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I think that this is mostly a function of age. As you get older, you're less enthralled by noisy bars, mediocre entertainment and trashy behavior. And then, there's also the factor of enjoying a nice green lawn, and a good, uninterrupted night's sleep...
But I do understand that some prefer the reverse..
I think that this is mostly a function of age. As you get older, you're less enthralled by noisy bars, mediocre entertainment and trashy behavior. And then, there's also the factor of enjoying a nice green lawn, and a good, uninterrupted night's sleep...
I understand it too, but again, you can have that in some cities. Yes they aren't going to be McMansions on a 1 acre yard, but you can DEFINITELY have that. Maybe not in Boston or even Philadelphia, but it exists in Chicago and Los Angeles for sure. The draw is that the suburbs are cheaper all around on average.
I understand it too, but again, you can have that in some cities. Yes they aren't going to be McMansions on a 1 acre yard, but you can DEFINITELY have that. Maybe not in Boston or even Philadelphia, but it exists in Chicago and Los Angeles for sure. The draw is that the suburbs are cheaper all around on average.
Yes, you can have this in many cities and to me represents the best of both Worlds-the accessibility of the city with more space to live and grow things like in a more rural area. The suburbs represent the worst of both Worlds to me-the limited space/high density/traffic like a city with the inaccessibility of a rural area.
I grew up in Mount Airy, Philadelphia where my parents still live. It is a diverse city neighborhood but in many ways functions more as a small town. There is a downtown with most of the rest of the neighborhood residential. It is also surrounded by The Wissahickon Park and Gorge. They have a 6 BR home with 2 porches and a deck, a driveway and nice size back yard with a smaller front and side yard. There are even bigger houses with larger yards throughout this neighborhood and even moreso in Chestnut Hill and East Falls. It has also always been affordable. Within the past decade or so home prices have increased 100%+, so from what I can tell many agree with me that areas like these are the best of both Worlds.
They are also within walking distance to nearly any convenience and live on the same block as a train that can get them to Downtown Philly in 20 Minutes or even New York City (transferring in Trenton) in about 3 Hours door to door.
Yes, you can have this in many cities and to me represents the best of both Worlds-the accessibility of the city with more space to live and grow things like in a more rural area. The suburbs represent the worst of both Worlds to me-the limited space/high density/traffic like a city with the inaccessibility of a rural area. .
What you are describing sounds more like urban sprawl as opposed to suburban life. Despite being in NY Metro, my town is 2 acre zoning, serene and without a traffic light (except for Route 7- a surface road). Traffic is non-existent. Chain stores are prohibited by zoning regs and most shopping and dining is conducted downtown around our town green.
See its a question of extremes that I don't understand. Why is it that when you move to the city, you must live in a highrise tenement with noisy neighbors and a bar on the corner playing loud music until 4am, and thats great because everyone in their 20s has no responsibility and likes to get hammered every night. Then when we hit 35 we need to have a 4br house for Jessica and Robert and a nice big yard for Poopypaws and a two car garage. Oh, and a porch with a hot tub. All the other guys in the office are getting hot tubs and I need one too, so that means I have to get one of those nice new plastic boxes out in Shady Leaf Acres.
I mean, what the hell? Why do people assume this is the only paradigm that people could live under? More importantly, why do so many Americans assume these are the only two kinds of built environments that exist?
What you are describing sounds more like urban sprawl as opposed to suburban life. Despite being in NY Metro, my town is 2 acre zoning, serene and without a traffic light (except for Route 7- a surface road). Traffic is non-existent. Chain stores are prohibited by zoning regs and most shopping and dining is conducted downtown around our town green.
No, it wouldn't be urban sprawl. I was describing neighborhoods in Northwest Philly, which were consolidated into the city in the 1850's but existed as separate entities beforehand. Which is why the neighborhoods in that part of the city really function more as small towns-because at one point they were.
NYC, Boston, Philly, etc all also have great walkable suburbs that function more as small towns with pt accessibility to the city proper, which would be more like my best of both worlds scenario but the rest of the country seems to have the worst of both worlds type of suburbs and they exist on the East Coast too.
I understand it too, but again, you can have that in some cities. Yes they aren't going to be McMansions on a 1 acre yard, but you can DEFINITELY have that. Maybe not in Boston or even Philadelphia, but it exists in Chicago and Los Angeles for sure. The draw is that the suburbs are cheaper all around on average.
You can have it in Boston's outer core, which consists of part of Boston like Jamaica Plain and Brighton, and bordering cities of Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville. We live on the Cambridge/Somerville line on a quiet one-way street, the only cars driving on our one-block street are generally residents. We are 2 block from a major square yet we can not hear it at all. I actually end up noticing all of the noise when we visit friends in the suburbs.
As for ourgrowing city life - I think its more like outgrowing your condo and running out of space. Many empty nested baby boomers are moving INTO cities.
See its a question of extremes that I don't understand. Why is it that when you move to the city, you must live in a highrise tenement with noisy neighbors and a bar on the corner playing loud music until 4am, and thats great because everyone in their 20s has no responsibility and likes to get hammered every night. Then when we hit 35 we need to have a 4br house for Jessica and Robert and a nice big yard for Poopypaws and a two car garage. Oh, and a porch with a hot tub. All the other guys in the office are getting hot tubs and I need one too, so that means I have to get one of those nice new plastic boxes out in Shady Leaf Acres.
I mean, what the hell? Why do people assume this is the only paradigm that people could live under? More importantly, why do so many Americans assume these are the only two kinds of built environments that exist?
Well, in today's world, it's more likely to be Lauren and Zach, and they probably live on Finely-Manicured Hedgway Road in Perfect Suburbia, USA...
A third built environment would probably be the streetcar suburb, filled with homes built between the two world wars..
No, it wouldn't be urban sprawl. I was describing neighborhoods in Northwest Philly, which were consolidated into the city in the 1850's but existed as separate entities beforehand. Which is why the neighborhoods in that part of the city really function more as small towns-because at one point they were.
Yep, that's like parts of Chicago. Andersonville is a good example. I could knock you out, blindfold you and drop you off there and you'd have no idea you were in the 3rd largest city in the US. The train doesn't go directly through it (some major bus routes do too), but it's only a few blocks away (maybe a 10 minute walk). It's just like a cool, small town with a ton to do.
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