I spent most of my life living in the suburbs, and as it stands, I'm still here. I've lived in different ones, and am raising my children in them. And I really do't like it. So below, I'm listing all the reasons the suburbs suck, and why you should stay away from them.
1. IT'S CROWDED
That's right. Crowded. Meaning people everywhere. Traffic. Congestion. It's no fun. It's not healthy. People need people, but they also need space. And the suburbs doesn't offer enough space. My last house was beautiful and new. However there was no yard. My kids had to play in the street, and that sucked. Also there was almost no other children, and they rarely were outside. So my kids were alone. It was a nice house, but it ended up being toxic for us. We just sat inside it. Depressing.
2. IT'S EXPENSIVE
The suburban life is expensive. Especially if you want the good schools. High housing cost, high taxes, maintenance. Not to mention filling a 2,000 square foot house full of stuff. You end up with a really nice cave, and not much after. Everything in the burbs must be bought with cash or credit. There is little to no way to get anything done without it. Again, my last house. Expensive. So ask yourself if you'd rather have less house, and more play money. Because I've been on the flip side of that, and I'll tell you it isn't worth it. Depressing
3. IT'S LONELY
For the population density, the burbs are surprisingly quiet. People really stick to themselves. Community is hard to cultivate. It's amazing how we can be so close, yet so closed off. And for kids, it's not the 1980's anymore. If you drive through most suburban housing communities, it's not full of kids running around outside. Pretty much everyone is inside with their faces buried in a screen. And the parents are so scared they don't even like their kids being outside. So if you're thinking of the burbs for your kids, I wouldn't recommend it. They'll probably just end up in front of a screen anyway.
4. IT'S RESTRICTING
In the burbs, rules abound. Home Owners Association rules, zoning rules, neighbor issues. It's hard to do anything. And again, there's usually no space to do anything. Asking permission to put in a garden or something sucks. And everyone should have a garden. I don't like being restricted. So I'd rather be somewhere where I am not. And that's good for your kids as well. I feel sometimes we as parents restrict our kids so much, they're afraid to act, or make decisions without us. Putting them in an environment that allows them to explore, and be kids is an important part of growing up.
5. THERE'S CONCRETE EVERYWHERE
That's right. Concrete abounds. We learn how to read our environment, and as suburbanites, we learn the language of signs, stores, and roads. We've lost the connection to nature, and with all of the concrete, I feel we lose apart of ourselves. Especially our children. It's not healthy to be in, on, or around concrete all day. We need grass.
6. THE SCHOOLS
Public schools suck anyway. But in the suburbs, even the good ones are bad. Why? Because even the rich people aren't raising their kids well. The stuff I hear from my kids coming back from school blows my mind (I'll post more on that later). The whole "socialization" thing isn't applicable when the people your associating with are all pan sexual atheists that do drugs. Better to homeschool, or co-op. So save the money by not living in the "good" school area with high taxes, and get into a co-op or something. I'm in suburb mix, and it's not fun. Also, public schools look like prisons. It's like we're conditioning our kids for incarceration.
7. IT'S SANITARY
All of the first-world luxuries we have are great. But, they can be toxic in high doses. In the burbs, we're so disattached from reality that our kids are afraid to get dirty. They won't put a worm on a hook so to speak. They're so used to the 4 walls, and carpet that they're afraid to climb a tree. In life, you have to get dirty. That's just the way it is.
8. IT'S MIND NUMBING
I'm going to be honest, like most suburbanites, we live on the fly. It's just a consequence of our environment. We eat too many frozen pizza's, run to the store everyday for something. We don't plan our meals, or buy in advance. We don't have food storage in case of emergencies. We just roll with it day-to-day. And the lack of thought is actually mind-numbing. We're supposed to plan, and supposed to be intentional. This environment makes it difficult. And we're teaching our kids the same thing. And if our minds aren't involved in our daily living, they're somewhere. Usually in the gutter of the internet or something. So, don't do that. It's certainly something I'll be changing in the future. A man's got to have goals.
9. THE FOOD
Obesity is a real issue in this country. That's a fact. Living in the burbs, it's hard to avoid the junk, after all it's everywhere. In the grocery stores, drive-thru's and everything else. A pizza is only an order away. It's tough to eat healthy with all of the temptation to eat junk food on the fly. No wonder we're sick and tired all the time.
10. JOBS
Everyone lives in the burbs to be close to the city to work. But how many of us hate our jobs? Now don't get me wrong, working is a good thing, and we should always work despite our feelings, but how many adults work jobs they hate to buy stuff they don't need? Probably too many. Start thinking now about working remote, or changing careers, because working in the city is exhausting, and when it's over there's usually not much left to give to the family. Your kids need you. So be there for them.
So in the end, if you have the option. Don't go to the suburbs, and if you're already here, I'd highly recommend an escape plan. A change of pace so to speak. It's just plain depressing. The whole lifestyle sucks, and it's not conducive for the human spirit. Like I said, if you haven't started out yet, consider all your options. If you're in the mix, start planning to exit. Of course change is rough, but it will be worth it.