Rural Living is Better then the Concrete Jungle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I can't even imagine living out in the DC suburbs. Worst traffic in the country, and you can't take a poop without getting into your car and driving 45 minutes. Not stressful at all, that.

I don't know what suburb you are referring to, but I live in one where I can easily walk to 3 grocery stores, several restaurants, etc. I don't have to get in my car many days. Getting to downtown DC is a hassle on a weekday, but I rarely need to go there when all the creature comforts I need are within a 5 mile radius.

That's great! Of course, your personal situation is unlike that of 99% of suburban dwellers. (And, no Old Town Alexandria, Bethesda, and the like aren't "the suburbs" in the urban/suburban sense, at least no more than Capitol Hill is. They're just not within the political boundaries of the District).

If you can easily walk to 3 grocery stores and several restaurants, then you either live next door to a strip-mall, or you don't live in "the suburbs" in any meaningful sense. You live in an urban area. Whether that urban area is in Clarendon, Old Town, Silver Spring, or Bethesda is irrelevant

I live near a "village center" which I guess can be considered a strip mall, but having 2 grocery stores and a Trader Joe's walkable to our house has been a wonderful thing. Our community is very walkable - we can also walk to schools, parks, pools, etc. And there are plenty of places similar to this in the DC burbs - being able to walk to a grocery store and our local elementary school is one of our requirements in our current househunt, and we have several options that are NOT in our current hometown.

I find your 99% number highly suspect, considering we were househunting in another state notorious for their car culture and still found communities that fit our requirements.

[Anonymous]

Just to clarify, 99% means 99 out of 100. The assertion that only 1 out of every 100 housing units in "true" suburbia meets your scenario is a pretty conservative one.

[Anonymous]

my in-laws live in Ashburn, and you can walk to a shopping center in literally 3 minutes. Most newer suburbs try to incorporate some mixed use into the developments.

[Anonymous]

A person can walk just over 3/20 = 1/6th of a mile in three minutes. Here's Ashburn, VA.

http://www.walkscore.com/score/ashburn-va

What percentage of houses in the Ashburn area would you say are within 1/6th of a mile of the retail center at Ashburn Shopping Plaza?

As I said before, I'm glad you guys found your suburban house near the shopping mall. Most folks don't live in that situation.

[Anonymous]

so wait, is 3 minutes the new standard for how far a person can walk? Because if so, people are lazy.

[Anonymous]

I could do with a house by a mountain surrounded by forest and blueberry bushes and apple trees and deer and the occational black bear to scare city folks.
and a long drop toilet so if I do not like the visitors i can force them to use it.
and a river or lake that is so remote i can skinny dip
and it must not be polluted.
also give me some wild horses

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the DC suburbs. It was a 35 minute walk to a 7-11. Everything else was endless, curling culs-de-sac. "Walkable" though.

[Anonymous]

My Aunt lives in Barnesville. It is definitely more country out there and not all that far from the city. She is able to enjoy the perks of D.C., but the laid back way of country living. Her farm is beautiful and when I am out there, it really makes me want more space. DH too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Aunt lives in Barnesville. It is definitely more country out there and not all that far from the city. She is able to enjoy the perks of D.C., but the laid back way of country living. Her farm is beautiful and when I am out there, it really makes me want more space. DH too.

I feel that way, too, when I'm renting a beach house on vacation, or visiting friends in areas where the cost of land is effectively zero. But I always miss coming home. For me, it's a bit like visiting a friend who has a sailboat or a hot tub: fun to play "what-if", but I know myself well enough to realize I don't want a damned hot tub in my small back yard, or the responsibility of maintaining a boat every freaking weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in the DC suburbs. It was a 35 minute walk to a 7-11. Everything else was endless, curling culs-de-sac. "Walkable" though.

This is the type of 'burb I dislike. I refuse to move myself out to what used to be a field in the middle of nowhere and not be able to actually walk anywhere but other houses.

Again, none of the neighborhoods we are considering in our current househunt is more than a mile to a grocery store, if that. One is between 2 shopping centers, has 2 county parks within it, and is walkable to all 3 school levels plus the local library.