The City Verus The Burbs

[carebear]

A few years back I failed at starting a business which was getting huge in the midwest. Garage remodeling. All sorts of cabinets and storage and custom epoxy floors (with team logos and such). No longer for cars, it has replaced the now missing "den" as Dad's room.

The guy who's franchise I was looking at ripping off was installing high-end stereo's, big screen TV's and sofas. Garages, since folks sat in them with the door open, became showrooms.

 

[Lincsong]

Great. Now I have this mental picture of you sitting on top of your garage, half in the bag, yelling about stuff.

With binoculars so I can see who installed a new swimming pool or is adding onto their house.

I love walking around the block and talking to my neighbors about their new jet ski's, boats, 5th Wheel trailers and trucks. I LOVE THE SPRAWL! I love hopping up on the back fence and shooting the bull with the guy that lives behind. I love going into my neighbors basement and drinking homemade wine and brandy. FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT build more suburbs! I love talking to the guy who's got a '38 Ford stripped in his garage and is chopping the top, taking off fenders and hot rodding it!!! I love the SUBURBAN SPRAWL.

 

[Lincsong]

A few years back I failed at starting a business which was getting huge in the midwest. Garage remodeling. All sorts of cabinets and storage and custom epoxy floors (with team logos and such). No longer for cars, it has replaced the now missing "den" as Dad's room.

The guy who's franchise I was looking at ripping off was installing high-end stereo's, big screen TV's and sofas. Garages, since folks sat in them with the door open, became showrooms.

Yeah, my grandpa made the back of his garage into a sanctuary so whenever he tired of listening to my grandma he could have some peace of mind.lol

 

[jamespowers]

With binoculars so I can see who installed a new swimming pool or is adding onto their house.

I love walking around the block and talking to my neighbors about their new jet ski's, boats, 5th Wheel trailers and trucks. I LOVE THE SPRAWL! I love hopping up on the back fence and shooting the bull with the guy that lives behind. I love going into my neighbors basement and drinking homemade wine and brandy. FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT build more suburbs! I love talking to the guy who's got a '38 Ford stripped in his garage and is chopping the top, taking off fenders and hot rodding it!!! I love the SUBURBAN SPRAWL.

Geez, we have our own Gladys Cravits here. He's not kidding folks. He actually does this stuff---probably even more. lol
Geez, Linc, did I mention you could use Google earth and really spy on your neighbors from the air?

Regards,

J

 

[Lincsong]

Geez, we have our own Gladys Cravits here. He's not kidding folks. He actually does this stuff---probably even more. lol
Geez, Linc, did I mention you could use Google earth and really spy on your neighbors from the air?

Regards,

J

You should get out and meet the neighbors, quit being so anti-social.

 

[jamespowers]

You should get out and meet the neighbors, quit being so anti-social.

You know I already know more than I want to about my neighbors as it is. Fortunately, there is more room between houses here.

Regards,

J

 

[Lincsong]

You know I already know more than I want to about my neighbors as it is. Fortunately, there is more room between houses here.

Regards,

J

Wall up that side living room window. 8 feet is too close to hear the screams.

 

[carebear]

Wall up that side living room window. 8 feet is too close to hear the screams.

Scream problems?

Two words, basement pit.

 

[Paisley]

FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT build more suburbs! I love talking to the guy who's got a '38 Ford stripped in his garage and is chopping the top, taking off fenders and hot rodding it!!! I love the SUBURBAN SPRAWL.

I grew up in one of those suburbs and left because I couldn't find a job there. Nor was there much to do there. I didn't have a car, nothing was in walkmb/aslAKMV IOOIB"'

Sorry, I fell asleep at my keyboard.

 

[John in Covina]

Basement pit?!

Scream problems? Two words, basement pit.

"It puts the lotion in the basket. It puts the lotion in the basket or it gets the hose again."


Or is it: "Wake up the Gimp."

 

[carebear]

I'm a "do the 'tuck' and threaten the hose" kinda guy.

 

[jamespowers]

Wall up that side living room window. 8 feet is too close to hear the screams.

If people only knew what you were referring to. [bad]
Actually, there is more than eight feet between us---Thank goodness. Fortunately, on the other side they are on the edge of an acre of land.

Regards,

J

 

[Lincsong]

If people only knew what you were referring to. [bad]
Actually, there is more than eight feet between us---Thank goodness. Fortunately, on the other side they are on the edge of an acre of land.

Regards,

J

OK 7 feet and that's being generous.:fing28: Basement pit sounds about right.

 

[kools]

I just stumbled upon this thread but want to resurrect it.

I am most certainly a city mouse. I grew up in the suburbs, but became a city kid when I went to a Jesuit high school near downtown Milwaukee. I loved the energy I felt down there. With a population of 600,000 Milwaukee is great. A lot of great restaurants & bars (and then more bars), but without the traffic or congestion of a real big city.

That being said, I technically live in a suburb...about 3 blocks from Milwaukee's city line. But quite more urban than most suburbs in this part of the world. Once you go further out, it's all chain restaurants, strip malls & office parks.

 

[MrBern]

I would rather be in the city with everything going on, or in the middle of the wilderness.

Couldnt agree more.
I visited Australia once & was far happier inthe Outback than the cities.

 

[reetpleat]

I just stumbled upon this thread but want to resurrect it.

I am most certainly a city mouse. I grew up in the suburbs, but became a city kid when I went to a Jesuit high school near downtown Milwaukee. I loved the energy I felt down there. With a population of 600,000 Milwaukee is great. A lot of great restaurants & bars (and then more bars), but without the traffic or congestion of a real big city.

That being said, I technically live in a suburb...about 3 blocks from Milwaukee's city line. But quite more urban than most suburbs in this part of the world. Once you go further out, it's all chain restaurants, strip malls & office parks.

Man, all these suburbanintes. i am with you. I love the city, the energy, the people. And much more a place where you can be vintage and not be treated oddly./ Lived in Sf 5 years and miss it. Now I live in teh burbsof Seattle and the whole city is not that dense anyway.

As far as your comment about living in the burbs, we can distinguish between older suburban bedroom communities which are now considered urban more or less, from the fifties on style of sprawling suburb.

Many eastern and midwestern cities have many miles of older communities built for workerson light rail lines. they are pretty urban by today's standards.

remember, parts of NY were once considered buying out in the suburbs, as in a brownstone in brooklyn or Flatbush.

 

[CanadaDoll]

I grew up in a city that can fit into my current neighbourhood with no problem:

It's a toss up for me, I hate the way this city is laid out, cause unless you work downtown you are better off driving, and I do neither.

I'd love a little Victorian house within walking distance of everything I'd need, and preferrably a city that doesn't get winter, I'd be good with that, city or suburb.

 

[Rafter]

I grew up out in the countryside of NW Connecticut and went to Colgate Univ. in Central NY (total pop. of Hamilton, NY - 2500) but have been in NYC for the past 7 years and love every minute of it. The feeling that there is always something going on, the architecture, hop the subway or my vespa and be in a completely different type of neighborhood in 20 minutes.

I grew up in the somewhat suburban region of NE NYC, Bayside. So I actually had the best of two worlds. I had all the beauty and serenity of our quaint town and could get to Mid-Town Manhattan in less than 45 minutes via mass transit.

Now I live in SE CT and could never fatham living anywhere else. Just looking out of my window makes me feel truly blessed seeing the breathtaking beauty surrounding my new home. I drive my Vespa all over my little corner of CT, but would never think of navigating it around the treacherous streets of NYC.

The only drawback is the ride back to the city, for work. Oh well, you can't have everything!! But I'm still experiencing the best of two worlds. Just takes me longer to get to where I'm going!!

 

[Mike1939]

I've lived in big cities, small cities, suburbs and even a little cabin in the woods. Ideally I'd love to live in a resort town in the mountains be it the Sierras, Alps or Appalachians. Realistically I live where my work or schooling takes me and wherever that happens to be I call it home.

 

[Fleagirl]

Realistically I live where my work or schooling takes me and wherever that happens to be I call it home.

I'm a gypsy, too, when it comes to where home is. Sometimes the best place I've lived is the next place to which I'm moving.

I love the accessibility of shops and restaurants in cities, but I'd like to get that from a village. I've never lived in a mountain town or beach town--I'd like to try it. I yearn for a Main Street, USA experience as well; I'd like to sit on my front porch shelling peas and saying hello to my neighbors as they walk their dogs at sunset.

As for raised eyebrows re: dress. I think the eyebrows go up higher in the workplace (than in your neighborhood) depending on what you do.