Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyYOW
What is the alternative for them?
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I know what you mean. It's what's being built. That's the current supply for most houses. But looking at it from another perspective, there's lots of people buying those that alternatively could have bought a house in a mature neighbourhood where's there actual diversity in style, with big yards and driveways, and lined with a canopy of trees.
I grew up in an 80s Brampton subdivision in a typical snout nose house. Though our house was on a hill with a raised deck and backed onto a huge forest and the surrounding streets were a mix of rich houses, normal houses like ours, semis and towns. With some topography to boot. So not exactly soul sucking. But, if every street looked like mine, then it would definitely be soul sucking.
Anyway, it's what I was used to and I was perfectly willing to buy something like that as my first house and we looked at quite a few. But I ended up in a 70s neighbourhood with all the positives I mentioned above and now I can't go back to that soul sucking-ness. Mind you, I wouldn't mind some of the nicer furnishings of a new house in those new subdivisions, but there's too much pushing me away from those now.
People are people. Everyone is different. Most people don't care. They are satisfied with having a house in a safe neighbourhood. We here are more the minority, who think beyond just that. If more people were like us, then you'd hope that developers wouldn't have gotten away with that crap or city council wouldn't have allowed it. But I used to be one of those people.
Now it's gotten to the point where I almost resent having to drive through these subdivisions when I'm visiting someone. And that's most of the time because most people I visit live in these types of places, ranging from 80s built to the last 5 years. For the odd person I know who lives in a mature neighbourhood, I actually look forward to driving there. It gives me a boost.
On the other hand, I'm also not a city guy. So I also dislike driving through high density Old Toronto neighbourhoods, even if it's attractive SFHs. A lot of it is because the roads are narrow and lined with cars, but I also dislike the lack of creature comforts I've been accustomed to, like a spacious driveway I can shoot hoops on or a lawn I can actually play on with the kids. From a personal perspective, when it comes to where I live, I place more emphasis on functionality than most of the city type people on here over things like form, vibrancy, intimacy, character etc. But I get it. I understand how having character in a house, street, neighbourhood and city is appealing. It keeps things interesting. And I get people who like small towns or rural lifestyle. Not for me, but I see some of the appeal in it. However, I can't see anyone actually saying they love living in a neighbourhood where their house looks the same as all the others, where everyone has a single twig in their front yard, where they have to get in the car to get anything, where the only recreational space is a token playground with a slide and two swings.
When I pass by random new subdivision or some street off Parkside Dr. in the city, I say, no, not for me. Either way, it's basically a chore when I visit my parents in Brampton, even though the street runs along the forest, or the inlaws in Sauga, even though it's close to the Credit River and there's no house now that is worth less than $2m there (of course, they
shouldn't be worth anywhere near that). Those are 80s developments with proper foliage in the yards. It's obviously worse when I visit the BIL in the Orchard in Burlington (10-15 years old) or my cousin in Stouffville (15 years old and as bland of subdivision as you can imagine). It's also a chore when I visit my cousin in Leslieville and it's basically a lottery on whether I'm going to find parking close by, or I have to go on a mission to find it. And right now, I'd avoid at all costs because the streets (with all the cars) are narrow enough, but throw in the snowbanks and forget about it. Of course, if I was already in the city, I could just take transit, so I'm just speaking from my personal situation now.
Having said this though, it would be nice if I could actually walk somewhere to get food, personal services and shop, etc.