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My wife and I bought a house in pre-car suburb that was exactly what we wanted: dense, public transit, lots of places to go on foot (doctor, library, municipal

My wife and I bought a house in pre-car suburb that was exactly what we wanted: dense, public transit, lots of places to go on foot (doctor, library, municipal building, 3 separate shopping districts, hardware/general store, dozen parks and playgrounds, &c). We wanted a good school, but weren't willing to sacrifice our way of life, and we found, I think, the perfect spot. (We love our neighbors too, but didn't know that until after we moved in). When we looked at places I gave an immediate veto if there wasn't a sidewalk or if there wasn't a trolley stop a within 10min - 15 min walk, or a bus within 5min. Our elementary school is an 8min walk, the middle and high schools are about 20min. We only drive when public transit would more than double the amount of time it would take or if we need to go where there isn't transit. My wife will also drive for the large grocery runs each month, but the week-to-week is put in the stroller and carried home. We enjoy this. Cars drive us nuts, not to mention the hassle of parking.

cbcoutinho 9y ago
Where is this? In the states, suburbs were dreamed up along with the assumption of having a car - so the idea of a 'non-car' suburb is pretty foreign to me
- jimktrains2 9y ago
  Just south of Pittsburgh in the Mt Lebanon and Dormont area. My area was built up in Tue 1920s before having a car, let lone multiple cars for a family was a given. I'm not sure what you'd call this if not a suburb. The exurban areas are the ones from the 50s on that are nothing but houses arranged in the worst way possible. Honestly, a lot of the first and second ring suburbs are like this. The Mon Valley (suburbs and towns along one of our rivers to the south east) is set up like this, but has been decimated by the loss of industry. (Mt Lebanon is a township so part of it does go down the super low density route, but not the older sections.)

cbcoutinho 9y ago

Where is this? In the states, suburbs were dreamed up along with the assumption of having a car - so the idea of a 'non-car' suburb is pretty foreign to me

jimktrains2 9y ago
Just south of Pittsburgh in the Mt Lebanon and Dormont area. My area was built up in Tue 1920s before having a car, let lone multiple cars for a family was a given. I'm not sure what you'd call this if not a suburb. The exurban areas are the ones from the 50s on that are nothing but houses arranged in the worst way possible. Honestly, a lot of the first and second ring suburbs are like this. The Mon Valley (suburbs and towns along one of our rivers to the south east) is set up like this, but has been decimated by the loss of industry. (Mt Lebanon is a township so part of it does go down the super low density route, but not the older sections.)