Whirling Betty's city (and its suburbs) will soon boast more people residing outside of its surrounding outerbelt than inside. This is disturbing on many levels.
Most obvious is the resulting destruction of nature. Nature is obliterated by man to make way for ugly little cul-de-sacs devoid of plantlife and wildlife. (But no doubt, those houses contain the coveted 2-story great rooms from which its inhabitants can gaze out the picture windows at the neighboring trophy houses.)
Nearly as obvious is the ruination of our ozone layer, since the people inhabiting these mini-mansions must drive far away to earn money to pay for them. Often these people opt for gas-guzzling SUV's, of course, which are an undeniable part of today's American Dream. (Wars, of course, must be fought over the oil needed to run these vehicles.)
And remarkably, these luxury suburbs are devoid of sidewalks. Walking is downright discouraged, in order to make way for the almighty automobile. Rising obesity is one symptom of this phenomenon. Not getting to know the neighbors is another.
Whirling Betty and Son live within the boundaries of the outerbelt. However, we live 8 miles from downtown, in an apparent suburb, judging from the glaring lack of sidewalks. Walking or bike riding is simply not safe here, because the car rules. A nearby vacant commercial building, which we were hoping would become a restaurant, was leased out to Auto Zone. The car rules, there's no doubt about it.
Five years ago, when my child was just entering preschool, we moved here from a downtown neighborhood. There, we had sidewalks, and we used 'em. I hardly ever fired up the Honda. I even walked to work. Pedestrians were expected and respected.
Why, oh why, did I leave the place I loved? I followed the herd of People With Kids to the "family-oriented" suburb we now live in. How are we better off? We can't walk anywhere without risking life, limb and lungs. Always confined to a vehicle, we don't know our neighbors. I even have to drive my kid to his school bus stop because walking these sidewalkless streets is absolutely out of the question.
According to a local moving company, the vast majority of moves here are to locations farther from downtown (often to outside of the outerbelt). Well, my goal is to buck that trend. As soon as I find the right house, we're moving back downtown.
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5 comments:
Good for you chica! Downtown...it has a magical ring. It's almost as if I've already heard the melody in a song. :)
I am a city person also, but gave it up for many reasons. Someday I hope to get back to the "community" of downtown.
By the way...I knew you would like mention of the electric cart in my article. This one was a hoot, complete with all the bells and whistles. The owner rarely starts her regular car...she carts herself (and friends) everywhere. As you already read for yourself, this can be risky at times. But what is life with no risks? I guess that's a personal question we all have to answer on our own.
Ciao bella...good luck on your quest. Big hug to you and the child.
T.
Yaay!
At least you made the decision, the move will now be but a matter of time!
I'm with you,baby. Go for it. Go see the city lights and walk the city streets. Let your son be a city boy and you be a city mom. You'll find those sidewalks remember your feet and that things are so much closer even to your hear. The sky is still there too. :)
As always, a vivid, rich read. Your words always jump off the page. Maybe if we all focus on the thought, you'll just appear in your dream house downtown, and you won't have to go through all the hassle to get there.
xx,
D
Okay chica...it's time to come out and play with the ducks!
Seriously...I hope you and the child are well. Big hug to you both!
Ciao bella...
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