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My problem with suburbs is the same problems that many others have. I like the older more established suburbs and the master-planned communities b/c they have character and they offer more of a variety of what to do. And the have nice big oak trees and *GASPS* the neighboorhoods may even have sidewalks. And what's even better is when a suburb has a metro station nearby that can get you to the city rather quickly. I live in Lake Charles, LA(which if downtown were a tad bit improved, would be a great city), but I've visited houston on many occassions, and I have to say that it's kind of pathetic(the suburbs that is) b/c they look SOOOO IDENTICAL you cannot tell where one ends and the next one begins. Same cookie-cutter houses, same big box retail, same corporate resturants. Not that I have a problem w/ big box stores and chain restuarants but it's the SAME ONES no matter how close the suburban communities are. Oh and HOW MANY STARBUCKS COFFEE STORES DO YOU NEED IN ONE ****ING LOCATION. I mean within 5 miles of each other.
Then on the other hand, I've visited some really nice suburbs such as the woodlands(houston), Irving(Dallas) and many of the suburbs of atlanta have a more homestyle classic/traditional feeling.
Orlandos suburbs, eh not so much. They were so chaotic all the time, It's like being in a damn circus.
I just want to know this though? Why is it that people move out to the suburbs for the safety but when it comes to security, they are more security crazy than somebody living in the projects?
In your standards the best suburb in orlando would be winter park.
We never lived in typical suburbs.. more like blue collar, diverse neighborhoods.
The town I lived in and eventually raised my daughter in was one step out of rural when I was a kid and I am 51. The people behind us had a horse and a pony that would venture down through the woods to where it met the back of our house. It wasn't very diverse but it was blue collar. I didn't know anyone who commuted to the city (NY) and everyone I was related to were electricians, plumbers, had a driveway business, etc. Nobody had a frikken landscaper come to their house--they had a lawnmower and they had kids.
Now it's one of those suburbs with the vans and the SUVs and the people who are seeking some sort of Leave It To Beaver existence that REALLY REALLY was only a TV show.
Personally i like living in villages. Downtown Huntington Beach, Ca; Port Jefferson, NY, Rhinebeck, NY were all great places to live with many of the same amenities of city neighborhoods, without the hassles of living in a city (except those damn tourists spending their money on worthless Tchotskies).
I currently live in a burb of Saint Louis (Lake Saint Louis), and while i hate living in Missouri, I do like our community.
There are not too many burbs that have a vacation-like environment. I do wish there were more less franchise eateries and more local restaurants and clubs.
Silly generalizations.....most cities or most suburbs or most rural areas suck, though in different ways...only a small %age of any urban region is truly desirable....and individuals have different preferences, esp at different stages of life
Am a huge fan of well-zoned, car-oriented suburbs where homes are each on >1 acre of land and near powerful freeways to reach offices....places like Chicago's NorthShore suburbs, suburbs of PaloAlto, etc
Not a fan of shopping but amused that often the best grocery stores in allegedly sophisticated urban places like City of SF and Manhattan are awfully weak...know a few who live in SF and, on wkends, drive 35mis South of SF to MenloPk to find a competent grocery store
If suburbs had better restaurants/bars and hotter chicks, suspect many affluent singles would rather live in a desirable suburb vs most urban settings, which tend to be more costly, lack space/privacy...and, ironically, are often a ~40mi drive from many high-income suburban jobs, e.g., SiliconValley or Greenwich
Lived and worked in Manhattan and would drive from my apt to office in Midtown or to run errands around Manhattan on wkends; view walking, cabs or mass transit as rather unpleasant, uncivilized ways to commute....any travel is a huge hassle in NYC b/c of its lack of modern car-based infrastructure, but much enjoy the ability to easily drive self everywhere within far more civilized places like City of Chicago or SF
For a performance car nut, dense cities have little to offer in terms of daytime wkend entertainment...decentralized urban regions like LA and SiliconValley are relative paradise, w/many nearby mtns and nr-perfect yr-round weather for interesting and relaxing drives
You lived in Manhattan and drove to work in Manhattan from your Manhattan residence, and viewed public transit as uncivilized?
You drove to work in Manhattan?...sorry I just can't get over that one.
Personally i like living in villages. Downtown Huntington Beach, Ca; Port Jefferson, NY, Rhinebeck, NY were all great places to live with many of the same amenities of city neighborhoods, without the hassles of living in a city (except those damn tourists spending their money on worthless Tchotskies).
I currently live in a burb of Saint Louis (Lake Saint Louis), and while i hate living in Missouri, I do like our community.
There are not too many burbs that have a vacation-like environment. I do wish there were more less franchise eateries and more local restaurants and clubs.
"Villages" is what makes life bearable for me here on this overcrowded expensive suburban sprawl called Long Island. For Long Island has been both blessed and cursed by being so close to the nation's biggest city.
The fact that many of our communities look like classic small towns, with downtowns by the railroad station, town parks and quaint older buildings, helps to make it bearable. That and the good access to a major city by rail and even the vacation-like environment you mention for a few months out of the year.
The problem of course is sadly some of Long Island's suburbs, and and many other American suburbs DO NOT look like that at all.
Often people say that "I like having my own yard". but the thing is, in most of these newer suburban developments you DO NOT have your own yard, you can shake your neighbors hand just by putting your hand out of the window, and what's even sadder is that, most of them still don't even know who they live next to when they literally live not even a foot away from each other.
Suburbs, are the best places to live IMO. I can't live in huge cities like NYC anymore, But I can live in Suburbs like Long Island, and Staten Island (Not a suburb, but close to one)
Money speaks louder than your vote and by choosing to live in suburbia you are choosing to support an unsustainable, wasteful style of development. As big as our country is, space IS limited and plowing over forest and farms so that you can have a .375 acre yard isn't the way to go. Build more densely and create good public spaces in these dense areas where people can interact and recreate outdoors. That IMO is the way to the future. If you want space, become a farmer or stop having kids
Often people say that "I like having my own yard". but the thing is, in most of these newer suburban developments you DO NOT have your own yard, you can shake your neighbors hand just by putting your hand out of the window, and what's even sadder is that, most of them still don't even know who they live next to when they literally live not even a foot away from each other.
Regardless, that's better than the extreme density of places like Manhattan.
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