Which type of neighborhood appeals to you the least? (gated communities, fees, property)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
MrRational is right...the "me" changes from decade to decade...heck even year to year.
I think in my heart of hearts, I am forever a suburbanite.
However in my early - late 20s, I really liked living in New York City.
Nowadays my least favorite would be an urban environment, with people stacked on top of each other and small lots. I don't really care for cookie cutter master planned neighborhoods either now, after having lived in one for 10 years. My current neighborhood is suburbia, but it is more wooded, established, not cookie cutter (homes are custom), with larger lots, and tree lined streets. It has a single digit walk score and I don't mind it one bit. It gives us the seclusion and woodsy feel that we desire but we are still only 10-15 minutes away from shopping, movies, etc. My version of paradise.
I would not want to live in a neighborhood where most of the houses were built after 1950 or so. I also wouldn't want to live in a neighborhood that wasn't walkable.
I don't mind rural settings, (my aunt and uncle live out in semi-rural Ohio, and the views are wonderful) but I can't live there, because I don't drive.
We currently live "in town" in an older (1962) small house on a small lot with a garage/shop on the alley behind the house. Horrible neighbors could make me like it a lot less than I do now, as the lot width is 70' and everyone is pretty close. The alley does a great job of separating us, though, it is only the houses on either side that are close. We did live in suburbs before where you shared lot lines or lot corners with 5 other houses.
I like the walkability here to downtown restaurants, access to the large park about 1/4 mile away with a 25 mile long trail, a little over a mile to a good grocery store with an off-street bike path that goes right from the house to the grocery store. My doctor, dentist and vet are within a mile and an easy walk.
I'd never go back to living in a location where everything requires getting in the car and driving 20-30 minutes, particularly if it is through traffic. One of the suburban houses we lived in was 7 miles from the freeway entrance - when we first moved there it was 10 minutes to the freeway. Because of overbuilding and the county habit of putting in so many stoplights, by the time we left, 12 years later, it was 25-35 minutes.
I live in an area where out-of-staters flock in and buy houses. Because those in-comers come from high density, crowded places, they don't know any different and the developers are putting 11 houses per acre and the houses are huge, so that you can stand between two houses and touch them both at the same time.
Those houses are built for the in-comers. No native Oregonian would be caught dead in one of those crowded house, especially since many of them are ugly, badly built McMansions.
What I like the best is Suburban! Hate living in the City.
2-3 acre lot subdivision as I'd like neighbors............but not too close! Hate city living now even though we're all sfh. I'm on the largest lot on the block. I don't want to hear my neighbors conversations, smell their stinky cooking, etc.
The homes I've looked at have HOA's.......but very minimal restrictions. Fee basically pays for maintenance of common open space, some lighting and roads. No amenities.
10 minute drive to shopping, vet, dr's.........the usual.
20 years ago..........I would have purchased a 100 acre farm for an orchard.
In my 20's.......it was a tiny hillside house overlooking the harbor with 68 steps from the street to my front door!
Least?
Gated. I think they are immoral.
HOA. Lived with one. It was OK. But, would never again.
Outside the limits of the City & County of Denver.
Low Walk Score. Our current one is 89.
What is immoral about a gated community? It does help deter crime.
Inner cities with a lot of apartment buildings lineup for blocks. I do not like tall buildings and massive concrete with little to no green spaces. Also prefer area with little traffic in neighborhood passing thru. I have always wanted to get away from the maddening crowd when home; not feel like I am living in a shopping center.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
