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Suburbia

Is it as stale and dull as it's often made out to be?

Rich kid lifestyle in LA, what's it like?! 2.4 kids, dad an oil tycoon, mom a housewife, gated communities etc.

things are what you make of them.

I think all new cookie-cutter suburbia type houses are about the ugliest pieces of shit I've ever seen. Everything is so bland and identical and ugly. No big trees, no nice gardens, no character - not the type of neighborhood I like to live in.

So where will I park my third car? I am not supposed to have more than two cars?

Also that guy with Swimming Pool must be the famous guy in that colony, getting all the chicks coming to his house for a swim.

quote:

Originally posted by nickpdx I think all new cookie-cutter suburbia type houses are about the ugliest pieces of shit I've ever seen. Everything is so bland and identical and ugly. No big trees, no nice gardens, no character - not the type of neighborhood I like to live in.

seriously, i hate "suburbia"

I didn't live in proper suburbia but let me tell you it can be the most boring thing in the world.

Usually if you want to do anything fun or go out shopping, eat, or WHATEVER that involves being outside of your home you have to drive to go there for 15 minutes minimum.

These places are havens for boredom and tranquility.


Worst part about living in suburbia is having to cut the grass. In some areas if you don't do it the neighbours b*tch or you get a notice from property management.

Suburban sprawl is plaguing the core of many urban centers across the country. In cities where theres a large and almost constant flow of new residents, like the largely overwhelming migration of people from northern states to the south, where a person can golf, swim and sit comfortably outdoors all year long, the idea of a dense urban core is quickly deteriorating. Cities such as Pheonix, AZ and Atlanta, GA are prime examples of urban sprawl and its negative effects on the city center and even the environment.

I'll expand on this later if need be.

totally true d-res


City centers dying everywhere! It totally sucks

I touched you at the soundcheck
You had no real way of knowing
In my heart I begged "Take me with you ...
I don't care where you're going..."


But to you I was faceless
I was fawning, I was boring
Just a child from those ugly new houses
Who could never begin to know

yup. the long standing idea of density has been replaced by the idea of the "American Dream!"

it seems everyone wants a nice big chunk of their own land and they pay hefty for it too. Luckily in some places, city officials and leaders are trying to encourage density and many cities have seen a nice migration back downtown into high and mid-rise apartments and condos. It's only the first step but many cities are seeing a huge drop in population almost solely due to people not wanting to live in the dangerous city where they have to share their 'backyard' with every other person that lives in their specific building. I'll admit, I love the idea of getting married and having kids and having our own backyard for my kids to play in but I'm very up and down on this subject because I think density is important.

The Colorado River is on its way to seeing a swift death due to the constant suburban growth of Pheonix. Every person moving there wants their own plot of land and they get it. Being in the desert, they need to find their own sources of water to keep their yard green and golf courses need to find water to keep their courses in top shape. Sadly this source is the Colorado River, which is slowly drying up due to every person having to run their sprinklers all day to keep their yard nice. This is one of the reasons i dispise the city of Pheonix. Why would anyone put a city where theres no water? Now city and suburban officials from Pheonix and its sorrounding suburbs are trying to force themselves into the Great Lakes. They want to build a pipeline from one of the lakes all the way to Pheonix to further fund their growing water needs, and that my friend, is stupidity.

As long as people keep buying these types of houses developers will keep making them. If I was a developer trying to get the most out of my land i'd probably do the same, tiny lots with cookie cutter homes able to eek out every cent from the land.

quote:

Originally posted by D-res Suburban sprawl is plaguing the core of many urban centers across the country. In cities where theres a large and almost constant flow of new residents, like the largely overwhelming migration of people from northern states to the south, where a person can golf, swim and sit comfortably outdoors all year long, the idea of a dense urban core is quickly deteriorating. Cities such as Pheonix, AZ and Atlanta, GA are prime examples of urban sprawl and its negative effects on the city center and even the environment. I'll expand on this later if need be.

you'd rather live in the inner-city??

quote:

Originally posted by placebo you'd rather live in the inner-city??

God yes. I'd kill to live in montreal - if only I could afford it. Instead I'm stuck in boring suburbia 7 days a week. From here to the downtown core is 1:30 or so if calculated properly and synchronized with the bus and metro times. To get back home from downtown, it's usually over two hours.

quote:

Originally posted by placebo you'd rather live in the inner-city??

if by inner-city you mean a low income, segregated area full of minorities and crime, no.

but just because you live in the city doesnt mean you live in the ghetto. Right now I live in the city but I live on the east side. Milwaukee's east side is full of culture and is very diverse in ethnicity but its by no means crime-ridden. Just because you live in neighborhoods which are dense doesnt mean they're dangerous. The east side is full of shops, great restaurants, bars, clubs, a university, parks and multi-million dollar homes. I cant count the number of BMWs, Lexus', and Mercedes that drive past my house on an hourly basis. Hell, my next door neighbor owns a BMW, but we still live in the city. We live in a nice house with a nice little patio and a small backyard. The only problem I have is parking because we dont have a garage so parking is on a first come, first serve basis.

when'd you get so smart d-res


or wait ... wait a min ... are - are you high?

quote:

Originally posted by StanVoid when'd you get so smart d-res or wait ... wait a min ... are - are you high?

no i ran out of weed 2 days ago


but architecture and urban planning is kind of a hobby/passion of mine so this is the type of thread i can really contribute to.

quote:

Originally posted by D-res no i ran out of weed 2 days ago but architecture and urban planning is kind of a hobby/passion of mine so this is the type of thread i can really contribute to.

ah ok..

so who else noticed the blue and red garage doors on the 2 houses in the picture?

quote:

Originally posted by StanVoid ah ok.. so who else noticed the blue and red garage doors on the 2 houses in the picture?

i just did

Suburban life is much the same every where, but its worse in some places than others. Like D-res said, ATL and Pheonix are prime examples of what I like to call 'monotonous suburbia', which is basically neighborhood after neighborhood of pretty much the same exact design of houses and street organization. Im not going to say that EVERY suburb is the same, because thats not the case, but its getting a lot closer to that fact with all the development going on and with all these new families wanting a suburban life.

But I do wanna admit that Chicago suburbia isnt nearly as bad as the suburbias you would encounter in the south or in other cities. Due to Chitowns grid like street patterns, it doesnt take long to get anywhere. Me living in the west suburbs, i of course admit that it gets VERY boring here, but it isnt a long drive to the city, where theres always fun going on.

quote:

Originally posted by CONNERMAN2000 But I do wanna admit that Chicago suburbia isnt nearly as bad as the suburbias you would encounter in the south or in other cities.

I agree in most cases but disagree aswell. Think about the city of Schaumburg. I dont know if you're familiar but its a prime example of a suburb trying to be more than a just bedroom community. For those unfamiliar with the term bedroom community, it can be applied to many suburbs and it means a place where you live but you only live there. More or less bedroom, meaning sleep. You work in the city, you play in the city, you shop in the city, you sleep in the suburbs....

ANYWAY, Schaumburg is an example because they try to keep people in Schaumburg. By building shopping centers and attractin big box retailers they pull people out of the city for shopping and into Schaumburg. Thats an example of a suburb that is seriously hurting its urban core. While Chicago is far more of a tourist destination than any of its suburbs, had Schaumburg been located in a smaller city, it would have eaten up that cities life. Instead of people travelling to the city to enjoy spending their money they go there, and the city center suffers...

Anyway i gotta bounce and I wont be back for atleast 3 hours so keep this thread going. I like talking about this stupid shit.

Speaking of Milwaukee, its not a bad town. There is a huge ghetto area though once you cross some street. My ex used to live by St. Mary's hospital. She now lives in Oak Creek and hates it, too far away so shes moving back downtown. Milwaukee is strange in that its a pretty large city but to me felt rather small which was a good thing, it wasn't overwhelming like NYC and Boston.

quote:

Originally posted by D-res I agree in most cases but disagree aswell. Think about the city of Schaumburg. I dont know if you're familiar but its a prime example of a suburb trying to be more than a just bedroom community. For those unfamiliar with the term bedroom community, it can be applied to many suburbs and it means a place where you live but you only live there. More or less bedroom, meaning sleep. You work in the city, you play in the city, you shop in the city, you sleep in the suburbs.... ANYWAY, Schaumburg is an example because they try to keep people in Schaumburg. By building shopping centers and attractin big box retailers they pull people out of the city for shopping and into Schaumburg. Thats an example of a suburb that is seriously hurting its urban core. While Chicago is far more of a tourist destination than any of its suburbs, had Schaumburg been located in a smaller city, it would have eaten up that cities life. Instead of people travelling to the city to enjoy spending their money they go there, and the city center suffers... Anyway i gotta bounce and I wont be back for atleast 3 hours so keep this thread going. I like talking about this stupid shit.

I see...so what you are saying is that suburbs should NOT become more than a bedroom community?

Is it really that vital to not detract from a metropolitan area's urban core? To me, I think having suburbs become more than bedroom communities would only benefit the entire metropolis as a whole. Think of LA. Los Angeles itself is practically nothing when you look at the whole scheme of things when you see LA. Its all Hollywood (a suburb), Long Beach (a suburb), and along with all the other coastal communities (all suburbs). Los Angeles pretty much just has a downtown skyline, and I guess we'll thrown in Lakers stadium, and thats pretty much it. What im getting at is, wouldnt improving the suburbs improve the city core? Although many consider this to be trivial bullshit, im pretty fuckin interested to hear what you have to say.

O and do you think Schaumburg has really detracted from Chicago? Malls arent really a new thing, and thats pretty much all Schaumburg has (The Streets of Woodfield, im sure you know it). Where I live (Naperville), we have the Fox Valley Mall, which serves East Aurora, West Naperville, Winfield, Warrenville, and a few other suburbs. Does having it mean Naperville is detracting from Chicago?

quote:

Originally posted by BadBadNeil Speaking of Milwaukee, its not a bad town. There is a huge ghetto area though once you cross some street. My ex used to live by St. Mary's hospital. She now lives in Oak Creek and hates it, too far away so shes moving back downtown. Milwaukee is strange in that its a pretty large city but to me felt rather small which was a good thing, it wasn't overwhelming like NYC and Boston.

I hear practically all of the northside is dangerous, which I found surprising since normally for cities, the southside is the bad spot, and the northside is where all the rich people live. I hear Milwaukee is the opposite.

But yeah, I love it there too for exact reason as yours. Its like a small city, but with all the characteristics of a big city (sports teams, skyline, lakefront, etc.)

quote:

Originally posted by D-res yup. the long standing idea of density has been replaced by the idea of the "American Dream!" it seems everyone wants a nice big chunk of their own land and they pay hefty for it too. Luckily in some places, city officials and leaders are trying to encourage density and many cities have seen a nice migration back downtown into high and mid-rise apartments and condos. It's only the first step but many cities are seeing a huge drop in population almost solely due to people not wanting to live in the dangerous city where they have to share their 'backyard' with every other person that lives in their specific building. I'll admit, I love the idea of getting married and having kids and having our own backyard for my kids to play in but I'm very up and down on this subject because I think density is important. The Colorado River is on its way to seeing a swift death due to the constant suburban growth of Pheonix. Every person moving there wants their own plot of land and they get it. Being in the desert, they need to find their own sources of water to keep their yard green and golf courses need to find water to keep their courses in top shape. Sadly this source is the Colorado River, which is slowly drying up due to every person having to run their sprinklers all day to keep their yard nice. This is one of the reasons i dispise the city of Pheonix. Why would anyone put a city where theres no water? Now city and suburban officials from Pheonix and its sorrounding suburbs are trying to force themselves into the Great Lakes. They want to build a pipeline from one of the lakes all the way to Pheonix to further fund their growing water needs, and that my friend, is stupidity.

Wow, this thread is interesting!!

I just finished my dissertation on Las Vegas and its use of water, and it's going to come up short if it doesn't get its act together.

I think it is enhanced by the American Dream, hyperreality, consumerism and post-modernism, all combining to create a sterile lifestyle.

If you read about post-modernism and Los Angeles, it's fascinating and disturbing!!

quote:

Originally posted by CONNERMAN2000 I hear practically all of the northside is dangerous, which I found surprising since normally for cities, the southside is the bad spot, and the northside is where all the rich people live. I hear Milwaukee is the opposite. But yeah, I love it there too for exact reason as yours. Its like a small city, but with all the characteristics of a big city (sports teams, skyline, lakefront, etc.)

The northern and western sections of the city are plagued by crime but like I said, Milwaukee's very segregated.

The wealthiest people in Milwaukee live either on the eastside or in the burbs. The largest home's in the city are along the lakefront on Lake Drive and the blocks sorrounding it and the mansions go on for miles into the suburbs. All the northern suburbs are generally pretty wealthy. The far western suburbs are extremely wealthy aswell. Most are small in population but for example, the village of Chenequa boasts a median house value of over $810,000.

quote:

Originally posted by BadBadNeil Speaking of Milwaukee, its not a bad town. There is a huge ghetto area though once you cross some street. My ex used to live by St. Mary's hospital. She now lives in Oak Creek and hates it, too far away so shes moving back downtown. Milwaukee is strange in that its a pretty large city but to me felt rather small which was a good thing, it wasn't overwhelming like NYC and Boston.

good to hear it. too many people judge the city of milwaukee based on very closed minded things. here is a large ghetto because milwaukee is very segregated. If you're white, once you get west of the river, you're officially the minority. Even though all that seperates the east side and the ghetto is a river, it feels like two different worlds. While the economic and social problems plaguing the ghetto are still large, it seems to be slowly improving. I refuse to say that it's quickly on its way to becoming a completely safe place to be due to the fact that the black community in milwaukee doesnt seem to care if theres constant social and economic deterioration and sadly, the aldermen and other public leaders arent setting a very good example (recently a north side alderman threatened a womans life in court)

While i wont rip on milwaukee too much because I love the city, I think Milwaukee's black community has a lot of work to do if they want to improve the status of their neighborhoods. Education is a huge problem. Hopefully the city can figure out a way to keep low income minorities in school.

quote:

Originally posted by _Ocean_Drive_ Wow, this thread is interesting!! I just finished my dissertation on Las Vegas and its use of water, and it's going to come up short if it doesn't get its act together.

ah yes Las Vegas. I didnt mention that because its not as large as the Phoenix metro area but its in a very similar situation.

No matter how much I think about it, it never ceases to amaze me that people would move to a desert, let alone the 3.8 million people that make up the Phoenix MSA

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