This is not a diary to convince people to embrace the suburban lifestyle, rather it is more like an addict trying to come to terms with their addiction. I was raised in the suburbs and I have many fond memories from that time. I think if Americans are going to embrace an alternative to suburban living, it will need to be more attractive than the choices currently available (at least those available on a large scale). Please follow me over the jump as I outline some of the obstacles to getting Americans out of their suburban ways and into something more sustainable.
Perhaps I should state:
My name is Sacramento Dem and I have been addicted to the suburbs for over 30 years.
My earliest memories are of our suburban house in upstate New York. Unlike out here in California, the yards were much larger (1-2 acres in our neighborhood), with no fences. My siblings and I would have grand adventures in the woods, play mammoth games of capture the flag, have snowball fights in the winter (followed by hot chocolate of course). That's how you build a loyal following of course, you get them early. When I moved to California as a child there were no more snowball fights, but there was a pool and lots of games with the neighborhood kids. As a kid I remember all the kids used to get together and play, especially hide and seek in the evening. Some kids had to go home when the street lights came on, eventually me and my sister would be the only ones left (our parents didn't really mind how late we stayed out). Over the years many things changed but the house remained the same, and I found that to be comforting.
I stayed in that comfortable suburban home till I went away to college. At 18 I moved away to go to college and live in a dormatory (1 year) and an apartment for several years after that. I had never been so close to so many people my age and it was very exciting. I didn't have a car at the time, but I didn't need one (everything I needed was very close). One day at work I encountered an abandoned puppy, after determining that this dogs 'owner' did not want him back Mrs. Sac Dem and I adopted him. Unfortunately our landlady did not approve of a dog in the apartment, so it was time to move. We moved into a trailer on the beach, the rent was right ($0) but there was no running water (surprisingly the TV reception was very good), we had a solar panel with two deep cycle batteries for electricity. The beach we stayed at was a park that closed at sunset, we would enjoy our own private paradise from sunset to dawn each day. My 3 year old son absolutely adored the place, and we had many happy memories. When Mrs. Sac Dem informed me that our family of three was going to become four I knew our days of beachcombing were numbered. We looked all over for housing that met our needs, and we ended up back in suburbia. It was just so damned convenient. Decent employment and schools were a big draw plus the area seemed so much safer than some of the urban neighborhoods. Although the house was very small by typical American standards we felt like it was our 1000 sq ft mansion. We loved it, of course, after driving into town to refill our water and being unable to use a hair dryer, the bar was pretty low (don't even ask about that trailer's restroom). Our little house in suburbia was surrounded by shops, an amazing variety of retailers open late into the night, I became hooked. Our city had a wonderful Public Library system (especially once they implemented an online reservation system). We even had a transit system that took me to work and a very reasonable amount of time (and my employer paid for the transit pass). We got so many benefits from living in a major city, yet we could rest in our little suburban cocoon each night.
My employer however was undergoing tough times, and that made the work less pleasant than it had been. Eventually Mrs. Sac Dem got tired of seeing me come home in a sour mood and suggested I try something different. I put in some applications and got a new job. The new job had so many things I wanted, but it was in a troubled neighborhood. We looked around for a home we could afford in an area we felt comfortable raising our children, and we couldn't. On a lark we drove all the way to Sacramento to look at some new homes. Sometimes it's best not to look, we found an enormous house in a beautiful community (lots of parks and lovely schools and kids and a neighborhood pool). We moved in and I made a long commute to my new job each day. Now I work close to home (close enough to bike some days). $4 gas may spell the end for suburbia, and I know it is a wasteful way to live, but I would still miss it.