Photo by otzbergCity mouse, suburban mouse-I’ve been both at one time or another. I grew up and lived for thirty years in one of the most cosmopolitan sections of a metropolitan area. After marriage and with a kid, we moved some seventy miles westward to a smaller city and bought a house in the nearby suburbs. So what are pros and cons of each place?
City living provides a fast-paced environment. People are moving, whether by foot, by bike, by car, or by any other means handy to them. Once we moved to the suburbs, we lived on a quiet street. To a visiting relative, it seemed dead and boring. To me, it seemed peaceful and urbane, if not urban.
Speaking of people getting around, you have to look at the transportation options if you’re trying to decide between city or suburban living. Where is your job? Do you want to walk to work, drive to work, or take public transportation? You won’t find public transportation threaded throughout the streets of the suburbs-probably just a few bus stops here and there along the main roads.
That’s important to many people these days, because of the cost of gasoline and the importance of reducing emissions. City dwellers are really a part of making that happen, because suburbanites must drive to their workplaces. Suburbanites also have farther to drive to reach grocery stores and shopping centers. If you want to live a greener life, downtown living wins.
But wait a minute! Those suburbanites can get involved in carpooling and composting. And they’re more likely to stay committed to an effective recycling program. So if it’s green living you’re after, then the scales balance out.
What about raising your children? This is a category where suburban living wins categorically. City schools generally have poorer success rates than suburban schools. With the more transient populations of the city, there is less support for school district development. Suburbs win.
What about culture, either for children or for yourselves? Downtown living wins-this is where you have the majority of your museums, art galleries, zoo, sports arenas, and similar venues.
Homes in the cities generally cost less than homes in suburbs. The exception will be the condos placed strategically close to city-central, which will be priced very high. The people who live in them can choose to forego cars and add what would be a car payment into their available mortgage money.
Ultimately, you have to make your own list. What are you looking for? Convenience? Hustle and bustle? Culture? Then pick the city! Maybe you’d prefer emerald green lawns filled with swing sets and barbecues, and you believe that solid schools raise home values. You want to grow a little garden and do your part to preserve the environment. You like to get in your car and drive to the next town over for its outlet stores. The choice is yours!
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