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Sprawl Living
“Sprawl living stretches out like a life sentence in isolation.”
That’s how this article starts, describing life in the suburbs of Hamilton. If this article doesn’t describe you – or your house – it describes someone you know and where they live. We’ve all been in at least one.
November 11th, 2005 at 7:49 am
Yes, that article describes why I want to completely avoid suburban life at pretty much all costs. If I had to work in a city, such as Toronto, I would rather live downtown in a condo and be carless than drive 40 minutes into work everyday in my car from the suburbs, worring about the costs of gas and parking, and getting home stressed and tired from my drive, having to then make dinner (which will be poor quality because I had to pull something quick out of the freezer) and spend a limited amount of time with my s/o or children before I pass out from my day. I don’t want to spend my weekends overfeeding a pumped up lawn just so that I can avoid sideways glances from my neighbours because my lawn doesn’t look like a golf course.
I have no interest in living anywhere near the Jones’.
November 11th, 2005 at 10:32 am
I’ve never talked to anyone that was even relatively neural on the subject of sprawl. Everyone seems to detest it.
Yet they keep bulldozing prime farm-land to build the asphalt paradises, where you can move in and keep a close eye on the jonses as you keep up.
Hamilton’s majour issue is directed city planning. Council and their pocket stuffers have a plan for develloping hamilton into the satellite (Red Hill is a major step in this direction, as it relocates the center of hamilton’s traffic, commerce and housing devellopments.
To stop these cookie-cuts, we have to stop buying them. (Or stop chaining our genetailia to banks who buy them for us). We need to vote and support initiatives of inner-city revitalisation, community growth and environmental protectionism.
Until we wake up, the suburban nightmare will continue.
-=J=-
November 11th, 2005 at 5:50 pm
That was a pretty pathetic description of a worst-case scenario if you ask me. I don’t think everyone who lives in the burbs lives like that. I have several friends who have bought places in these areas and don’t live anything like that. They have wonderful parties, you don’t have to worry about where to park, and they have cute little back yards with cute little bbq’s. How nice to have some outdoors space to call your own. They are close to many major highways to jet off for the weekend, new baby in tow of course. I don’t think the residents of the burbs live slaves to capitalism and consumerism anymore than any other family of 2005. I know I’ll probably start off there with my partner mostly because we’ll be able to afford it and it will feel safe for a new and growing family. Not to mention there are lots of new families with similar interests.
We lived in downtown Toronto for 10 years in 3 of the most action packed fabulous areas, and I tell you, living in a huge city also had it’s disadvantages to go with the many advantages. The city can be the most exciting place to live, but it too can create isolation and be very lonely. Who can afford a $750, 000 fixer upper in an o.k. area? Not me. It took me 45 minutes to an hour to get to work on the best of days. Don’t even think about smiling to anyone on the sub-way….or you’re crazy. Don’t drop your change on the floor at the grocery counter, cause no one will help you pick it up. God forbid you need to find somewhere to park…I’m not even going to go there. Or shall we go out for an evening to the flashy Yorkville strip where insecure 30-somethings flash their money and new Louis Vitton. They live like slaves to it just like those in the suburbs. They just live a little closer to the mall and some entertainment. I don’t hate the city by any means and actually miss it very much. But to each his own. To me, where you live may not matter. You can’t escape it really – city mouse or country mouse….or suburban mouse.