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Technically, when my family moved, we stayed within the city (Brooklyn to Staten Island). However, Staten Island obviously has more suburban character than Brooklyn.
In any case, the main reason we moved was because we could get more value for our money. We could get a relatively large home for a similar price as we were paying for 2 one-bedroom apartments (it was my immediate family and my grandmother who moved), and the schools were better in Staten Island. The public transportation isn't as good here, but we felt the pros outweighed the cons.
But that being said, Staten Island is only considered "suburban" because it's NYC. If it were anywhere else in the country, it would be considered urban. The census tract I live in has a density of over 11,000 people per square mile, and that's including wetlands that take up the western portion of the area.
I've gotten into a debate with other posters on the cities and suburbs about this topic. My question:
1. Did you move to the suburbs because of the city issues, or because you just wanted to live in the suburbs?
Great question. Definitely both.
Quote:
2. What are the issues you have with the city?
Crime, filthiness, pollution, hoodrats, "nightlife" folk, congestion, materialism, etc.
Quote:
3. If the city fixed their issues, would you move back to the city?
No way. I LOVE the suburbs and having my own house. I love the space, the openness, the cleanness, the peace, the quiet, the air, the people, etc. The suburbs are really what I want and like for myself and my family. I know alot of city and small town people don't understand why anyone would like the suburbs. I have heard constant criticism from both sides of the coin about how bad the suburbs are. When you've struggled as much as me and my family has living from this place to place - city to city - ending up in places from the ghetto to rural towns and still not making it, the suburbs represent stability. In more ways to than one. Somewhere safe, quiet, and peaceful that I can call home. I know alot of people believe the suburbs are some boring bland culture-less homogenous place but to someone like me that comes from a family of financial instability half my whole life it means a whole lot more. I don't need the clutter and congestion of city life and the too isolated culture of small towns. The suburbs is the perfect mix of what I like and need.
I've gotten into a debate with other posters on the cities and suburbs about this topic. My question:
1. Did you move to the suburbs because of the city issues, or because you just wanted to live in the suburbs?
2. What are the issues you have with the city?
3. If the city fixed their issues, would you move back to the city?
Discuss
City-dwellers were excluded from this discussion (why?) but I'm chiming in based on past experience.
1. During the school year I grew up in two suburbs, both connected to the nearby city by rail. We were there because that was home for my mom, and it's really the only place my dad can get work in his field. My mom's dad was your classic example of a WW2 Veteran who traded a small apartment in the city for a Levitt house in a former potato field via the GI Bill.
I spent most breaks with my dad's folks in a different city, and now live a few blocks away from where they lived for 60 years. I chose the city because of the lower housing cost, plentiful transit/walking/biking options, parks, and entertainment options. This neighborhood feels like home because it is.
2. For many posters on here, it's a lot easier to think in terms of pro or anti, as if cities and suburbs were two football teams or political candidates. So even though I live in the city it is possible to have issues with it, right? I'm no cheerleader. My main issues with my city are lazy cops (3/4 of whom live in the suburbs, btw), the effects of multi-generational poverty and quality of life issues (illegal dumping, poor maintenance of city assets, etc). I'd also like to see fewer predatory businesses (liquor store/ check cashing combos, payday loans, etc) and better solutions for drug addicts (hard when so many police are complicit or even faciliting to drug dealers). I have found though that through hard work (and focus!) community organizations and elected officials can effectuate real change in challenging situations.
3. "Fix its issues" is too simple to address. There is no magic wand.
City-dwellers were excluded from this discussion (why?) but I'm chiming in based on past experience.
1. During the school year I grew up in two suburbs, both connected to the nearby city by rail. We were there because that was home for my mom, and it's really the only place my dad can get work in his field. My mom's dad was your classic example of a WW2 Veteran who traded a small apartment in the city for a Levitt house in a former potato field via the GI Bill.
I spent most breaks with my dad's folks in a different city, and now live a few blocks away from where they lived for 60 years. I chose the city because of the lower housing cost, plentiful transit/walking/biking options, parks, and entertainment options. This neighborhood feels like home because it is.
2. For many posters on here, it's a lot easier to think in terms of pro or anti, as if cities and suburbs were two football teams or political candidates. So even though I live in the city it is possible to have issues with it, right? I'm no cheerleader. My main issues with my city are lazy cops (3/4 of whom live in the suburbs, btw), the effects of multi-generational poverty and quality of life issues (illegal dumping, poor maintenance of city assets, etc). I'd also like to see fewer predatory businesses (liquor store/ check cashing combos, payday loans, etc) and better solutions for drug addicts (hard when so many police are complicit or even faciliting to drug dealers). I have found though that through hard work (and focus!) community organizations and elected officials can effectuate real change in challenging situations.
3. "Fix its issues" is too simple to address. There is no magic wand.
1. The reason this question was asked to suburbanites was because another poster in another thread implied if you fix alot of the issues in the city more people would choose the city. City-dwellers can respond if they want to.
2. I understand that fixing the issues is simplistic (we can spend months debating that issue), my point was if you moved from the city to the suburbs because of the issues you had with the city, would you move back if they fixed them.
I'm want to add a question to the original post. For the city dwellers, why didn't you move? We always hear suburbanites move because of issues they have with city, what made you stay? I know this is a vague question, just work with me here.
Last edited by nei; 12-23-2011 at 07:55 AM..
Reason: typo
Initially I moved from the city because of taxes. Philadelphia has a high city tax and if you don't work in the city why live there and pay it. I prefer an urban lifestyle but there are few cities that have not become functionally suburbs where you are car dependent
Technically, when my family moved, we stayed within the city (Brooklyn to Staten Island). However, Staten Island obviously has more suburban character than Brooklyn.
In any case, the main reason we moved was because we could get more value for our money. We could get a relatively large home for a similar price as we were paying for 2 one-bedroom apartments (it was my immediate family and my grandmother who moved), and the schools were better in Staten Island. The public transportation isn't as good here, but we felt the pros outweighed the cons.
Well, if the main reason you moved to a more suburban neighborhood was because of housing costs then fixing the city would not help. The solution would be to make the city a less desirable place to live in and then real estate values and rent would decrease.
Anyone have any suggestions? Ugly factories in residential neighborhoods might work, maybe an elevated freeway. Either of these would take up too much space and remove housing supply, potentially raising housing costs in a dense area.
City-dwellers were excluded from this discussion (why?) but I'm chiming in based on past experience.
I think it would be interesting if city dwellers answered the question in reverse. In other words: If the suburbs fixed their issues, would you move out to them?
As for the original question, the answer is "no, I like living out here in the burbs." I lived in a few cities when I was in my 20s. It was fun back then, but now I love living out here. Sure, crime and schools are issues that people often cite for why they moved out of DC but changing things like that wouldn't lure me back to the city. Density no longer appeals to me, and I feel like I can breathe out here. I like having a yard and a big garden, knowing all my neighbors, having a kayak launch down the street, and just the general park-like feeling of being out where I live.
I think it would be interesting if city dwellers answered the question in reverse. In other words: If the suburbs fixed their issues, would you move out to them?
As for the original question, the answer is "no, I like living out here in the burbs." I lived in a few cities when I was in my 20s. It was fun back then, but now I love living out here. Sure, crime and schools are issues that people often cite for why they moved out of DC but changing things like that wouldn't lure me back to the city. Density no longer appeals to me, and I feel like I can breathe out here. I like having a yard and a big garden, knowing all my neighbors, having a kayak launch down the street, and just the general park-like feeling of being out where I live.
I highly doubt city dwellers would move to the suburbs regardless if the suburbs fixed their issues.
I highly doubt city dwellers would move to the suburbs regardless if the suburbs fixed their issues.
Exactly. In fact, they would probably find the question laughable because no matter what changed in the nearby suburb, they'd still like living in the city. They live in cities because they like living in them.
And the same is true of most suburbanites. Most of us live in the burbs because we like living in them. It really wouldn't matter what changed in the nearby city, we'd still like living in the burbs.
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