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I live in a city and frankly it isn't everyone's cup of tea.
I never said it was — in fact, I acknowledged that it was a minority preference, at least among Americans (I wonder what a survey of Hong Kongers would reveal).
But neither are small-town or rural life. In fact, one might say that the reason the suburbs are such contested territory is because they are full of people for whom one of the following two statements are true:
They enjoy city life but don't want to live so close to their neighbors (or want a patch of grass to call their own)
They would rather live in the country, but the jobs aren't there — they're in the cities
The latter group are fine with Auto Age suburbia as it has evolved (for the most part). The former group includes many of the suburban discontents, since Auto Age suburbia as it has evolved has scrubbed itself clean of just about all urbanity (and a lot of what you see happening in a number of suburbs and edge cities are efforts to retrofit some urbanity onto these urbanscapes).
I do realize that there's a third group who want to live neither in the city nor the country. They're the most contented with Auto Age suburbia as it has evolved. However, if you were to divide them according to the Manichean division of land into either urban or rural, with no gray areas, then these people are urbanites too, whether or not they care to admit it.
I do, however, think that all of us should be less dismissive, judgemental or insulting towards those who do not share our own preferences. And yes, I see this across the urban-suburban-rural spectrum.
The lack of noise control has to do with how homes are built in North America.
Oh, I agree to some extent, but I've seen a ton of noise complaints about buildings in England and yes, Germany too, on various message boards. It was awhile ago, but I think someone in Germany replied that people there aren't as "noise-conscious" as many Americans are, i.e., that they expect their neighbors to play loud music, etc. and so it doesn't bother them. It may be a cultural thing, but neighbor noise (pounding bass, in particular) was what made me move from my last house on about 1/4 acre to this one, where I am hundreds of feet away from my side neighbors and we have tall trees all around the perimeter of our houses.
And some of us just like having some LAND!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ketchikanite
I feel sorry for people that live in these dense urban cesspools. That’s no way to live life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donnerwetter
Millions of people disagree with you. I love dense cities, because of their coziness and the ability to walk/cycle everywhere including the parks and other open spaces inside or outside the city.
Donnerwetter, I agree with you there, and certainly not all urban areas are "dense urban cesspools"! I think I could have happily lived in a dense area (like NYC or San Francisco) when I was in my 20s. Now, though, I value peace and quiet above almost everything else in terms of my living situation, so a dense urban neighborhood would likely be a nightmare for me.
My small New England town isn't what you'd call urban, but we still have a small public bus system ($1 for seniors) and other services. I like it.
Oh, I agree to some extent, but I've seen a ton of noise complaints about buildings in England and yes, Germany too, on various message boards. It was awhile ago, but I think someone in Germany replied that people there aren't as "noise-conscious" as many Americans are, i.e., that they expect their neighbors to play loud music, etc. and so it doesn't bother them. It may be a cultural thing, but neighbor noise (pounding bass, in particular) was what made me move from my last house on about 1/4 acre to this one, where I am hundreds of feet away from my side neighbors and we have tall trees all around the perimeter of our houses.
And some of us just like having some LAND!
Donnerwetter, I agree with you there, and certainly not all urban areas are "dense urban cesspools"! I think I could have happily lived in a dense area (like NYC or San Francisco) when I was in my 20s. Now, though, I value peace and quiet above almost everything else in terms of my living situation, so a dense urban neighborhood would likely be a nightmare for me.
My small New England town isn't what you'd call urban, but we still have a small public bus system ($1 for seniors) and other services. I like it.
Well I don't know about England (I was there only once), but I would be careful what people post on various message boards. Here in Germany neighbor noise is illegal, especially after 10 pm. People here don't hesitate to call the police about the slightest noise disturbance, although that probably also depends on the neighborhood and house and the people that live there. The neighborhood and house I live in is generally very quiet and you hardly hear anything, even with the windows open. A few times a year someone throws a party somewhere on the weekend and I don't mind. However, you should know that we have much higher densities here (Cologne) than in Lancaster or Reading. And I think the medium-sized cities regardless of their densities tend to be less noisy in general. And this was part of the reason why I created this thread in order to show that high density doesn't necessarily have to be a big bustling city.
This thread is about compact medium-sized cities. I am going to provide some examples of compact medium-sized cities in order to show, that compact cities don't have to be big cities.
Maybe someone can add more interesting information about these places.
[u]I hope it is realized these cities also have suburbsn areas surrounding them. Also ethnicity has changed last decades. De-industrialization hit 2 of them hard. Allentown/Bethehem being Steel producers that built NYC and the Eastern US.
Statistics from neighborhoodscout.com.
Demographics of Reading PA - 67% Hispanic/Latino, 24% European White 9.4%, Black/African-American
Allentown PA - 54.3% Hispanic/Latino, 31% European White 9.7, Black/African-American
Lancaster PA - 38.9% Hispanic/Latino, 38.8% European White 12.8%, Black/African-American
My sister-in-law was raised in Northampton a small community outside of Allentown surrounded by suburbia.
My Brother and and his future wife both went to the same State College and each parents paid for their college. Her's were more well off than my brother's. Her family being strict Catholic of Ukrainian heritage, had them save and establish his career before marriage. Both saving and buying Pennsylvania House furniture one piece at a time known for its traditional quality Cherry wood craftsmanship one by one. In a few years they married and bought on this street their suburban home with a inground swimming pool and raising 3 children. The two oldest of them are currently touring Europe with one already in Penn State University main campus hard to get into on his road to a career and other two in high school.
This is their block they live as a traditional suburban cul de sac with a ton of shopping outside of it with a dying mall too. A area that overlooks the city of Allentown. They are also near Northampton where the grandparents live in the above city. My brothers parents and mine have passed.
Allentown the main city was the poster-child of "American Urban de-industrialization". Bethehem/Allentown were where so much of the Eastern American Steel was made that built NYC for example and Philadelphia. By the 80s it was way past its heyday with mills closing and the core city declining. It became the haven for the new wave of immigrants as Hispanic from south of the US border thru to South America. Today Allentown has a high Hispanic population and Reading even higher where Spanish is commonly spoken. The city still did not decline as areas of our larger cities. Allentown was able to diversify in the Medical fields. The city remsins poorer with vibrant suburbia with industry not steel. Within subufbia are many small older cities. Every even small American city has suburbia. Not merely laege metros. This is "American Cultural". High in home ownership.
In the early 80s a Billy Joel had hit songs and did one on Allentown saying a place where they are closing all the factories down as it was America where suburbs still grew but main cities declined and manufacturing moved to Asia.
[u]I hope it is realized these cities also have suburbsn areas surrounding them. Also ethnicity has changed last decades. De-industrialization hit 2 of them hard. Allentown/Bethehem being Steel producers that built NYC and the Eastern US.
Statistics from neighborhoodscout.com.
Demographics of Reading PA - 67% Hispanic/Latino, 24% European White 9.4%, Black/African-American
Allentown PA - 54.3% Hispanic/Latino, 31% European White 9.7, Black/African-American
Lancaster PA - 38.9% Hispanic/Latino, 38.8% European White 12.8%, Black/African-American
My sister-in-law was raised in Northampton a small community outside of Allentown surrounded by suburbia.
My Brother and and his future wife both went to the same State College and each parents paid for their college. Her's were more well off than my brother's. Her family being strict Catholic of Ukrainian heritage, had them save and establish his career before marriage. Both saving and buying Pennsylvania House furniture one piece at a time known for its traditional quality Cherry wood craftsmanship one by one. In a few years they married and bought on this street their suburban home with a inground swimming pool and raising 3 children. The two oldest of them are currently touring Europe with one already in Penn State University main campus hard to get into on his road to a career and other two in high school.
This is their block they live as a traditional suburban cul de sac with a ton of shopping outside of it with a dying mall too. A area that overlooks the city of Allentown. They are also near Northampton where the grandparents live in the above city. My brothers parents and mine have passed.
Allentown the main city was the poster-child of "American Urban de-industrialization". Bethehem/Allentown were where so much of the Eastern American Steel was made that built NYC for example and Philadelphia. By the 80s it was way past its heyday with mills closing and the core city declining. It became the haven for the new wave of immigrants as Hispanic from south of the US border thru to South America. Today Allentown has a high Hispanic population and Reading even higher where Spanish is commonly spoken. The city still did not decline as areas of our larger cities. Allentown was able to diversify in the Medical fields. The city remsins poorer with vibrant suburbia with industry not steel. Within subufbia are many small older cities. Every even small American city has suburbia. Not merely laege metros. This is "American Cultural". High in home ownership.
In the early 80s a Billy Joel had hit songs and did one on Allentown saying a place where they are closing all the factories down as it was America where suburbs still grew but main cities declined and manufacturing moved to Asia.
Not sure what your point is. A better understanding of America I believe you need. These older dense cities are all over America. Especially in the Eastern US and Midwest. Seemed you feel only large cities have suburbia sprawl.
I feel sorry for people that live in these dense urban cesspools. That’s no way to live life.
Living in a cesspool, whether rural, suburban, or urban is generally no way to live life. You need to reconsider what you're doing if you're actively choosing to live in a cesspool.
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