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I'm a little torn. I don't remember my apartment days fondly (except during college and in Houston where apartments can be LARGE). Noise/smell/bugs from neighbo

I'm a little torn. I don't remember my apartment days fondly (except during college and in Houston where apartments can be LARGE). Noise/smell/bugs from neighbors is awful to deal with, crummy stairwells (never an elevator), fighting for a parking spot and hauling groceries was a hassle. But I dislike driving for a commute, I've done as little as 30 minutes and up to 1.5 hours of commute, it's very stressful to be constantly alert for a good chunk of your day just to get from A to B. I think I've found the best of both worlds; a house that's my family's own space, and Houston Park and Ride stations. I drive 10 minutes to the station, leave my car there and commute on a bus to my job. The stop is about 5 blocks from the building I work at, I'm relatively stress-free and I can choose to make good use of the time spent riding the bus (generally reading books, news, sports, etc.). The bus gets there at the same time I would have in spite of the stops it makes because it uses the HOV when I would be stuck in traffic on the freeway

zjaffee 8y ago
I think all of the things you mention can be addressed, it's just that cities often build apartments as a way to increase density only when it's needed rather than to think things through in a density/walkability first way. Cities can have family sized apartments, with the needed amenities in a way that's designed both for cars/walking/biking/ect.
passthefist 8y ago
> Noise/smell/bugs from neighbors is awful to deal with, crummy stairwells (never an elevator), fighting for a parking spot and hauling groceries was a hassle. That's unfortunate. One of the things I love about my apartment (Chicago) is that I've got friendly neighbors, it's well kept, there's decent parking, and I've got a deli and 2 grocery stores in walking distance. I'm a big fan of park and rides though, esp if it connects to rail. They seem like a good compromise to help alleviate congestion from a city and work to collect from lower dense areas where there's not enough density to support rail.

zjaffee 8y ago

I think all of the things you mention can be addressed, it's just that cities often build apartments as a way to increase density only when it's needed rather than to think things through in a density/walkability first way. Cities can have family sized apartments, with the needed amenities in a way that's designed both for cars/walking/biking/ect.

passthefist 8y ago

> Noise/smell/bugs from neighbors is awful to deal with, crummy stairwells (never an elevator), fighting for a parking spot and hauling groceries was a hassle. That's unfortunate. One of the things I love about my apartment (Chicago) is that I've got friendly neighbors, it's well kept, there's decent parking, and I've got a deli and 2 grocery stores in walking distance. I'm a big fan of park and rides though, esp if it connects to rail. They seem like a good compromise to help alleviate congestion from a city and work to collect from lower dense areas where there's not enough density to support rail.