Is suburban living considered a failure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the dream for most.

No. Definitely not.

The idea of being forced to drive everywhere, traffic jams, rage in the parking lots, rage on the sidelines of playing fields, rage in lines, racism, HOAs, severing social ties, monotony, etc makes me physically ill.

The parts of my life that would improve by moving to the suburbs are the parts of my life that I wish I could cut out (access to shopping malls, shorter commutes for insane kid's sports, car dealerships).

I used to think like this too.

Our situation is actually the opposite but I realize it's not like that everywhere. It seems like you're making assumptions off of watching Modern Family and maybe some adult siblings you watch from afar.

I grew up in the suburbs and I can't understand why anyone would want to sit in all that traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The great majority of Americans live in the suburbs. Rich, poor, middle class.

What are you trying to imply? A lot of DC is quite suburban-like in vibes and in other cities higher density areas exist in the suburbs while lower density areas exist inside the city limits (like NYC).

I think this thread is a direct response to the "Is living in a condo considered a failure?" thread from earlier in the week

Of course it is not a failure but people like to get competitive about this stuff and likely the same people who claimed living in a condo is a failure will be quite defensive about the idea that living in the suburbs could be a failure

None of this is "a failure"

Not all suburbs are a disaster. Some of the Maryland ones are quite nice. The Virginia ones should be razed though.

Op here. That is exactly what it was. I didn’t expect so many passionate responses so fast. Funny how that worked out.

No one is defensive, they are just saying your universal assumption is incorrect. You call living in a suburb is a failure. People are saying it is not because they live in suburbs and have not failed. They may have failed to live up to your socialist collective ideology. That isn't a failure, that is a not living to your preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The great majority of Americans live in the suburbs. Rich, poor, middle class.

What are you trying to imply? A lot of DC is quite suburban-like in vibes and in other cities higher density areas exist in the suburbs while lower density areas exist inside the city limits (like NYC).

I think this thread is a direct response to the "Is living in a condo considered a failure?" thread from earlier in the week

Of course it is not a failure but people like to get competitive about this stuff and likely the same people who claimed living in a condo is a failure will be quite defensive about the idea that living in the suburbs could be a failure

None of this is "a failure"

Op here. That is exactly what it was. I didn’t expect so many passionate responses so fast. Funny how that worked out.

No one is defensive, they are just saying your universal assumption is incorrect. You call living in a suburb is a failure. People are saying it is not because they live in suburbs and have not failed. They may have failed to live up to your socialist collective ideology. That isn't a failure, that is a not living to your preferences.

Not all suburbs are a disaster. Some of the Maryland ones are quite nice. The Virginia ones should be razed though.

[Anonymous]

Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

A) this is DCUM, pleading in the grossest crassest way for validation while others cruelly mock you is the point of the site.

B) even off the internet, this is something that people get very worked up about. a lot of people have very angry feelings about cities, and it's all wrapped up in class, education and car culture. People can and do write fascinating books on all this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

A) this is DCUM, pleading in the grossest crassest way for validation while others cruelly mock you is the point of the site.

B) even off the internet, this is something that people get very worked up about. a lot of people have very angry feelings about cities, and it's all wrapped up in class, education and car culture. People can and do write fascinating books on all this.

No the OP or the discussion he is encouraging here is characteristic of this site, where usually, people have discussions about the complexities of life and try to provide solutions. Yes, many are affluent, but so what? That isn't a problem. The starts out with an insult as a pretext and just wants people to say yes thank you we know the extent of our wrongs.

In real life no one gets worked about cites except the people who insist everyone should live in a city. The rest of us are not hand wringing over the choice of where to live--we just pick where we want to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The great majority of Americans live in the suburbs. Rich, poor, middle class.

What are you trying to imply? A lot of DC is quite suburban-like in vibes and in other cities higher density areas exist in the suburbs while lower density areas exist inside the city limits (like NYC).

I think this thread is a direct response to the "Is living in a condo considered a failure?" thread from earlier in the week

Of course it is not a failure but people like to get competitive about this stuff and likely the same people who claimed living in a condo is a failure will be quite defensive about the idea that living in the suburbs could be a failure

None of this is "a failure"

Op here. That is exactly what it was. I didn’t expect so many passionate responses so fast. Funny how that worked out.

No one is defensive, they are just saying your universal assumption is incorrect. You call living in a suburb is a failure. People are saying it is not because they live in suburbs and have not failed. They may have failed to live up to your socialist collective ideology. That isn't a failure, that is a not living to your preferences.

Not all suburbs are a disaster. Some of the Maryland ones are quite nice. The Virginia ones should be razed though.

I go weeks without even leaving my Loudoun zip code. The only traffic I ever see is when I need to go to Arlington or DC, which is thankfully rare. My 5,000sf house cost $600k in 2013 and I have a 2.5% interest rate. #winning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

A) this is DCUM, pleading in the grossest crassest way for validation while others cruelly mock you is the point of the site.

B) even off the internet, this is something that people get very worked up about. a lot of people have very angry feelings about cities, and it's all wrapped up in class, education and car culture. People can and do write fascinating books on all this.

No the OP or the discussion he is encouraging here is characteristic of this site, where usually, people have discussions about the complexities of life and try to provide solutions. Yes, many are affluent, but so what? That isn't a problem. The starts out with an insult as a pretext and just wants people to say yes thank you we know the extent of our wrongs.

In real life no one gets worked about cites except the people who insist everyone should live in a city. The rest of us are not hand wringing over the choice of where to live--we just pick where we want to live.

read the newspaper, there's enormous tension over urban areas and urbanization. traffic, for instance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The great majority of Americans live in the suburbs. Rich, poor, middle class.

What are you trying to imply? A lot of DC is quite suburban-like in vibes and in other cities higher density areas exist in the suburbs while lower density areas exist inside the city limits (like NYC).

I think this thread is a direct response to the "Is living in a condo considered a failure?" thread from earlier in the week

Of course it is not a failure but people like to get competitive about this stuff and likely the same people who claimed living in a condo is a failure will be quite defensive about the idea that living in the suburbs could be a failure

None of this is "a failure"

Op here. That is exactly what it was. I didn’t expect so many passionate responses so fast. Funny how that worked out.

No one is defensive, they are just saying your universal assumption is incorrect. You call living in a suburb is a failure. People are saying it is not because they live in suburbs and have not failed. They may have failed to live up to your socialist collective ideology. That isn't a failure, that is a not living to your preferences.

Not all suburbs are a disaster. Some of the Maryland ones are quite nice. The Virginia ones should be razed though.

I go weeks without even leaving my Loudoun zip code. The only traffic I ever see is when I need to go to Arlington or DC, which is thankfully rare. My 5,000sf house cost $600k in 2013 and I have a 2.5% interest rate. #winning.

Sounds... great.

*smirk*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the dream for most.

No. Definitely not.

The idea of being forced to drive everywhere, traffic jams, rage in the parking lots, rage on the sidelines of playing fields, rage in lines, racism, HOAs, severing social ties, monotony, etc makes me physically ill.

The parts of my life that would improve by moving to the suburbs are the parts of my life that I wish I could cut out (access to shopping malls, shorter commutes for insane kid's sports, car dealerships).

I used to think like this too.

Our situation is actually the opposite but I realize it's not like that everywhere. It seems like you're making assumptions off of watching Modern Family and maybe some adult siblings you watch from afar.

I grew up in the suburbs and I can't understand why anyone would want to sit in all that traffic.

We live in Silver Spring and don't experience any more traffic than people who live in the District.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

A) this is DCUM, pleading in the grossest crassest way for validation while others cruelly mock you is the point of the site.

B) even off the internet, this is something that people get very worked up about. a lot of people have very angry feelings about cities, and it's all wrapped up in class, education and car culture. People can and do write fascinating books on all this.

No the OP or the discussion he is encouraging here is characteristic of this site, where usually, people have discussions about the complexities of life and try to provide solutions. Yes, many are affluent, but so what? That isn't a problem. The starts out with an insult as a pretext and just wants people to say yes thank you we know the extent of our wrongs.

In real life no one gets worked about cites except the people who insist everyone should live in a city. The rest of us are not hand wringing over the choice of where to live--we just pick where we want to live.

read the newspaper, there's enormous tension over urban areas and urbanization. traffic, for instance.

There isn't universal tension. The urbanist have a goal and they are not willing to compromise so they feel tension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

A) this is DCUM, pleading in the grossest crassest way for validation while others cruelly mock you is the point of the site.

B) even off the internet, this is something that people get very worked up about. a lot of people have very angry feelings about cities, and it's all wrapped up in class, education and car culture. People can and do write fascinating books on all this.

No the OP or the discussion he is encouraging here is characteristic of this site, where usually, people have discussions about the complexities of life and try to provide solutions. Yes, many are affluent, but so what? That isn't a problem. The starts out with an insult as a pretext and just wants people to say yes thank you we know the extent of our wrongs.

In real life no one gets worked about cites except the people who insist everyone should live in a city. The rest of us are not hand wringing over the choice of where to live--we just pick where we want to live.

read the newspaper, there's enormous tension over urban areas and urbanization. traffic, for instance.

There isn't universal tension. The urbanist have a goal and they are not willing to compromise so they feel tension.

I genuinely feel bad for you. You are NOT going to like the next 20-40 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The great majority of Americans live in the suburbs. Rich, poor, middle class.

What are you trying to imply? A lot of DC is quite suburban-like in vibes and in other cities higher density areas exist in the suburbs while lower density areas exist inside the city limits (like NYC).

Only 52 percent live in suburbs. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-frm-asst-sec-080320.html

So, barely a majority.

You should read the article you linked more carefully. "It’s a fact: Most of America is suburban"

Also consider this source of your cite:
52 percent of U.S. households describe their neighborhood as suburban, 27 percent describe their neighborhood as urban, and 21 percent describe their neighborhood as rural.

We're asking people to describe their neighborhoods absent of a formally defined criteria. There are towns that are suburbs of NYC that are definitely, unquestionably, rather urbanish in vibe and density but they are still considered suburbs of NYC. Meanwhile we have plenty of people claiming they live in the "city" in DC but who live in Chevy Chase or AU Park etc that are decidedly leafy and dominated by SFH on individual lots.

?

I think I said a majority of people live in suburbs, didn't I?

I was just correcting the poster who said "the great majority". I don't know what you're talking about AU Park for.

AU Park is in DC (the city) but what makes it different from Arlington or Bethesda (the suburbs)? Which tells you how arbitrary the boundaries are between city and suburbs.

Most Americans live in the suburbs no matter how you slice it. Throw in all the people who proudly proclaim they live in the city while living in a SFH on a lot plus all the wannabe farmers in exurban areas pretending they live in the country (looking at you, Frederick) you can credibly claim the great majority of Americans have a very suburbanlike lifestyle. SFH, drive to work/store/schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people just start arguments over anything these days? Who cares where people choose to live? And sharing a judgment on someone else's choice sounds insane. It is like if i went around saying outload that people who wear siliver jewlery instead of gold jewlery may think they are doing something that please them but they are actually decieved and not thinking clearly--they are supposed to like gold jewlery.

A) this is DCUM, pleading in the grossest crassest way for validation while others cruelly mock you is the point of the site.

B) even off the internet, this is something that people get very worked up about. a lot of people have very angry feelings about cities, and it's all wrapped up in class, education and car culture. People can and do write fascinating books on all this.

No the OP or the discussion he is encouraging here is characteristic of this site, where usually, people have discussions about the complexities of life and try to provide solutions. Yes, many are affluent, but so what? That isn't a problem. The starts out with an insult as a pretext and just wants people to say yes thank you we know the extent of our wrongs.

In real life no one gets worked about cites except the people who insist everyone should live in a city. The rest of us are not hand wringing over the choice of where to live--we just pick where we want to live.

read the newspaper, there's enormous tension over urban areas and urbanization. traffic, for instance.

There isn't universal tension. The urbanist have a goal and they are not willing to compromise so they feel tension.

I genuinely feel bad for you. You are NOT going to like the next 20-40 years.

Yes, I guess I should feel bad, because the democratic party is letting the leftist (notice I didn't say liberals) take control and the urbanist will be able to do what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The great majority of Americans live in the suburbs. Rich, poor, middle class.

What are you trying to imply? A lot of DC is quite suburban-like in vibes and in other cities higher density areas exist in the suburbs while lower density areas exist inside the city limits (like NYC).

Only 52 percent live in suburbs. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-frm-asst-sec-080320.html

So, barely a majority.

You should read the article you linked more carefully. "It’s a fact: Most of America is suburban"

Also consider this source of your cite:
52 percent of U.S. households describe their neighborhood as suburban, 27 percent describe their neighborhood as urban, and 21 percent describe their neighborhood as rural.

We're asking people to describe their neighborhoods absent of a formally defined criteria. There are towns that are suburbs of NYC that are definitely, unquestionably, rather urbanish in vibe and density but they are still considered suburbs of NYC. Meanwhile we have plenty of people claiming they live in the "city" in DC but who live in Chevy Chase or AU Park etc that are decidedly leafy and dominated by SFH on individual lots.

?

I think I said a majority of people live in suburbs, didn't I?

I was just correcting the poster who said "the great majority". I don't know what you're talking about AU Park for.

AU Park is in DC (the city) but what makes it different from Arlington or Bethesda (the suburbs)? Which tells you how arbitrary the boundaries are between city and suburbs.

Most Americans live in the suburbs no matter how you slice it. Throw in all the people who proudly proclaim they live in the city while living in a SFH on a lot plus all the wannabe farmers in exurban areas pretending they live in the country (looking at you, Frederick) you can credibly claim the great majority of Americans have a very suburbanlike lifestyle. SFH, drive to work/store/schools.

Am I having a stroke? You keep repeating that the majority of Americans live in the suburbs and I just said that.