The City versus the Suburbs

While I've been going to college, I've been living in the city of Chicago for almost two years now. Originally, I'm from the suburbs of Chicago, and beside my four years in the military and the aforementioned two years in the city of Chicago, I lived there my whole life.

Well, I HATE, absolutely HATE, living in the city. The noise pollution is unbearable - dogs barking, car horns honking, engines revving, shootings, people shouting and arguing at all hours of the night, police, fire, and ambulance sirens, squeaking and creaking noises from your neighbors' vigorous sex lives, teens rapping and "conversing" on their cellphones (and God forbid you should tell them to be keep it down, because you'll probably end up with a brick through your window), and on and on...Oh, and let's not forget the abysmal parking situation and traffic for car owners; and if you don't own a car, then you get to ride public transportation! Yay! Where all the vicissitudes of city life are magnified by a thousand. My sister can't even visit me without some creep staring at her or breathing down her neck on the train ride over.

Basically, living in the city sucks because everyone is on top of each other. It's so cramped and noisy and dirty and I cannot wait to get the hell out of here and back to the suburbs where it's peaceful and quiet and you have room to breath.

Now, some people might say, "Yea, Ethereal, it's noisy and crowded, but there are so many things to do!" Sure, that's true, but it's only a thirty-to-forty minute drive from the suburbs. If you had the choice, wouldn't you rather live somewhere peaceful, quiet, clean, and roomy and just drive to the city when you want to watch a sports game or go to the museum? And the suburbs have plenty of places to shop and eat and socialize, so it's not like the city is so much better in that regard.

Additionally, everything here is more expensive. Gas, food, cigarettes, booze, housing, you name it.

In closing, I see the suburbs as the place to live and the city as a place to visit. To me, anyone that lives in the city by choice is crazy! The only exception I can make are people who are rich (and can afford an amazing condo or town house) or people who MUST live there in order to find gainful employment. Someone who lives in the city just for the novelty must be insane!



So, where would YOU rather live? The city or the suburbs?

 

Feel better now?

 

No. I was hoping to start an interesting discussion, perhaps elicit some personal stories from the forum members about life in the city/suburbs, but all I've got so far is your boring question.

 

I actually spent a lot of time in Chicago and the suburbs, too. I lived in Lake Forest for junior high and part of high school. It's a very nice community right on Lake Michigan. My family was upper middle class and we were the "poor folks" in Lake Forest. A great place to raise a family if you could afford it. After undergrad I returned to Chicago and lived downtown for 4 years. I lived just west of the Hancock building and walked about a mile to work each day (south of the river on Michigan Ave), even in subzero temps. The restaurants and music and nightlife were incredible, especially for a young, single guy. Now that I have a family, I would never consider living inside any major, urban area. So from my perspective, I guess it really depends on the circumstances - city and burbs both have their good and bad aspects. I liked both, but at significantly different points in my life.

 

I've lived in urban hell (east la), the suburbs (in MD), and the sticks (in PA) and I prefer the sticks, in spite of urban and suburban access to various conveniences. Besides, I'll take rabbits and squirrels to obnoxious and even crazy urbanites any day.

 

To me, living in the suburbs is a no brainer. To enjoy all that a city has to offer, it seems to me that you have to sacrifice a fair amount of living standards (assuming the same income). I could never afford the square footage that I have now in a city. The "something to do" argument may have a point if you are younger and have to have "something to do" every single night, but otherwise, unless you can't get a driver's license and are dependent on public transportation the city doesn't seem to offer much.

 

The nightlife and the social scene are definitely "robust", to say the least. But I can just drive there on the weekends and not have to deal with the noise and the crime and the people during the weekday. It's like you never get a break from the "hustle and bustle" of city life.

 

Whoops. I forgot to include the "country" in my rant...

I would definitely like to get some land in the country someday. A nice place to escape and go hunting. My grandma has a home on the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and it's blissful. I can't wait to go back and visit.

 

First mistake is living in the Republik of Illinois, the second is living in Chicago.

I have lived in the suburbs of large cities and now live in the city and yes, it is noisier, but I have lost some hearing in one ear so it ain't so it gets better as you get older LOL. I like being able to bicycle just about anywhere with ease and avoid the parking problem. I also live in an historic house which is both interesting and aggravating (lot's of maintenance).

There is a lot of residential construction here to build the demographics up to support more local shopping and it is now becoming more fashionable to move closer to downtown where much of the work is because of gas prices.

I ended up here because of a suggestion from someone else and it was a good move. When I get to the age where I need a three wheeler, I can bike to the grocery store, to the city county building, and just about anywhere else without needing a car.

 

Well, I was born here, so I didn't really have much of a choice!



As for living in Chicago, I have to for college, and it doesn't look like I'll get to leave anytime soon...

Do you live in Indianapolis?

 

Of course you have a choice. I was raised in Illinois. Yes, I live in Indianapolis. My ex boss from Denver used to schedule her meetings here because she loved coming here.

 

I was born and raised here too. Can't really choose where you're born and raised!

But I have to go to school here because I'm on the Illinois Veteran's Grant and I want to be close to my family and friends. It's not that I dislike Illinois, or the city for that matter, I just don't want to live in Chicago, or any city.

So, are you a Colts fan now?

 

the barking dog isn't being Obama's lunch.

 

If Obama came back to Chicago and ate it, I'd vote for him in 2012.

 

i lol'd.

 

The suburbs are too tame for me. I like the woods. I like walking where wild animals walk. And trees -- you gotta have trees. Real trees, growing where they decided to grow, not suburb trees that grow where humans decided they should be.

 

I prefer the two extremes. The fast paced and hectic city is quite appealing to me. At the same time, I find the tranquil coastline, countryside, and/or mountain range relieving and awe-inspiring. Being in the shadow of New York City (suburban New York), having my grandparents living in the shadow of New York City and Philadelphia, and often visiting my sister in Boston while she was in college makes me yearn living in such an environment, while being in close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Catskill and Appalachian Mountain ranges makes me yearn living in peace with nature.

 

There's so much natural beauty and individual liberty where I live, hive shackled drones have begun to permanently relocate....
instead of just visiting for a taste....
then going the (*)(*)(*)(*) home.

 

Only real problem I have with living in the city is having to use a restroom while out and the shootings.

Oh and crowded trains/bus.

 

I like small towns, but prefer the country really. So much wide open space. Especially the desert. It was always fun to walk around for hours without seeing another person or life form beyond the scrubs and brushes, and the occasional prickly pair. I don't like living in LA one bit.

 

You have shootings in your restrooms? LOL, we have almost an annual shooting here during Black History Month downtown. It is usually young men and they are trying a curfew this year and they line the streets with police. Other than that, most shootings are related to drugs. I did see an argument between two black men, road rage, and one of them started waving around a pistol just as a cop arrived. I didn't hang around to see what happened.

 

consider when. Where I wanted to live when my children were going to school and where I wanted to live when I was going to school and where I wanted to live when I was retired and where I may choose to live when I'm really old might all be different.

For example, a friend of mine loved living in the sticks. Well, he's around eighty now, visits the doctor more than weekly, and wants a hospital and emergency room close by.

Another thought, not all cities are equally bad.

 

Haha you misread what I wrote. The shootings is a separate issue. Though technically, some bathrooms do have problems with shootings, but they are the more of a junkie shooting up type of shooting.

 

The suburbs have all of the inconveniences of a city without the conveniences. You have traffic galore, but can't avoid driving to get what you need. In other words, you can't walk to the corner market or take city transport.

If those are my two choices I'll take the city.

However, my real choice is the country. I like privacy, woods, pasture, etc.

 

I'd rather live in the suburbs than a major, large city any day of the week.