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What is with the city comparisons that seem to prevail on here? The very last place I would desire to live would be in any large city.
Judging the value of a country and it's culture by comparing the cities seems strange to me, When did this obsession over large cities being the bench mark to shoot for become de-rigeur?
I agree 100%. I have lived in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland OR, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay are, San Diego, Phoenix AZ, Fort Lauderdale FL, Mexico, and Venezuela. I have also spent a lot of time in Toronto, Montreal, New York City Calgary, and visited several other areas.
My favorite city by far for livability is San Diego. It is very comfortable and laid back. I would never want to live in a big city in some cramped condo with thousands of people around. My wife and I live in a moderately sized city that is beautiful. We own a 3,000 sq. ft. home with a large swimming pool and that is what we like. We have always owned large homes everywhere we lived except for Vancouver and Venezuela.
We do love visiting New York City every summer to get our couple weeks of big city living. We always stay in mid-Manhattan. However we would never want to live there.
I understand that some of you like the urban lifestyle and that is fine but you have to understand that probably the majority of folks, especially families, do not want to live in the city.
I agree 100%. I have lived in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland OR, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay are, San Diego, Phoenix AZ, Fort Lauderdale FL, Mexico, and Venezuela. I have also spent a lot of time in Toronto, Montreal, New York City Calgary, and visited several other areas.
My favorite city by far for livability is San Diego. It is very comfortable and laid back. I would never want to live in a big city in some cramped condo with thousands of people around. My wife and I live in a moderately sized city that is beautiful. We own a 3,000 sq. ft. home with a large swimming pool and that is what we like. We have always owned large homes everywhere we lived except for Vancouver and Venezuela.
We do love visiting New York City every summer to get our couple weeks of big city living. We always stay in mid-Manhattan. However we would never want to live there.
I understand that some of you like the urban lifestyle and that is fine but you have to understand that probably the majority of folks, especially families, do not want to live in the city.
Majority of folks? You mean majority of folks in suburban America? Majority of folks in Europe and Asia all live in very livable and high density environments, and it's been that way for centuries. Even in North America, I highly doubted majority of folks in 1915 lived in sprawling suburbia with swimming pools and 3000 sq ft homes. It's a very very recent phenomenon, and almost exclusive to the pattern of development in North America and Australia/NZ.
I was born in China, then moved to Germany. The thought of living in a single family home outside the city in a car-centric suburb just simply never crossed our mind. In Berlin, my family lived in a large 150 square meter apartment for years. And just to clarify, not all urban areas are as chaotic or unlivable as Manhattan. Our Berlin neighborhood was very densely populated with 5-6 storey buildings, nice gardens and patios, and was always very very quiet with lots of family-oriented amenities within walking distance. Most urban neighborhoods like ours most definitely are not Manhattan with all its hustle and bustle. In fact, when I did a banking internship in mid-town Manhattan in 2011 it felt really fatiguing living in that city. There was always some kind of noise from cars, emergency vehicles, ventilation, A/C... and really isn't my idea of urban living that I experienced in Europe and Asia.
I agree 100%. I have lived in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland OR, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay are, San Diego, Phoenix AZ, Fort Lauderdale FL, Mexico, and Venezuela. I have also spent a lot of time in Toronto, Montreal, New York City Calgary, and visited several other areas.
My favorite city by far for livability is San Diego. It is very comfortable and laid back. I would never want to live in a big city in some cramped condo with thousands of people around. My wife and I live in a moderately sized city that is beautiful. We own a 3,000 sq. ft. home with a large swimming pool and that is what we like. We have always owned large homes everywhere we lived except for Vancouver and Venezuela.
We do love visiting New York City every summer to get our couple weeks of big city living. We always stay in mid-Manhattan. However we would never want to live there.
I understand that some of you like the urban lifestyle and that is fine but you have to understand that probably the majority of folks, especially families, do not want to live in the city.
Fair post. I can certainly understand why you love living in San Diego. But, as to the bolded? To each his own, I guess. Having a great, big house (for only 2 people, no less) isn't important to everyone. As a member of the educated middle-class, it's not, nor would it be, anywhere on my list of must-haves for an enjoyable (or "successful") life.
Fair post. I can certainly understand why you love living in San Diego. But, as to the bolded? To each his own, I guess. Having a great, big house (for only 2 people, no less) isn't important to everyone. As a member of the educated middle-class, it's not, nor would it be, anywhere on my list of must-haves for an enjoyable (or "successful") life.
We need the room for when our kids and grandkids visit which is pretty often plus we like the room. I am a member of the educated upper middle class and all of my friends live in large homes because that is their choice. Our son and family has a 3500 sq. ft. home in Monterey CA.
BTW, we don't live in San Diego anymore. We live about an hour north of San Diego. We lived in San Diego for 25 years and still visit there very frequently.
As a member of the educated middle-class, it's not, nor would it be, anywhere on my list of must-haves for an enjoyable (or "successful") life.
I'm really not sure what you're implying, but I can say with a fair degree of confidence if you're below middle class, or uneducated, having a 4000 sq ft home probably isn't going to be one of your worries.
We need the room for when our kids and grandkids visit which is pretty often plus we like the room. I am a member of the educated upper middle class and all of my friends live in large homes because that is their choice. Our son and family has a 3500 sq. ft. home in Monterey CA.
BTW, we don't live in San Diego anymore. We live about an hour north of San Diego. We lived in San Diego for 25 years and still visit there very frequently.
All I can say is people like you vastly overestimate what larger homes offer in terms of quality of life.
Speaking of QoL, if home size is such a big deal, how come San Francisco usually tops the chart among American cities, when most of San Franciscans live in either apartments or smaller row homes? Shouldn't it be Houston or Phoenix? The truth is, one loses certain things in exchange for large homes. Others can see the size of the home everyday but hardly the things what are lost.
You said you need all those rooms for your kids and grandkids who visit often. Exactly how often? If they live nearby, they probably will drive home at the end of the visit; and if they need to fly or drive 10 hours to you, chances are that they won't do that very often because they have jobs and life elsewhere. Maybe twice a year for a total of 14 days? And that alone justifies having 4 rooms that remain empty for 350 days of the year?
I myself hardly WANTS a bigger home. I live in a small apartment 10 minutes from work. Yesterday, I went back for lunch, watched an episode of Games of Thrones during lunch; I don't need to get out of my bed until 8:30am. I walked for 5 minutes to buy some fruits and vegetable; I bought a bottle of wine on my way back; then I found a sticker from UPS about a missed delivery, so I walked another 5 minutes to 2 Toronto street to pick it up. 2 hours after dinner I walked about 3 minutes to the nearby Goodlife fitness to work out, when the crowds disappeared to their enviable large homes. Tell me, how having a 3000 sf home at Bayview and Leslie would vastly improved my quality of life? Maybe because my friends will look at the house in awe?
Don't say I can do this because I am single. There is nothing that prevents me from maintaining this life even if I have two children. Millions of children live fine without a backyard.
I do have friends who visit me from time to time. They sometime stay in my livingroom where I keep an extra mattress, and if that doesn't suite their need, there is a fully equipped guest suite downstairs that charges $55 a night. You would be better off paying for that cost instead of spending a lot more on 3 extra spare rooms you don't need.
Having 3 spare rooms for occasional visitors is like buying a cinema just because you want to watch a movie every two months.
I'm really not sure what you're implying, but I can say with a fair degree of confidence if you're below middle class, or uneducated, having a 4000 sq ft home probably isn't going to be one of your worries.
I think home ownership, extolled as a primary life accomplishment and reflection of material success - as it undoubtedly is here in North America- is highly overrated, and I say that as a homeowner of more than 20 years. I'm not alluding to JohnSoCal, but many educated, middle and upper-middle class Americans and Canadians have been obsessed for 2 or 3 decades with owning great, big houses to the detriment of their budgets and quality of life (though there are definitely significant changes in this kind of thinking among Americans). Thus, a house becomes a status symbol for them, as opposed to simply a comfortable place to live, and they're willing to plunk down insane amounts of money for one, the bigger the better. The problem is that their material demands far outstrip their monetary supplies.
I don't delude myself; I'm educated middle class, not wealthy. As much as I love my house, I bought something that easily allows me time and money to enjoy life. It's mind-boggling that so many hard-working middle class (AND upper middle class) people choose to constrain themselves in terms of finances, time, and energy - for a big house. No, thank you.
Last edited by newdixiegirl; 04-30-2015 at 09:47 AM..
I think home ownership, extolled as a primary life accomplishment and reflection of material success - as it undoubtedly is here in North America- is highly overrated, and I say that as a homeowner of more than 20 years. I'm not alluding to JohnSoCal, but many educated, middle and upper-middle class Americans and Canadians have been obsessed for 2 or 3 decades with owning great, big houses to the detriment of their budgets and quality of life (though there are definitely significant changes in this kind of thinking among Americans). Thus, a house becomes a status symbol for them, as opposed to simply a comfortable place to live, and they're willing to plunk down insane amounts of money for one, the bigger the better. The problem is that their material demands far outstrip their monetary supplies.
I don't delude myself; I'm educated middle class, not wealthy. As much as I love my house, I bought something that easily allows me time and money to enjoy life. It's mind-boggling that so many hard-working middle class (AND upper middle class) people choose to constrain themselves in terms of finances, time, and energy - for a big house. No, thank you.
can't agree more.
Plenty of Asian immigrants who are used to living in smaller space also come to North America insisting on owning large suburban homes, often at the detriment of their quality of life. I have a friend who live in Richmond Hill and works in downtown. Another friend lives in Markham and works downtown. They each spend more than 1.5 hours one way just to get to work. A ex-worker lives in Strouffville and he drives. On a good day, it takes an hour during rush hour. On a bad day, it takes 2. There was one time there were two accidents on the highway and it took him 3 hours!!
The reason is not they *need* a big home, but rather they consider it embarrassing to be still living in apartments after moving to Canada. Old friends and their parents/relatives would think they are poor, because in their view, everyone in Canada should have a big home with 5 rooms, a garden and a yard. Well, they are all nice to have, but at what cost (both money and Qol)?
They do it nevertheless. People can see the house. They don't see the horrible commute and boring suburban life, do they. It is 90% about vanity, 10% about need.
I live for myself, not to look good in other people's eyes. I didn't move thousands of miles to another country to live a boring suburban life that requires 3 hours of commute each and every day until I retire.
Plenty of Asian immigrants who are used to living in smaller space also come to North America insisting on owning large suburban homes, often at the detriment of their quality of life. I have a friend who live in Richmond Hill and works in downtown. Another friend lives in Markham and works downtown. They each spend more than 1.5 hours one way just to get to work. A ex-worker lives in Strouffville and he drives. On a good day, it takes an hour during rush hour. On a bad day, it takes 2. There was one time there were two accidents on the highway and it took him 3 hours!!
The reason is not they *need* a big home, but rather they consider it embarrassing to be still living in apartments after moving to Canada. Old friends and their parents/relatives would think they are poor, because in their view, everyone in Canada should have a big home with 5 rooms, a garden and a yard. Well, they are all nice to have, but at what cost (both money and Qol)?
They do it nevertheless. People can see the house. They don't see the horrible commute and boring suburban life, do they. It is 90% about vanity, 10% about need.
I live for myself, not to look good in other people's eyes. I didn't move thousands of miles to another country to live a boring suburban life that requires 3 hours of commute each and every day until I retire.
I applaud those that can make a few hundred square feet work.
For me, my trade off is a little over an hour of my day for garage space for my cars and my motorcycle, ability to have a get together space outside and a pool.
As a Canadian, the ability to have a swim in my own yard at anytime is something I wasn't prepared to give up on. Now in terms of overall cost, I'm probably less than you in DT T.O., but I trade time for that.
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