suburb, city, small town

[target]

Where do you live?

I have lived in the city, and the suburbs (i currently reside in an inner ring suburb), and a mid-sized college town.

We are on the verge of moving (fingers crossed) to a much farther flung town of about 4,000. It is in the Baltimore-DC orbit, but it is about 30 miles away from each city.

The pandemic changed my view on teleworking (and my employer's too!) and we wanted to move to a place with a better school system. The house, if everything works out, is much bigger than we have now - but also in need of some fixing up.

Has anyone else moved as a result of the past year? Is anyone here in a small town?

[lewdd]

The 2010 census listed the population of the town I live in as being 2,935. I have a grocery store about 5 minutes away. I have more major shopping areas about 15 minutes away. I am part of a general metropolitan area that has a population of about 900,000 that includes an airport that 3 major airlines fly in and out of daily (some multiple times). I am about 1.5 hours from Philly and NYC. I am about 3-4 hours from Baltimore and DC. Five hours from Boston. Five hours from Pittsburgh. A few hours from the ocean.

It did take 15-20 minutes for an ambulance to reach our house to pick up my wife last month. Fortunately, it wasn't a life/death situation. We are 20 minutes from a major hospital that ranks among the best in the state and has high national rankings too. Tons of great schools. My town is in the largest and many believe best school district in the metropolitan area. Lots of colleges and universities within 10 minutes to 2 hours including a community college that is within 10 minutes.

The town I lived in IL before moving here was about 10x the population and the things I have to drive 15 minutes to get to know were a mile away there.

I like being in a small town in suburbia. Close enough to the essentials, within a reasonable drive to major attractions, yet I don't hear many sounds while sitting on my patio (before I turn on the loud music).

I hope it works out for you as you desire. It has worked out great for me.

[jaybird]

Livonia, MI... Western Wayne County suburb of Detroit. At one time, it was statistically the "Whitest" city in the country with a population over 100,000... I think we're only like 89 or 90% white these days. Anyway, it's pretty nice and quiet, good schools, etc. Basically, the Platonic Essence of 20th Century American Suburbia.

Among notable one-time residents, we claim Chuck Behler, who drummed for Megadeth in the late 80s, Hollywood supporting actress extraordinaire Judy Greer, and experimental/post-rock 4AD Records mainstay Warren DeFever/His Name is Alive:



I grew up in the immediately adjacent, smaller, wealthier and whiter city of Northville, MI.

Lived in Detroit proper in my 20s, long before it was a hipster revitalization project.

[scannest]

I have spent 47 of my (almost) 53 years on this planet in New York City. The first 35 on Staten Island, then 4 in Brooklyn, 3 in Manhattan, and now 5 in Queens. We had a 6 year stint in Philly between Brooklyn and Manhattan. I currently live in Jackson Heights, which is the most racially diverse neighborhood in the world. More different languages are spoken here than any place else.
While I occasionally long for a backyard with a pool and a grill, I am pretty content to live in a big fucking city. Maybe I'll consider elsewhere when I retire, but I'm just as likely to go smaller and move back into Manhattan.

[version sound]

I grew up in Virginia Beach, which is both a big suburb (bigger than the city it was originally a suburb of) and a beach town, which is kind of its own animal.

I lived in Newport News while I was going to William & Mary, which is kind of a shitty army town.

After I was finally done with school,I moved to DC. The plan was to work here for a couple of years, then move somewhere else. Nearly 20 years later, we’re still here. There are things I like about it and things I hate (mainly the cost of living). If my daughter didn’t have a bunch of friends here, I’d move in a heartbeat. For the last few years, I’ve had fantasies about moving to a small beach town in New Jersey. Why Jersey? I have no idea.

[lewdd]

Did you go to W&M while Mike Tomlin was playing football there?

[scannest]

For the last few years, I’ve had fantasies about moving to a small beach town in New Jersey. Why Jersey? I have no idea.

It's so you can stalk BB, isn't it? You can tell us, he won't find out

[version sound]

For the last few years, I’ve had fantasies about moving to a small beach town in New Jersey. Why Jersey? I have no idea.

It's so you can stalk BB, isn't it? You can tell us, he won't find out

It’s probably a combo of seeing his IG feed, AntientArtifax’s IG feed, and watching Comic Book Men. Plus, I was born in Jersey, so maybe my homeland is calling me back...

[lewdd]

maybe my homeland is calling me back...

Happened to me

[FormerLurker]

Livonia, MI... Western Wayne County suburb of Detroit. At one time, it was statistically the "Whitest" city in the country with a population over 100,000... I think we're only like 89 or 90% white these days. Anyway, it's pretty nice and quiet, good schools, etc. Basically, the Platonic Essence of 20th Century American Suburbia.

Among notable one-time residents, we claim Chuck Behler, who drummed for Megadeth in the late 80s, Hollywood supporting actress extraordinaire Judy Greer, and experimental/post-rock 4AD Records mainstay Warren DeFever/His Name is Alive:



I grew up in the immediately adjacent, smaller, wealthier and whiter city of Northville, MI.

Lived in Detroit proper in my 20s, long before it was a hipster revitalization project.

[SamDBL]

Livonia, MI... Western Wayne County suburb of Detroit. At one time, it was statistically the "Whitest" city in the country with a population over 100,000... I think we're only like 89 or 90% white these days. Anyway, it's pretty nice and quiet, good schools, etc. Basically, the Platonic Essence of 20th Century American Suburbia.

Among notable one-time residents, we claim Chuck Behler, who drummed for Megadeth in the late 80s, Hollywood supporting actress extraordinaire Judy Greer, and experimental/post-rock 4AD Records mainstay Warren DeFever/His Name is Alive:



I grew up in the immediately adjacent, smaller, wealthier and whiter city of Northville, MI.

Lived in Detroit proper in my 20s, long before it was a hipster revitalization project.

X2

[version sound]

Did you go to W&M while Mike Tomlin was playing football there?

I have no clue. It was the early 2000s.

[lewdd]

He graduated in 1995.

[drew]

Born in Brooklyn until 5 yrs old then Staten Island. In '99 I moved to L.A. with my first wife, came back in '01. Lived in Brooklyn from '01-'11.
Then Long Island for 3 years. Now back in Staten Island where we have bought a house so I guess we will be here for a bit. I'm a NY'er always but would like something more as far as land & scenery in a few years.....

We still go to shows & concerts & theater....maybe when I finally don't feel the need to stand in a smelly room watching kids perform punk-rawk I'll be able to break out of the city......

[garth]

Recently moved from Atlanta to Sullivan’s Island which is a barrier island to Charleston. Definitely a slower pace but still pretty high quality of life. Shifting modes to bike and golf cart has been great. I am sure my live music options have greatly diminished though.

[Knutsen]

Living in Berlin, Germany since my birth, except for 4 years in Hamburg from 2002 until 2006.
Since 12 years residing in pretty spacious 4 room rental flat with low rent and the Landlady living right next to us in downtown hipster Kreuzberg.

Absolutely no problem to listen to loud music during reasonable hours.

Lots of restaurants, bars, cafes and venues in walking distance (we will see what is left over after the end of the corona limitations), lots of small shops, and in some parts lots of junkies and tourists. High percentage of people with migration background. Gentrification is at work since 10 years. Turks and Arabs moving out, young Europeans ( mostly Spaniards, Italians + From the UK ) moving in.

Oh, it is not very clean.
Commuting is 50 min to work by subway for me. Trains run every 3-5 min.

[JGJR]

1975-1980 - (Ages -5) I was born in Yaroslavl in what's now Russia (then the USSR), came to Borough Park in Brooklyn when I was 5 with pit stops in Vienna and Rome on the way to the U.S. as a stateless refugee and stayed in Brooklyn for about a year

1981-1982 - Age 6-7 Clear Lake, TX and Baton Rouge, LA
1982-1986 - Age 7-10 back to Brooklyn (this time in Kensington), went to P.S. 179
1986-1991 - Age 10-16 back to Baton Rouge
1991-2000 - Age 16-24 East Brunswick, NJ - finished high school there and went to Rutgers; lived in New Brunswick for some of that time, too
2000-2004 -Age 24-29 Hoboken, NJ (with 3 months in JC Heights and about 9 months back in East Brunswick before then) the grad school years
2004-2005 - Age 29-30 I moved to Manhattan (East Harlem)
2005-2006 - Age 30-31 I moved to Astoria, Queens
2006-2017 - Age 31-42 A variety of places (4 total) in the West Philly area, including 2 in an inner-ring suburb. My 8 years on Hazel Ave from 2006-2014 in West Philly is still the longest I've ever lived consecutively in one place
2017- current (Age 42- present) back in NYC as the Genesis song goes, this time in the Bronx, so I am on my 4th borough

TLDR version: kinda like scannest, I have spent about half of my life in the New York metro area (4 boroughs, northern and central NJ) and I like where we are, but for a variety of reasons, I'd also like to move to a smaller, quieter place, yet one close to a major city and walkable, et al.

[scannest]

kinda like scannest, I have spent about half of my life in the New York metro area

As local celeb extraordinaire Sue Simmons might say, "The fuck you talking about?!"

I was born here and have spent all but 6 years living in NYC. How does that equate to "half of my life the New York metro area"?

[JGJR]

kinda like scannest, I have spent about half of my life in the New York metro area

As local celeb extraordinaire Sue Simmons might say, "The fuck you talking about?!"

I was born here and have spent all but 6 years living in NYC. How does that equate to "half of my life the New York metro area"?

It doesn't, hence the kinda. You really feel the need to bust my balls over this?

Also, you watched Last Week Tonight with John Oliver the other night, too, didn't you, re: that extraordinary Sue Simmons quote?

Context:

[gregpolard]

Suburbs my whole life apart from living in the dorms in Philly for a school year.

That's all I got.

[scannest]

It doesn't, hence the kinda. You really feel the need to bust my balls over this?

You're right, that 'kinda' does put it in some context. I'm sorry about that.

In related news, I'm kinda like Radiohead in that I've put out rock music on various formats (CD, vinyl) that people have listened to over the years.

[pedro]

Hey now, I have listened to a whole lot more of The 13 than Radiohead in my life.

I’m a loyal friend like that.

[lewdd]

Hey now, I have listened to a whole lot more of The 13 than Radiohead in my life.

I’m a loyal friend like that.

me too

[scannest]

Hey now, I have listened to a whole lot more of The 13 than Radiohead in my life.

I’m a loyal friend like that.

Yes, hence the kinda.
Don't think it's not appreciated.

[version sound]

It doesn't, hence the kinda. You really feel the need to bust my balls over this?

Don’t mind Scanny, he’s just very proud to be from New Jersey.

[JGJR]

It doesn't, hence the kinda. You really feel the need to bust my balls over this?

Don’t mind Scanny, he’s just very proud to be from New Jersey.

He wishes. I'd be pissed off, too, if I had to be surrounded by some of the folks who populate SI. Believe me. I don't say that lightly either.

Yeah, I went there. Bring it.

[gregpolard]

It doesn't, hence the kinda. You really feel the need to bust my balls over this?

Don’t mind Scanny, he’s just very proud to be from New Jersey.

He wishes. I'd be pissed off, too, if I had to be surrounded by some of the folks who populate SI. Believe me. I don't say that lightly either.

Yeah, I went there. Bring it.

The Impractical Jokers?

[JGJR]

It doesn't, hence the kinda. You really feel the need to bust my balls over this?

Don’t mind Scanny, he’s just very proud to be from New Jersey.

He wishes. I'd be pissed off, too, if I had to be surrounded by some of the folks who populate SI. Believe me. I don't say that lightly either.

Yeah, I went there. Bring it.

The Impractical Jokers?

Ha ha nope; don't know those guys (had to look that up, truthfully), but they sound nuts but a lot more tolerable than some of the folks I knew from there (thankfully most are cool, truthfully, but I think the punk/hardcore scene is a very skewed sample).

[scannest]

He wishes. I'd be pissed off, too, if I had to be surrounded by some of the folks who populate SI. Believe me. I don't say that lightly either.

Yeah, I went there. Bring it.

Puhleeze, I've been living with that my entire life. Rolls right off my back...

[JGJR]

He wishes. I'd be pissed off, too, if I had to be surrounded by some of the folks who populate SI. Believe me. I don't say that lightly either.

Yeah, I went there. Bring it.

Puhleeze, I've been living with that my entire life. Rolls right off my back...

Then why do you kinda give a shit that I've only lived in NYC and its suburbs for a bit more than half of my life as opposed to your trajectory? We typically don't control where we grow up and we sure as fuck don't control where we are born.

[scannest]

Then why do you kinda give a shit that I've only lived in NYC and its suburbs for a bit more than half of my life as opposed to your trajectory? We typically don't control where we grow up and we sure as fuck don't control where we are born.

Hoboken and East Brunswick (East Brunswick?!) are not suburbs of NYC.

[JGJR]

Then why do you kinda give a shit that I've only lived in NYC and its suburbs for a bit more than half of my life as opposed to your trajectory? We typically don't control where we grow up and we sure as fuck don't control where we are born.

Hoboken and East Brunswick (East Brunswick?!) are not suburbs of NYC.

That might be the stupidest thing I've ever seen written on this board if that is your reply and I do not say this lightly. I am quite familiar with the collected works of punk77 and some of Sam's recent posts. I think this is just your NYC bias talking, but Jersey hates you, too.

Really, though, you can't be serious. Hoboken is literally right across the fucking Hudson River from dowtown and midtown Manhattan and it's easier to get into the city from there than most parts of any outer borough you care to name because of the PATH and various bus and ferry lines.

EB is mostly a commuter town with a great school district (why so many folks move there) and lots and lots of folks commute to NYC since it's only 30 miles away. It's also very close to your hometown (SI), as I'm sure you well know. You have any idea how many Brooklynites and Staten Islanders I know whose families moved from there to EB in the '70s and '80s? We moved there in '91, as I said above, but my senior prom date was born in SI and moved there much earlier just to use one example.

But back to the main point, I lived in those 2 towns for 13 years or my life (1991-2004) with the exception of 3 months in the Jersey City Heights (which is amazing now; was a total hole when I lived there) and I have a lot of great (and some not so great) memories associated with those places (that is age 16-29; most of my formative and young adult years), so if I come off like a prick when you try to knock 'em, well so be it.

[DelGriffith]

I haven’t been home in years..

[scannest]

That might be the stupidest thing I've ever seen written on this board if that is your reply and I do not say this lightly. I am quite familiar with the collected works of punk77 and some of Sam's recent posts. I think this is just your NYC bias talking, but Jersey hates you, too.

I would have gladly accepted any of the myriad towns in Westchester County or on Long Island. And I think "Jersey" would hate you more for referring to Hoboken and East Brunswick as suburbs of NYC.
I'm glad to hear you're not taking this "lightly".

[JGJR]

That might be the stupidest thing I've ever seen written on this board if that is your reply and I do not say this lightly. I am quite familiar with the collected works of punk77 and some of Sam's recent posts. I think this is just your NYC bias talking, but Jersey hates you, too.

I would have gladly accepted any of the myriad towns in Westchester County or on Long Island. And I think "Jersey" would hate you more for referring to Hoboken and East Brunswick as suburbs of NYC.
I'm glad to hear you're not taking this "lightly".

That's not what I meant about not taking it lightly. This is all internet BS as far as I'm concerned. I just didn't realize it would strike such a nerve with you, but the notion that towns in NJ that are very close to NYC are inner-ring suburbs is not a particularly new or unique or even controversial one or so I thought.

[scannest]

I just didn't realize it would strike such a nerve with you...

Wow, you really are incapable of "reading the room".

[JGJR]

I just didn't realize it would strike such a nerve with you...

Wow, you really are incapable of "reading the room".

Don't try to gaslight me. Homey don't play that.

I'm sure even Thom Yorke or Johnny Greenwood would say that you're *kinda* a dick in this thread. I'm out.

[patient_ot]

Planned a big move before C-19 but had to cancel it.

I live in a Metro suburb about 20 minutes from the CBD.

Lived in a few different states and cities across the U.S. Big cities, smaller cities, suburbs, etc.

Tried the small town thing a few years ago and hated it. Never again.

[gregpolard]

I haven’t been home in years..

What, seriously?

[pedro]

I haven’t been home in years..

What, seriously?

Shower curtains don't sell themselves!

[FormerLurker]

I haven’t been home in years..

[JGJR]

Instead of laughing at him, you fuckers should invite him over on Thanksgiving.

[gregpolard]

Instead of laughing at him, you fuckers should invite him over on Thanksgiving.

I just may.