And the Discussion on the Future of Suburbia Continues
On the Times’ Freakonomics blog, leading urban theorists are debating what we’ve been talking about around here lately: the future of suburbia. The “smart people” they gathered to pontificate include James Kunstler, Thomas Antus, Jan Brueckner, Gary Gates, John Archer, Alan Berube and Lawrence Levy, who offered these predictions: The suburbs have three destinies, none…
On the Times’ Freakonomics blog, leading urban theorists are debating what we’ve been talking about around here lately: the future of suburbia. The “smart people” they gathered to pontificate include James Kunstler, Thomas Antus, Jan Brueckner, Gary Gates, John Archer, Alan Berube and Lawrence Levy, who offered these predictions: The suburbs have three destinies, none of them exclusive: as materials salvage, as slums, and as ruins. Or: If [gentrification] continues in a significant way, large numbers of suburban households looking for urban stimulation may end up switching places with minority central-city dwellers, stirring the ethnic pot in both places. Or, this vision: Suburbia will be flexible, it will be smarter, and it will be hybrid. So which is it?
What Is the Future of Suburbia? [Freakonomics Blog]
Suburbia. Photo by Stacy Magallon.
I agree with Queens being the next to move. Growing up there as a child, and then moving to brooklyn as an early adult, I can attest. Sometimes I wonder why people newcomers put up with the social and quality of life issues in brooklyn where it is sort of non existent in parts of the boro. I guess I chalk it up to, “if they only knew better.” Queens still has the “eww its in Queens” stigma that keeps enough people away.
There are great hoods with tons of transportation access closer than parts of brooklyn (albeit LIRR). Under 30 minutes (actual train time, not the time to get to) to Penn station from anywhere in the boro on is kinda impressive and can’t be said for only a few parts of BK.
Forest Hills has tons of shops and restaurants on Austin Street which hipsters are discovering a little deeper. Bayside has tons of young families along with forest hills amenities. Douglaston has gorgeous “brownstone priced” large homes and mansions in its historic district and is home to one of the best school districts in the city. Fresh Meadows has well maintained garden style rentals in planned communities and a boatload of other hoods with something for everyone. Brooklyn is starting to become limited in more ways than one for us trying to raise a family.
My money is on the continuing gentrification of middle class black neighborhoods in south east queens. Laurelton, Cambria Heights, parts of Springfield, Gardens, Locust Manor, Rosedale. The housing stock is solid, plenty of parks, the young african american professionals are moving in growing numbers, community activism and awareness is taking place, its thriving with new businesses and opportunities. There are also plenty of foreclosure opportunities in certain parts and the commercial streets are ripe for development.
Transportation access is solid (if you can wrap your mind around taking LIRR) Midtown in under 28 minutes and multiple express bus services along with being in city limits will be a draw… and if we are talking about history, this is how it happened back in the 60’s and 70’s. People in Brooklyn were looking for a better life while all staying within the city limits and looked to queens.. That’s what my parent’s did… And here we are again.
Fsrq, the beauty of the country is that it IS the country, with all that entails – including lots of land sitting there being lived on, farmed on, used for pasture, hay, crops, and just plain scenery. For crying out loud, let it be. It doesn’t need to be utilized, or colonized, or turned into a Texas oilwell. You sound like a Polemicist for the countryside. The origins of small upstate towns may have been religious, or commercial, or, even as my town was, because the founder got a land grant after the Revolutionary War, but those are the same reasons for the existence of our great cities: Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, and so on. The fact that the founder got some land did not build a town that is still viable 200 years later, the hard work of generations of people after him did that. Prayer may founded many a town, but God helps those who work hard, and make their towns and cities work, when the origins of that place are long forgotten.
A bridge to nowhere is political pork. Paving upstate roads, and working to bring new industry to areas that need it is good politics on the part of those representatives. That’s what they are elected to do, and those people upstate have as much right to a future as we do here in the city. You are so wrong on this, and I don’t think we will see eye to eye. Upstate NY is not the suburbs, it is as different from lower NY as night and day.
What about that new “affordable” private school to open up in Fort Greene? However, its mission statement does seem to concentrate on the arts which may be code for “less than rigorous standards”.
Barrito Bar is in 11217
307 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
its switches to 11238 around there.
Wasder, I’m on that list too. Just because I moved back from the suburbs doesn’t mean I actually figured out how to educate my kids in the New York school system. I guess I just decided that we should fix mom and dad’s sanity first and then worry about schools fo the kids later. Maybe my ship will come in and I can just deal with the problem with money. Maybe it doesn’t and I end up back “up there,” but even if I have to do a round trip at least I will have had another couple of years in the Slope.
Count me in on the list of folks wondering how to make it all work with kids and school and wanting to stay in NYC. I just bought a house in Clinton Hill so I am staying but it remains to be seen how I will get my children educated. Hoping that it works out that I can get them into a good public elementary outside of the immediate vicinity and then take my chances with private school once they are not of the nanny age (trading one big ticket cost for another).
BTW MM- many of the upstate towns you discussed MAY end up in an entirely different position if the Natural Gas that appears to be buried deep beneath them can truly be exploited – here is an article from today’s Sun on this very issue:
http://www.nysun.com/business/upstate-new-york-in-a-gold-rush/83755/
I could see the hipster/artist crowd suddenly deciding that the area around the Roosevelt Ave stop in Queens (with the totally fantastic Indian food and really cool Indian stores) is the new ironic place to hang out. That neighborhood would come with great hipster bragging rights. Then come the recent graduates who still think they are cool and edgy… and then those recent graduates start making more money and getting balder and fatter…. and have kids…. and then they wake up one day and Roosevelt Avenue is Fort Greene.
One one hand there is no green space I am aware of out there, but on the other hand there is a mix of awesome ethnic food and an easy subway ride to Manhattan, an unstable isotope that typically degrades into a breeding ground for yuppies who want to brag about “keeping it real.”
NewYawker, I know people who have left Brooklyn in the last few years for the burbs. It’s only a handful, but in my experiencee those who are really happy in the burbs are the ones who did NOT try to find something similar to the city. Friends moved to the further burbs to a relatively rural area where they have an amazing old farmhouse in a really beautiful spot. They said if they were leaving the city, they wanted to get things the city doesn’t offer. I’ve visited often and the area is great–yes, you have to drive, but they are close to plenty of restaurants, galleries, etc. Not to mention hiking, swimming, etc. If I ever left, that is where I’d go. I think people who move to places like Larchmont, Scarsdale, Montclair, Rye are the ones who come screaming back. They have none of the benefits of Brooklyn AND they have nothing Brooklyn doesn’t have (except for the schools). Just my 2 cents.