The End Of The Suburbs: Where The American Dream Is Moving (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Numerous arguments made by the author about why the suburbs is dying out, only one of which, I believe holds validity, the others are heavily skewed to the author’s opinion and I don’t like how she does not entertain the “other side” of the argument. Urbanism has many cons too. The only argument which I believe has validity is that suburban life forces extensive commuting - which costs time and money and is bad for the environment. However, besides the saving of time, if one moves close to work and their work is in a high demand urban area, I would argue that time BUT NOT money is saved unless that person had enough money to buy a house in a more expensive urban area. Most people however, can not afford a house in a city and end up in a condo or apartment with maintenance fees. So, goodbye to the cost of car expenses but say hello to condo fees that start off lower in newer buildings and then gradually climb up to staggering monthly fees. Although I don’t know how U.S. condo fees are regulated or how comparable they are to Canada (this book is American), I do know that these condo fees can trap you, no differently than the suburbs can. Some older buildings have fees up to $800 to $900 a month - much more than the cost of a car - which imposes stress just the same. These fees also do NOT cover the cost of utilities, tv or property tax, they only cover the cost of whatever common recreation areas the building says it has to offer, and the maintenance of the outside grounds and common areas of the building. This high monthly cost in my opinion does not warrant whatever the bells and whistles the condo says it has to offer - the gym, the pool - especially when a membership at a very nearby fitness facility that I can walk to would cost me less than that per year. In my opinion, a monthly maintenance fee is a perpetual, never-ending mortgage. So how much better is that then the endless, costly commute?Also, the author one-sidedly argues that living in the city is more communal and diverse. While I do agree that cities offer more diversity in family make-up and lifestyle (single, married with/without kids), I do not agree that there is as much diversity culturally, as certain cultures still “pocket” into areas of a city and you can still feel just as marginalized in a city as you can in the suburb.I did not like how the book presented this new and improved - urban development as being devoid of its poisons. She mentions glass buildings with positive, spirited fervour. There are glass condo complexes in Toronto, Canada - downtown somewhere by Lake Ontario, now falling apart, chipping away and depreciating, causing a class action lawsuit for people who moved into these buildings and have lost a lot of their property value. This story was covered by CBC Radio Canada about a year or so ago.I personally think that commuting from the suburbs into work is a big poison, but moving back into the city has its many poisons too. It’s just a matter of what poison you personally want to pick. Interesting book about how demographic changes (smaller families, fewer kids, aging population), the economy, and lifestyle choices are changing the face of the suburbs (more crime, more blight, empty homes esp. in places like Vegas) and driving interest in homes in cities and also to more walkable communities centered around mass transit (like Daybreak in SLC area).Interesting to read about trends and to see how things like gas prices are having an effect. It used to be that people would live further out with the idea that you "drive until you qualify" for the house you like. But long commutes take their toll and with gas prices, those farther out communities are suffering and having a hard time selling homes now.
What do You think about The End Of The Suburbs: Where The American Dream Is Moving (2013)?
While the author made some good points, the book read like a random assortment of term papers.
—Elentiya
Thought provoking with a dose of hope that we may eventually reduce our use of cars.
—XXXYYY
