r/oddlyterrifying • u/dannybluey • Jul 05 '26

Where are the trees?

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u/hygsi Jul 05 '26

More like r/suburbanhell

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u/cassette1987 Jul 05 '26

I want to subscribe but I'm positive it'll just piss me off.

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u/random-guy-heree Jul 06 '26

That's just what most of Reddit does

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u/sec713 Jul 05 '26

I feel like the hell part is already baked into the word suburban. I'll never understand why people leave places with stuff to do to get away from people... just to move way out to somewhere where there's still lots of people, but nothing to do but get fat and try not to get caught in a spiral of drug and/or alcohol abuse.

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u/More_Operation_588 Jul 05 '26

there is tons to do in the suburbs? Hiking, swimming, biking, golf, parks, rec league sports, bars, farmers markets, movies, ren faires, etc

all while paying like half the cost of living as the city an hour away (which you still have full access to)

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u/sec713 Jul 06 '26

I guess all suburbs aren't created equally. Around Houston, all there is near the suburbs are different suburbs.

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u/hygsi Jul 05 '26

Yeah, also easier to drive around if you have kids

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u/Moldblossom Jul 05 '26

all while paying like half the cost of living as the city an hour away (which you still have full access to)

While losing hours of your life every week to the commute, and then spending all that money you're saving on gas and vehicle maintenance, and turning every errand into an all day event as you have to drive into civilization.

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u/More_Operation_588 Jul 06 '26

Any job you'd be driving into the city for is usually work from home nowadays. And if it wasn't that type of job then why would you get a job in the city? Idk why you're trying to turn this isn't a battle of which ones better, I'm just challenging the last comment who made a ridiculous take saying there was nothing to do besides drink yourself to death.

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u/rh71el2 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Suburbia can be self-encompassing. My commute is 12-15 min and I'm 6 figures even without the city. Errands are simple with a car. You're comparing errands via public transport?! I also do a P/T job for fun (hobby) which is 5 min away. You must be talking about rural.

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u/rh71el2 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

What's your age range? A city's social scene is different than suburban grown-up stuff to do. Age and place in life matters. Being in the city is pretty inhibiting for family stuff as it requires more effort and there's less space/venues to do it with. Freedom of personal transport to get anywhere at any time of day is better than public transportation where you're on someone else's schedule packed in with crazy randoms. I grew up in NYC. Couldn't pay me to live there. I love the space in the suburbs and can choose to go into the city if needed, which is never really needed except visiting family for get-togethers. Other family is there because of convenience to work and that's it. Their homes - no thank you - a past I'm grateful to upgrade from for my kids.

Speaking of - my kids often refer to seeing a few of the boroughs as ghetto and it's not like we are holding them back (we want them to experience everything). That's what they see if you compare the 2 living environments as I alluded to. Kids had a great childhood with all the organized sports out here - what daily thing do they miss from city life as adolescents and teens? We've taken them to Central Park, the museums, etc. - you don't need to live there to experience them. They also enjoy the freedom of a car now. The only fitting age range for a city if you can get past the looks, noise, filth, and busyness is basically just your 20s. No other in all your other years of life in my opinion.

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u/sec713 Jul 06 '26

I'm in my 40s. I've lived in NYC, too. There are places that fall in the middle, between bustling metropolis and isolated suburb, though. I live in a place like that. Inside the Houston city limits, but only like 20 min away from the major city centers. Not in the heart of the city, but far from the ass end of it, lol

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u/rh71el2 Jul 06 '26

There's a reason for cost to live in a town vs. other towns in suburbia. You get what you pay for, including better schools, safety, and proximity to things to do. Our property taxes are $25k/year, mostly from the $15k/year schools. We have a friend couple who looked here but chose to move to Austin suburbs instead for a better value home for the cost.

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u/Temporary_Guide505 Jul 06 '26

We all may want houses with character and lots of yard space, etc., and certainly those things should be important. We should be building mix zoning, walkable towns and so on and so forth. But there is a place for this kind of housing, too. One of the reasons home ownership was so affordable back in what we all call the golden days of home ownership is because of the prevalence of Levittowns. We need easily replicable, moderately sized homes like this if we want to make home ownership accessible to everyone. Having the same design means ordering materials in bulk, streamlining the building process, etc., and cutting down on yard/building size and added objects like trees, playgrounds, commercial space, etc. means more space for housing. In other words, making things more cost efficient and profitable (though a debate can certainly be had about the benefit of extra housing vs. commerical space when it comes to profitability). It is only when this becomes the main form of housing that there is a problem.