Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Plenty of inexpensive housing here in the city. Mine would be at least double in the suburbs, because of the schools. Probably be cheaper to do private, in that case.
Also, read the other responses. You missed how we got to this point. Not many are going to tell you that city schools are better than their suburban counterparts. I'm not going to tell you that. It is an obvious shortcoming of which most city-dwellers are aware. You asked to defend, so I did - 4 of the top 20 public schools in my state are in my city, according to US News. So, hooray.
I want you tell me what am I supposed to do if I can't get into the the public schools in the city?
Same question, what if I can't afford private or catholic schools. Tell me why the city is better if I can't afford these options?
Here's the math.
Say my house cost 100k. In the near suburbs the same house would be around 220k.
So that's 120k saved. $10k/year for four years of parochial education (if your kid is too much of a dunce to get into the good public high schools, that is) = $80k savings. Not bad.
It would depend on the city, the area of the city, and the specific school. Needless to say, in some areas of some cities, it would not be a better option given that set of circumstances. However, there may be two issues getting intermingled here.
Good suburban schools aren't good because their students are housed in suburban housing stock. That's a concurrent fact, not a causal factor.
Say my house cost 100k. In the near suburbs the same house would be around 220k.
So that's 120k saved. $10k/year for four years of parochial education (if your kid is too much of a dunce to get into the good public high schools, that is) = $80k savings. Not bad.
Again, you are not answering my question. Defend the public school system in the city, IF IT IS NOT AN OPTION to go to a catholic or private school system? You keep trying to to come up up with different situations. I grew up in the city, my parents were lucky to be able to afford to send me to a catholic school. IF THAT WAS NOT AN OPTION, I would have moved to the suburbs. For pro-city people, I cant afford pprivate or catholic schools. DEFEND THE CITY, if the suburbs offer better educational opportunites in the suburbs than the city.
I want pro-city people to defend the city when the suburbs might possibly offer me better educational opportunites that the city can't offer me. I can't afford private or public schools. My kids may not get into a magnet or charter schools. So tell me why the city is so much better than the suburbs if this is my situation. On these forums all I hear is how the suburbs are a horrible place to live, so I want pro-city people to defend the city and their public schools system. Don't tell me about white flight or any other excuse, I want you to tell me SPECIFIALLY, why the city is so much better in my situation that I am presenting to you.
You keep asking people to defend a straw man. There are many reasons to prefer city living, but any reasonable urbanite will acknowledge that public schools in large cities are often sub-par. Not always, but often. Clearly, if you cannot find acceptable schools in your central city, you are better off moving somewhere else (the suburbs?) where you can find acceptable schools. Let me repeat. SOME PEOPLE MAY BE BETTER OFF NOT LIVING IN THE CITY. SOME PEOPLE MAY BE BETTER OFF LIVING IN THE SUBURBS DEPENDING ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
You're setting up an impossible-to-defend scenario and asking people to defend it. Why do you expect people to answer a question when you have proposed a no-win scenario?
I am 20 something, single and enjoy frequently going to restaurants, bars, museums, clubs, art galleries, and poetry readings. I cannot drive due to a medical condition. I do not enjoy yard work. I work for a corporate law firm which is headquartered in the heart of a large, urban city. I want pro-suburb people to defend the suburbs when the city might possibly offer me better entertainment and job opportunities that the suburbs can't offer me. I can't afford lawn care or a chauffeur. So tell me why the suburbs are so much better than the city if this is my situation. DEFEND THE SUBURBS.
It would depend on the city, the area of the city, and the specific school. Needless to say, in some areas of some cities, it would not be a better option given that set of circumstances. However, there may be two issues getting intermingled here.
Good suburban schools aren't good because their students are housed in suburban housing stock. That's a concurrent fact, not a causal factor.
This is my point, when people hate on the suburbs, they never talk about the school system. All I hear is the suburbs are terrible, and the city is so great. I never hear people defend the public school system. I want pro-city to realize that the suburbs is a good place to live. There are plenty of reasons why people love the suburbs. The school system is ones of them. There are alot of positives to living in the city. There are also plenty of positves to living in the suburbs. There are people who just like living in the suburbs. I just hate when people just come on to the message boards and bash the suburbs. I just came up with this question just to make a point that the city may not be what it is cracked up to be. The city has its flaws and that some people will choose the suburbs because of the cities flaws. Its not a bad thing, there are just people who prefer a certain style of living. Just to let you know, if you attack the suburbs, you better make sure you can defend the city and all its flaws.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
