I'm not sure what I am. Ian and I are planning on buying a house in the next 2 years and we are trying to think about where we want to be. Since he will be going to school in Boulder and I will be working in Denver, a suburb in between seems like the perfect compromise. Plus, there is all the good stuff that goes along with living in the 'burbs - the lower crime rate, the lower price, and the better schools (don't get too excited Mom, we are still talking 2 + years).
Growing up in Plano, a major suburb of Dallas, I thought I would always live in the 'burbs. It was so nice to go running in any direction for miles and not worry about what I'd run into. Plus my public school as one of the best in the state - I thought private school was just for snobs, not for people who desperately wanted to get their kids out of a failing public system. However, I went back to Dallas proper for a wedding last weekend and could not tell you a thing to do in the city. When I thought back to what I did growing up all I remembered was house parties and the local movie theatre. It's not like Dallas is a small city with nothing to do, it has one of the largest arts districts and downtown scenes in the US. I love exploring cities and finding all the hole in the wall places to go, yet somehow I'd never done that in Dallas. It got me to thinking, maybe I'm not a suburbanite after all.
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| My very suburban high school |
I'd loved the past few years that I lived in the heart of Austin. I was walking distance away from my favorite restaurant (
Trudy's) and within a $5 cab ride to the center of downtown. And now in Denver I live in a similar location - walking distance from an awesome wine bar (
Cork House) and $5 car ride to lodo - and this was the farthest out Ian and I would consider while looking at rentals. While it's not as safe as say Broomfield, it has a life to it that is uniquely Denver.
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We live off Colfax, which is such an iconic street that there is a book
dedicated to it's "vintage nightlife style" |
We have tons of time before we make a decision, but it's weird to think that I don't know whether I'm a suburban or urban person. I feel like the longer I live close to the city, the less I am going to want to move away from it. But then again it costs the same amount to get at 5,000 sq ft house in Broomfield as it does to get a 2,500 sq ft house in Denver proper. I know most of my friends now live in the cities, but does everyone plan to stay there as they start to settle down, or is settling down something you can do in an urban environment? Maybe settling down isn't something we want to do? I'm not sure, but my 2 year plan is starting to seem shorter and shorter as I try to make up my mind.
Ok. So I might be a bit biased here, but I totally vote for suburban. I think Dallas is the exception for downtown areas. Plus, Mom and Dad would never let us go downtown because it was too dangerous. At least you know downtown Denver since you've lived near it and so you know what areas are good and bad instead of just considering the area as a whole bad. Plus, in Colorado there's more to do in general like hiking in the summer and skiing/snowboarding in the winter whereas Plano there wasn't anything but malls. So you can always do those activities from a suburban home base.
ReplyDeleteGena has a great point.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I can mention that I currently live in the "outskirts" of the town and it's really frustrating to live that far away from where everything is going on. I hate that I have a 20-minute drive to get downtown. At the same time, as long as you have already established your friend group, then I don't think it's that big of a deal.
The thing you have to take into account is what's more important to you:
a) spending money on having a nice house with lots of space and amenities
b) being near what all is happening
Also, think about this: how much will you spending on gas to get to where things are happening? Is that extra cost of gas and putting miles on your car where you want spend your money?
Gena and Blair both make great points. If it were me, I'd actually sit down and write a pros and cons list, and really think about how much time you spend doing your different activities. I'd also rate how much each of your activities means to your happiness. For instance, if you love running and going to restaurants, but you spend more time running and less time going to restaurants, it might be better to live around running trails/neighborhoods. But if you want to be where all the Denver culture is going down, and you can still pursue your running, then stay around the city. Like Blair said, you just have to take into account what's most important to you. Not sure if this makes sense; this is just how I would do it! As far as what your friends living in cities, well, as a single girl in Austin I like to be in the city where I can conduct my social life pretty easily. Also, right now I work in Downtown Austin, so there's that element. However, once I get my real-person job and settle down like you and Ian and Blair and David all have, my priorities will probably change. Ideally for me I'd like to live within 30 minutes of a city. Like, I need the Alamo Drafthouse. I don't mind driving if the activity is worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'm just babbling at this point so I'm going to stop now.
Dave and I talk about this all the time, because we are also wondering where we will move next, and how close to the city we want to be... I always thought I was a suburban girl, but so far living in DC and then even Cincinnati, I have loved feeling a part of the action. To be honest, I think suburbia happens when you start having more than a few kids, and you just really don't go out to bars, restaurants, and shopping downtown anymore. The appeal of the neighborhood target and Tom Thumb is much more practical than getting the fancy cheese at the specialty store. To me it seems like a "stages in your life" concept; so i would embrace the city life for as long as you can until it becomes too inconvenient for your lifestyle. I think once you have kids, for most people their priorities change, and the suburbs have more to offer to make that new part of your life more convenient. And I think going out to dinner at fun restaurants downtown turns into drunken bunko nights, so it's the same fun, just a different location. Right? ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice! Right now I am definitely a city person....more space = more rooms to clean and I want to be in the action.
ReplyDeleteI think things become more difficult about what I think I will be in like 5+ years. Since we want to buy instead of rent next time, it's "future me" that I have to consider. In my head I'll never be that person with a minivan going to soccer practice, but I also thought a few years ago that my next move HAD to be to the East Coast.
When we seriously start looking I'll bust out the pros cons list, and hopefully be able to predict myself better!