Bye bye ‘burbs, I’m moving to the city
I know its a reprint but people often say suburbians won’t come back downtown and here’s a great example…
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/2008/10/05/6983461-sun.html
It’s an unsettling time to be selling a house, what with the hits to the economy and the market debacle in the United States. But that’s the situation our family is in.
We’re selling our house and moving to downtown Burlington. Though I cringe every time I pick up a paper, it’s not time — yet — to press the panic button on the housing market in the GTA.
After several years of an overheated market, the market is returning to a more reasonable or “balanced” position, to use my real estate agent’s words, which favours buyers and sellers equally.
Our move won’t come as a great surprise to regular readers of this column. For the last few years, I’ve advocated refurbishing suburban communities to be more walkable and transit-friendly. But there are still pockets of this city — our neighbourhood is one of them — that don’t lend themselves to such a transformation. There are even such pockets in urban settings.
Our family has made a commitment to stay with one car, to patronize shops and services close to home, and to walk, bike, carpool or take transit whenever possible.
That goal is partly driven by the rising price of oil, and partly driven by wanting to reduce the amount of pollution we create. Other considerations include using transportation as a form of exercise (I’ve gotten in great shape since March by walking and biking), and wanting our kids to have the ability to get around independently without needing a mommy-taxi. That’s good for them, and for me.
But the tipping point for our move came from another goal: Wanting to simplify our life and downsize.
It’s odd for a couple with young children to speak of downsizing, and I’ve gotten more than a few curious looks when I mention it. But the reality is, we don’t need as much house as we have.
Some of our rooms we only use a few times a year, but we still pay for them (in property tax and heating bills) and clean them. Mostly, we use the kitchen, the TV/computer room, and our bedrooms — although sometimes they sit empty, too, when our youngest cuddles in with mom and dad at night.
Our society has gotten used to the idea of space — a separate bedroom for everyone; separate living areas to escape each other; smaller families in bigger homes. But I didn’t grow up that way.
I shared a room, we had one living room, and the basement was a concrete floor — which was great for tracing hopscotch outlines in chalk. “Our pool” was at the community centre, our playground across the street. And we turned out OK.
So in keeping with our goal to simplify, my husband and I decided to move our family to a smaller house, on a smaller lot, in a setting where we can walk, bike or bus to almost everything.
What we lose in house we’ll more than make up for in convenience. We’ll save time and money on upkeep. Getting around will be a lot more fun.
We may be on the cutting edge of a new trend toward a simpler life. Or perhaps we’re catching on to a quiet revolution that’s been in the works for years.
DISCOVER WHAT’S IMPORTANT
As far back as 1996, the Simple Living Network formed to encourage people to live more simply. Since then numerous online forums, magazines, and even a cottage industry of “professional organizers” — people who will help declutter your closets and your life — have sprung up.
The best definition of simplicity I’ve seen is this: Determine what is important, or “enough,” for you, and discard the rest.
That’s what we’re aiming to do with this move. Living in a smaller space will curb our consumption and reduce our carbon footprint; living in a walkable area will encourage us to be out in the community, instead of walled off in our private space.
This won’t be the right step for everyone, but we know it’s the right one for us — even in these uncertain times.
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Your readers might also be interested in this story from the Globe and Mail on this weekend.
Turning their backs on suburbia
Three couples give up their sprawling 905 homes for a more compact urban life
CAROLYN IRELAND
October 3, 2008
Sean and Rebecca O’Hara were taken aback when they arrived at their new house in west-end Toronto to find a neighbour had dug up their tree.
“I hope you don’t mind,” the neighbour said. He had moved it to another part of the garden to protect it from getting run over by the moving van. Then he offered to replant it in the original spot.
The O’Haras, who gave up their big house, big commute, pool and yard in suburban Caledon, Ont., for a more compact house and lifestyle in Bloor West Village, admit to being astonished by the congeniality of city neighbours compared with those they left behind.
Go here for full article
http://tiny.cc/V4cUI
I have a nagging feeling that this won’t happen in Windsor, at least not at this time. It has more to do with the economy in this area and the out migration of our population in the city and the burbs. The tightening of credit and mortgages means that fewer people will be able to afford to buy or or sell in Ontario and that people are stuck big time. Reports coming in this morning is that we are heading for or are in a global recession and bailouts and other type of monetary instruments aren’t saving us from the banking crisis, which means even harder times for Windsor and area.
i wonder how much of this city and the burban towns are shrinking from the lack of jobs, economical security, foreclosures, bad personal debt and out migration?
Are there any signs of migration back to our city from the burban areas? Or are people staying put, or riding out this storm? I don’t know?
Oil and other commodities that Canada has depended upon that has driven their boom are dropping fast this morning on all markets, which might entail a slow down out west for oil (opened below $90.00 a barrel) and potash. All stock exchanges this morning around the world and now including the New York Stock Exchange have opened with plunging markets …we are going into a recession, not good for the auto industry, domestic or off shore!
With continued development as we speak in the Walker/Provincial zone and now also out near the Racetrack (Nova Estates will be happy), and with talk about developing around the WFCU Arena in the future, I would say the incentive to abandon the suburban lifestyle might be somewhat lacking in Windsor’s case. At least for the foreseeable future. Regardless of all this talk about “scaling down” Windsor continues to “scale up”. It’s the sad truth, like or not. We also have little things like Rexall building a large store on Howard @ Cabana, and Shoppers a very large store in the old Future Shop across from Devonshire Mall. The examples are endless. Even with homebuilding slowing down, all these sprawlmalls will revive the suburban homebuilding that started this mess to begin with. Goes right back to instating some sensible planning policies that promote interior growth. Right now they’re just making the donut hole bigger, and the sugary frosting on the donut gets tastier and tastier for Mr & Mrs SUV.
John, I understand your sentiment, but I believe that one day soon, sooner than you think, those mega stores and uber drug store monstrosities will become huge, vacant relics. The global economy will be drastically affected by this huge financial bullet in the head that the US has inflicted upon itself. That bailout was a band aid on a samurai sword wound. We are just seeing the very beginning. Soon, the burbanites will be forced, more or less, to scaledown their lifestyles and move back into the city because I dont think that people will eat cornflakes everyday in order to keep their SUVs or their garish, bloated houses.
I understand homes are being built, but that is the handiwork of foolish developers, who this city absolutely bends over for, in my opinion.
It’s too bad Windsor has to learn the hard way.
i’ll never live out of the core. it’s just so much more interesting, active, it has more character, more life. i enjoy experiencing the pulse of the city. for me there’s nothing appealing about a treeless, isolated suburban neighbourhood, with houses behind the garage, or the next 8 houses that look exactly the same. how…..boring.
what’s really sad Brendan, is that there actually are tons of people that will start buying military MRE’s (meals ready to eat) so they can continue having their toys. although….those MRE’s really arn’t that bad lol
The regime that develops Windsor (an obvious few I wont mention) will never change momentum and follow obvious market trends that people prefer moving back to the city. So we will continue to follow the “build it and they will come” philosophy and sprawl further outwards…The proof is everwhere, look at the blighted neighborhood shopping center in South Windsor which has the necessary residential market for a supermarket and other healthy commercial development but is left as a shell of its former life…
this city just waits for the regime to make their next development announcements. Instead of investing in bonafide projects like a cool and vibrant YMCA campus on the downtown west end expropriated lands, we waste stupid self arrogant public dollars on Canal Plans.
I’m of the mindset to not worry too much about all the sprawltastic crap being expelled into the toilet that is the ‘burbs. No - I’m not giving up. I’m just saying that sometimes, you need to pick your fights. (Ed: don’t worry, we’re still going to be very vocal and active on all these files, OK?)
We will never be able to compete with the Coco’s of the world and their mountains of $$$ and the influence it brings - at least not yet.
We know that the future for these developments are short-lived and these developers are just out to make a quick buck. We just have to try and minimize the $$$ our elected officials are going to “invest” in the inrastructure to serve them.
The only thing that is within our control is to work on what we have left that will sustain our fair city once the bottom falls completely out of this nightmare. This means cleaning up and organizing our existing core neighbourhoods and patronizing our local independant retailers and restauranteurs. They’re up against a goliath and they need our help now more than ever. Let’s focus on our existing core communities (like council should be doing) and make the “carrot” part of the equation irresistable.
Urbanrat, Windsor’s core areas have suffered pop. declines upwards of 10% while the ‘burbs have grown approx. 5% according to a Windsor Star article perhaps 5 months back.
That to me shows that this city is not being managed properly. A properly run city should have it’s core neighbourhood bursting, not losing population.
Where is the investments in neigbourhoods that city hall said was coming? Is it the 6-8% tax increase we are going to see next year that investment? Just how far can Windsor fall?
I disagree with the the assertion that we’re competing with the coco’s. We’re competing with the majority of Wndsorites that think that type of develoment is good.
I had a major Mainstreet retailer that thought it was anti business to prevent more big box development. I mean, this guy would see his own throat cut before he accepted that the status quo wasn’t working. I mean no amount of hard evidence seems to be able to change the mindset of some of our so called “Business community”
Look at Professor Alfie Morgan, even though he ran the small business task force, he has remained absolutely silent on the issues that would protect main streets including declining core population and saturating the current retail market with big box. Whats his stance on local independent business vs. National Chains and Big Box. What is his recommendation on continuing with Community Improvement plans and densification. I really want to know
He’s our true competitor. If he’s the guy that our Mayor and council are listening to, if he represents higher learning and education then he’s the guy we need to debate. He’s the guy we need to get to.
Even if he publicly stated that he thought we were absolutely wrong it would be an improvement over the current silence on the issue, at least that would begin the debate.
I think we should get our readers to ask Dr. Morgan to get off the sidelines and enter the debate of Scaledown’s mission and vision and how we think it should be achieved.
I mean thats why I wanted to team up with Chris, I felt that these issues of sustainability make business sense. WHere’s our silent Business community
Same with the Chamber of Commerce, Look, the DWBIA has taken up the causes of residents and local businesses and community.
Wow, Windsor offers the best lifestyle for the money in Canada!
I find it interesting that in the article Marianne was moving to downtown Burlington. Downtown Burlington is downtown Windsor’s identical sister. Both downtowns have wonderful waterside parks, character full walkable neighborhoods and main streets, and offer small town feel while being on the doorstep to a major metropolis with all its conveniences.
The only difference is price. Go to (www.mls.ca) the new map feature makes comparing property values in the two downtowns much easier. The same lifestyle in downtown Windsor is a quarter the price. Wow, what a deal!!!
WAR! Urban verses Suburban!
In Halifax the cloves are off on how best to revitalize the city core and with the out lying burbs that want more services, something that has been discussed here.
This article is worth reading in whole because Halifax is about the same size as Windsor and because the same style of warfare is being fought here and it will get nastier as our economy declines.
“Citizens for Halifax, however, was just the preview of things to come. Next up came tax reform, which was broadly sold on the premise that people on the Halifax peninsula are paying too much in taxes and people in the suburbs too little. The reality of tax reform is more complicated— actually, if it’s implemented, there will be a tremendous shift in tax burden not only between urban and suburban areas but also within urban areas— people in north end Halifax will pay more, people in south end Halifax less; people in north end Dartmouth will pay more, people in downtown Dartmouth less. Heck, even in rural areas, middle-class residents with more than $40,000 in family income will see their modest homes taxed more, while those living down the street in multi-million dollar oceanside MacMansions will see their taxes slashed.
Whole article here:
http://www.thecoast.ca/Blog-3828.113118-4596.113118_The_new_ugliness_in_municipal_politics.html
Has anyone ever noticed that when they visit a city that has focused on local retail and restaurants over chain stores and big box development your shopping experience is that much better? You walk away from the city having had a great time, seeing new things, buying things you couldn’t otherwise buy in your city. Do you not have pleasant memories and want to go back to visit again?
Now contrast that with a city that focuses their attention on big box retail, chain stores and restaurants like Windsor does and tell me how you feel? Do you really shop all that much in those cities? Do you walk away satisfied telling friends what a great time you had and how interesting the city was to you? Or, do you tell them it was o.k., nothing to get excited about, the shopping was mediocre, the city faceless with little to do?
Compare your city visits between the two types of places I mention and you will get what I am talking about.
ME, I totally agree! I travel frequently and have made a point of comparing my experience, in different cities, trying to uncover some good ideas for Windsor. I think you are absolutely right; the key lies in the fact that we are not really visiting a city but looking to experience a city. We are looking for uniqueness. We can find big-box and chain stores on any exit in the journey.
Embracing local history is very important to creating a unique experience. Local history is one of the biggest contributors to a city’s uniqueness. Windsor has great history, unfortunately; too many businesses are all-to-eager to stucco over it.