What have your kids learned growing up in the city compared to Suburb raised friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess this thread is really only aimed at white people, since it's bizarre to me to think that you can't get exposure to "ethnic food" or "diverse people" in the suburbs.

-- Indian-American who grew up in the suburbs as did most of the Indian-Americans I know from around the country. Also one who typically went to the Maryland suburbs of DC is she wanted "ethnic food".

How long was the drive for each suburb and at what age were you able to do the trek on your own?

There is a Mexican grocery, a Polish deli, an Albanian grocery and a Russian grocery within 3 blocks from my home. Not to mention various takeout places. This is part of my kids' lives, not "exposure".

Things that were just "food" at my various friends houses or restaurants growing up: North Indian, South Indian, German, Polish, Greek, Jewish (e.g. lox and bagels, matzo, etc) and Lebanese. Obviously nothing is 3 blocks walking in the suburbs, but I didn't even think of these things as "ethnic" food. Just what was for dinner at Larla's or Larlita's. And of course we also had Italian, Chinese, and Mexican restaurants.

I don't know what point you're trying to make, but many American suburbs are extremely diverse. And this isn't a coastal thing. I grew up in the midwest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public transportation and general street savvy. Also, being comfortable around ethnic food - both restaurants and groceries.

Huh. Why's that? We moved out to the suburbs in large part due to the better ethnic grocery stores and restaurants.

It's not that there is no good ethnic foods in the suburbs. But getting ethnic food in the suburbs is an outing, as in "today we are going to that <insert ethnicity> place where we go every couple of weeks". And there are menus, and Yelp reviews, and they are making certain adjustments for the proverbial "white people", have waiters who speak excellent English, etc. It's a bit different with the places that are first and foremost serving local immigrant communities and also happen to be your neighbors, and you interact with them as neighbors.

Yep. My younger teens are learning to cook Ethiopian dishes from the parents of school mates who live in our building.

[Anonymous]

Ok, I’ll say it. I am from the midwest. I went to an elite college in a medium-sized US city. No one, and I mean no one, was more clueless and provincial than the freshman year New Yorkers. I say this as someone who loves nyc and new yorkers btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess this thread is really only aimed at white people, since it's bizarre to me to think that you can't get exposure to "ethnic food" or "diverse people" in the suburbs.

-- Indian-American who grew up in the suburbs as did most of the Indian-Americans I know from around the country. Also one who typically went to the Maryland suburbs of DC is she wanted "ethnic food".

How long was the drive for each suburb and at what age were you able to do the trek on your own?

There is a Mexican grocery, a Polish deli, an Albanian grocery and a Russian grocery within 3 blocks from my home. Not to mention various takeout places. This is part of my kids' lives, not "exposure".

Now I'm curious. I've got a Polish deli, and Ethiopian, Korean, Salvadorean stores among other things in my suburban neighborhood, but my kids haven't had Albanian food. Where in Washington DC do you live? We might take a day and go wander around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public transportation and general street savvy. Also, being comfortable around ethnic food - both restaurants and groceries.

Huh. Why's that? We moved out to the suburbs in large part due to the better ethnic grocery stores and restaurants.

It's not that there is no good ethnic foods in the suburbs. But getting ethnic food in the suburbs is an outing, as in "today we are going to that <insert ethnicity> place where we go every couple of weeks". And there are menus, and Yelp reviews, and they are making certain adjustments for the proverbial "white people", have waiters who speak excellent English, etc. It's a bit different with the places that are first and foremost serving local immigrant communities and also happen to be your neighbors, and you interact with them as neighbors.

Yep. My younger teens are learning to cook Ethiopian dishes from the parents of school mates who live in our building.

Do you live in the suburbs or the city? The Ethiopian families on our block in the suburbs live in houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public transportation and general street savvy. Also, being comfortable around ethnic food - both restaurants and groceries.

Huh. Why's that? We moved out to the suburbs in large part due to the better ethnic grocery stores and restaurants.

It's not that there is no good ethnic foods in the suburbs. But getting ethnic food in the suburbs is an outing, as in "today we are going to that <insert ethnicity> place where we go every couple of weeks". And there are menus, and Yelp reviews, and they are making certain adjustments for the proverbial "white people", have waiters who speak excellent English, etc. It's a bit different with the places that are first and foremost serving local immigrant communities and also happen to be your neighbors, and you interact with them as neighbors.

Yep. My younger teens are learning to cook Ethiopian dishes from the parents of school mates who live in our building.

Do you live in the suburbs or the city? The Ethiopian families on our block in the suburbs live in houses.

We live in downtown Silver Spring. Our apartment complex is mostly immigrant families and retirees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public transportation and general street savvy. Also, being comfortable around ethnic food - both restaurants and groceries.

Huh. Why's that? We moved out to the suburbs in large part due to the better ethnic grocery stores and restaurants.

It's not that there is no good ethnic foods in the suburbs. But getting ethnic food in the suburbs is an outing, as in "today we are going to that <insert ethnicity> place where we go every couple of weeks". And there are menus, and Yelp reviews, and they are making certain adjustments for the proverbial "white people", have waiters who speak excellent English, etc. It's a bit different with the places that are first and foremost serving local immigrant communities and also happen to be your neighbors, and you interact with them as neighbors.

Yep. My younger teens are learning to cook Ethiopian dishes from the parents of school mates who live in our building.

Do you live in the suburbs or the city? The Ethiopian families on our block in the suburbs live in houses.

We live in downtown Silver Spring. Our apartment complex is mostly immigrant families and retirees.

I am so confused. So you live in the suburbs (I'm not far from you), in a complex where you have immigrant neighbors, and you agree that only kids in the city get to interact with immigrants as neighbors?

So, when your kids go to the houses of their schoolmates to learn to cook, they aren't interacting as neighbors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public transportation and general street savvy. Also, being comfortable around ethnic food - both restaurants and groceries.

Huh. Why's that? We moved out to the suburbs in large part due to the better ethnic grocery stores and restaurants.

It's not that there is no good ethnic foods in the suburbs. But getting ethnic food in the suburbs is an outing, as in "today we are going to that <insert ethnicity> place where we go every couple of weeks". And there are menus, and Yelp reviews, and they are making certain adjustments for the proverbial "white people", have waiters who speak excellent English, etc. It's a bit different with the places that are first and foremost serving local immigrant communities and also happen to be your neighbors, and you interact with them as neighbors.

Yep. My younger teens are learning to cook Ethiopian dishes from the parents of school mates who live in our building.

Do you live in the suburbs or the city? The Ethiopian families on our block in the suburbs live in houses.

We live in downtown Silver Spring. Our apartment complex is mostly immigrant families and retirees.

I’m also confused. Silver Spring is in the suburbs. Are you saying Silver Spring is the city? It’s not. Even the downtown part.

Signed,
Silver spring resident

[Anonymous]

It seems there are a couple people here who live in silver Spring, which is a suburb, who have been posting about the benefits of their kids growing up in a city....when they live in a suburb.

Silver Spring is a suburb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems there are a couple people here who live in silver Spring, which is a suburb, who have been posting about the benefits of their kids growing up in a city....when they live in a suburb.

Silver Spring is a suburb.

I feel like half of this is a debate between people who live in Silver Spring and think they live in the city and people who live in Silver Spring and think they live in the suburbs. The rest seems to be people in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh god. Get over yourselves. Growing up in wealthy mostly white NW DC isn’t making her kid any more exposed to diversity or “urban ness” than growing up in Wheaton or PG.

lol so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do think suburbs are becoming more urbanized so the distinction isn’t as stark as it once was. Also, cities are becoming more affluent so kids’ may have increasingly wealthy kids in their social circle. Anyway, interesting for sure. Plus & minuses in both categories. I enjoyed growing up in the city and there’s something special about it for sure. Suburbs offer many benefits too!

The bolded is VERY accurate. The suburbs are where poverty is growing the most and the fastest. It's not talked about that much and it's hidden because well... it's in the suburbs.

High quality city living and raising children there are for the wealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the "city" kids I know go to expensive private schools, while most of the "suburban" kids I know go to public schools. The city kids are learning that it's good to *appear* to embrace diversity by living "in the city" but that you don't want to *actually* integrate your life/education with people who are different from you.

The BEST comment in this thread! Bravo!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

They're more independent than their cousins who have grown up in the suburbs. They're also more street smart. And I'll say it, I think they're more cultured.

My one nephew is so white that pepperoni is too spicy for him.

My SIL has never once let the kids play outside without her. Even in their own backyard!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're more independent than their cousins who have grown up in the suburbs. They're also more street smart. And I'll say it, I think they're more cultured.

My one nephew is so white that pepperoni is too spicy for him.

My SIL has never once let the kids play outside without her. Even in their own backyard!

That’s a SIL issue, not a suburb issue. My suburb kids and friends eat all kinds of food and bike all over town.