When I was coming of age in California, the last thing we wanted to do was live in a city. The word "URBAN" was not cool like it is today. URBAN meant things like "blight", and "ghetto". We wanted to tune in, turn on, and drop out, with the key words being drop out.
Drop out of civilization and everything that it stood for. Run for the hills. Sit under the trees and contemplate the nature of our being. Okay, is my baby boomerism showing much?
But not this generation, NOOOOOOOOOOO.....They can't wait to leave the sanctuary of their suburban lifestyle to go LIVE IN A CITY. All that time we spent building housing, parks, schools, bringing in great shopping AND entertainment, and THEY JUST WANT TO LEAVE. What's up with that?
Is suburbia turning into the Land of the Grandparents?
When my daughter got her first apartment, it was 4 stories up, overlooking a Home Depot parking lot in Oakland. The entrance was through a dark garage, and you had to yell at each other to hear over the freeway noise of cars going into San Francisco, She was thrilled, and oblivious. I was desperately trying to figure out the appeal of this lifestyle while trying to calm a panic attack.
Less than a year after this move, she decided to buy a house in Berkeley. When she called to tell me about the fabulous house she had found, she asked, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" With a sigh, I asked for the bad news first.
"It has bars on the windows." Great, it had to be in the worst possible location. "What's the good news?"
"It's the last house on the street with bars on the windows" Well, that's a real relief. NOT!
Her new neighborhood is in transition, absorbing other young refugees from suburbia. My father calls this process gentrification. Old 1920's era bungalows that had been in decline for years, and in the roughest part of town, are being scooped up and fixed up by young UC Berkeley and Stanford grads seeking out real estate, ANY real estate, near San Francisco, that they can afford. All the ills of city life seem pale in comparison to OWNING REAL ESTATE NEAR SAN FRANCISCO.
Does each generation just need to find their own niche when it comes to where they want to live? If we continue to experience the exodus of our brilliant younger generation from suburbs to cities, an URBAN RENAISSANCE is on the horizon for California.
California Mortgage Expert based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Specializing in cutting edge strategies and solutions for buying, selling, and financing California real estate.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2008 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
Janet - I'm one of the 40 somethings living in Suburban hell. I own a minivan, have four kids and live in a house that looks like all of the other houses in my neighborhood, also with minivans an 2-4 kids. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and live here in a very nice neighborhood with a fantastic school district.
But I cannot wait to live in a "community" again. A farmer's market down the block. Neighborhood restaurants and bars. I can park the car and walk to my work, or nightlife or shopping. I can be a part of something, again. When my wife and I had no kids that's the life we lived from the 12th floor of a Bethesda condo. I can't wait to get back. Suburbs nice. Urban areas that have been updated are better.
My husband and I are young professionals that have shunned the suburban life and live in a city. He takes the bus to work. I commute 1.5 miles to the office every day. We can walk to restaurants and a wonderful city park. We have a fantastic older home with charm and character, and we're surrounded by other homes with charm and character. No McMansions here. We are so happy with our decision to live in a city and not the 'burbs. I see people commuting 20 miles and it takes an hour because the towns don't have the infrastructure to handle the traffic from the sprawl. There is NO WAY you could pay me to battle that every day. Give me a city any day!
I love your responses! Thank you for helping me understand the appeal of city life. Amy, you make it sound so good, I'm ready to move.
Hey, Chris, re the minivan: this too shall pass! Former mini van mom here.
hey, my brother lives in walnut Creek, one of my best niche markets is downtown living. People want to be somewhere they can walk to, enjoy different things, rebel against what their parents wanted, they need less things, they like to travel, they are into their jobs, they want to walk to the local bar, and be aorund other young people. Maybe they grew up too fast and just want some time to enjoy themselves. Most of my clients are super happy and more keep wanting to come. Who knows?
Janet-I am very fortunate to live where I do. We kind of have the best of both worlds here. My community is within walking distance to schools, shopping center, grocery store and some great walking/jogging paths. If I want city life, it is just down the street. Oh, I live on Oahu. Forget to mention that. Aloha!
Hey Eric..hows this for irony..I grew up in New Orleans...got to Calif when I was 16. Walnut Creek is an amazing suburban city..but all 3 of my kids couldn't wait to get to San Francisco and think Walnut Creek is the most boring place ever. Go figure!
Okay,anyone who is lucky enough to live in Oahu gets no say in this.
Just kidding and thanks for the comments
When I lived in SF, I saw this happen with NOE VALLEY -- the properties were bought and rehabbed in the city -- Now is is soo expensive. I think this trend has been going on in the Bay area for a long time. As far as bars on the window -- my first apartment in SF had bars on the window -- was located on Mason street and my parents certainly had a few panic attacks. Somehow I survived!
Good post! What I'm seeing is alot of singles and young marrieds without children flocking to the urban lifestyle. That does tend to change when the kids come along. There are advantages to both lifestyles depending on what you are looking for!
Janet, I will be there in a couple of months so will give you a call for an active rain meeting,lol. Should I bring some fresh shrimp! Check out my site and the warehouse district www.neworleanscondos.net
Janet great post.
It's funny urban isn't even that cool anymore it's become just like the suburbs. One of my first listings was a condo in Chelsea that had bars on the windows. The seller was moving with her husband and new baby to Brooklyn. She explained "this was a rough neighborhood when I moved here 8 years ago it wasn't always trendy and expensive like it is now. I took the bars off. So the last house on the street with bars in the window is a very good sign!
We've been having a new baby boom in Manhattan. 1 out of every 20 Manhattanites is a toddler between 1 and 5. I hear San Francisco is also. This generation wants to bring their children up in the city too and may of them can afford to.
New Orleans Warehouse District
An overview of whats Happenings !
My initial interest in the warehouse district started off as a place to sell condos. It has developed into an understanding of why it is becoming a hot real estate area. Its vibrant , it old , its trendy, and you are close to everything. You can walk to the French Quarter or you can ride the street car to Audubon Park. You can enjoy yourself for several days while not even using your car. The trasformations of former warehouses and office buildings makes for a variety of housing not usually seen in the Southern United States. They are not called lofts here, but warehouse condos. These condos come in a variety of sizes, ages, styles, and many are almost new except for the fronts.
As you can see it is happening in most cities especially areas that have a lot of history. If you can remember 50 years ago the suburbs were the new things. A lot of things happen and could even be better if we want our cities to remain livable places. Janet, good post on a trend that is happening. Crayfish season will be over by the time I get there.
Mitchell: Love that you have given an East Coast perspective to these comments.
During the rehab period of the Berkeley bungalow, neighbors and passerbys came over constantly to express interest in the project, and to meet and chat with them. One day my daughter turned to her husband (also raised in an upscale suburban area) and said, "hey, did you ever talk to the neighbors when you were growing up?"
"Nope, did you?"
"Nope"
They smiled and kept working.
Janet,
Your daughter got the feel for the suburbia while growing up. She just wants to try the urban living now. That's healthy to experiment and figure out where you really belong. Where you are the happiest.
I might be a tad biased...I'm urban all the way. But I suspect with more and more fuel price increases we just might see new reasons for a different or increasing group of people to move back to the city. Love the post and the discussion it brought on!
People here in St Pete Florida are moving back to urban living. They love being able to walk to work, out to eat, to movies, museums, shops - just to walk and people watch, or along the waterfront, occasionally to see dolphins jump. They don't want to waste the time or gas money - they don't want to drink and drive. They can have it all in downtown St Pete.