Monday 13 July 2009

And The Village Was Great Now It's A Suburb

Saturday was one of those idyllic days. I spent hours lounging on my parents' patio, sipping coffee, devouring wholewheat pancakes topped with raspberries freshly picked from my mom's garden, and watching the puppies run, tumble, and finally collapse in the shade. It was a day where I thought that yes, I could do this. I could move to the suburbs. I wouldn't miss the noise of the traffic or the police sirens (note to self: living two blocks away from the police station does not mean you will be extra safe, it means that you will be very annoyed - daily - by sirens.) I wouldn't miss the tiny square footage of our shoebox in the sky. I certainly wouldn't miss living in a building with so many asshats (like the one who smeared a cheeseburger all over the floor of one of the elevators early Saturday morning. The cheeseburger was not just dropped - it was smeared. All over. Oh, and our building isn't cleaned on the weekend, so the cheeseburger was there until this morning.)

I guess I've swung over from wanting to move back downtown to wanting to move out to the suburbs. I have dreams, people. Big dreams. Dreams of window boxes filled with fresh herbs; dreams of a puppy run in the backyard; dreams of a huge garden with lettuce and zucchini and tomatoes and sunflowers and maybe even a pumpkin patch if there is room. It's entirely possible that this is just a summer dream (I'm all about the sitting on the patio in the sun, I'm not so much about the shovelling snow) but for now it is what is filling my head.

16 comments:

  1. i am very much a visitor-only to the suburbs. i LOVE going out for an idyllic weekend like you described.... but then omg get me back to where there are people and happy hours and loads of restaurants, thankyougoodbye.

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  2. I'm right there with ya. Life in the burbs just seems so pleasant soemtimes. But I do love the walkability of the city. I can't deal with the fact that everyone drives a car EVERYWHERE out in the suburbs. It's just not convenient to have things so spread out. But once I start poppin' out babies, I'm sure a house with a yard will look like heaven to me...

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  3. Dude. I get it. We lived in NYC for two years while I tried to wean myself off of my desire for a garden and a morning commute that didn't involve encountering vomit on the sidewalk. We don't live in the suburbs, but we found a smaller city, and OMFG I am still not over how much I love it (and we moved 6 years ago).

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  4. The suburbs are great, except that when you're working, you spend half your day commuting, and when you're not, you can never get anyone to come visit you because it's "too far." Maybe I'm just bitter, though. :)

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  5. I live in the suburbs (basically), and I love it. But there are times that I wish there were things I could walk to and can't, so I think it goes both ways. I'm mostly happy living where we can garden and get away from the craziness, though.

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  6. I totally understand what you mean, I grew up in the suburbs. But as others have said, it is so nice to be near the city and be able to walk and bike to places. I think that there has to be a house with a backyard big enough for my dogs to run, close enough to the city to still be connected. The best of both worlds...

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  7. I have those dreams from time to time, too. But, I'm not sure I'm ready to give up city life for it. I mean, I'm sweet and innocent in the city compared to the burger-smearing idiots. But, in the suburbs, my behavior might be interpreted to be very unladylike!

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  8. Is there a way you can live in the city and still have a yard/garden? We rent a flat in a 3 bedroom house right in the middle of downtown Denver and have both a front and backyard, room to grow a few veggies and herbs, and can still walk to everything.

    For me, the idea of living in a suburb is everything I hate about high population areas - having to drive everywhere, stripmalls, nothing to do, lack of character. Even if you can't garden on your own in your city, surely there must be neighborhood community gardens that you can be a part of?

    Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

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  9. LOL I just posted about how I hate living in the 'burbs now. I mean, Tsawwassen is as nice of a burb as you are going to get in the Lower Mainland but still...I miss the West End very, very much. And I've only been gone a week, lol!

    MMMM wholewheat pancakes topped with raspberries sound SO good. Can't wait till I can eat again!

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  10. I loved the city, but now I love the country...

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  11. Yum - summer and raspberries!

    I find caprice to be a very attractive quality in a woman. So you can swing wildly from city to suburbs and I will always support you.

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  12. Also, this has nothing to do with the above, but I swear I saw a Stella dog the other day! I forgot to tell you! The woman walking her looked like a pill, so I didn't want to ask her. But I'm certain he or she was a Stella!

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  13. From the suburbs, it's all good but has a different set of challenges. It's all about the mental shift of knowing you can't just pop outside and get somewhere in a matter of minutes or without a double-digit cab ride home.

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  14. Oy. I go back and forth. Seeing as we're spending the summer in Wichita, Kansas, I'm eager to live in the city again. Wait, let me specify. A REAL city again.

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  15. Make that 3 STORY house. Not three bedroom house. It has a lot more than 3 bedrooms.

    Argh.

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  16. Pumpkin patch = pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pumpkin! This is a very good idea, Hillary. I am behind you. 100%.

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