Having just lunched with an old college friend who lives in suburban Cincinnati, I am aware that suburban life and I are like oil and water. Though I covet her ownership of a three car garage, and unlimited access to parking at the local drugstore, I am aware that I would be “voted off the island” should I attempt such a suburban based living arrangement. But I don’t think the same thing can be said about her-should she and her family attempt to live in a large east coast city like Philadelphia.
I find city living is more of a notion, an idea, a concept that can be easily grasp by most. Almost a state of mind. An idea in which most would relish the idea of being middle aged without ever owning a lawn mower, a garage, or enough storage space to really stock up on an eight count roll of paper towels. Living with a “Granny Cart” which I use for grocery shopping is a concept I think most folks could handle. The idea of walking to work, having access to hundreds of premier restaurants, and jumping in taxi cabs from time to time is a practice that I do think would be acceptable to most folks.
Most reluctance to city living I find is based on fear. And fear of the unknown. The notion that ALL the boogey-men and bad people resides within the city limits is prevalent amongst our suburban friends. Also, the fear of change and of adapting to a lifestyle with no dining room hutch, no spare third or fourth bedroom actually does worry a lot of folks. Crime is higher in your big cities than your quiet little towns dotting the outside of say Philadelphia, and downsizing into a 1400 square foot condominium is enough to cause panic attacks amongst even the most stable human beings on this side of the equator. But break-ins and home invasions occur inside high-rise Philadelphia condos about as often as cows actually jump over the moon. Not often. And most (empty-nesters anyway) will tell you that fitting into 1400 square feet without all the encumbrances of suburban life is actually a task that they are worthy of achieving. And if you didn’t (by some odd chance) like living in the city, suburbanites could always move back to where they came from. I don’t recall any laws preventing city dwellers from becoming suburbanites.
I adhere to the old saying I once heard that Philadelphia is not as bad as Philadelphians say that it is. Our city has come a long way in the past few decades, and I encourage those considering a move to try out way of life. And we promise not to vote you or any of your friends off our island.