Beauty in The 'Burbs

With a childhood spent in Seattle "proper," followed by four years of college life on an insular campus near San Francisco, culminating with my current residence in Manhattan, the whole notion of the suburbs has never really held much appeal for me. Grocery stores within walking distance, a variety of cultural activities/restaurants/nightlife/sights at your doorstep, and other conveniences that city life has to offer are just too big of a draw. At least at this stage in my life! Of course, there are pros and cons to both -- one of the biggest distinctions between the two being cost of living; hello postage stamp sized apartments in town for the same price as a mansion in the 'burbs! -- but I've always sort of turned my nose up at the thought of non-city living, mentally connecting the word suburb with urban sprawl wasteland. Nothing but strip malls and 24-hour Taco Bells, right? Not exactly. One unassuming Sunday spent looking more closely at the sidewalk-less, cul-de-sac'd streets of quiet, leafy Hillsdale, New Jersey (Kevin's hometown) is all it took to realize the potential beauty in "urban sprawl." The sun was shining, the white picket fences blinding bright in their spotless glory, and the front yards freshly manicured. Strolling the neighborhood, I felt silly traipsing around strangers' driveways and onto their lawns to awkwardly aim my Canon PowerShot at tiny red bugs meandering along pavement, but to my surprise it felt just as invigorating as walking down any hustle-and-bustle New York street. Who would have thought? The perks of suburban life: immaculate lawns, perfectly tailored curbside mailboxes, tiny red bugs, just might hold their own unexpected charms.

    

What do you think? City life or the 'burbs? Or somewhere in between? Please share your thoughts and/or debunk my totally stereotypical notions of city vs suburban living!

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