Anyone else LOVE California suburbs? (Irvine, Costa Mesa: apartment, to rent, condo)

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by jeremy2788

To me an HOA is like adults roleplaying the SS.

^beat me to it

[Ghostly1]

Not so much. But then again, I don't care for suburbs anywhere. To me there's a montonous sameness to them that I find less than inspiring and I particularly dislike houses built close to one another with postage stamp yards and privacy fences. However, I can also understand how some could like the conformity and, I assume, convenience of close-in shopping and other amenities as available.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by thechoson

Suburbs seem to get a bad rap among some people. But I personally love everything that others may "hate" about them. I like the cookie cutter tract homes, the chain restaurants, the Costcos, hell even the Wal Marts (but if possible, Target please). Add to that the California weather, generally low crime, and car culture. Every time I watch a movie that depicts some level of California suburban living - Back to the Future, My Blue Heaven, Brick, etc., I think "man that looks like a nice place to live."

I think this kind of urban design is attractive to those who want to live in a Me-Bubble, a rather common phenomenon in California.

Traditionally, urban environments were designed to promote social interaction. While out walking in your neighborhood, you cross paths with Mrs. Ainsworth who is out taking her new baby for a walk in the stroller. You stop for a moment to chat and inquire about the new playground set that Mr. Ainsworth is building in the side yard. Mrs. Ainsworth asks about your wife's new car and invites the both of you to come over for afternoon coffee on Saturday. These kinds of incidental social connections, repeated hundreds of times a week, result in strong cohesive neighborhoods...genuine community where familiarity with the people you live around results in mutual benefit and public safety.

Suburbs are seemingly designed to avert social interaction. You are your own community. Your car becomes a mobile extension of your Me-Bubble and the sterile clones of corporate stores and chain restaurants allow you to maintain a kind of anonymity even while out in public. When Mrs. Ainsworth backs out of her driveway and doesn't see you coming, you slow down and blare your horn at the vague presence behind the darkened windshield -- you have no idea who lives in that house anyway. She responds with a middle-fingered salute from the driver's window as you roar past her. Who the hell does she think she is? Someone who lives in the neighborhood? What neighborhood? You have your own house and that's that.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

I think this kind of urban design is attractive to those who want to live in a Me-Bubble, a rather common phenomenon in California.

Traditionally, urban environments were designed to promote social interaction. While out walking in your neighborhood, you cross paths with Mrs. Ainsworth who is out taking her new baby for a walk in the stroller. You stop for a moment to chat and inquire about the new playground set that Mr. Ainsworth is building in the side yard. Mrs. Ainsworth asks about your wife's new car and invites the both of you to come over for afternoon coffee on Saturday. These kinds of incidental social connections, repeated hundreds of times a week, result in strong cohesive neighborhoods...genuine community where familiarity with the people you live around results in mutual benefit and public safety.

Suburbs are seemingly designed to avert social interaction. You are your own community. Your car becomes a mobile extension of your Me-Bubble and the sterile clones of corporate stores and chain restaurants allow you to maintain a kind of anonymity even while out in public. When Mrs. Ainsworth backs out of her driveway and doesn't see you coming, you slow down and blare your horn at the vague presence behind the darkened windshield -- you have no idea who lives in that house anyway. She responds with a middle-fingered salute from the driver's window as your roar past her. Who the hell does she think she is? Someone who lives in the neighborhood? What neighborhood? You have your own house and that's that.

And that's what we've become.

[MamaRed]

I hate them. I've grown up in Southern California, and we're now in the process of moving to Washington. I was surprised to see that the HOA/planned community model is pushed as a selling point, and people seem to be climbing all over themselves to get into these new "neighborhoods." I'll take quirky and original, with personality anyday!

[NinaN]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

Suburbs are seemingly designed to avert social interaction. You are your own community. Your car becomes a mobile extension of your Me-Bubble and the sterile clones of corporate stores and chain restaurants allow you to maintain a kind of anonymity even while out in public. When Mrs. Ainsworth backs out of her driveway and doesn't see you coming, you slow down and blare your horn at the vague presence behind the darkened windshield -- you have no idea who lives in that house anyway. She responds with a middle-fingered salute from the driver's window as you roar past her. Who the hell does she think she is? Someone who lives in the neighborhood? What neighborhood? You have your own house and that's that.

I totally disagree. I know all the people on my street, the kids play out in the cul de sac, we have BBQs with the whole street and impromptu driveway parties. When I drop my son at school, the parents are there early and hang around a few minutes after school starts so they can socialize. When we walk the dogs, we meet people and chat all around the neighborhood. No matter where I go, I see someone I recognize, and if nothing else we figure we have seen each other shopping at Safeway or Raleys. When I accidentally leave my garage door open late at night, at least one neighbor calls me to let me know. Nobody steals anything.

As a parent, what I like about suburbs is the top rated public schools, safety, community, easy access to nice parks and recreational areas, and lots of friends.

Before I was married many years ago, I lived close to downtown Dallas. I didn't know any of my neighbors and was much more likely to get the one finger salute there than in the burbs.

I guess it's all what you make of it. Someday when my son is out of the house, I may choose a more urban lifestyle again. Who knows...

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jeremy2788

I hate suburbs in general. Such a waste of space and resources.

How is it a waste?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jeremy2788

To me an HOA is like adults roleplaying the SS.

That's like saying throwing a snowball is like dropping a nuclear weapon.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by MamaRed

I'll take quirky and original, with personality anyday!

The thing is, a person doesn't have to live in an HOA neighborhood. It's choice. However without an HOA there's nothing stopping some jerk parking his car on the lawn or his RV in his driveway.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

Suburbs are seemingly designed to avert social interaction. You are your own community. Your car becomes a mobile extension of your Me-Bubble and the sterile clones of corporate stores and chain restaurants allow you to maintain a kind of anonymity even while out in public. When Mrs. Ainsworth backs out of her driveway and doesn't see you coming, you slow down and blare your horn at the vague presence behind the darkened windshield -- you have no idea who lives in that house anyway. She responds with a middle-fingered salute from the driver's window as you roar past her. Who the hell does she think she is? Someone who lives in the neighborhood? What neighborhood? You have your own house and that's that.

What a myth.

Suburbs tend to have a lot of the same demographic living together. Kids playing with kids, moms socializing with moms, dads golfing together, parents taking their kids to Little League, soccer, etc.

High density urban neighborhoods: Apartments, minimal interaction, drunks peeing in the alley, no place for kids to play, buses, horns, light pollution, not family friendly, filthy public transit, smog, homeless, advertisements everywhere, sirens, traffic, cement.

Here's are our neighbors at our block party