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Originally Posted by james t kirk
So many North American cities, in particualar in the USA, have suffered urban blight. When I meet Americans and I tell them that I live right in the city, they think I am nuts. To them, the American dream is a big house in the suburbs with an SUV in the double driveway and a huge green deck out back. To me, this isn't the American dream, it's the American nightmare.
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That's pretty insightful, kirk
I live in an American suburb and travel the highway every day from my place, right by the city, to my place of employment which is yet another suburb. Albany isn't a large city, nowhere near the size of Toronto. There are some really nice sections though, but when I hear about people living in Albany city-proper, I wonder why.
I think the only city that doesn't have the stigma of crappy city life would be NYC. Maybe Boston. Other than that, most large American cities just aren't where most people would choose to live. Work, yes. But come 5pm they climb into their SUV and get back to their double driveway.
I understand why you'd consider it the American nightmare. Living in a city and loving it must make you recoil at the horror of suburban living. But for us, it's what we've somewhat been programed to go for.
I'd like to live in a city for awhile. I love the feel of NYC. But I don't know that I'd want to live there forever. I've just become too used to the idea of having a nice 4 bedroom house with a big grassy backyard and the two car garage.
What can I say, I am an American after all
Hmm... thread jack? Sorry guys!
To get it back on track, I have a story about Toronto. I went there for a Jays game years ago. It was fun. The end
