know what I am talking about. The white middle class if they can't afford fancy areas like Lincoln Park they can move to a neighborhood like mine that is affordable and safe. I can't think of as many affordable, safe and stable middle class african american neighborhoods in Chicago. I know people who live in nice tolerant integrated neighborhoods like west Lakeview but the real estate is much more expensive there than in my neighborhood. So gentrification is good and all but it does seem the black middle class in Chicago is being squeezed out and I think something should be done about that. Chicago still being one of the most segregated cities in America creates this problem.

The poster you responded to is from Detroit so I imagine there might be a good chance he is black as well and that is one city where even I would agree it is close to impossible to raise kids and it is so bombed out even many of the cultural advantages to living in the city are practically gone.

[JustJulia]

At this point, please take discussions to your regional forums or City vs. City. Thanks!