Question for young adults (e.g. 22-35), without kids, who live in the suburbs.

Too many douchey people in the city who believe that address alone will make them hip?

genuine random a hole wrote:

Too many douchey people in the city who believe that address alone will make them hip?

You realize that is not the reason people live in cities, right?

Why not, the parking is nice, having your own backyard barbeque is nice. The home values soar, the shopping is convenient, it's quiet. etc etc

Quite when I want to sleep, low rent

urban elite wrote:

genuine random a hole wrote:

Too many douchey people in the city who believe that address alone will make them hip?

You realize that is not the reason people live in cities, right?

I do.

I was just pointing out (yes, it is obvious) that the OP is completely clueless.

Do you think this was an honest question by the OP? He has no idea why a young adult could live in a suburb? Really?

Proximity to job, cost of housing, better housing, proximity to school, safer neighborhood, quieter neighborhood, ability to own and park a car, proximity to rural areas, just prefer suburbs....

The list is endless and is a personal preference. I actually live in a very large city, but I guarantee you the OP is a douche that looks down his nose at someone simply because they choose not to.

I'm 50, with a wife and three kids, and we live in the suburbs. It's perfect for us. Our nextdoor neighbor fits your description, though, and it surprised me when I first met her. Then the more I thought of it the more I thought how awesome it would be.

Of course, if I was 20 years younger you couldn't pay me to live there...

I can piss off my porch, and no one can see.

Why would you live in the city?

Cost of housing is astronomical for what you get. There's no parking. Shopping is difficult, particularly grocery shopping. No backyard. Only green space is overcrowded parks. It's dirty and crowded - often smells of urine. Muggings are a real threat. Sure, you are surrounded by bars that are walking distance, but access to bars loses its novelty after the age of 25.

There is access to many great amenities in the city, but I have no problem driving into the city once a month or so to see a show, visit a nice concert, visit a museum. Paying $20 for parking in these instances is well worth the added benefit I get from living in the 'burbs. This is what makes the suburbs so perfect, easy access to the great amenities of the city without dealing with all the garbage.

I had to move to a new city on short notice when I got a job offer after finishing school. I didn't know the area at all, so it was easier to just move into a big suburban apartment complex. The city (Lancaster, PA) is mostly pretty trashy with only a few nice urban neighborhoods. I didn't want to find a place on Craigslist and then find out that I was in a bad part of town. Now that I know the area a bit better and I know where the good neighborhoods are, I will probably move into the city when my lease ends.

New to town wrote:

I had to move to a new city on short notice when I got a job offer after finishing school. I didn't know the area at all, so it was easier to just move into a big suburban apartment complex. The city (Lancaster, PA) is mostly pretty trashy with only a few nice urban neighborhoods. I didn't want to find a place on Craigslist and then find out that I was in a bad part of town. Now that I know the area a bit better and I know where the good neighborhoods are, I will probably move into the city when my lease ends.

Did you just use the words "Lancaster" and "city" in the same sentence?

Er... wrote:

I'm 50, with a wife and three kids, and we live in the suburbs. It's perfect for us. Our nextdoor neighbor fits your description, though, and it surprised me when I first met her. Then the more I thought of it the more I thought how awesome it would be.

Of course, if I was 20 years younger you couldn't pay me to live there...

proximity to your peers. not having to drive everywhere. music, bars, events.

You can live in the city w/out a car. you cannot in the 'brubs

Lyndon LaRouche wrote:

proximity to your peers. not having to drive everywhere. music, bars, events.

You can live in the city w/out a car. you cannot in the 'brubs

I have a few friends who love to proclaim how they can live without a car because they live in the city. This is all fine and dandy, until they have a wedding they need to get to, or if they want to visit family in the suburbs, or go to a concert in a different city, or go ANYWHERE that isn't downtown.

So, yes, you can live without a car in the city, if you never leave the city. Also, be prepared to be a slave to the mass transit schedule.

I've found that most people that I know that live in the city without a car do so because they couldn't afford to keep a car (cost of parking, cost of car, all money goes towards rent), not because they don't want one.

Access to trails. I had a choice between living in SF close to work or in a location where I have some of the best trail running in the country practically out of my front door.

You get to the point where you just tired of feeling like you are surrounded by people 24/7.

In my 20s, the city scene was great but it gets old having to haul groceries up 3 flights of stairs to a 3rd story condo, buy club the car so it doesn't get stolen (because when was the last time anyone flinched when they heard a car alarm?), and not have any green space of your own.

Living around 5 miles from the city which is easily bikeable is great and now instead of sidewalks, we've got incredible trails right out the door.

megalopolis wrote:

Did you just use the words "Lancaster" and "city" in the same sentence?

It's not really a subjective thing. The City of Lancaster is a political subdivision. You can feel free to call it a borough or a township instead, but you'll be wrong.

extra long wrote:

Why?

1. I like privacy.

2. I grew up in a small town and that's what I'm used to.

3. Why not? I can drive into the city in 20 minutes and experience everything that people living downtown can. If I'm really living it up I can take the bus in for a few bucks and take a cab home for 20.

4. Better running (parks, bike paths, etc.)

5. Lower crime rate.

6. Nicer and more modern housing. Less run down than the city, I've found.

New to town wrote:

megalopolis wrote:

Did you just use the words "Lancaster" and "city" in the same sentence?

It's not really a subjective thing. The City of Lancaster is a political subdivision. You can feel free to call it a borough or a township instead, but you'll be wrong.

There is a political definition of the word and a functional definition of the word.

jyhj wrote:

I have a few friends who love to proclaim how they can live without a car because they live in the city. This is all fine and dandy, until they have a wedding they need to get to, or if they want to visit family in the suburbs, or go to a concert in a different city, or go ANYWHERE that isn't downtown.

No. You can live miles from downtown in NYC and still have perfectly good access to transit. And when you need a car to leave town, you can just get a rental for a few days.

megalopolis wrote:

New to town wrote:

It's not really a subjective thing. The City of Lancaster is a political subdivision. You can feel free to call it a borough or a township instead, but you'll be wrong.

There is a political definition of the word and a functional definition of the word.

Lancaster, PA has over 500,000 people. That is a city.