Counter-urbanization

[Ivytalk]

I feel pretty good about my small town in rural Sussex. However, on a recent walk, my wife and I discovered that a small house formerly owned by a “native” older couple (both now dead, pre-2019) is now surrounded by 3 cars with Jersey tags. I felt like fire-bombing it. Assholes from NJ, NY, and PA are descending on rural DEclike a plague of locusts. Even away from the beach.

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

NYC is the greatest city in the world, they got this! #NYCStrong

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[UNI88]

Out East, you can live a good distance from the city and still have great access via public transportation. I can drive to downtown Minneapolis, 30 minutes, downtown St Paul 20 minutes. If I drive the other direction, it's 13 miles before I see another stop sign in a small town. The best of both worlds.

My biggest problem with most suburbs is that they're generic. They have little to no personality, one looks and feels similar to another. Are Maple Grove, MN and Manchester, MO that different from each other? They probably have similar strip malls and chain restaurants.

[UNI88]

My FiOS has been great throughout all of this - basically watched Netflix for 15-18 hours this weekend with nary a blip. Switched over to Disney+ with no problems, even hooked the computer up to the tv to watch the archbishop say Mass on Sunday morning on Facebook. I don't know what Verizon's doing but so far so good.

Streaming services reduce quality to keep the internet functioning

With millions of people now self-isolating in their homes worldwide, the world's internet infrastructure is being pushed to its limits. In order to ease the strain, major streaming services are finding ways to reduce bandwidth.

[GannonFan]

Out East, you can live a good distance from the city and still have great access via public transportation. I can drive to downtown Minneapolis, 30 minutes, downtown St Paul 20 minutes. If I drive the other direction, it's 13 miles before I see another stop sign in a small town. The best of both worlds.

My biggest problem with most suburbs is that they're generic. They have little to no personality, one looks and feels similar to another. Are Maple Grove, MN and Manchester, MO that different from each other? They probably have similar strip malls and chain restaurants.

I agree, that's why I was/still seriously contemplating moving into a big city (Philly) when I retire - can walk/public transport/Uber to anything, and you can't beat the variety of places to eat or go to, and they all don't lock their doors and close up shop at 9PM like most do in the suburbs. Certainly some negatives to city life (i.e. plagues) but the positives generally outweigh the negatives.

[UNI88]

My biggest problem with most suburbs is that they're generic. They have little to no personality, one looks and feels similar to another. Are Maple Grove, MN and Manchester, MO that different from each other? They probably have similar strip malls and chain restaurants.

I agree, that's why I was/still seriously contemplating moving into a big city (Philly) when I retire - can walk/public transport/Uber to anything, and you can't beat the variety of places to eat or go to, and they all don't lock their doors and close up shop at 9PM like most do in the suburbs. Certainly some negatives to city life (i.e. plagues) but the positives generally outweigh the negatives.

Most suburbs don't interest me, I would rather live in the city or on a lake/beach somewhere. The exception would be suburbs like Evanston or Oak Park in Chicago. They have the walkability, access to public transportation and variety of things to do. They also tend to be more expensive than Chicago because of all of that.

[dbackjon]

A lot of people live in large cities not because they like them but because that's where the jobs for college-educated people are. I would love to see a rapid exodus from large cities back to small towns and rural areas, but I don't think we will.

Yes and no. Central Illinois has lost all or a good chunk of two businesses (Caterpillar in Peoria, State Farm in Bloomington) because they couldn't get enough talented people that wanted to move to a smaller city (100,000 city, 250,000 metro).

[Gil Dobie]

Out East, you can live a good distance from the city and still have great access via public transportation. I can drive to downtown Minneapolis, 30 minutes, downtown St Paul 20 minutes. If I drive the other direction, it's 13 miles before I see another stop sign in a small town. The best of both worlds.

My biggest problem with most suburbs is that they're generic. They have little to no personality, one looks and feels similar to another. Are Maple Grove, MN and Manchester, MO that different from each other? They probably have similar strip malls and chain restaurants.

The town I live in, it's really not a suburb, as there is a gap between the city and where I live. We are on the Mississippi river, complete with a lock-dam, with great walking and biking trails. Nice park with a decent waterfall. Historic downtown with nice restaurants and a few specialty shops etc. Friday night car shows in the summer. There is a Walmart and Cub foods on the outer edge of town with their accompanying strip malls and fast food.

[UNI88]

My biggest problem with most suburbs is that they're generic. They have little to no personality, one looks and feels similar to another. Are Maple Grove, MN and Manchester, MO that different from each other? They probably have similar strip malls and chain restaurants.

The town I live in, it's really not a suburb, as there is a gap between the city and where I live. We are on the Mississippi river, complete with a lock-dam, with great walking and biking trails. Nice park with a decent waterfall. Historic downtown with nice restaurants and a few specialty shops etc. Friday night car shows in the summer. There is a Walmart and Cub foods on the outer edge of town with their accompanying strip malls and fast food.

You're in Hastings? I haven't been there but it looks like the kind of place I would like. Stillwater would be another possibility for me in the MSP area. I'm a river rat so I'm a sucker for a place on the water. But if money were no object, I would prefer a loft/condo in the heart of the city and a 4 season cabin on a lake up north for when I wanted to get away.

[Gil Dobie]

The town I live in, it's really not a suburb, as there is a gap between the city and where I live. We are on the Mississippi river, complete with a lock-dam, with great walking and biking trails. Nice park with a decent waterfall. Historic downtown with nice restaurants and a few specialty shops etc. Friday night car shows in the summer. There is a Walmart and Cub foods on the outer edge of town with their accompanying strip malls and fast food.

You're in Hastings? I haven't been there but it looks like the kind of place I would like. Stillwater would be another possibility for me in the MSP area. I'm a river rat so I'm a sucker for a place on the water. But if money were no object, I would prefer a loft/condo in the heart of the city and a 4 season cabin on a lake up north for when I wanted to get away.

It's also the birthplace of Robert Gilmour Dobie.

[Silenoz]

All these decades spent living in the wolf tundra are finally paying off

[AZGrizFan]

Suburbs are only cool when they USED to be separate towns, but eventually urban sprawl caught up to them. Then they sometimes retain their small-town charm.

The “new” suburbs that sprouted up in the ‘90’s and 2000’s are shitty McSuburbs that do all look, feel and even sound alike.

[houndawg]

A lot of people live in large cities not because they like them but because that's where the jobs for college-educated people are. I would love to see a rapid exodus from large cities back to small towns and rural areas, but I don't think we will.

I don't think it will be rapid but the burbs will lose people to both Big cities and small town/
rural

[houndawg]

Suburbs are only cool when they USED to be separate towns, but eventually urban sprawl caught up to them. Then they sometimes retain their small-town charm.

The “new” suburbs that sprouted up in the ‘90’s and 2000’s are shitty McSuburbs that do all look, feel and even sound alike.

My son and his wife live in one in Tampa

[AZGrizFan]

Suburbs are only cool when they USED to be separate towns, but eventually urban sprawl caught up to them. Then they sometimes retain their small-town charm.

The “new” suburbs that sprouted up in the ‘90’s and 2000’s are shitty McSuburbs that do all look, feel and even sound alike.

My son and his wife live in one in Tampa

FLorida is one giant McSuburb.

[Winterborn]

A lot of people live in large cities not because they like them but because that's where the jobs for college-educated people are. I would love to see a rapid exodus from large cities back to small towns and rural areas, but I don't think we will.

I don't think so either and for that I am glad. I like the country because it doesn't have people clogging everything up.

I can only imagine what a HOA would say to me cranking up a project that I just finished putting back together at midnight. An engine at full throttle with open headers is enough to wake the dead, much less Mr. and Mrs. Jones next door.

[UNI88]

Suburbs are only cool when they USED to be separate towns, but eventually urban sprawl caught up to them. Then they sometimes retain their small-town charm.

The “new” suburbs that sprouted up in the ‘90’s and 2000’s are shitty McSuburbs that do all look, feel and even sound alike.

[AZGrizFan]

Suburbs are only cool when they USED to be separate towns, but eventually urban sprawl caught up to them. Then they sometimes retain their small-town charm.

The “new” suburbs that sprouted up in the ‘90’s and 2000’s are shitty McSuburbs that do all look, feel and even sound alike.

I live in one. It’s so antiseptic as to be almost absent any personality whatsoever....there’s a FEW local, mom & pop type stores, but really just a couple big malls and strip malls with a Subway, a nail salon, a liquor store and a dentists’ office in every. Single. One.....it’s like they’re stamped out of a mold.

When we get our new house built, it’ll be in the country, but nearest town is VERY old school, and still separate from San Atonio....lots of charm and almost zero chain stores there....

[dbackjon]

I live in one. It’s so antiseptic as to be almost absent any personality whatsoever....there’s a FEW local, mom & pop type stores, but really just a couple big malls and strip malls with a Subway, a nail salon, a liquor store and a dentists’ office in every. Single. One.....it’s like they’re stamped out of a mold.

When we get our new house built, it’ll be in the country, but nearest town is VERY old school, and still separate from San Atonio....lots of charm and almost zero chain stores there....

Where are you building?

One reason I love where we live in South Scottsdale - older neighborhood with plenty of local businesses, many things in walking distance

[UNI88]

I live in one. It’s so antiseptic as to be almost absent any personality whatsoever....there’s a FEW local, mom & pop type stores, but really just a couple big malls and strip malls with a Subway, a nail salon, a liquor store and a dentists’ office in every. Single. One.....it’s like they’re stamped out of a mold.

When we get our new house built, it’ll be in the country, but nearest town is VERY old school, and still separate from San Atonio....lots of charm and almost zero chain stores there....

Where are you building?

One reason I love where we live in South Scottsdale - older neighborhood with plenty of local businesses, many things in walking distance

Jon, isn't Arizona just a big ecological disaster waiting to happen? How many people live there and how many can the state sustainably support?

[AZGrizFan]

I live in one. It’s so antiseptic as to be almost absent any personality whatsoever....there’s a FEW local, mom & pop type stores, but really just a couple big malls and strip malls with a Subway, a nail salon, a liquor store and a dentists’ office in every. Single. One.....it’s like they’re stamped out of a mold.

When we get our new house built, it’ll be in the country, but nearest town is VERY old school, and still separate from San Atonio....lots of charm and almost zero chain stores there....

Where are you building?

One reason I love where we live in South Scottsdale - older neighborhood with plenty of local businesses, many things in walking distance

Out by a town called Boerne....suburb about 25 miles north of SA city center...

[mainejeff]

Stay away from Maine, assholes!

[CAA Flagship]

Stay away from Maine, assholes!

*Stay away from Maine assholes!

[GannonFan]

Stay away from Maine, assholes!

Hey, I love Maine, but I could never retire there due to the winters. Place is fabulous from May through September, but gets unbearable after that. I'm finding as I get older I don't like the cold nearly as much as a did when I was younger. I get the old person fascination with warmer climes.

[mainejeff]

Stay away from Maine, assholes!

*Stay away from Maine assholes!

Yes we are....stay away!