You can have it your way
When thinking about these issues of suburban living, it is easiest to compare it to your own life. Many of us grew up in suburban houses, and that first hand experience tells more about the positives and negatives about the lasting effects suburban life. We are the ones who can determine if it is successful, and if it is something that we desire as our generation seeks to settle down into life-long homes.
I grew up in many different homes, from a small house on a marina, an urban house across from a big cornfield, to a town home, to the traditional house that completely matches that one next to it. Currently, I live in a small house with a yard, neighbors on either side. I can completely agree that living in this manner makes me feel very isolated. I see these people every day, but the most we get from each other is a wave hello. There's something about that yard that makes me feel very separated from my neighbors. You know that invisible property line that just seems uncomfortable to cross? Granted, I don't necessarily want to be very close with my neighbors (we've had our fair share of bad neighbors over the years) but the suburban house makes it even more difficult to establish a relationship with them. There's a clear distinctions between "yours" and "mine" that can be quite disconcerting. My step dad, however, LOVES his yard. He takes great pride in manicuring it, and always leaves that property line perfectly cut and straight. He wouldn't have his home any other way.
Maybe we can blame (or praise) the yard for our hate (or love) of the suburban home. So what if we remove the yard from the equation? So I asked my sister how she felt about raising a family in a town home that was deep in a large suburban area, and she said that she felt the perfect blend of privacy and community, and in a lot of ways, she liked it better than the traditional suburban house with .25 acres. It's the little urban touches, like hearing your neighbor walking up the stairs, or being able to pass some BBQ over the little gap between their decks that gives more of a sense of community. But at the same time, she feels a lot of privacy and a strong sense of ownership to the home - that idea of the American dream. The slightly-more-urban suburban style of housing works for her, even if the three flights of stairs don't.
I don't think it's fair to praise or criticize the American suburb, because it works for some, just as the urban lifestyle works for others. If one doesn't work for you, you have the freedom to live elsewhere. And I think that options like the townhouse provide a balance for those who want both.
Townhomes in cities (such as these in DC) give more of a suburban feel within an urban environment.
I grew up in many different homes, from a small house on a marina, an urban house across from a big cornfield, to a town home, to the traditional house that completely matches that one next to it. Currently, I live in a small house with a yard, neighbors on either side. I can completely agree that living in this manner makes me feel very isolated. I see these people every day, but the most we get from each other is a wave hello. There's something about that yard that makes me feel very separated from my neighbors. You know that invisible property line that just seems uncomfortable to cross? Granted, I don't necessarily want to be very close with my neighbors (we've had our fair share of bad neighbors over the years) but the suburban house makes it even more difficult to establish a relationship with them. There's a clear distinctions between "yours" and "mine" that can be quite disconcerting. My step dad, however, LOVES his yard. He takes great pride in manicuring it, and always leaves that property line perfectly cut and straight. He wouldn't have his home any other way.
Maybe we can blame (or praise) the yard for our hate (or love) of the suburban home. So what if we remove the yard from the equation? So I asked my sister how she felt about raising a family in a town home that was deep in a large suburban area, and she said that she felt the perfect blend of privacy and community, and in a lot of ways, she liked it better than the traditional suburban house with .25 acres. It's the little urban touches, like hearing your neighbor walking up the stairs, or being able to pass some BBQ over the little gap between their decks that gives more of a sense of community. But at the same time, she feels a lot of privacy and a strong sense of ownership to the home - that idea of the American dream. The slightly-more-urban suburban style of housing works for her, even if the three flights of stairs don't.
I don't think it's fair to praise or criticize the American suburb, because it works for some, just as the urban lifestyle works for others. If one doesn't work for you, you have the freedom to live elsewhere. And I think that options like the townhouse provide a balance for those who want both.
Townhomes in cities (such as these in DC) give more of a suburban feel within an urban environment.
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