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Exodus to the Burbs

taal

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http://www.torontolife.com/daily/informer/a-message-from-toronto-life/2011/08/12/preville-teaser/

So I'm surprised a thread about this hasn't surfaced yet ...

Unfortunately the article isn't online but has anyone read it, I have ... unfortunately ... :)

Lot's of commentary online one included a link to this article claiming many of the largest (coolest?) US cities i.e. New York, San Francisco are loosing many people in the 35-45 range to their respective suburbs ... over the last decade or so ...
Clearly this happens in Toronto as well ... but is it a surprise to many, no !

I think getting the age correct is important, while the Toronto Life article is based on nothing but the editors claims and few 'interviews', I loved the one with the cottage owners who wanted a shorter commute.

So by this I mean, I think when many people have kids they still leave the city, not all, but some. I don't think this will change in North America on a whole for a very long time. But you know what, I'm willing to bet this happens in Europe too, I know many people from London who leave the city for very similar reasons.


Anyway, whenever money comes up as a reason, which is mentioned many times it's very much a self fulfilling prophecy ... that is if you believe that this is happening in droves ... eventually prices come down in Toronto.

I find the comments about littering and the like very silly, there are just so many more people here that you're going to notice the bad apples.


An interesting point though is this isn't a downtown Toronto verse suburb debate, maybe it is, but the examples given are more along the lines of inner suburbs (downtown still) verse the 905.
Which is a little strange in it self, I really didn't understand any of the arguments made between a life in the beaches and a life in say oakville ... a lot of the argument stemed around making life more 'livable' calm - most people I know who live in the beach are just like this though today, hence why I assume they live there.

Now I do know people *from work* who live in said 905 suburbs (but not suburbs as in the old towns ...) so what I ask them for the most part is what's the difference between said area and say Yonge and Lawrence (Not Eglinton, as I can see people complaining about the night live ... believe it or not, or in general the large portion of 'younger' folks). The answer I always get is price and commute (as I work in the suburbs) and at first a sense of its too crowded (keep in mind these are poeple who live on quaint 905 towns, not 'suburbs' per say).
 
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My sister and her family just moved from the Thompson Hotel building to Three Valleys in North York. It makes more sense to live in the burbs if you have a family. The open space and large parks are ideal for families.


I've never understood this, there are plenty of parks downtown, and large ones at that - more then there are in suburbs - and what exactly is 'open space' ?
 
I've never understood this, there are plenty of parks downtown, and large ones at that - more then there are in suburbs - and what exactly is 'open space' ?

Open space refers to the grass growing between the road and the sidewalk, the space between the buildings, the many trees and the fact that everything is more spread out and more "natural". It's like a modern interpretation of the English Garden.

Of course, some families like things more spread out and quiet, while others like a tighter, more worldly space.
 
My sister and her family just moved from the Thompson Hotel building to Three Valleys in North York. It makes more sense to live in the burbs if you have a family. The open space and large parks are ideal for families.

At least they didn't move to the 905, North York is still Toronto.
 
Open space refers to the grass growing between the road and the sidewalk, the space between the buildings, the many trees and the fact that everything is more spread out and more "natural". It's like a modern interpretation of the English Garden.

Of course, some families like things more spread out and quiet, while others like a tighter, more worldly space.

Alright, that's fair enough.
 
What exactly does this have anything to do with Detroit whatsoever ....

I guarantee you I can find you similar articles in every single major North American city in North America ... and at the same rate people debate about what car they want to buy as well ... it's a life style choice.

Personally I just hope enough people choose the downtown / urban lifesytle, and I think they indeed do. I'd love to see more families - but to be clear, there are thousands of families that already live in the inner suburbs i.e. all the houses north of Bloor ... Queen East ... so on. But the question is do you consider this urban or not ? Will / can we see families living downtown.


Regarding your comment above, I don't think this region has done much in the way of working together in the last decade or so.
 
What exactly does this have anything to do with Detroit whatsoever ....

I guarantee you I can find you similar articles in every single major North American city in North America ... and at the same rate people debate about what car they want to buy as well ... it's a life style choice.

Personally I just hope enough people choose the downtown / urban lifesytle, and I think they indeed do. I'd love to see more families - but to be clear, there are thousands of families that already live in the inner suburbs i.e. all the houses north of Bloor ... Queen East ... so on. But the question is do you consider this urban or not ? Will / can we see families living downtown.


Regarding your comment above, I don't think this region has done much in the way of working together in the last decade or so.

I consider it Urban. Only if you live in North Scarborough, North York, Rexdale/Kipling is it "suburban"
 
My sister and her family just moved from the Thompson Hotel building to Three Valleys in North York. It makes more sense to live in the burbs if you have a family. The open space and large parks are ideal for families.

Hmm, Three Valleys. Given the tell-tale geography, makes me wonder if Nads Gone Bads is the latest incarnation of Mystery White Guy...
 
loved the Spacing rebuttal! the original article is pretty hollow and self serving... I hope nobody tells all the condo developers that Toronto is on the verge of becoming an empty shell, because if they knew, all the highrise construction would surely come to a stop. And one of my favourite spectator sports would be no more. So, lets just keep the bad news a secret!:rolleyes:
 
Hmm, Three Valleys. Given the tell-tale geography, makes me wonder if Nads Gone Bads is the latest incarnation of Mystery White Guy...

You can tell by the name "Nads Gone Bad" that it's him. The Buckley CD is being tuned up as we speak.
 
The Burbs? A couple of people have described the article to me ... and the description I got from both, is it wasn't about people moving to the burbs ... but to rural areas far past the burbs.
 
I read parts of the story, couldn't read it all.
He says, that downtowners don't make eye contact and that you can't count on your neighbors, that city life turned him into an asshole, cutting people off, frowning.
I lived in the burbs in Montreal for 12 years and i can safely say that it's the exact same in the burbs as it is in the city.
They care about their neighbors just as much as downtowners do. Everyone is spying in on their neighbors to try and one up them. The burbs is a competition for who has the newest and most expensive car, the most updated kitchen, the best furniture, the garage with the most tools (even though the guys can barely do any DIY work around the house) and the best patio furniture. Let's not forget the basement competitions.
As others have stated, the so called suburb examples are not even suburbs. Where were the interviews with the young famillies in Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Ajax, etc?
As someone who spent my first 17 years in the city and then off to the burbs, i will never ever have my kids suffer through that type of lifestyle.
IMO, moving from the city to the burbs is like breaking into jail.
 

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