Suburbs or City? Which is best for you?

When choosing a new place to live it is important to take a little time and find out what will work best for you and your family. Sometimes that can mean quick and easy access to stores, restaurants, and activities. While other times that may mean living at least 20 minutes from the nearest Walmart. The city can be fast-paced and present lots of challenges and stresses that the suburbs do not, however the suburbs may be too out of touch for the vision of your family. How do you determine which is best for you? Follow along as we discuss suburbs versus cities.

Public Transportation

If you happen to be one of the millions of Americans without a reliable mode of transportation this could be a huge factor in your decision on where to live. From buses to Uber, the options of public transportation in the cities is vast, however comes with its own downsides such as cost, amount of time spent getting from point A to point B, safety, and much more. For some of us a long trip on the bus is no big deal when you’re talking about being able to make ends meet for your family, while others couldn’t dream of riding the bus. Of course having your own car or mode of transportation will completely alleviate this issue and can make both city and suburban living acceptable.

Income Level

When choosing to live in the suburbs you also choose to accept a lot of additional costs you may not have in the city such as spending more money on gas to travel further, and vice versa, living in the city will present unique costs that you may not find in the suburbs such as parking permits, tolls, towing fees, and much more. Not to mention that it is a well-known fact that living in the suburbs costs more than living in the city, but the benefits sometimes outweigh the cost when discussing what is right for your family. Crime rate, traffic, availability all play a huge role in separating the two communities.

Community Involvement

The suburbs and the city both have a unique and rich community that can’t quite be duplicated in the other environment. Suburbs often have close-knit groups of people who will sometimes all know one another and participate in things like church, farmer’s markets, community nights and more. Not to mention that people in suburbs often time will work together as a team to enforce community watch programs to increase security and safety of those living in the area. On the flip side, the city can offer a lot of the same things, however given some of the security risks of living in a big city, a lot of people will tend to try and keep to themselves and work hard for their family. This leads to less of a ‘community’ feeling.

Other People

If dealing with other people on a daily basis isn’t exactly your cup of tea, then dealing with hundreds and hundreds of people on a daily basis may not be the best thing for you. The city is busy, tons of people, and always a lot going on. Traffic often times feels like something important is going on when in fact there is nothing. A trip to the store could mean long lines and a lot of waiting, however this isn’t to say you won’t find these things in the suburbs also. However in the suburbs people are spread out a little more and have more options of places to go to obtain the things they need.

Future Plans

Where do you see your family in the next 5 years? This is always a very important question to ask yourself when trying to decide where you should find your next home. Do your children attend a specific school? Would you like to be within walking distance of that school? That option can be found in both the city and the suburbs. Do you want to be part of a church that acts as a family on a long term basis? Again, this can be found in both cities and suburbs. One of the biggest factors when thinking about the future of your family is jobs and availability. Do you see yourself at your current job long term? Are you not living close enough to perform the job? Would be closer be better or worse for your family? These are all questions you should be asking yourself.

To learn more about how Buckeye Northwest Realty can help you find your next dream home, contact us today!