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IMO you simply have a lower quality of life when you live in the suburbs. Sure it seems "nice" that you have a big yard and "personal space" and all that, but if you look at it objectively:
-You have a lower level of health because you rarely exercise - you never walk anywhere, you always drive.
There's a lot to be said for separating exercise from getting from point A to point B.
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-You have less money to spend because it costs more to driver everywhere, since driving is expensive
Driving's cheap. Housing is expensive. More expensive by far in any decent part of the city (New York City, in my case)
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-You have less to do, because everything is so spread out, so organizations rarely hold big events nearby.
Really? There were bunches of events held nearby just today. An art show one town over, a concert in my own town (I actually biked by it). It's true there are fewer events in a given area but, hey, I have a car -- I can go to events that are a bit further away.
I hear people talk so much trash about the suburbs in there metro region for some reason. People in the Twin Cities diss our suburbs over the internet but in person if they meet someone from the suburbs there all friendly and nice.
Chicago seems to diss on there suburbs too. epically Schaumburg (which actually seems like a really awesome suburb)
But really all i hear is "Your cookie cutter homes are too boring" "Everyone in the suburbs are sheltered and boring"
I grew up in a Suburb and i loved the Homes with large yards and Large shopping centers. I moved to a city mostly because its more convenient for me. I do like the public transportation and how i can walk a couple blocks to University Ave where i can do all my shopping and get food.
It's basically two different lifestyles, some people choose the suburb lifestyle and enjoy it, they prefer to have more room live more spread out and not dense.
It not that I hate the suburbs it the city planning that came out in the 60's that I hate.
There are many suburbs built in the 20's , 30's and 40's but they are by far nothing like the suburbs now that came out of the city planning school of thought of the 50's and very much so 60's that very car centric.
The city of Los Angeles tooks more suburban urban look do to the time of year they built. If 90% of Los Angeles was built post ww2 it look more like this.
The thing is most cities built in the 20's , 30's , 40's and some places the 50's the areas where more urban and grid than the non grid and suburb look like the picture above.
1. anti-grid system
2. supper blocks
3. box stores and power centers
4. lack of homes build on the main road.
5. Malls
6. lack of streets to choose from to go any where in the city do to the use of supper block
What I like about living in the urban area than suburb
1 grid system
2 short blocks (quarter mile)
3 no box stores or power centers
4 no malls
5 homes and building on main roads
6 lots of street to choose from to go any where in the city
Superblocks were popular during the early and mid-20th century, arising from modernist ideas in architecture and urban planning. A superblock is much larger than a traditional city block, with greater setback for buildings, and is typically bounded by widely spaced, high-speed, arterial or circulating routes rather than by local streets. Superblocks are often associated with suburbs, planned cities, and the urban renewal of the mid-20th century; that is, in areas in which a street hierarchy has replaced the traditional grid. In a residential area of a suburb, the interior of the superblock is typically served by cul-de-sac or looped streets. Superblocks can also be found in central city areas, where they are more often associated with institutional, educational, recreational and corporate rather than residential uses.
So read here.
And no we like traditional city blocks and grid not all this suburb and garden city movement.
Here is way to get it a suburb is not city it not town or the country it nothing it has no substance!!!
I just got back from a little neighborhood festival and fireworks display. I walked over.
Sounds like fun! What were the fireworks for?
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Originally Posted by sweat209
Other thing I hate about the suburbs
1. anti-grid system Not in all cases
2. supper blocks I agree with dubya, what are these?
3. box stores and power centers Another indication you may not have been in a suburb lately. There are lots of "Mom and Pop" and other indy places in the burbs.
4. lack of homes build on the main road. Please tell me why I should live on a highway.
5. Malls Not my fave, but they do have a bunch of stores all in one place. Easier than driving from store to store.
6. lack of streets to choose from to go any where in the city do to the use of supper block I'm no English teacher, but I can't understand this sentence.
What I like about living in the urban area than suburb
1 grid system Not in all cases. There is a thread about this. It's apparently not the norm in the east to have a gridded city.
2 short blocks (quarter mile) Usually, but not always. Blocks get interrupted by these pesky things called parks, which some hard-core urbanists on this forum don't like, by natural or artificial barriers such as creeks, ponds, railroad tracks, etc. Some streets even dead end.
3 no box stores or power centers No is a pretty absolute word.
4 no malls See #3.
5 homes and building on main roads Yes, it's quite an advantage to let your kids out to play on an arterial road.
6 lots of street to choose from to go any where in the city I'm all for choice, but this seems a bit lame.
1 grid system Not in all cases. There is a thread about this. It's apparently not the norm in the east to have a gridded city.
Okay than better way to say it is I like the older cities that are on grid.
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2 short blocks (quarter mile) Usually, but not always. Blocks get interrupted by these pesky things called parks, which some hard-core urbanists on this forum don't like, by natural or artificial barriers such as creeks, ponds, railroad tracks, etc. Some streets even dead end.
So true and area that not flat a well laid out quarter mile may be the case do to the area is not flat.
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3 no box stores or power centers No is a pretty absolute word.
Box stores and power center came in the 90's
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4 no malls See #3.
Areas that built malls in place of people loving above store. Only than and I hate it.
Taking down building and building mall or fire and than they go build mall.
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5 homes and building on main roads Yes, it's quite an advantage to let your kids out to play on an arterial road.
It city not suburb you don't like it move to the suburb.
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6 lots of street to choose from to go any where in the city
I'm all for choice, but this seems a bit lame.
Why do to cities have lots of street to choose from and hate driving down almost highway main road.
And no we like traditional city blocks and grid not all this suburb and garden city movement.
Here is way to get it a suburb is not city it not town or the country it nothing it has no substance!!!
"Supper" is not the same as "super." "Supper" is another word for "dinner" in English. "Super" is the word you're looking for--thus my jest about restaurants.
I don't mean to sound critical, but it is obvious that you take a great interest in this subject but sometimes the language barrier can be very difficult to penetrate. (I also note you often use "do to" instead of "due to," they are not the same thing..)
Although, to that end, not all of what you are showing are superblocks--often these were rural roads put in place due to the way many Midwestern and Western states were laid out along township/range lines. In American planning parlance, "superblocks" more often refers to large blocks made up of smaller blocks consolidated into a single unit. The idea was to improve traffic flow by shifting traffic from a large number of narrower streets to a smaller number of wider, faster streets and moving pedestrian functions to the center of the superblock. It facilitates use of automobiles, but discourages use of other transit modes in between superblocks.
Good to hear that you like where you live. That said, i really dont think there is as much to do in suburbs as in the city. Cities are just bigger. They have more clubs, more bars, more festivals, more theaters, more stores, more sporting events etc... They tend to accommodate numerous different lifestyles and interests.
Suburbs can be really hit or miss for me. In Florida, for example in the area where I live when not up at school, the areas by the coast are really nice with a decent amount of things to do. The suburbs to the west are completely inefficient, monotonous, and boring, and no suburbs to me are nearly as fun as Miami. In Massachusetts, some of the suburbs Ive been to are nice but there is not nearly as much to do as there is in Boston.
Suburbs are good for families, but for young and middle age singles or couples without young kids, there just is usually more to do in a city.
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I walked over.
