Your city's ugliest suburb

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I believe you - but you still know I'm right...

I lived in a town of less than 10,000 as a kid that was perfectly preserved walkable small town Americana and have lived in Rogers Park, Downtown, and Avondale since. I only know one Chicago forumer who lives in the burbs and he already spoke in defense of Schaumburg and suburbs in this thread. He is convinced I will move to the burbs when I have kids, no chance.

[ThePhun1]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Is Daly City really a suburb? I feel like it deserves some other classification but I don't know it that well.



If it hadn't been for the double left-turn lane in one of those ground level maps that Steely linked to, I would've thought it was Troy. It looks exactly like it! Ironically, Metro Detroiters think Troy is the greatest place on God's green earth, but whenever I think about it I just feel car sick.

As for NYC, I can't really think of any suburbs to shit on since I hardly ever go far enough from the city to find something that would qualify. My friend used to work for J&J a decade ago when we first got out of school, and I think he lived in Cranbury Twp (it was somewhere near Princeton Junction, if anyone is familiar with the area). That was pretty terrible but hardly the worst I've ever seen, having grown up in the Detroit area.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned how terrible Alpharetta, GA is. Another place that makes me car sick thinking about it.

You can't say satellite city, that would be Berkeley or Oakland which are much more famous. I'm fine with suburb, even if it's just an extension of the city.

[Omaharocks]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Is Daly City really a suburb? I feel like it deserves some other classification but I don't know it that well.



If it hadn't been for the double left-turn lane in one of those ground level maps that Steely linked to, I would've thought it was Troy. It looks exactly like it! Ironically, Metro Detroiters think Troy is the greatest place on God's green earth, but whenever I think about it I just feel car sick.

As for NYC, I can't really think of any suburbs to shit on since I hardly ever go far enough from the city to find something that would qualify. My friend used to work for J&J a decade ago when we first got out of school, and I think he lived in Cranbury Twp (it was somewhere near Princeton Junction, if anyone is familiar with the area). That was pretty terrible but hardly the worst I've ever seen, having grown up in the Detroit area.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned how terrible Alpharetta, GA is. Another place that makes me car sick thinking about it.

Alpharetta gets made fun of a lot by intown Atlanta, and is a punching bag the same way Schaumburg is for Chicago. But Alpharetta is very lush and hilly, has a nice trail network, and a number of restaurants that established a rep in Atlanta and built a second location in Alpharetta. There's also a nice, though small, historic main street that's lively with a number of bars, local shops etc.

So no, I don't think Alpharetta deserves mention here. If we're talking metro Atlanta it may be Dallas in Paulding County or any of the Clayton Co developments south of the airport.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Ironically, Metro Detroiters think Troy is the greatest place on God's green earth, but whenever I think about it I just feel car sick.

Originally Posted by The North One

Troy is the definition auto-centric but it's not ugly

Case in point. lol

[skyscraperpage17]

The ugliest suburb in Atlanta would have to be College Park.

In fact, that whole part of town leaves a lot to be desired. The only place I would go there for (besides the Airport) is Mrs. Winners.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

If it hadn't been for the double left-turn lane in one of those ground level maps that Steely linked to, I would've thought it was Troy. It looks exactly like it! Ironically, Metro Detroiters think Troy is the greatest place on God's green earth, but whenever I think about it I just feel car sick.

I can think of far uglier suburbs in Detroit:

*South Warren
*Hazel Park
*River Rouge
*Melvindale
*Highland Park
*Inkster

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

I can think of far uglier suburbs in Detroit:

*South Warren
*Hazel Park
*River Rouge
*Melvindale
*Highland Park
*Inkster

Highland Park isn't a suburb, and other than it being poor and largely abandoned, I wouldn't call it ugly. It's one of the most architecturally rich areas of Metro Detroit.

No argument on the others. They are also ugly, in addition to Troy.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Case in point. lol

No case in point, where did I glorify Troy in any way shape or form? I am the last person to ever do such. You couldn't pay me to live in Troy, it's a suburb for rich white families some shopping and office parks and nothing else. But it's not an unattractive place and it's not dizzying to drive through unless driving at all just makes you dizzy. Ever drive in Boston? Hope you don't since you might die there if you think Troy is difficult to navigate.

Not ugly ≠ the greatest place on god's green earth

[R1070]

DFW
On the Dallas side, probably Mesquite or Duncanville. Can anyone think of ones worse than that?

On the Fort Worth side of the 'plex... probably Haltom City, White Settlement or Forest Hill. Can anyone think of any uglier burbs in that part?

[LMich]

Originally Posted by The North One

it's a suburb for rich white families some shopping and office parks and nothing else.

Don't want to get too off topic, but this is one of the stereotypes of the city that probably needs to be revised. The percentage of the population that is white is around the national average, and by 2020 will most likely be below the national average. I don't think people really recognize how much Detroit's larger suburbs have changed demographically. The only large suburb that showed no significant change in its demographic make-up between 00'-10' was Livonia, and it should come as no surprises it's one of the few big suburbs which continues to lose population.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by LMich

Don't want to get too off topic, but this is one of the stereotypes of the city that probably needs to be revised. The percentage of the population that is white is around the national average, and by 2020 will most likely be below the national average. I don't think people really recognize how much Detroit's larger suburbs have changed demographically. The only large suburb that showed no significant change in its demographic make-up between 00'-10' was Livonia, and it should come as no surprises it's one of the few big suburbs which continues to lose population.

I also don't know why the race of the people is mentioned when discussing how you don't like an area.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

I also don't know why the race of the people is mentioned when discussing how you don't like an area.

Because wealthy suburban white areas are usually sterile, conservative, boring, etc. Not really places I want to be.

But LMich is right, Troy isn't as segregated anymore at least.

[R1070]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

The ugliest suburb in Atlanta would have to be College Park.

In fact, that whole part of town leaves a lot to be desired. The only place I would go there for (besides the Airport) is Mrs. Winners.

The downtown area and the areas by the golf course are very nice and look very similar to areas around Decatur.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by The North One

Troy is the definition auto-centric but it's not ugly

I've never exerienced any kind of autocentric built environment that I would call attractive.

For me, everything comes down to planning. And america has been royally screwing the pooch on planning for the last 7 decades. Once everything became entirely about cars, cars, cars (at the expense of all other considerations), it all started to suck.

[Kenneth]

Highland Park for Detroit

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

I lived in a town of less than 10,000 as a kid that was perfectly preserved walkable small town Americana and have lived in Rogers Park, Downtown, and Avondale since. I only know one Chicago forumer who lives in the burbs and he already spoke in defense of Schaumburg and suburbs in this thread. He is convinced I will move to the burbs when I have kids, no chance.

That guy must be an asshole!

If you check out my posts, I never “defended” Schaumburg. I just stated correctly that it’s no more poorly planned than any other auto-oriented suburbia.

[Kenneth]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Highland Park isn't a suburb, and other than it being poor and largely abandoned, I wouldn't call it ugly. It's one of the most architecturally rich areas of Metro Detroit.

No argument on the others. They are also ugly, in addition to Troy.

I forgot about downriver suburbs, I originally said Highland Park, but I agree with you, Higjland Park is not a suburb, just an extremely poor neighborhood in Detroit. So the ugliest suburb award goes to Ecorse.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Kenneth

I forgot about downriver suburbs, I originally said Highland Park, but I agree with you, Higjland Park is not a suburb, just an extremely poor neighborhood in Detroit. So the ugliest suburb award goes to Ecorse.

Highland Park is not a neighborhood in Detroit. It has its own government and elected officials. People in Highland Park don't pay taxes to Detroit and they aren't counted as citizens of Detroit in the census. Highland Park also has a mailing address separate from Detroit's.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

That guy must be an asshole!

If you check out my posts, I never “defended” Schaumburg. I just stated correctly that it’s no more poorly planned than any other auto-oriented suburbia.

Don't you live in Oak Brook or Schaumburg or some place like that?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Don't you live in Oak Brook or Schaumburg or some place like that?

I may be a suburbanite asshole, but I at least have enough self respect to live in a suburb that has a decent, walkable downtown served by passenger rail.

Libertyville has a downtown main street with shops, restaurants, apartment buildings, townhomes, a town square and library, and a Metra station. It's not the West Loop, but it will have to do given my present circumstances.