Crooked Timber vs. the suburbs
There’s something about the suburbs that appears to periodically freak out the Crooked Timberites. Exhibit A was a Daniel Davies riff against big-box retailers that provoked a very interesting comment thread. Exhibit B is Kieran Healy’s shock at viewing the most desirable places to live for his demographic: In the Top 10 for Singles are ...
There's something about the suburbs that appears to periodically freak out the Crooked Timberites. Exhibit A was a Daniel Davies riff against big-box retailers that provoked a very interesting comment thread. Exhibit B is Kieran Healy's shock at viewing the most desirable places to live for his demographic: In the Top 10 for Singles are the fun, densely-populated places you might expect: New York, L.A., Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, etc. For Young Couples, we have cool hangouts like Portland, Austin, and Boulder. Empty Nesters get to kick back in Bellingham, Santa Fe, Tahoe and Berkeley.... But what does my demographic, Families with Children, get? Number 1 in the nation: Louisville CO. It?s followed closely by Gaithersburg MD. Roswell GA, Lakeville MN, and Flower Mound TX round out the top five. Now, I don?t want to offend the many fine people of Gaithersburg, MD or Noblesville IN, but Roll on the Empty Nest, I say. I confess to some puzzlement at Kieran's distress. What most of the top-ranked Family With Children places have in common is that they are semi-affordable suburbs adjacent to cities that fell into one of the other Top 10 categories [What about Noblesville IN?--ed. I got nothing, but that doesn't mean it's a bad place to live.] In a follow-up comment, Kieran elaborates: [C]ome on, everyone. Do people really not find the notional life transitions laid out in the chart?from New York or L.A. to Boulder or Austin to ? Flower Mound or Gaithersburg?even slightly funny? It?s like, as if the endless diapers and slug-like minivans aren?t enough, here?s where you have to live. Having made the move from one of the top 10 places for Singles to a place that I'm guessing ranks high on Families with Children, all I can say is, thank God for the suburbs (in fairness, Hyde Park is not exactly a typical urban neighborhood): Five minute walk to the elementary school? Check. Five supermarkets within a ten-minute car ride? Check. Lots of children for our children to befriend? Check. Reasonable access to big city to enjoy childless activities once in a blue moon? Check. Swinging key parties to get to know the neighbors better? Thankfully, this isn't The Ice Storm, so no. I suspect Kieran was mostly being flip, but I do think there's a part of him that shudders with dread about the exemplary suburban locale. To which I have to say, sure, it's easy to find fault. But I'll take the small downsides of suburbandom over the nasty stares I recall getting when entering hip and trendy restaurants/supermarkets/stores/shopping malls with a few rugrats in tow. At this point in the 21st century, having small children is kind of like belonging to a different religious persuasion that others view as bizarre and discomfiting. It's nice to be with one's own kind during these years.
There’s something about the suburbs that appears to periodically freak out the Crooked Timberites. Exhibit A was a Daniel Davies riff against big-box retailers that provoked a very interesting comment thread. Exhibit B is Kieran Healy’s shock at viewing the most desirable places to live for his demographic:
In the Top 10 for Singles are the fun, densely-populated places you might expect: New York, L.A., Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, etc. For Young Couples, we have cool hangouts like Portland, Austin, and Boulder. Empty Nesters get to kick back in Bellingham, Santa Fe, Tahoe and Berkeley…. But what does my demographic, Families with Children, get? Number 1 in the nation: Louisville CO. It?s followed closely by Gaithersburg MD. Roswell GA, Lakeville MN, and Flower Mound TX round out the top five. Now, I don?t want to offend the many fine people of Gaithersburg, MD or Noblesville IN, but Roll on the Empty Nest, I say.
I confess to some puzzlement at Kieran’s distress. What most of the top-ranked Family With Children places have in common is that they are semi-affordable suburbs adjacent to cities that fell into one of the other Top 10 categories [What about Noblesville IN?–ed. I got nothing, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad place to live.] In a follow-up comment, Kieran elaborates:
[C]ome on, everyone. Do people really not find the notional life transitions laid out in the chart?from New York or L.A. to Boulder or Austin to ? Flower Mound or Gaithersburg?even slightly funny? It?s like, as if the endless diapers and slug-like minivans aren?t enough, here?s where you have to live.
Having made the move from one of the top 10 places for Singles to a place that I’m guessing ranks high on Families with Children, all I can say is, thank God for the suburbs (in fairness, Hyde Park is not exactly a typical urban neighborhood):
Five minute walk to the elementary school? Check. Five supermarkets within a ten-minute car ride? Check. Lots of children for our children to befriend? Check. Reasonable access to big city to enjoy childless activities once in a blue moon? Check. Swinging key parties to get to know the neighbors better? Thankfully, this isn’t The Ice Storm, so no.
I suspect Kieran was mostly being flip, but I do think there’s a part of him that shudders with dread about the exemplary suburban locale. To which I have to say, sure, it’s easy to find fault. But I’ll take the small downsides of suburbandom over the nasty stares I recall getting when entering hip and trendy restaurants/supermarkets/stores/shopping malls with a few rugrats in tow. At this point in the 21st century, having small children is kind of like belonging to a different religious persuasion that others view as bizarre and discomfiting. It’s nice to be with one’s own kind during these years.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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