reader input: downtown living pros and cons
May 19, 2008 by Cash
If anyone asked me ten years ago what the downside of living downtown would be, I would have stared blankly until they felt stupid for posing such a ludicrous question. Since my teenage years I’ve been dreaming of a day when I’d find myself surrounded by skyscrapers.
Well now that 7 years have passed since my urban migration, I can recognize both the good and the bad:
PROS:
- Proximity. Almost everything is within walking distance. This includes entertainment, banking, doctors, shopping, friends, liquor stores, etc etc etc
- Parking at concerts. I no longer have to. Granted, I don’t have a car so this is a moot point, but even when I did, I could catch a $5 cab, or weather permitting, walk to the venue. Considering many of the ‘indie’ venues share off street parking with our already ridiculously overcrowded Capitol Hill neighborhood, this is a big benefit.
- Police / Fire Response. At my old place, I had to call the cops a few times (people trespassing on the roof of my loft). From call to flashing lights outside my building? Less than three minutes, every. single. time. Trying getting that in the suburban sticks.
- Quality, non-chain dining. What more of an explanation is necessary? When you live in the burbs, it can be hard to justify driving ‘all the way downtown’ to get an uber-delicious, vegan, potato cinnamon roll baked just minutes before you buy it. It’s a much easier decision when you’re walking by on your way to the bus for work.
- Easy to become a regular. One of Greg’s best posts ever (and one that continues to bring UM huge traffic) was “How To Become A Regular”. Living downtown makes it easy to frequent hot spots. I’ve used many of the things he suggests, and at one club in particular I no longer pay for cover, drinks, wait in line, etc. etc. etc.
CONS:
- Groceries. On this particular point, it doesn’t help matters that I use public transportation. When I did drive though, it was still a hassle to get out of the garage, drive to the store, lug my groceries up the elevator, etc. In Denver at least, there are still few grocery options in the heart of the city (Vitamin Cottage on the outskirts notwithstanding).
- Panhandlers / The Homeless. I’m a compassionate person, and do my best to contribute to organizations like the Denver Rescue Mission, who work tirelessly to help the less fortunate. I do not give money to panhandlers, ever. This requires a lot of tenacity when you spend at least an hour a day walking through the city. Here’s one technique I often use.
- Parking. This no longer applies to me, but I dealt with the worst of downtown parking in two ways. First, ‘on-street’ parking. After three years of this my Civic looked like it had returned from a tour of Iraq. No joke. Not to mention the pain of moving your car on street-sweeping days, etc. The second bad parking experience had to do with price. My loft building had a sweet underground parking lot with reserved spaces. It was great. Paying the $175 a month was not.
I’m sure there’s tons I’ve missed.
UM readers; if you, or someone you know lives downtown, what are the best/worst things about it? Feel free to add to my points above too.
I know someone with a Kitchen Aide Mixer… It’s real nice.
Of course these things vary depending on which city one lives in. If you compare with Europe, lets say Berlin for example then you wouldn’t have to worry about groceries as there are many to be found as well as open markets with fresh produce. I think parking is always a problem unless one coughs up the money. I’ve noticed that in the US homeless have these amazing stories to tell, whereas when in Europe they don’t tend to talk much if at all instead they rely on sulky looks which don’t win friends.
I agree with parking being a pain in the ass!
1. Finding parking
2. Paying for parking (and keeping the meter full or moving out of a lot before a certain hour like me this morning at 5am)
3. Tickets (Especially from cops who don’t realized that you are in a parking space that doesn’t have a meter yet still give you a ticket!)
Pros:
1. Parking - one of the biggest deterrents to my driving was finding parking downtown. I don’t really think this is a bad thing. It encourages a healthier… wait for it…
2. Healthier Lifestyle - living downtown you walk more, get outside more, and spend less time in an automobile.
3. Grocery Shopping - I used to drive to the grocery store, buy bags of groceries, and let them spoil in my fridge. Now, there are 2 full grocery stores within just a few blocks of my apartment. I walk there (see previous point), buy just what I can carry (2-3 days of groceries), and enjoy fresh food on a regular basis.
Cons:
1. Noise. I like to have friends over and I like to play musical instruments. All these are problems living in tightly packed urban dwellings which noise travels freely. As a result, I keep my visitors over for limited times and have set times agreed with my neighbors so I can sneak 30 minutes in on my congas. Of course, this would easily be solved with basement’d townhome, or nearby home. I would just need an extra 200-500k to pay for it…
Ok… Is it me, or does anyone else see 3 martini glasses in that picture above?
Holy krap Greg; that’s weeird. Another reason to love Atlanta.
You reminded me of one HUGE thing;
SAVING MONEY
Especially on transportation ( see my piece here http://www.urbanmonarch.com/how-to-ditch-your-car-for-good-part-1-why/ ) but even housing. I’m sure an apartment my size would probably run 25-30% higher, EASILY in the burbs.
Personally in spite of all the difficulties I’d have to say you can’t beat living down town. Especially in a hometown like mine, Washington DC, with great public transportation and a number of easily accessible cultural hubs I can hardly think of a better way to experience and enjoy a city. I love the idea of walking outside and saying “there are 200 restaurants within 20 minutes, as well as museums, galleries, bars, night clubs, whatever.
While I can’t speak for everyone I’d say one of the things that makes downtown most enjoyable, and thus attractive, is having a bike. The public transportation is great, and I enjoy a nice walk, but getting my fixie really made Washington feel more accessible, helped me explore, get to know the city in a way you don’t on foot, in a car, or on a subway. It really makes urban living work for me.
Scott; you have no idea how many fixies I see speeding by when I’m out and about. They’re basically a hipster essential around my neighborhood.
I totally agree with you that the pros far outweigh the cons. It would totally suck living back in the burbs now that I’ve been spoiled with a taste of downtown living.
Sven; I’d love to see pictures of the sneers and looks from the European hobos. You are sooo right on about the beggers in the U.S. having these long winded stories.
I have to cut them off immediately or I’d need to devote a half an hour to hearing why my 35 cents will save their life.
When I was a kid I always wanted to live in a tall building. When I moved to Denver from Michigan 10 years ago I found a 15 story high rise and loved it. When I moved back to Denver from L.A. a few years back I found another/better high rise and loved the lifestyle and views.
However when my partner and I decided to buy a place he convinced me to give up a high rise and the associated costs of parking, elevator waits, and what would be insane HOA costs for high rise condos.
We have a townhome in Congress Park now. I miss the view, but its great to own a parking space, or walk pull your bike up to your front door without lugging groceries two trips upstairs.
Either way I’ll never give up downtown. I love my neighborhood family and being able to walk/bike/bus almost anywhere…
james http://www.futuregringo.com