Standing in line in a coffeeshop in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, I overheard two women, presumably fairly well-off, having a conversation behind me.
“So, do you live downtown?”While this is purely anecdotal, my eavesdropping made me wonder how many people are out there like this – folks who make their housing decisions based on relationships or social standing and merely tolerate having to live in a large house with a large lawn because they perceive this as the only option available to them.
“No, I live out in Spotsylvania County.”
“Really? So do we, but our house is way to big for us, especially after the children have left.”
“Yeah, we feel the same way. A few years ago we actually moved into a 3-bedroom house right down the road from us just because it was smaller.”
“We’d love to move too, but I don’t know how to downsize and stay in the same neighborhood. The people are what make the place, you know.”
3 comments:
The truly tragic situation facing urbanism in America is this: the selection of where-to-live is a choice! Too many people assume that the only way to live is in a suburban lifestyle, and that there are no other options. They select suburbanism by default, unconsciously. Even when they suspect there might be a "different" way to live, nothing in American culture helps them identify and evaluate their lifestyle options. It's really unfortunate.
Great blog! I enjoy your insights and questions.
Does Disney have the solution?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6pUMlPBMQA&feature=player_embedded
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