People Who Live In Suburbs: Classy, Icky, or Dudes?

1. the current 'this is not a choice' = the end result of many choices!

all choices are not the same. choices made by society/govts as a whole over the course of time doesn't equate to individuals now having a "choice". Maybe you're not saying it does equate to that, but if not, don't know wtf your point is.

When is the market going to perfect nuclear fusion so we can go back to being parochial, individualistic suburbanites living an air conditioned nightmare without worrying about fucking up the planet?

~2015

come on, biofuels! cars without internal combustion engines just aren't the same.

all choices are not the same. choices made by society/govts as a whole over the course of time doesn't equate to individuals now having a "choice". Maybe you're not saying it does equate to that, but if not, don't know wtf your point is.

uh my point is that we're in the situation we're in because of quite specific policy decisions that were made, many of which can be reversed when the political willpower is there. this basically happened in LA, which reached the logical endpoint of suburban planning before anyone else did, looked around and said 'oh shit'.

on an individual level, that makes it as much of a personal 'choice' as, idk, going to war in iraq. I am not blaming laurel, individually, for suburbia, btw.

You know damn well that Laurel was not talking about how bad the bus routes are in Southern California.

I think my suburbian ca experience - somewhere w/ a barebones transit system is probably closer to the american mean than, idk, someone in a gigantic rural area w/ absolutely no alt transit options. the vast majority of americans live in suburban+urban regions.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/84-million-new-yorkers-suddenly-realize-new-york-c,18003/

that was a good article but the whole "this is how we do it in NYC" angle was pretty lol

I live in a city where parking spaces cost more than renting an equivalent sized apartment, and where there's a 100% tax on cars above a certain strata, but the streets are still clogged with cars

idk if there's still traffic, the taxes aren't high enough

I am not blaming laurel, individually, for suburbia, btw.

this is very nice of you

hahahahahahaha ok since i know where dayo lives u r uber hilarious to me at the moment

No, I totes understand what historically led up to suburbs and our spread-out-ness, and I do not approve, by and large. But I only know about non-suburban, properly rural areas from personal experience, and I get annoyed at ideas that posit people there are driving places in their luxury SUVs because they can't be bothered. They have expenses just like everyone else and would prefer NOT to spend $$$ on gasoline etc but...!

Also I am trying, with my partner, to move to somewhere less urban than currently, and facing the possible reality of needing cars. Would MUCH rather go to a small urban area but we have to go where JOBS ARE, and that may mean driving. It sux but we can't live without work.

idaho iirc? xp

ydnrc

dddayyyo

look, hk is (one of the best examples of) a place where there are a lot of people sharing a limited space. each car takes up the room of 9 people - and in a place w/ expensive real estate, should pay for the privilege, esp when there isn't even enough room on the already-oversized road system for the current quantity of cars. everyone in hk can't own a car, not even theoretically.

this is among my less fringe beliefs btw - this sort of system has already been enacted in london and is the inevitable future for hk, manhattan etc.

perhaps u should send them a memo

why am i still on this thread

on an individual level, that makes it as much of a personal 'choice' as, idk, going to war in iraq

so like 0% personal choice then

uh they are quite familiar with it. bloomberg launched an attempt and it failed for political reasons. but 10-20 years from now you can bank on it I think.

xp

http://www.theonion.com/articles/84-million-new-yorkers-suddenly-realize-new-york-c,18003/

33 minutes ago

why are suburbanites so slow

still cant really figure out why ppl get so mad at iatee itt

I shouldn't have started off so accusatory. but iirc I was a miserable office worker going for a one msg "agh I hate X" post and wasn't planning on a policy debate thread.

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/10/13/transit-mode-share-trends-looking-steady-rail-appears-to-encourage-non-automobile-commutes/

lol at portlands biking figure

gross: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/09/human_landscapes_in_sw_florida.html

Walking in Arlington Virginia this evening. I have come to the forgone conclusion that anything beyond Clarendon Virginia is a shithole. I explored Virginia Square and found nothing of value but some overpriced apartment complexes, a few stores and empty suburban plots. There was Ballston Common but like many suburban malls are nothing but empty representations of urban decay.

You need to keep walking west, and you'll eventually hit Shenandoah National Park. It's pretty awesome. Might take you a while, though.

each journey begins with one step

what models of keyboards do they sell in Arlington's stores?

I dunno, I am no fan of NoVa but I feel like their suburban malls are far more likely than most to contain awesome Vietnamese restaurants

I wish i knew what music stores sold synthesizers. I know of the now defunct KITT's Music which sold stuff from Roland and Yamaha. It was mainly digital pianos with synth sounds. I also went to a Marks Music in 2002 and they sold an Andromeda Synth there. Other than that, I don't know.

Maybe I was a little harsh when saying everything west of Clarendon VA is a shithole. In fact, Arlington VA is the best place in NoVa to be besides Alexandria. I explored it during the night and not in the light of day. When I am up there again, I will explore Virginia Square and Falls Church. I will make my assessment then.

Ballston Common and Pentagon City has them sweet Vietnamese Restaurants and Massage Parlors. I know I have used both. Man can those people get the most years of tension out of your system.

keep on (star)trekkin', man

Man can those people get the most years of tension out of your system.

IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

lol

Maybe I was a little harsh when saying everything west of Clarendon VA is a shithole

can we start a board called I Love America and make this the permanent board description?

my uncle's been working on this thing for years:

http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,8,80&pid=GuJRA_EpFgUUG_zaNnG5Lr9ljw_xTCHR

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2010/11/05/is-the-digital-age-changing-our-desire-to-drive/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39970363/ns/business-autos/

Can't happen quickly enough...

i've been visiting my dad in the suburbs this weekend/week.
it's really depressing.

ha I was visiting my sister in the city. it was really depressing.

Where does your sister live?

Haha a friend from Germany spent last week w us and found NYC depressing but that's because his city has greener parks, better public transit, wider streets, cheaper apartments, and pretty much is a major city but better at everything than New York. Except for "being New York", of course.

did you remember to mention that we're not a city populated by the descendents of nazis?

lincoln square, j

What was depressing about it?

Unfair, Ian.