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That's most of America, not just the Southeast. Most Americans are working to working middle class and eat at places that cater to families. Saturday night dinner at Applebee's may set a family of 5 back, say, $70 or $80 (dessert included). That's easily an alcohol budget for a lot of white collar professionals in Manhattan per outing.
Many independent restaurants aren't that much pricer. Even in Manhattan, there are plenty of relatively normal priced ones ($15-$23 for an entree).
But they're not most of the restaurants, are there? Is there a shortage of non-chain restaurants?
I don't know if it's most. I mean, most of it is not a bastion of sophistication where you can get some Greek, then some Thai, then some Ethiopian, etc. You generally find more independent, local restaurants in wealthier towns.
Many independent restaurants aren't that much pricer. Even in Manhattan, there are plenty of relatively normal priced ones ($15-$23 for an entree).
That can't beat the $5.99 chicken tenders off the kids' menu at Applebee's. I just threw out the $70 to $80 range because that's the minimum damage I can expect to sustain on any given night out (paying for two people). It's often higher than that.
I think the point is that those are things kids do both in City and in Burb. About the only thing an City might offer is that teenagers are less stranded at home that the burbs due to public transit, but most people get cars as soon as they can afford them.
As a child yes, every child's world is small, but there comes a time when you start venturing out on your own in your teen years. Teens in the suburbs get cars as soon as they can afford them is because there is a lack of transit options, which means unless you want to sit around all day in your suburban neighborhood, you are gonna try to get a car as a teenager.
Had I grown up in a city that had transit or was an easy city to bike around in, the need for a car would have been much smaller because I would have still had the freedom to explore like a teenager does.
I think the point is that those are things kids do both in City and in Burb. About the only thing an City might offer is that teenagers are less stranded at home that the burbs due to public transit.
I wouldn't say "stranded" because there's not that many things an average 15-year really needs to do. The only real advantage, imo, is that a lot of my HS classmates worked, and it's easier to hold down an after school job if you have transit access. But by and large, your "lifestyle" as a high school student probably wouldn't be that different (unless you grew up within walking distance of Central Park like Holden Caulfield).
Had I grown up in a city that had transit or was an easy city to bike around in, the need for a car would have been much smaller because I would have still had the freedom to explore like a teenager does.
It's also possible you could have grown up in a house with one full bathroom and six people. That's what I had to deal with. Having one bathroom in a house with women in it should be prohibited by some type of zoning ordinance. It's cruel.
My brother decided to settle down in the sprawled out, car-centric Atlanta suburbs for precisely that reason. My niece and nephew have their own bathrooms that are connected to their bedrooms. I would take that over a bus route.
The apartment upstairs from me had one bathroom and six (for a short time eight?) people. The landlord actually added another bathroom. The renters were all in their early or mid 20s, mixed gender. I used the neighbor's bathroom a few times when my [female] housemate was occupying it.
It's also possible you could have grown up in a house with one full bathroom and six people. That's what I had to deal with. Having one bathroom in a house with women in it should be prohibited by some type of zoning ordinance. It's cruel.
My brother decided to settle down in the sprawled out, car-centric Atlanta suburbs for precisely that reason. My niece and nephew have their own bathrooms that are connected to their bedrooms. I would take that over a bus route.
And that is your experiences growing up. Of course living a couple years in the NYC metro, I can see how anyone would want to leave this area for cleaner, more suburban areas. For me, I prefer a middle, which is a city like Portland, OR.
And that is your experiences growing up. Of course living a couple years in the NYC metro, I can see how anyone would want to leave this area for cleaner, more suburban areas. For me, I prefer a middle, which is a city like Portland, OR.
I would say my preferences have changed quite a bit. When I was in my early to mid 20s, I was all about city life. Now that I'm getting older, I'm not so averse to the Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Orlando-type lifestyle. A lot of my friends have moved on to the suburbs.
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