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Old 12-03-2008, 06:12 PM
 
2,598 posts, read 4,899,375 times
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I live in an area that is more suburban than urban. What I don't understand, is why sooo many people vilify the suburbs. What's so terrible about having a nice big yard for the kids to play in, safe streets to walk, or neighborhood barbecues? What's so terrible about your children being able to walk to school?

Some would say, because you can't walk to the store, walk to pick up your morning coffee, etc. So do people in a very dense city setting always walk to the store to do all of their weekly grocery shopping? Must be fun to carry all those bags home. Or, like I saw earlier today, break apart the 12 pack of soda and put it into a plastic bag so you can ride home easier on your bike??

Don't get me wrong, I understand the attraction of urban living for some people. My children are grown and have moved out of the area - urban living is more attractive to me at this stage in my life, but it's not for everyone. You can always get in your car and drive to the city if you need an urban fix.

 
Old 12-03-2008, 06:31 PM
 
Location: California
412 posts, read 1,747,180 times
Reputation: 197
Post Character & Attitude

Quote:
Originally Posted by NowInWI View Post
I live in an area that is more suburban than urban. What I don't understand, is why sooo many people vilify the suburbs. What's so terrible about having a nice big yard for the kids to play in, safe streets to walk, or neighborhood barbecues? What's so terrible about your children being able to walk to school?

Some would say, because you can't walk to the store, walk to pick up your morning coffee, etc. So do people in a very dense city setting always walk to the store to do all of their weekly grocery shopping? Must be fun to carry all those bags home. Or, like I saw earlier today, break apart the 12 pack of soda and put it into a plastic bag so you can ride home easier on your bike??

Don't get me wrong, I understand the attraction of urban living for some people. My children are grown and have moved out of the area - urban living is more attractive to me at this stage in my life, but it's not for everyone. You can always get in your car and drive to the city if you need an urban fix.
The main problem I think most people including my self have with suburbs is that they tend to be boring and sort of ugly. I am not implying that all suburbs are boring or ugly in any way I just think that a lot of people don't like the often (but not always) repetitive look of suburbs and the sometimes almost no character. Some older suburbs and even newer ones are more established places that I could see enjoying. The main problem I have with suburbs is not the place its self but the people. Now I am not saying that this is the case for all suburbs/subdivisions but it is for a few and it really bothers me. I will start with an example, ok so a family buys a nice car on credit, their house is on credit, all their clothing on credit, they have a perfect credit score but live in a not so rich neighborhood. Now I have nothing against buying things on credit but the problem I have is that it causes a false self entitlement and pride in these people and causes a lot of them to show off and be quite rude. This attitude situation really ticks me off. Of course not all people in these places are like this and in fact just a few but those few drive me nuts. Also, I forgot to add to my first reason that lots of suburbs also don't have a very large share of local places and are like chain after chain. This could be architecturally unattractive to some people and just the plain fact that there is a lack of local places could bother some. And again, none of these things apply to everywhere as everything is but this is just my opinion. I really wouldn't mind living in a suburb but I'd rather live in a more urban environment just because it is to my taste.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 06:47 PM
 
21,529 posts, read 30,942,079 times
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People who bash the 'burbs probably don't have kids yet.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 06:50 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn
40,049 posts, read 34,481,631 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidyankee764 View Post
People who bash the 'burbs probably don't have kids yet.
Or they've already had the experience of living there.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 06:55 PM
 
21,529 posts, read 30,942,079 times
Reputation: 9619
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred314X View Post
Or they've already had the experience of living there.
With, or without kids?
 
Old 12-03-2008, 06:56 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C. By way of Texas
20,501 posts, read 33,335,740 times
Reputation: 12109
the random repetitive post world war 2 suburb is what I cannot stand. It looks like every other suburb, USA. I just look at it as boring. But I can understand for a family to move out there. But still, I do not like that you have to use your car for everything. There aren't many places to walk and in fact, walking in most suburbs are very dangerous TO walk. You visit one suburb that has a mall, giant strip malls filled chains such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, and Toys R'Us, restaurant chains such as Chili's, Outback, Bennigans, Golden Corral, which than is surrounded by an endless sea of asphalt that is empty most of time, and you been to them all. Not to mention that those stores all look the same from the outside which uses cheap stucco or wood or whatever.

But again, if you have a family, than I can 100% understand why you move to the suburbs. Better schools, safer environment, more bang for your buck, and space for your family to move around. It's just the way it's developed that people do not like.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 07:44 PM
 
2,507 posts, read 8,533,721 times
Reputation: 876
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidyankee764 View Post
With, or without kids?
How about for half of your childhood? You aren't giving your kids everything you think that you are.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 07:46 PM
 
Location: Surprise, AZ
8,520 posts, read 10,043,098 times
Reputation: 7857
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaipur View Post
The main problem I think most people including my self have with suburbs is that they tend to be boring and sort of ugly. I am not implying that all suburbs are boring or ugly in any way I just think that a lot of people don't like the often (but not always) repetitive look of suburbs and the sometimes almost no character. Some older suburbs and even newer ones are more established places that I could see enjoying. The main problem I have with suburbs is not the place its self but the people. Now I am not saying that this is the case for all suburbs/subdivisions but it is for a few and it really bothers me. I will start with an example, ok so a family buys a nice car on credit, their house is on credit, all their clothing on credit, they have a perfect credit score but live in a not so rich neighborhood. Now I have nothing against buying things on credit but the problem I have is that it causes a false self entitlement and pride in these people and causes a lot of them to show off and be quite rude. This attitude situation really ticks me off. Of course not all people in these places are like this and in fact just a few but those few drive me nuts. Also, I forgot to add to my first reason that lots of suburbs also don't have a very large share of local places and are like chain after chain. This could be architecturally unattractive to some people and just the plain fact that there is a lack of local places could bother some. And again, none of these things apply to everywhere as everything is but this is just my opinion. I really wouldn't mind living in a suburb but I'd rather live in a more urban environment just because it is to my taste.
Well, I think you can only speak for yourself, and let everyone else do their own talking. Aside from that, do you live in the city? If you do, why are you taking on this problem? How is it a problem to you when you do not have to "deal" with it on a daily basis? I think rude people come in all shapes, sizes, cities, or suburbs. I know many people who have elitist attitudes, who so happen to live in the cities and can barely afford to, not necessarily in the suburbs.

As far as credit is concerned, these suburbanites you speak of probably have perfect credit because they buy on credit to establish it, and actually pay their bills on time, and try not to overextend themselves - i.e. not buying in a "rich neighborhood". What is so wrong with that? If I had paid all of my credit cards on time and had perfect credit, I'd be a little proud too. I'm still not quite understanding what this has to do with a sense of entitlement. Again, people of all shapes, sizes, in the cities or suburbs either pay their bills on time, or they don't.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 07:47 PM
 
21,529 posts, read 30,942,079 times
Reputation: 9619
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan View Post
How about for half of your childhood? You aren't giving your kids everything you think that you are.
Depends on the suburb. The ones I generally prefer are diverse, (economically and racially), safe, scenic and close enough to a big city.

All suburbs are different. The ones you're probably thinking of are the ones outside of the northeast where they're littered with chains, sprawl and 8 lane freeways.
 
Old 12-03-2008, 08:02 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
314 posts, read 1,274,416 times
Reputation: 122
a walkable urban environment is actually better, per a University of Michigan study, than the suburbs for children (keep in mind walkable does not mean New York city dense)

watch this video and it explains it well...

Where do the children play?
Told largely in the voices of children, it examines alarming changes that have occurred in children’s lives in the span of a generation: disconnection from nature, disappearance of play spaces, increasing obesity, psychological and medical problems and drug prescriptions. This shift in health patterns is directly related to changes in the metropolitan landscape.

Where Do The Children Play? For The Press (http://www.michigantelevision.org/tvschedule/childrenplay/ - broken link)

it also finds the rural country living is wonderful, but unfortunatly a large portion of employment is not in the country!...its the single use suburban disconnected typeology that is the worst.
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