Since we were going WAY off topic on "The Slater" thread, as
canabiz and
rocketship mentioned which (entirely my fault), I thought I would start a new thread for random conversations. The idea of a condo life in Ottawa thread is good, but this one might avoid other people starting a bunch of threads for simple questions or whatever.
Moderators, feel free to turn it into a Downtown vs. Suburbs or Condo vs. Freehold if it's deemed more appropriate.
So here is the continuation from "The Slater":
Quote:
Originally Posted by defishel
What and where is your job, and do you need a car for work?
My best suggestion is to decide based on location. If you're single, work somewhere close to do downtown that a car is unnecessary I would recommend that. Not having to own and use a car means you're saving thousands of dollars every year that can go towards other expenses, but not having to commute far means you have more free time to do the things you want to do. And if you choose downtown you're conveniently situated between most neighbourhoods you might want to visit.
Obviously, I would choose to live downtown because you get so much more living centrally, as it seems like you are leaning towards.
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I work in Constitution Square, so no matter where I'd live on the Transitway/Confederation Line, the bus/train could pick me up and drop me off at the door.
Why do I want to keep my car; for reasons I realize are not very logical. My parents bought it new in 2005, and I've been driving it for 7 years since it had a little under 17,000 km (now over 196,000 km). It always offered reliable service, never had any problems with it whatsoever (knock on wood). Because it has been such an important part of my life, I want to drive until the bitter end.
Again, I know it is not a logical reason, maybe asinine for a lot of you, but no one will ever convince me of parting with it until the day I have no choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by canabiz
A big reason we have not even thought about condos. Condo fee, to me, is just another tax and something we don't have much control over. It's fine and dandy if you want to let other people shovel the snow and mow the lawn to free you up for other endeavours but expect to pay for the convenience.
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And that's also why I don't want to live in a condo forever.
At this point in my life, I would love to experience living downtown. The noise, the lights, the entertainment, the subway (in 3 years), being able to drink with friends without worrying about how I'll get home, not wasting 1.5-2 hours a day on the road.
In a few years, if I find someone to settle down with and have a couple kids, I would want to move in a nice bungalow in the burbs (likely 60's era neighborhood; smaller houses, bigger lots and more character IMO, closer to downtown). I know an older home requires a lot of maintenance, but I enjoy home improvement projects.
Maybe when my hypothetical wife and I retire, we might move to a condo just outside of downtown to save on all the work and maintenance associated with owning a house.
As for condo fees, I guess one could plan to buy new and move out a few years later before they skyrocket to something resembling car payments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by defishel
There's actually no written rule that in order to raise children you have to be in a house. All around the world and in Canada even we have lived mostly in apartments and raised kids there, with no problems regarding the child's development. My sister and I grew up in a 1 bedroom + den condo until out early teen years and had no problems. It's really just a poor excuse for continued suburban sprawl.
The idea that you have to raise children in a house is outdated, and was created by the American government to encourage suburbanization (for population dispersal, to boost the economy by convincing people to buy land, cars and everything to fill it).
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And your right, but it might be that we all have are own realities based on our childhood. Maybe some nostalgia in there. You were raised in a 1 bedroom +den apartment, so you could see it being done easily. I was raised in a 60s bungalow in Gatineau with a big backyard and quiet streets. I remember walking the neighborhood at Halloween and the big Christmas parties at our house. That's my reality. We all have different views on how to do things, and none of them are wrong.
All that to say, my current plans could all go up into smokes if my speculative wife has completely different ideas of how to plan out our life. God forbid she drags me to the country.
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