Pros and cons of raising kids in a big city (Houston: home, neighborhood)

[gsmj]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I think the part that irks me and others is just that one side tends to really get defensive about suburban life and crosses the line by inferring that it's more than just a personal preference.

People tend not to get defensive unless provoked.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

Someone needs to be picked up by men in white coats and driven on over to the funny farm.

Preferably a funny farm in the city.

Lizzy, my very first post said it all. I simply stated that it was just not preference to remain in Katy. That's all. As I grew up I personally saw it as less than an idyllic place and ventured out into the city. Some of the questions that run through my mind and might run through other people's minds living in cities is why would anyone want to live way out there. There is no concrete answer other than it's a personal preference.

I mentioned I didn't like some aspects of the culture I saw around me growing up in Katy, typically associated with the reactionary conservatives and even the hypocritical stuff I saw. I even said that it was just all purely anecdotal. Yet people on here assume that if I mention anything negative about my experiences in the burbs or how I see it that it's the result of "resentment" or some other issues. Cannot someone have an opinion about it?

[swopoe]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I said are probably because they're exposed to different elements. I said probably because it all depends on the kid. There could be way more in the suburbs who are more well rounded, I don't know. It was just an assumption.

And no one in the city thinks about people in the burbs. They don't. They just don't like the vocal minority that I keep highlighting and that you guys conveniently overlook as the subject of all my posts. They don't like visiting Katy and when asked what part of town are they in and they say X spot in the city, sometimes but not all the times they might get a weird look or comment.

But why would you assume that? Because of proximity to museums, for example? We live in a burb and have museum memberships. We go very often. Do all families in the city have museum memberships? No. You know what they say about making assumptions. Assuming that those who live in the city are more well rounded is elitist as I said.

I don't live in Katy. I don't think about Katy. I don't think about people who live in the city either.

This post is crazy.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by gsmj

People tend not to get defensive unless provoked.

Oh, please I've been to places out near Richmond and Fulshear where if I mentioned the city and where I lived, someone would typically make a snide comment or ask why would you live out there? The mentality there exists. It's no different then when I first moved to the inner loop and was asked where I was from and mentioned Katy, the guy's jaw was wide open and he snidely remarked, "Oh, I am sorry".

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by swopoe

But why would you assume that? Because of proximity to museums, for example? We live in a burb and have museum memberships. We go very often. Do all families in the city have museum memberships? No. You know what they say about making assumptions. Assuming that those who live in the city are more well rounded is elitist as I said.

I don't live in Katy. I don't think about Katy. I don't think about people who live in the city either.

This post is crazy.

It would be safe to assume that if you in close proximity to museums, fine dining, exotic cusine, stellar universities and free cultural events, that maybe, just maybe a person may have had a well rounded experience living in the city. I said it was probably true, I didn't say it was certain. If you lived in an area like West U with parents who came from money and were pedigreed or even if they were more boho and lived near LoWe/Montrose, I would make that assumption, yes. Why not? Why would you infer that mean that I think all kids in the city are well rounded? Of course it depends on the family and the kid.

[Tassy001]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I would say the issue is poverty in both the rural and urban areas, but really it's not. In poor areas in the city a lot of the problems are socio-economic, clearly poorer schools, less opportunities and crime. In Katy, I saw a lot of problems from middle class kids and even some upper middle class kids. The problem in Katy, I saw from my personal experience, so don't get this all twisted, it's purely anecdotal, was cultural. Kids growing up in poorer inner city areas are met with less options and some grow up uneducated. But in places like Katy where I saw the problems of drugs, debauchery, not going to college and early pregnancies, the kids growing up there were willfully ignorant. A lot were racist, they had a crazy level of keeping up with the joneses mentality, super traditional, and hypocritically conservative.

I lived a typical white upper middle class life in Katy, house on several acres, dad owned construction firm, Christian conservative family, popular in high school, but after going to college, I saw it less and less as an idyllic place and found WAY more opportunities in the city, more diversity, less racism and more open mindedness. Inner loop Houston is a world class metropolis, why would ANYONE who had the money to live there keep themselves or their kids from experiencing such a dynamic city? Why?

These are the questions that run through an inner loopers mind and I wish people out in the burbs would understand rather than get their knickers in a twist and assume we all think outter loopers are backward reactionaries. Different strokes for different folks. I respect that, but this notion that that life outside the loop, heck going way way out there is somehow more idyllic or sensible sounds so ridiculous to a person living a great life in the loop.

Seriously, you're never going to convince a person living in a loft in the loop that there is something sensible about commuting from Katy to Downtown every day.

My Husband and I could easily afford to live in the inner loop. We choose not to, for various reasons.

First, I don't need bars, clubs or museums etc. to entertain me. I have plenty of Friends and family, we get together at lease a couple of times a month. To me that is entertainment .

Second, I don't commute to downtown. For everyone to assume that everyone commutes to downtown is crazy. You know there are lots of office buildings where people work all over the place even outside the loop. My commute takes me further out West. My Husband's commute varies from day to day, but - it is not a downtown commute. It is also mainly on the West side.


Like you said different strokes for different folks. I like the peace and quiet in my Suburb.

[gsmj]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I mentioned I didn't like some aspects of the culture I saw around me growing up in Katy, typically associated with the reactionary conservatives and even the hypocritical stuff I saw. I even said that it was just all purely anecdotal. Yet people on here assume that if I mention anything negative about my experiences in the burbs or how I see it that it's the result of "resentment" or some other issues. Cannot someone have an opinion about it?

Would you not defend inner-city living if someone from the suburbs posted negatively in an inner-city living thread about their anecdotal negative observations and experiences of the inner-city? Wouldn't it make you reactionary if you did?

The resentful assumption is eluded from your continuous reflections of a life your parents chose not give you which include, but are not limited to: learning about Rice University as a young child, going to the museum every day, watching indie films at the River Oaks movie theater, and going to a Methodist church, instead of a Southern Baptist church. I'm not gonna lie, that last one even has me jealous of what could have been.

Anecdotally speaking, I don't know of any person who grew up in Houston that lived such a life. Most of my "inner-city" acquaintances grew up in Westbury, Myerland, Bellaire, and West U. in the 70's and 80's. They often reminisce of a childhood not too different than mine that was traditionally suburban.

Even my friends who live in the "inner-city" today don't do all those cool things you listed.

[Kiovo]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

How anyone could see Katy as better than Houston is beyond me.
I seriously do not understand the Katy boosters in here and how they could think a small boring little town is somehow better than a vibrant metropolitan area with ample stuff to do. Different strokes for different folks, but when it comes to this decision, I think a person who chooses Katy is a boring stiff who probably dislikes the urban lifestyle because it's too multi-cultural, sorry I just had to say that.

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

And I don't understand this idea you have that people are giving their kids "luxury" out in the burbs? What? Cheaply made homes out in cookie cutter tacky master planned communities?
So stop thinking that kids in the city are missing out. In fact I think a lot of them are probably seeing a whole slice of life Katy kids are missing.

I think some of these comments qualified as being vile towards the suburbs...

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

You guys cannot deny, and if you do you're just not paying enough attention, that there are some in the burbs that do cross this line and really think they've chosen the most responsible, sensible and idyllic choice a family can make.

Omigosh, someone actually trying to make a responsible, sensible, and idyllic choice for their family - how crazy is that?!

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

If you at least admit that, then I can admit that there are some snobs who live in the city who think the burbs are boring and whatnot. Then we can call it a day.

Yes, you being one of those snobs and we'll call it a day.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by Schumacher713

I grew up in the Galleria area. I don't know one single person that did not go to college. It is not if you go. It is where you are going to go. I think the biggest downfall of living in the city is simply the cost.

In my opinion, that's the reason why so many people graduate from college with worthless degrees and end up working retail or some other lower paying job when they might have been happier and made more money if they had gone to technical or vocational school. This idea that college is for everyone is going to have to change eventually because it is causing a lot of social and economic problems.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by Tassy001

My Husband and I could easily afford to live in the inner loop. We choose not to, for various reasons.

First, I don't need bars, clubs or museums etc. to entertain me. I have plenty of Friends and family, we get together at lease a couple of times a month. To me that is entertainment .

Second, I don't commute to downtown. For everyone to assume that everyone commutes to downtown is crazy. You know there are lots of office buildings where people work all over the place even outside the loop. My commute takes me further out West. My Husband's commute varies from day to day, but - it is not a downtown commute. It is also mainly on the West side.


Like you said different strokes for different folks. I like the peace and quiet in my Suburb.

It is different strokes for different folks, and I was talking about the people that do commute long distances. Because you know.... there are people that do. At the end of the day it is a personal preference. I explained my preferences, you explained your preferences, the difference is that you saying that you think people in apartments will mess up you neighborhood because those people don't care about community is fine and dandy, yet if I say I've noticed a lot of problems and if I infer it's because I don't necessarily enjoy the cultural aspects, it causes a hell storm.