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As I mentioned, my opinion is very American skewed. I grew up in Maryland, outside the DC area. I now live in Annapolis, Maryland, in a suburb. In between I li
by snide 3y ago
As I mentioned, my opinion is very American skewed.
I grew up in Maryland, outside the DC area. I now live in Annapolis, Maryland, in a suburb. In between I lived in California cities, and later in California suburb an hour and a half outside SF. There are about a dozen kids at the bus stop nearby, including my two kids. When I lived in a California suburb it was similar.
In the city I never saw kids. When I did it wasn't a good experience and they didn't look happy. I never saw them without parents, and when I did I wondered where they were.
In the suburbs I see kids without their parents all the time. They are climbing in trees or riding on bikes. I drive my pickup truck within 30 minutes all the time, for everything from general shopping to also picking up various house related things (lumber, mulch, whatever).
I've lived in places where everything was walkable, and lived in SF for 5 years without a car. I didn't care for it, for the reasons I mentioned. I love going into cities for day trips, but I prefer living around families and yards.
- angarg12 3y agoUS cities are remarkably different than European cities. I personally consider the likes of Seattle, SF or San Jose a grade A shithole. NY felt a bit better, but I can see why people consider it dehumanizing if you live in Manhattan. If you have never been abroad, I'd recommend you take a long trip to a European city and try to live like a local. If possible I'd avoid the world class metropolis that might feel a bit less homely, and target for smaller cities instead. My aim is not to change your mind about suburbs and cities, instead the experience might expand your mind and help you see why people love the lifestyle.
- snide 3y agoI've been aboard quite a lot (typically outside my country twice a year, and lived in Japan a short while), and have worked almost exclusively with Europeans the last 10 years. It's pretty much why I wrote the caveats I did in my original post. I appreciate your view, and as I mentioned I also lived in cities for quite a while, so I understand the "lifestyle". It's just not for me, and that's totally OK. Be happy I'm happy :)