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Originally Posted by TorontoDrew
Such as? The only thing they offer you won't find in an urban setting are big box stores. The suburbs offer car dependency for things people in the city can walk to or have much more variety off.
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The suburbs offer a lot of amenities that the core doesn't and the reverse is not true. All you're missing out on downtown are food options and expensive boutique stores. Even festivals aren't always downtown. For most people with a career and responsibilities, these are not high priority concerns, especially if you're looking at a long term purchase with a family in mind.
The suburbs offer schools, easier access to health care, better sanitation and less sketchy people (whether it be drunk people partying to drug addicts in the streets), big box chains of every variety, more families for kids to play with, easier transportation for kids activities, lakes, parks, playgrounds and the good ones still have great food and drink options, just less of them.
The only thing that I would consider an advantage of living downtown is the short commute IF YOU WORK THERE. That's the key. I am absolutely floored at the prices people pay for this privilege when in most cases there is ZERO guarantee that you will work downtown the entire duration that you live in that place. In my short career I've had 4 office jobs, only one of them was out of DT.
I'm sorry but to me it is insane that people are willing to pay double the price of comparable suburban homes just to live in the inner city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TorontoDrew
I know many people who live in Toronto who have never been to Markham. I grew up in that sprawling wasteland back when it was actually a little better and the town ended at 16th and 9th. I haven't been back in about 7 years. It has nothing to offer me.
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Are restaurants and bars the only thing of value to you? I guess the problem in cities like Toronto is that the suburbs are so far from DT. So I guess that would be a disadvantage of city size. In Calgary I live on the edge of the city and a trip Downtown is a $40 Uber usually split between friends. I could see myself wanting to live closer to DT if it cost more to get there, but not really for much longer. I'm 27, how much longer am I going to be concerned about how much my Uber to go out costs? I have two bars within 1 minute of walking from my condo in the suburbs, I'm sure that those will suffice as I get older.