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Except for natural geography I don't really see how any cities suburbs would be wildly unique.
There are a number of ways, but it's all regional.
For example, the midwest is full of either post WWI or post WWII ranches. Lots of brick, lots of wood siding.
The west coast/south west: TINY lots (like 2500 sf), stucco, stucco, clay roof tile, and stucco.
New England: Triple deckers
Look at the first picture. Could you figure out which metro area that's from? Would you believe me if I told you it was metro Cleveland? Milwaukee? Detroit? The vernacular architecture of the midwest is close enough together, that that house could be from any midwestern city. It also would be fairly rare in other parts of the country. (It's in Allen Park)
The last picture, if you avoid looking at the car with a Red Sox plate and the T stop, could be almost nowhere but New England. You don't see many tripple deckers outside of New England, ever. The vernacular architecture is quite unique.
Now the middle picture is a bit tougher, just cause I picked new construction. That really could be anywhere. For some reason, lots of Americans want a stucco house with spanish tile when it's not the proper design for the climate... But, that said, it's most common in the south west (which basically extends as far north as the MI-OH state line is, much of it isn't very south). Older houses are much simpler, but the same elements - I just couldn't find an older post-WWII house with stucco and clay tile roof in 30 seconds of google searching
Hmmm... I am not super familiar with the suburbs of all major metro areas, but I would imagine there are many, many far less distinctive homes than those you posted in every single major city in the country. I have visited the suburbs of LA and the houses were virtually indistinguishable from where I grew up in the Midwest, which was in a neighborhood that was certainly not filled with the houses like the one in your first picture or anything like it.
The triple decker looks to be the equivalent of a Chicago three-flat. Those can be found throughout the city and the older suburbs as well, and also in the city of Detroit.
Does Birhmingham look like that? Huntington Woods? Beverly Hills? West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills and western Wayne county certainly don't.
In Chicago River Forest, Oak Park, Evanston, Elmhurst, and the entire North Shore, just to name a few, are all extremely different from each other, and I would really not be able, without stretching, to name their Detroit "equivalents."
Yes, I agree. I go out all the time, there are very few days where it's truly too cold or snowy to go out, and I enjoy those days with a nice fire in my beautiful house. Detroit has tons of bars and attractions. I currently live in the Royal Oak area. Ferndale, RO, Berkley, Birmingham, as well as downtown Detroit have more than enough bars, restaurants, and cultural events. I go to concerts, symphony, opera, and restaurants just like I did in SD. It's very similar to going to the different neighborhoods in SD, these are different cities, but they are still right next to each other.
I don't love winter or anything, but my overall quality of life is just as good here as it was in San Diego. I like having seasons, and I'm very fair so the constant sun of SD was trying for me. SD is basically desert, all tha plants have to be watered which used to upset me because it was such a waste. Nature wise Detroit wins hands down, I love all the trees and greenery here in MI, and I prefer all the lakes/rivers to the ocean and no lakes or rivers. To compare living in metro Detroit to rural Iowa makes no sense.
Spending 14 years in different states was great, I highly encourage people to venture out, but it's not necessary to move to enjoy life.
While I agree with a lot of your post, I am completely dumbfounded when anyone says a Midwestern metro area "wins hands down" in the nature department.
While I understand someone missing rain in southern California (I live in SoCal even though from the Midwest), it is completely inaccurate to says that coastal southern California is "desert" and all the plants have to be watered.
While I will certainly agree that the Midwest obviously has more lakes and perennial rivers, as well as the suburbs being much more leafy (and I do miss urban/suburban neighborhoods that feel very woodland-like - it basically ends there.
First off, the flat, largely agricultural (with random patches of woods) provides much fewer nature study, exploratory and recreational opportunities (you have to go to some of the most remote, harshest climate, rural poverty parts of the Midwest to get any REAL scenery/outdoor recreation opportunity (IE: UP).
And back to SoCal, coastal SoCal is NOT desert. It is Mediterranean climate but on the drier side. Now we are currently in a serious drought, and we are having some of the driest years on record, but we are supposed to be getting rain right now, and once every couple decades, we have gotten more rain than Seattle.
Most of the landscaping vegetation is simply drought tolerant plants that come from parts of the world with a nearly identical climate as California. While some of the trees and shrubs need a lot of water to get started, most of them are evergreen to retain water between the short rainy seasons. Its just an adaptation, no different than deciduous trees, shrubs, and flowers in the Midwest adapting to the six months of frost/freeze.
Secondly, how much did you explore? Do you know there are mountains in southern California less than 2 hours from SD that do get snow and pine forests just like the Sierras or Rockies (IE: San Jacintos)? And then you have countless chaparral covered hills to hike through. And what about the rich marine life of the ocean ecosystems? Do you know about the La Jolla caves?? What about the oranges and avocadoes stands and wineries in some of the more rural areas? Now, on the other side of the mountains are true desert (most notable Anza Borrego) where you can hike to oases that support wild palm groves. I could go on, but I just don't understand when people suggest that anywhere in the Midwest "wins" in the nature department.
Hmmm... I am not super familiar with the suburbs of all major metro areas, but I would imagine there are many, many far less distinctive homes than those you posted in every single major city in the country. I have visited the suburbs of LA and the houses were virtually indistinguishable from where I grew up in the Midwest, which was in a neighborhood that was certainly not filled with the houses like the one in your first picture or anything like it.
The triple decker looks to be the equivalent of a Chicago three-flat. Those can be found throughout the city and the older suburbs as well, and also in the city of Detroit.
Does Birhmingham look like that? Huntington Woods? Beverly Hills? West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills and western Wayne county certainly don't.
In Chicago River Forest, Oak Park, Evanston, Elmhurst, and the entire North Shore, just to name a few, are all extremely different from each other, and I would really not be able, without stretching, to name their Detroit "equivalents."
Apart from a random three flat here and there few of the older Chicago suburbs have any of the Chicago three flats. Some of the near west suburbs right on the border: (Cicero definitely, some parts of Berwyn, Oak Park, maybe Elmwood Park) as well as Evanston that are closer to Chicago).
I find your last statement interesting. You say it would be hard to name Detroit equivalents to those Chicago suburbs,
can you explain to me why, apart from property value decline due to proximity to some of the worst parts of Detroit, why the north shore north of Evanston wouldn't be counterpart to the Gross Pointes,
I could agree that Oak Park and Evanston are very one of a kind and hard to find a Detroit counterpart, but then Royal Oak and Birmingham are also one of a kind, and are livelier IMO than any Chicago suburb. (Oak Park and Evanston are held back due to their historic temperance laws).
River Forest looks like Palmer Woods/Sherwood the nicest part of Detroit proper right on the border. Not sure what the counterpart to Elmhurst would be. Elmhurst is plastered with teardowns, and I don't know of anywhere in metro Detroit that is like that.
The North Shore is basically an amalgamation of Grosse Pointe for being on the water, but also of the wealthiest parts of Oakland County--it is far, far larger than Grosse Pointe, much more spread out, both old and new money and old and new architecture, with a wide array of architecture.
Your fourth graph makes my point for me, unless you are saying you think Royal Oak is like Oak Park, or Birmingham is like Evanston, which I would vehemently disagree with.
We were talking about the suburbs. And, correction, River Forest looks like those places did 60 years ago.
In terms of three flats, I don't know why you need to rephrase my statement as if it was a correction.
The North Shore is basically an amalgamation of Grosse Pointe for being on the water, but also of the wealthiest parts of Oakland County--it is far, far larger than Grosse Pointe, much more spread out, both old and new money and old and new architecture, with a wide array of architecture.
Your fourth graph makes my point for me, unless you are saying you think Royal Oak is like Oak Park, or Birmingham is like Evanston, which I would vehemently disagree with.
We were talking about the suburbs. And, correction, River Forest looks like those places did 60 years ago.
In terms of three flats, I don't know why you need to rephrase my statement as if it was a correction.
fair enough. True about the north shore being Gross Pointes + wealthiest part of Oakland County. Also true about Royal Oak vs. Oak Park, or Birmingham vs. Evanston. They are nothing alike, except that they are some of two of the most well known suburbs in respective metro areas, and are often suggested for those looking for a more "urban suburb"
I will add to the bolded. A huge difference of course is the demographics. I can't think of anywhere in Chicagoland that is majority African American that is nice as Detroit propers nicest areas (specifically majority AA).
Detroit definitely has the ruins that really paints a bad image of the area, but many of Detroit's residential neighborhoods don't look too bad. I actually think Detroit has some of the nicest architecture in the country and if many of the neighborhoods were revitalized, the areas would look beautiful. Unfortunately, you have nice blocks right next to dilapidated blocks filled with burned up homes. The commercial roads and some rural-like neighborhoods also doesn't do Detroit much justice.
where I grew up in the Midwest, which was in a neighborhood that was certainly not filled with the houses like the one in your first picture or anything like it.
Does Birhmingham look like that? Huntington Woods? Beverly Hills? West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills and western Wayne county certainly don't.
Birmingham, Beverly Hills, and other upper middle class cities like rest that you mentioned definitely do not look like that. You will see a lot of brick, but more colonials, and two story "fancier" bungalows, and usually there will be sections with large colonials, and 20s(ish) "mini mansions."
I do recognize that type of neighborhood though. In their heyday they were "well paid (union) working class" houses. Those are common in metro Toronto, and other Canadian cities as well. Those neighborhoods are now generally filled with elderly people, and young people and families renting. I'm hugely generalizing here, those are just the snap impressions of someone who has lived in the midwest. I've also lived in other cities out west, there are definitely plenty of neighborhoods in any city that might look they came from another part of the country. A few are pretty distinct though.
Birmingham, Beverly Hills, and other upper middle class cities like rest that you mentioned definitely do not look like that. You will see a lot of brick, but more colonials, and two story "fancier" bungalows, and usually there will be sections with large colonials, and 20s(ish) "mini mansions."
I do recognize that type of neighborhood though. In their heyday they were "well paid (union) working class" houses. Those are common in metro Toronto, and other Canadian cities as well. Those neighborhoods are now generally filled with elderly people, and young people and families renting. I'm hugely generalizing here, those are just the snap impressions of someone who has lived in the midwest. I've also lived in other cities out west, there are definitely plenty of neighborhoods in any city that might look they came from another part of the country. A few are pretty distinct though.
Looking on streetview I would agree. Toronto suburbs don't look THAT much different from suburbs of American Midwest cities, except the lots are noticeably smaller on average in Toronto suburbs (more compact). A large swath of suburban Chicago and suburban Detroit (especially suburban Detroit) look nearly downright bucolic. Other than that nearly the same.
Detroit definitely has the ruins that really paints a bad image of the area, but many of Detroit's residential neighborhoods don't look too bad. I actually think Detroit has some of the nicest architecture in the country and if many of the neighborhoods were revitalized, the areas would look beautiful. Unfortunately, you have nice blocks right next to dilapidated blocks filled with burned up homes. The commercial roads and some rural-like neighborhoods also doesn't do Detroit much justice.
Detroit proper's residential architecture is absolutely beautiful.
If Boston Edison, Indian Village and some of the other famous neighborhoods were closer to downtown I think they would be extremely hot properties right now.
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