Quote:
Originally Posted by McBane
3rd and Brown - I don't know much about you and don't want to generalize, but it doesn't sound like you have children. When you have children, experimenting with their education so you can live a certain lifestyle is not something most parents do. It's just a natural parent instinct to put your children first and do everything you can to help them succeed, even if it inconveniences you or requires a major lifestyle change.
Related to some of your points:
1) Yes millions of Americans are educated in cities but many of these students are children of families who would like to but can't afford to move to locales with better school districts. They're not urbanists, they're trapped. The color of their skin is of no consequence.
2) You cited the Merideth School. That's one good elementary school as is Penn Alexander and there are a few others. But they're located in catchment zones that are quite expensive. Sure, you can scrape by in a rundown, cramped one bedroom walkup with your spouse because you really really like living in the city, but it's a whole another ball game when you have to start searching for a 2 bedroom with adequate space for all your kids crap. And with a child sometimes comes the need to bite the bullet and get a car, which obviously opens up a whole 'nother can of worms. In sum, it can be prohibitively expensive for lots of people.
3) The explanation above is just for a 2 bedroom - you want to actually raise a family (and more than one kid) in the Penn Alex or Meredith catchment zones - a 3 to 4 bedroom home is going to run you at least a half million. Not everyone has that kind of money. And while there are decent to good elementary schools, I don't know of any good middle schools and or high schools (besides Master, which is impossible to get into, and Central).
4) Good students, no matter the district require involved parents. Just those living in the city need parents who are VERY involved. That can almost be a full time job. Perfect for a stay at home, but again, most people need two incomes, especially when you're plopping down a half million bucks for a home.
So if you want to live in the city without compromising your children's education, then you're really going to have to be a dedicated urbanist and have a damn good paying job. I know I can't afford that lifestyle and will eventually be departing for the suburbs.
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are you sure that the cost argument is in favor of the suburbs?
to your example of what you can't afford, You are going to pay around $500K for a decent sized home in a good neighborhood and stellar school district in the suburbs. Unless that is you want a starter home. But based on your argument about space needs, you would be looking for more than a starter home. And you'll need a car, with increased transportation costs and energy costs etc.
Most significantly, you will also pay a lot more in real estate taxes to fund the suburban school district.
I've never thought the argument for the suburbs was strictly a cost argument, but rather what you get (in this case better public school system on the whole) for the higher cost you will pay.
That's an important distinction. Because it means the city just needs to find a way to give more and better services for the costs. That's a problem that's solvable.
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, I assume you meant to post THIS link:
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