3 ms·

Suburbs are a bad design compromise, like an weird all-in-one tool that tries to do 10 things and ends up doing nothing well. The dream was to combine the conve

Suburbs are a bad design compromise, like an weird all-in-one tool that tries to do 10 things and ends up doing nothing well. The dream was to combine the convenience, excitement and diversity of cities with a relaxed, nature-centric country living. The result unfortunately combined the worst of both - mind-numbing conformity and boredom, isolated unwalkable neighbourhoods and hardly a drop of much nature anywhere. I present Markham, a very typical suburb (exurbs are even worse) of Toronto: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Markham-suburbs.id.jpg.jpg/400px-Markham-suburbs.id.jpg.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Mar... As with other things, I'd take the UNIX philosophy here - small, powerful, well-designed tools that can be combined. I'd take a small apartment in the downtown and a small cottage in the middle of nowhere rather than one of the houses above.

anamax 18y ago
> As with other things, I'd take the UNIX philosophy here - small, powerful, well-designed tools that can be combined. I'd take a small apartment in the downtown and a small cottage in the middle of nowhere rather than one of the houses above. Feel free - suburb folks aren't going to criticise your preferences. However, many folks can't afford both of those things.
- martythemaniak 18y ago
  A friend of mine's parents lived in the neighbourhood in that picture and they recently sold their house for close to $400000, which can certainly afford you both a decent apartment and a small place in the woods.
  - gravitycop 18y ago
    $400000 [...] can [...] afford you both a decent apartment and a small place in the woods. $400,000 for an apartment alone would be pretty cheap in New York City. http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/01/30/new-york-city-real-estate-in-dramatic-slowdown-new-report-says http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/01/30/new-york-city-r... From the first quarter, the average price of condos and co-ops fell 11.5%, hitting $1.37 million in the fourth quarter. The median price for condos and co-ops meanwhile, peaked in the second quarter at $920,000 before plunging 17.8% to $757,000 in the fourth quarter.

anamax 18y ago

> As with other things, I'd take the UNIX philosophy here - small, powerful, well-designed tools that can be combined. I'd take a small apartment in the downtown and a small cottage in the middle of nowhere rather than one of the houses above. Feel free - suburb folks aren't going to criticise your preferences. However, many folks can't afford both of those things.

martythemaniak 18y ago
A friend of mine's parents lived in the neighbourhood in that picture and they recently sold their house for close to $400000, which can certainly afford you both a decent apartment and a small place in the woods.
- gravitycop 18y ago
  $400000 [...] can [...] afford you both a decent apartment and a small place in the woods. $400,000 for an apartment alone would be pretty cheap in New York City. http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/01/30/new-york-city-real-estate-in-dramatic-slowdown-new-report-says http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/01/30/new-york-city-r... From the first quarter, the average price of condos and co-ops fell 11.5%, hitting $1.37 million in the fourth quarter. The median price for condos and co-ops meanwhile, peaked in the second quarter at $920,000 before plunging 17.8% to $757,000 in the fourth quarter.