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Maybe lots of Americans make informed decisions and choose where they prefer living with no regrets.
Personally I don't care for small towns. I don't care for rural living. I don't care for urban centers. I don't care for suburbs within big cities. I know what I like - a mid size metro area, life in the suburbs, within 2 hours or so of a major metro area. This is an informed decision, not some idealistic "what I want when I grow up" thing.
Their decisions are certainly swayed by what sort of big city or rural options are available in their area.
Maybe lots of Americans make informed decisions and choose where they prefer living with no regrets.
Personally I don't care for small towns. I don't care for rural living. I don't care for urban centers. I don't care for suburbs within big cities. I know what I like - a mid size metro area, life in the suburbs, within 2 hours or so of a major metro area. This is an informed decision, not some idealistic "what I want when I grow up" thing.
Agreed about the informed decision making.
But I am curios, what is the difference between a suburb of a big city and a suburb of a mid size metro 2 hours from a major metro? I'm just asking because I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
For example I envision a suburb in let's say Waco and compare it to a suburb in Austin or Dallas and I'm not sure I see the big difference.
There's a huge urban renaissance in the United States, but most urban public school systems haven't improved enough in that time for most families to want to leave the suburbs for the cities. Plus rents are too high for too little space in most cities when you have a family. Most of the urban/downtown repopulation has come from singles and retirees/empty-nesters.
But I am curios, what is the difference between a suburb of a big city and a suburb of a mid size metro 2 hours from a major metro? I'm just asking because I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
For example I envision a suburb in let's say Waco and compare it to a suburb in Austin or Dallas and I'm not sure I see the big difference.
Oh, the biggest differences in general are going to be lot size and traffic patterns. I personally prefer a larger lot, which is more affordable outside of huge metro areas. Oh, and PRICE.
I'll give you a real life example. I live outside of Tyler, TX which is a metro area with a population of about 200k. I live an hour and a half outside of the Dallas metro area, which has a population of over 7 million. Tyler is about a fifteen minute drive for me, and the very small town I live in is really just a bedroom community of Tyler - everyone I've ever met who lives here works in Tyler and hardly ANYONE is a native of Tyler and many people aren't even natives of Texas (myself included).
My husband and I own a very comfortable, spacious home in a quiet neighborhood, on about an acre of land that's filled with trees, with a natural creek across the street. In the Tyler area (which is a very nice area with lots of amenities) this home and lot is about HALF the price it would be in a major metro area like Dallas, if I could even find such a place there. And I don't have to deal with the congestion and traffic just outside my neighborhood, like I'd deal with if I lived in the Dallas area.
There's a huge urban renaissance in the United States, but most urban public school systems haven't improved enough in that time for most families to want to leave the suburbs for the cities. Plus rents are too high for too little space in most cities when you have a family. Most of the urban/downtown repopulation has come from singles and retirees/empty-nesters.
This is true in our case. I would be living in urban Milwaukee right now if it wasn't for the atrocious school system. We did the next best thing and bought in the urban/suburb adjacent to the city and a short bike ride from downtown but with excellent schools.
There's a huge urban renaissance in the United States, but most urban public school systems haven't improved enough in that time for most families to want to leave the suburbs for the cities. Plus rents are too high for too little space in most cities when you have a family. Most of the urban/downtown repopulation has come from singles and retirees/empty-nesters.
Good point about schools and unless there is some incentive like the Kalamazoo Promise, Say Yes to Education(Syracuse, Buffalo, Greensboro, Cambridge MA, etc.) or go/get into a private/charter/magnet option, it can keep some people that would live in a city from living there.
As mentioned, then you may also have suburban options with at least solid schools that offer similar amenities or are almost like extensions of the city proper that make it tougher to go with the city.
Oh, the biggest differences in general are going to be lot size and traffic patterns. I personally prefer a larger lot, which is more affordable outside of huge metro areas. Oh, and PRICE.
I'll give you a real life example. I live outside of Tyler, TX which is a metro area with a population of about 200k. I live an hour and a half outside of the Dallas metro area, which has a population of over 7 million. Tyler is about a fifteen minute drive for me, and the very small town I live in is really just a bedroom community of Tyler - everyone I've ever met who lives here works in Tyler and hardly ANYONE is a native of Tyler and many people aren't even natives of Texas (myself included).
My husband and I own a very comfortable, spacious home in a quiet neighborhood, on about an acre of land that's filled with trees, with a natural creek across the street. In the Tyler area (which is a very nice area with lots of amenities) this home and lot is about HALF the price it would be in a major metro area like Dallas, if I could even find such a place there. And I don't have to deal with the congestion and traffic just outside my neighborhood, like I'd deal with if I lived in the Dallas area.
I feel like that sentiment is a holdover from the white flight era.
What about the subsequent and current black flight?
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