Surrey Expat

What a load of hogwash

AdrianTO

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/ga...=1&oref=slogin

hot wasabi peas

I don't think it is.

Suburbia is a boring, noisey Beaver-Cleaver wasteland meant for family life and most North Americans know it. There is, in many cities in North America, a trend towards urban living associated with less people getting married and doing that family thing to begin with, aging populations (seniors down sizing into condos), more people living solo, developments designed for better urban living/working/fun, it's cheaper etc.

I'd hate to live "out there."

lauder99

Everything in life is cyclical peoples aspirations after the war years were for houses and gardens hence the suburbs US and Canada and Australia to a lesser extent have the land so urban sprawl was born. The Uk tried new towns and villages but being less wealthy and less forward looking didnt spend on roads and other infrastructure so they generally have been less than successful. Hence the greater density of occupation.

The regeneration of inner cities or gentrification as it seems to be known in Canada is picking up pace here too for the same sort of reasons, people can downsize with plenty of equity and buy a nice apartment in an up and coming area close to culture and city life. the problem is that these are not ordinary people these are wealthy people who can afford to spend 400 000 GBP for a 2 bed apartment about 75m2 thats less than 1000 sqft.

I work in an architects office this is a project we are just winding up

Lowest unit price on this development is over 300 000 gbp for a 1 bed about 55m2

This is not a one off the entire area of Leith in Edinburgh is being redeveloped with this tpe of scheme we are one architects firm and we have 4 or 5 developments totalling over 1500 apartments all of this type.

People who are moving into these areas are driving out the locals who have been the average working joes nurses, bus drivers, truck drivers, bank clerks architectural technicians, surveyors i.e. all the normal people in the middle of society.

I don't doubt the trend you talk off, I am assisting in its creation but it is definitely not the average man on the street who is driving this. All that your comments tell me is that you dont fall into the average working man category. That means none of your assumptions or understanding of life applies to me, you obviously move in different circles to my friends and I your aims, needs and desires are obviously based on different criteria.

I am sure that in 25 years when my kids are grown I may have the urge to cash in my 2000 sqft house in Airdrie for a 500 sqft apartment in Calgary but right now 2000 sqft in Airdrie Alberta would be just great thanks very much, and to be honest we are only looking at 1500 sqft on what we can afford but its half as much again as we have now and thats on one salary not two as at present.

As I have said before the people on here spend a lot of time agonising over the best move for them and their families, your opinion on these decisions is entirely worthless.

Enjoy Spain

P.S. the big hotel chains are already buying land on the south coast of England because of the projections for temperature change show the Med being extremely unpleasant in 20 years.

Cheers
Tom

happynz

Sorry for the interruption. I just cruised over from the New Zealand forum and had a read of your post.
Elaine B. - I don't know a thing about you, but full props for the 'WTF, let's do it approach.'
'...organized mum's couch.' Cool.

dbd33

NYC isn't typical of America. If you can find a similar article about Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto, somewhere typically North American I might accept that you have a point. So far as Toronto is concerned I think the number of non immigrants is so small as to be irrelevant, what the immigrants want is square footage and their language spoken so the boom is in places like Markham and Brampton.

North Americans, of course, do not typically buy French milk, they go and get a pint of milk.

AdrianTO

While NYC maybe not be typical of N American cities, trends that start there tend to be adopted across N America. Particularly in cities like Toronto, which are always trying to outdo themselves in an effort to become the "next New York."

I am sure I could dig up similar articles for other cities, but you are intent on not believing them, so you will come up with some other reason to discard them.

It depends on where the immigrants come from. In Toronto and Vancouver, a large number of immigrants come from China where they are very much used to living in apartments clustered together.

Canada is a part of N America, we don't buy pints of milk here. They come in 1 Litre, 2 Litres or 4 Litres. If you manage to buy a pint of milk in Canada, do let me know.

AdrianTO

And it is a damn good thing that they weren't successful. The reason that these suburbs were "successful" is because of the rise of the car culture. N Americans have been drunk on cheap oil for years. The result has been massive houses that cost a lot to heat, huge gas guzzlers and just an overall inefficient means of living. Fuel has always been expensive in Europe and they never took it for granted.

The trend towards containing urban sprawl and people living closer together in downtown environments is only going to accelerate as gas gets even more expensive.

Your 2000 Sq Ft house is not as cheap as you think, when you add the cost of heating it and commuting to work every day.

PeterF

The train system in Ontario is pathetic at best. I was told that the car companies bought up the railways in the 50's and then systematically closed them down.

The sprawl is one of the things I don't like, the town centres are dead because of it.

Pub, please give me a real pub, a local, for local people.


I miss things but I still prefer the opportunity here.

Dave+Jules

Bloody people who live on the East Coast always trying to hide it from the rest because we don't want people here.

I have worked in London for 10 years with the nasty commute and worked in TO for 6 months, living in hotels. Personally I dont want to live and work in either. I came to NB to get a life where I can live to work not work to live. Our new live is some much more relaxed and you can keep your cosmopolitian lifestyle with oodles of cultural attractions. Been there done that and it turns into more of a rat race than I want.

Oh yes I love the seasons and winter especially. I step out of my front yard and across the road to access 25km of trails. X-country skiing and snow shoeing in the winter and just walking about in the summer. Silence and beautiful summer days.... Which I can enjoy from 5:30pm because my commute is about 20 minutes!

Polar Bear

not really, it sounds like people with choice and then exercising it.

Dave+Jules

We have a local, admitted it is 20 minute drive away but the guy remembered what Beer I drink and everyone has a chat, there is sometimes live music and it stays open until 1am or later if they have a good group in.

christmasoompa

I cannot believe this guy is still wittering on about this!! Adrian, why can you not accept that people just make different choices in life and that's that? What works for you may not work for anybody else and vice versa. You are saying that trends are towards 'downtown living' but I would absolutely hate that - I hate cities and cannot imagine bringing my children up in one. I would far rather live half an hour from the nearest shops but be in the countryside. That is what works for myself and my husband, it may not work for you but that is our choice.

I would also hate to live in Spain. Granted, there are some great cities such as Barcelona but as I said before, I wouldn't want to live in a city, great as they are to visit for a weekend. Generally I don't like the lifestyle or climate there, and it's so touristy (and not in a good way, if I want fish and chips for my supper I'll stay in the UK thanks!). I see nothing attractive about Spain whatsoever. But you do - it's simply that it obviously suits your lifestyle and you have made that choice. Good for you. We are all different, accept that! Not everybody has to agree with you, despite your apparent desperation to get them to.

There have been numerous valid points and explanations for decisions given to you but you have chosen to ignore them and/or dispute them in areas you know nothing about. Your ignorance of what is considered a desirable area or the lifestyle in the UK means you really should not be using them as arguments - and btw, the Sultan of Brunei has two country estates in the UK, one in Berkshire and one near Osterley so neither are anywhere near Northwood which is in Middlesex. Northwood is actually quite pleasant for an area inside the M25 - I used to live in Harefield which is the next village. It's certainly better than West Ealing but is still not the most desirable of locations as you seem to think. The cost of living in the UK is just ridiculous as has been pointed out to you many times - another example is childcare costs. I was due to return to work part-time in January when my son will be nearly a year old. Before I went on maternity leave I earnt £35k a year and had a good job. However, after paying tax and NI and childcare costs for two children, I would be left with £7 a week!!!! Funnily enough, I'm no longer returning to work as it's just pointless which means that we have to survive and pay our £1200 a month mortgage, £400 a month grocery costs, £300 a month utility bills, etc, etc, from just my husbands wage (I will remind you that this is for an unattractive medium sized house on an estate - hardly a mansion). Still think the quality of life in the UK is so great?

Stop criticising people for their own well-researched and thought out choices and just get on with your life without worrying about others so much. Everybody is different, that's what makes life fun. You have chosen to move to a country that many others would not want to live in even if you paid them (myself included), and others have chosen to live in Canada which you may not understand, but it is their choice and decision so just deal with it!

Polar Bear

dingbat

If you think that your quality of life is going to be better here, when you import your family scenario, you are on glue. Adrian may have a Tolstoyian way of explaining himself, but he may actually have a point.