Moved to the burbs and I hate it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

JUST ONE sibling? Who is waiting for you at the townhouse next door, a football team?

Also, I gather you think people at the burbs don't meet at playgrounds? Why is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

G-d help me for repeating "fatty kid" (out of which orifice belching unadulterated nastiness did you pull that?!!), but you do realize that city kids (and adults) tend to be thinner, right?

And our kids do get outdoor play. We walk to playgrounds just as we walk everywhere else. Hell, in DC, which is actually a relatively sparsely settled city, there are plenty of homes and apartment buildings with lawns, even in some of the central city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

G-d help me for repeating "fatty kid" (out of which orifice belching unadulterated nastiness did you pull that?!!), but you do realize that city kids (and adults) tend to be thinner, right?

And our kids do get outdoor play. We walk to playgrounds just as we walk everywhere else. Hell, in DC, which is actually a relatively sparsely settled city, there are plenty of homes and apartment buildings with lawns, even in some of the central city.

Obesity rates in DC are higher than in the surrounding suburban jurisdictions. Did you really not know this? Perhaps you exclude certain children from your calculus, just as you exclude their parents from your vision for the city's future.

[Anonymous]

If you end up beaten and/or on feeding tubes, you may lose your appetite.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/possible-knockoutattack-on-friday-night-in-bloomingdale-section-of-the-district/2013/12/14/9aba4522-6535-11e3-91b3-f2bb96304e34_story.html?hpid=z6

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

G-d help me for repeating "fatty kid" (out of which orifice belching unadulterated nastiness did you pull that?!!), but you do realize that city kids (and adults) tend to be thinner, right?

And our kids do get outdoor play. We walk to playgrounds just as we walk everywhere else. Hell, in DC, which is actually a relatively sparsely settled city, there are plenty of homes and apartment buildings with lawns, even in some of the central city.

Obesity rates in DC are higher than in the surrounding suburban jurisdictions. Did you really not know this? Perhaps you exclude certain children from your calculus, just as you exclude their parents from your vision for the city's future.

They're, quite simply, the city's past. And they're likely part of the suburbs' future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

G-d help me for repeating "fatty kid" (out of which orifice belching unadulterated nastiness did you pull that?!!), but you do realize that city kids (and adults) tend to be thinner, right?

And our kids do get outdoor play. We walk to playgrounds just as we walk everywhere else. Hell, in DC, which is actually a relatively sparsely settled city, there are plenty of homes and apartment buildings with lawns, even in some of the central city.

Obesity rates in DC are higher than in the surrounding suburban jurisdictions. Did you really not know this? Perhaps you exclude certain children from your calculus, just as you exclude their parents from your vision for the city's future.

They're, quite simply, the city's past. And they're likely part of the suburbs' future.

NP here. City/suburb argument aside, what a dismissive way to talk about the majority of the District of Columbia's children. And I don't think what you say is true, anyway. The city has a good racial mix now (arrived upon only recently), and I hope it'll stay that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
They're, quite simply, the city's past. And they're likely part of the suburbs' future.

I know you really want to paint a picture of DC as a city peopled exclusively with smart, tasteful, socially conscious, thin, appropriately attractive, multilingual people, but that simply isn't the case. And a short tour of DC outside of your NW bubble will show as much, in less than an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

I really don't see what outdoor play has to do with having a yard. I am one of the European posters and nobody I knew growing up had a yard. we all lived in apartments. Needless to say, obesity levels were many times below USA. Even today, one needs to make an effort to find a fat kid in my old neighborhood. My own kid is tall and slim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My husband and I lived in a tiny 800 square foot condo in Columbia Heights for 10 years and I absolutely loved it – loved the neighborhood, loved the walkability, loved the people, loved running into friends everywhere, loved the feel of tons of stuff happening right outside my front door. Place was tiny but cozy and I loved it.

Then we had a baby and ran out of room.

We looked for over a year with a very low budget, and 6 months ago in the Maryland burbs we found a decent-sized place in great condition, a mile from a metro. And I HATE IT. I hate not seeing anyone on the street, I hate being in a silent neighborhood surrounded by car-choked streets, I hate being in the freaking car ALL THE TIME, I hate spending time on the stupid lawn, I hate f’ing pressure to decorate for Christmas, I hate having nothing but old white people as neighbors.

Is it insane to try renting out this place and moving into a rental back in the city? It has only been six months, but I just despair about spending years of my life in this place.

You are in the wrong nighborhood. Don't blame "the suburbs" for your problems. Find another area, one with young families and nearer activity. You problably thought all burbs were the same...they're not. I was much like you with the urbanity and reasons for moving, but we landed in an area with a ton of kids (in S. Arlington) and it's nice, although certainly way quieter than I'm used to.

Agree! You chose the wrong neighborhood.
I live in the 'burbs and love it. I can still walk to the grocery store, coffee, farmer's market, library, etc. There are various playgrounds along the wooded walking trail. Our subdivision has a pool that is an automatic social place and good place to meet people. In fact, DH and I only own 1 car so me and baby walk pretty much everywhere.

Hope you can walk to the grammar improvement store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My husband and I lived in a tiny 800 square foot condo in Columbia Heights for 10 years and I absolutely loved it – loved the neighborhood, loved the walkability, loved the people, loved running into friends everywhere, loved the feel of tons of stuff happening right outside my front door. Place was tiny but cozy and I loved it.

Then we had a baby and ran out of room.

We looked for over a year with a very low budget, and 6 months ago in the Maryland burbs we found a decent-sized place in great condition, a mile from a metro. And I HATE IT. I hate not seeing anyone on the street, I hate being in a silent neighborhood surrounded by car-choked streets, I hate being in the freaking car ALL THE TIME, I hate spending time on the stupid lawn, I hate f’ing pressure to decorate for Christmas, I hate having nothing but old white people as neighbors.

Is it insane to try renting out this place and moving into a rental back in the city? It has only been six months, but I just despair about spending years of my life in this place.

What neighborhood is this? Sounds awesome.

You are in the wrong nighborhood. Don't blame "the suburbs" for your problems. Find another area, one with young families and nearer activity. You problably thought all burbs were the same...they're not. I was much like you with the urbanity and reasons for moving, but we landed in an area with a ton of kids (in S. Arlington) and it's nice, although certainly way quieter than I'm used to.

Agree! You chose the wrong neighborhood.
I live in the 'burbs and love it. I can still walk to the grocery store, coffee, farmer's market, library, etc. There are various playgrounds along the wooded walking trail. Our subdivision has a pool that is an automatic social place and good place to meet people. In fact, DH and I only own 1 car so me and baby walk pretty much everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

G-d help me for repeating "fatty kid" (out of which orifice belching unadulterated nastiness did you pull that?!!), but you do realize that city kids (and adults) tend to be thinner, right?

And our kids do get outdoor play. We walk to playgrounds just as we walk everywhere else. Hell, in DC, which is actually a relatively sparsely settled city, there are plenty of homes and apartment buildings with lawns, even in some of the central city.

Obesity rates in DC are higher than in the surrounding suburban jurisdictions. Did you really not know this? Perhaps you exclude certain children from your calculus, just as you exclude their parents from your vision for the city's future.

bravo!

blasted the elitist parent of the future fatty!

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would hate it worse raising a growing child in a 800 sq ft home. I had one child in a 1300 sq ft home and nearly went nuts with the lack of space. Do you really want to raise your child in a closet?

this. Soon enough, your child will be able to run around the yard freely. It is nice to be able to say "go outside and play". Sounds like you moved to an empty nester neighborhood. We made that same mistake. Boring as hell. We rarely even saw our neighbors. Everyone just pulled into their garage and never came outside. We ended up moving to a cul-de-sac, and it has been much better. But I'm tired of the suburbs now. I wish there was somewhere with an urban feel, but also affordable, good schools, low crime.

This what? PP seems to have some organizational challenges not to be able to live with ONE kid in a 1300 sq feet home. Much nicer than "go out and play" (alone or with just one sibling) is "let's walk to the neighbor's house so you can have a fun play date. Will be back in an hour." Which you can do easily when you live in the city in townhouses and near playgrounds.

+1
It is crazy to gamble a house on the assumption that the child will be interested in going outside to play. She might or might not, or most likely, will be for just a short time.

uh

It's crazy to assume that kids should get some outdoor play?

Cheers to your fatty kid, PP!

I really don't see what outdoor play has to do with having a yard. I am one of the European posters and nobody I knew growing up had a yard. we all lived in apartments. Needless to say, obesity levels were many times below USA. Even today, one needs to make an effort to find a fat kid in my old neighborhood. My own kid is tall and slim.

Ma che stupida che sei tu!

You do realize that in Europe walking from one's home to the center of the city is a very short trip? You also must realize that in most towns, people know each other? So there's no fear of "setting your kid free." and that European cities are MUCH smaller than ours, no?

I could walk to the piazza in 15 minutes, and I had at least 5 friend with me.

I guess Europe is losing is intellectualism, too, eh?