Raising a Family in the City Vs Suburbs
- Alexis10 [OP]
- Jr. Member
- May 24, 2008
- 111 posts
- 52 upvotes
- Toronto
Raising a family in the city or the suburbs?
My husband and I have just started talking almost starting a family and 1 of the major topics that has come is the location where we'd like to heighten our children. His job is in Mississauga, and I don't [currently] work. With our charter coming to an cease in October of this year, nosotros've started to expect at areas that we'd like to move to.
We don't want our children growing upward sheltered, and want them to be exposed to civilisation. On this point, the idea of living in the city is appealing in a condo/flat/townhouse/etc. The ability to exist in the city for events, without information technology requiring an immense corporeality of planning, is very appealing to us.
However, the idea of a pet, pond pool, back yard and the 'quieter' life in the suburbs has it's advantages every bit well.
We both realize that personal preference play a large part in decisions like these, but we wanted to get some input from other people. What decisions did you lot make when you became a parent? Were you happy with the upshot, or would you make a dissimilar determination if faced with the chance?
- #two
- nalababe
- Deal Guru
- Dec 31, 2005
- 13306 posts
- 739 upvotes
Y'all tin can have everything you mention in the city as well...if you want to pay for it.
Nosotros alive in the city and have a decent sized back thousand (compared to new builds in suburbia...yard is 140' deep, 22 wide...a discrete would be xxx+).
Our neighbourhood is as quiet equally near suburbs...actually less traffic equally many tin use public send. You cannot meet a high rise in any direction.
Several people have their own puddle
Having dogs or cats is common place
Puddle, Rink, Parks, Schools, High Street, library are all inside walking altitude...you don't need a car
Would not even consider for a second to exit midtown Toronto.
- #three
- IceBlueShoes
- Deal Addict
-
- Dec 18, 2007
- 4543 posts
- 492 upvotes
Alexis10 wrote: ↑My husband and I have just started talking about starting a family and one of the major topics that has come up is the location where we'd like to raise our children. His chore is in Mississauga, and I don't [currently] work. With our lease coming to an end in October of this year, nosotros've started to look at areas that we'd similar to move to.
Nosotros don't want our children growing up sheltered, and want them to be exposed to culture. On this signal, the idea of living in the city is highly-seasoned in a condo/apartment/townhouse/etc. The ability to be in the city for events, without it requiring an immense amount of planning, is very highly-seasoned to united states of america.
However, the thought of a pet, swimming puddle, back yard and the 'quieter' life in the suburbs has it'due south advantages also.
We both realize that personal preference play a large part in decisions like these, just we wanted to get some input from other people. What decisions did you make when yous became a parent? Were you happy with the outcome, or would you make a dissimilar decision if faced with the chance?
If I e'er get a parent, I'll exist raising my kids in the city. Having grown upwards in the suburbs, I experience similar I missed out on a lot. The suburbs for the near part have no culture and is just full of more people with a Nimby attitude I discover in my experience.
I practise agree with you most a pet, but yous could easily take the dog for a walk. As for pools, you could apply a city pool.
But for me personally, information technology comes down to wasting fourth dimension commuting. I'd rather accept a shorter commute in order to spend more than time with my fam than sitting effectually in traffic.
I personally would rather have a townhouse. Less to maintain. I don't see a need for a massive mcmansion and see information technology equally a waste matter of space only that's me. Besides its not equally if you tin can't ever upgrade down the road. My "program" though is to have a townhouse/condo and get some property overseas at some point. Ex- 300k on a place here and 100k for a identify overseas. I'k yet spending the same "corporeality" in the finish, only I have something elsewhere. Just me view signal.
- #4
- a63ga78aa
- Banned
-
- Jun 8, 2008
- 3977 posts
- 1417 upvotes
- Toronto
We're raising our kids in the urban center; small house, small-scale lawn but we're in spitting distance to parks and libraries and there's no need to drive absolutely everywhere (which I'one thousand sure will pay off when they start heading out on their ain...). I grew up in the suburbs and I MUCH prefer the city life. However, as for all the cultural stuff, yes they're certainly exposed to huge diversity but its not like we're off at the ROM or AGO every weekend either; we're going grocery shopping or having play dates or doing laundry. We have lots of lovely restaurants around u.s.a. that we very rarely go to and at that place are theatres effectually that we visit one time a year! What I'm saying is that just because we alive in the city, nosotros're not hopping from one cultural feel to another either! Nosotros Practice go to go to these places though and its piece of cake to become effectually just I dubiousness our day to day lives are all that much dissimilar from many people in the burbs. Personally the biggest plus is that its an piece of cake commute to and from piece of work, giving us more time with our kids.
- #5
- Amanda_A
- Bargain Aficionado
-
- Aug 19, 2009
- 1444 posts
- 979 upvotes
- Vancouver
My husband and I had the aforementioned dilemma when we were expecting our son. We ended up moving out to the suburbs, more often than not because it was closer to my mother-in-police so she could aid with childcare. Also, we were living in the Faux Creek area of Vancouver, which we loved, only we were paying $1650 a month for a pocket-size i-bedchamber condo and to become something in a two-bedroom in the aforementioned area would accept meant paying considerably more.
Nosotros do miss some of the conveniences...I used to walk everywhere and had everything around to walk to, now we have a lot more than space and some beautiful parks...just information technology does take more than planning and driving and energy for some outings. We make an attempt to expose our son to all of the things nosotros would have done had nosotros stayed in the city (nosotros're in Port Moody now, a 30 min bulldoze from Vancouver), and our neighbourhood however feels quite diverse culturally, simply I tin see how he could become more than sheltered growing upward out here.
We may decide to pack up and head dorsum to the city when he gets older, but for now we really feel nosotros've fabricated the right decision for u.s.. It might just exist that my husband and I were both raised in more suburban areas and had happy childhoods and wanted the aforementioned for our son, only he has many friends from "the big city" and they're very happy as well -- and they take mode improve sushi restaurants to cull from! Wherever you decide to alive, you can however brand choices that will provide your kid with culture, security, and admission to outdoor activities.
Oh, And I can't imagine stuffing all of the toys/piece of furniture/gear we've accumulated over the past two years into our sometime 800 square-foot condo!
Amanda A
- #six
- jaxx lite
- Deal Addict
-
- Apr 15, 2010
- 2726 posts
- 76 upvotes
Y'all have to wait at the schools as well.
Walk effectually the school that your child will exist going to.
Detect a "prissy" school
If you go a dog or cat
- call up most allergies and the extra work that you will take to do
(taking care of your pet).
- #7
- nalababe
- Deal Guru
- Dec 31, 2005
- 13306 posts
- 739 upvotes
wirebound wrote: ↑We're raising our kids in the urban center; minor firm, small lawn but we're in spitting distance to parks and libraries and at that place's no need to drive absolutely everywhere (which I'yard sure will pay off when they showtime heading out on their own...). I grew up in the suburbs and I MUCH adopt the urban center life. However, as for all the cultural stuff, yes they're certainly exposed to huge diversity but its not like we're off at the ROM or Ago every weekend either; we're going grocery shopping or having play dates or doing laundry. We accept lots of lovely restaurants around us that we very rarely go to and there are theatres around that we visit once a year! What I'one thousand maxim is that merely because we live in the metropolis, nosotros're not hopping from one cultural experience to some other either! We Exercise become to go to these places though and its piece of cake to become around merely I dubiousness our day to day lives are all that much unlike from many people in the burbs. Personally the biggest plus is that its an easy commute to and from work, giving us more time with our kids.
Very true...
But we do find, that if nosotros want to do something we tin can practise it on a whim: Word on the street, Caribbana, Pride, Hockey Game, Science Centre, ROM, Zoo, Markets (SLM and Brickworks), great restaurants, theatre, concerts....
Of class, since my wife works in the city and I work from a home function, our combined commute is 20 minutes per 24-hour interval...what could be better.
- #viii
- Bullseye
- Bargain Fanatic
- Feb 1, 2006
- 9631 posts
- 868 upvotes
- Muskoka
It'south difficult to afford living in the city in a decent area with skillful schools, unless you take both parents working good total time jobs, leaving your kid stuffed in a daycare 10+ hours a twenty-four hours.
We enjoy city life, merely choose to raise our kids in Burlington, where we can afford a nice house with both of us working part time jobs. Nosotros can easily drive or GO train into the city anytime we want, and we ofttimes exercise. No hassle, really. When you consider all the pros and cons of each for a family, I would option Burlington over Toronto in a heartbeat, even if prices were the same! There are no halfway homes hither with only-released pedophiles, no shortage of spots for kids activities, no worries about public schools, no shortage of family doctors. We can swallow at whatever number of dissimilar cuisine restaurants, nosotros can drive 10 minutes north and be in (protected) farmland and forest, with loads of hiking and biking trails. Nosotros can walk to all basic amenities, and likewise into a provincial park (for free).
The merely downside is that yes, you do sometimes run into suburban attitudes. Easily avoidable, just don't socialize with those people. With and then many newcomers choosing to live in suburbs overy metropolis, yous get plenty of opinions and colourful personalities. The downside of urban center people is that so often they have this smug, holier-than-thou attitude, similar they are soooo much better than you because they chose to live in such a supposedly superior identify. I think I'll take the old problem over the latter!
- #ix
- dor79
- Sr. Member
- May 14, 2010
- 571 posts
- 89 upvotes
- Mississauga
We chose downtown Mississauga... it's still suburban life with the added bonus of being central and inside walking altitude to all our necessities and wants... Information technology's a little pricer than some of the distant suburbs but still affordable for united states.
I'd like to exist closer to Toronto though... if I had my choice we would live around southward etobicoke
- #10
- IceBlueShoes
- Deal Addict
-
- Dec eighteen, 2007
- 4543 posts
- 492 upvotes
dor79 wrote: ↑Nosotros chose downtown Mississauga... it's notwithstanding suburban life with the added bonus of being fundamental and within walking distance to all our necessities and wants... It'due south a little pricer than some of the distant suburbs but still affordable for us.
I'd like to be closer to Toronto though... if I had my choice nosotros would live around southward etobicoke
Mississauga has a downtown?!
When did this happen?!
- #eleven
- ricoboxing
- Deal Addict
-
- Aug 30, 2006
- 3568 posts
- 35 upvotes
IceBlueShoes wrote: ↑Mississauga has a downtown?!
When did this happen?!
I lived in Mississauga for 10 years and perhaps she considers the expanse of city hall downtown. and no yous tin't walk to everything unless you buy everything at square 1.
shaka braddah!
- #12
- calgaryhhr
- Bargain Addict
- May 25, 2009
- 1822 posts
- 324 upvotes
I really prefer the city life. Similar others, I grew upwardly in the suburbs and now alive in the inner city and have a young son. Our electric current condo is getting a lilliputian pocket-size but I couldn't ever imagine moving to the suburbs to raise a family. All the extra time that is wasted commuting and stuck in traffic and dealing with congestion at shopping areas just isn't worth it. I'd rather spend the extra money and have a firm that is just the right size which is near all the attractions, activities, shopping and dining establishments that city living offers.
If you can afford it, you can become the best of both worlds past living in the urban center and having a weekend or vacation habitation on a lake or wherever outside the city.
- #13
- vicarella
- Newbie
- October 14, 2010
- l posts
- 2 upvotes
- GTA
ricoboxing wrote: ↑I lived in Mississauga for 10 years and maybe she considers the area of urban center hall downtown. and no yous can't walk to everything unless you buy everything at square one.
Yous could buy everything you "demand" depending on where you alive. For case, if you lot live in Port Credit at that place are various grocery stores, drugstores, bakeries, restaurants, java shops, and shopping all withing walking altitude of diverse housing. Downtown Mississauga I would consider the Civic Centre which is nether construction.
- #xiv
- ddhx
- Member
- February 11, 2009
- 291 posts
- ten upvotes
If we had the money, me and the married woman plus LO would alive in Toronto. But, alas, the housing market there is crazy and so we're priced out. I piece of work downtown Toronto, and we decided later on baby arrived that our apartment was as well pocket-size. Nosotros started looking to buy, and all of a sudden we were out in Burlington and bought a house in a dainty established neighbourhood within walking distance to the Go station. I love the quiet, the space, proximity to grandparents and the detail school our LO will attend.
I tin can't stand the bourgeois attitudes, apparent ethnic singularity, NIMBY-everything and sometimes trashy people you see around.
In my opimion, it has more to practice with the attitudes and values of parents than it does with the location in which a child is raised. We fully intend to take reward of the GO train for frequent trips into the city, and certainly make information technology feel like an extension of Burlington. Plus information technology helps that our friends are in that location, besides.
In the hateful fourth dimension, nosotros make the best of Burlington and enjoy our new (to united states of america) home with the little 1.
- #15
- dor79
- Sr. Member
- May xiv, 2010
- 571 posts
- 89 upvotes
- Mississauga
vicarella wrote: ↑Y'all could purchase everything y'all "need" depending on where you lot live. For instance, if you live in Port Credit in that location are diverse grocery stores, drugstores, bakeries, restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping all withing walking distance of various housing. Downtown Mississauga I would consider the Civic Middle which is under construction.
Thank you...
Living effectually Square One does have information technology advantages, soon Walmart there volition be a Super Center and there will be a Whole Foods there, so technically you lot will exist able to buy alll your needs on site. I am a 10 minute walk to sqaure one (yous take various restaurants, movie house and bookstore right at hand, in that location is also the Y at Square Ane and then Performing Arts Heart), I am a 5 infinitesimal walk from a major bank and grocery store, coffee shop, and a 1 minute walk from a baker, drugstore, dry cleaner, and other things..in that location is both a public and Catholic elementary school down the street, a tranquillity park for the kids and walking the dog..
Nosotros are also relatively close to all the major highways
I am a 8 minute drive to a hospital and some other 5 minute drive to Heartland.
Most people Consider Mississauga Metropolis Hall and surrounding areas as "downtown Mississauga", at to the lowest degree that's the mode the real estate amanuensis explained it to me. I don't drive, and then I needed to exist central to all my major daily requirements and nosotros found the perfect surface area for us....and the bonus is the ii hour transfers on the coach system, being so close to some of these places volition allow me to accept the omnibus to some of these places if need be and come dwelling house all with 1 ticket in a 2 60 minutes time frame.
- #16
- gilboman
- Banned
- Jan 11, 2004
- 19816 posts
- 563 upvotes
IceBlueShoes wrote: ↑If I ever become a parent, I'll exist raising my kids in the city. Having grown upwardly in the suburbs, I feel like I missed out on a lot. The suburbs for the most part have no culture and is simply full of more people with a Nimby attitude I find in my experience.
I practice agree with y'all near a pet, but you could hands take the dog for a walk. As for pools, you could utilize a metropolis pool.
But for me personally, it comes down to wasting time commuting. I'd rather have a shorter commute in lodge to spend more than time with my fam than sitting effectually in traffic.I personally would rather have a townhouse. Less to maintain. I don't see a demand for a massive mcmansion and run into it as a waste of infinite but that's me. Besides its non as if you lot can't ever upgrade downwardly the road. My "plan" though is to accept a townhouse/condo and go some property overseas at some bespeak. Ex- 300k on a place here and 100k for a place overseas. I'm still spending the aforementioned "amount" in the end, merely I have something elsewhere. Just me view indicate.
wirebound wrote: ↑Nosotros're raising our kids in the metropolis; small house, modest backyard but we're in spitting altitude to parks and libraries and there'south no demand to drive absolutely everywhere (which I'chiliad certain volition pay off when they starting time heading out on their own...). I grew upwards in the suburbs and I MUCH adopt the city life. However, every bit for all the cultural stuff, yes they're certainly exposed to huge diverseness merely its not like nosotros're off at the ROM or AGO every weekend either; we're going grocery shopping or having play dates or doing laundry. We accept lots of lovely restaurants around usa that we very rarely go to and there are theatres effectually that we visit one time a twelvemonth! What I'm proverb is that just because we live in the city, we're not hopping from 1 cultural feel to another either! We DO get to go to these places though and its easy to become around but I uncertainty our solar day to twenty-four hour period lives are all that much different from many people in the burbs. Personally the biggest plus is that its an easy commute to and from work, giving us more fourth dimension with our kids.
did either of you lot bother to read the OP's mail? The husband (sole worker) works in sauga..you lot go on virtually traffic, well wouldn't it make a lot more than sense to alive in sauga if he works in sauga? why would you movement to the city for less space, more traffic, and more $$$ and be further away from work 
- #17
- gilboman
- Banned
- January 11, 2004
- 19816 posts
- 563 upvotes
nalababe wrote: ↑Very truthful...
But nosotros do find, that if we desire to practise something we can exercise it on a whim: Word on the street, Caribbana, Pride, Hockey Game, Science Centre, ROM, Zoo, Markets (SLM and Brickworks), great restaurants, theatre, concerts....
Of grade, since my wife works in the urban center and I work from a home office, our combined commute is 20 minutes per day...what could be meliorate.
depending on where you live in the suburbs, it could be a lot closer/faster to get to those places from the suburbs 
e.thousand., takes me 20mins to become to scientific discipline centre, 30mins to get to the Rom/ACC... and the Zoo is way out in like east scarborough, if you lot live in the city and say the zoo is close..you exercise not live in the city
I like living in the urban center cause of the non cookie cutter neighbourhoods, but usually it takes longer to get anywhere exist it within the city or to the store than information technology takes in the suburbs.
- #18
- nalababe
- Deal Guru
- Dec 31, 2005
- 13306 posts
- 739 upvotes
gilboman wrote: ↑did either of you bother to read the OP'due south post? The husband (sole worker) works in sauga..y'all go on about traffic, well wouldn't it brand a lot more sense to live in sauga if he works in sauga? why would you motility to the city for less space, more than traffic, and more than $$$ and be further away from work
Depends on the person, my office is in Mississauga and I still dear living in the city. Heading against traffic for most of the trip is non a large deal. Again, depends on what you want. While at that place are a few OK areas of Mississauga, these areas are just equally expensive equally Toronto. If I were in this situation, I would definite prefer to alive in Toronto and work in Missauga. Actually I detect that my trip vs my colleagues who live in Mississauga is merely about ten-15 minutes longer.
- #19
- gilboman
- Banned
- Jan eleven, 2004
- 19816 posts
- 563 upvotes
nalababe wrote: ↑Depends on the person, my office is in Mississauga and I nonetheless honey living in the city. Heading against traffic for most of the trip is not a big deal. Again, depends on what you desire. While at that place are a few OK areas of Mississauga, these areas are just as expensive as Toronto. If I were in this situation, I would definite prefer to live in Toronto and work in Missauga. Actually I find that my trip vs my colleagues who live in Mississauga is but near 10-xv minutes longer.
my indicate was both those posters talked nigh how traffic would exist better living in the city which is obviously not true if the husband works in sauga and lived in sauga too
- #xx
- pipolchap
- Deal Addict
-
- Mar 8, 2006
- 2833 posts
- 558 upvotes
- Toronto
Alexis10 wrote: ↑My hubby and I have just started talking about starting a family and one of the major topics that has come upwardly is the location where we'd like to heighten our children. His task is in Mississauga, and I don't [currently] piece of work. With our lease coming to an finish in Oct of this year, we've started to look at areas that we'd similar to movement to.
We don't want our children growing upwards sheltered, and want them to be exposed to culture. On this indicate, the idea of living in the city is appealing in a condo/apartment/townhouse/etc. The ability to be in the urban center for events, without information technology requiring an immense amount of planning, is very appealing to us.
However, the idea of a pet, swimming pool, back thou and the 'quieter' life in the suburbs has information technology's advantages likewise.
Nosotros both realize that personal preference play a big part in decisions like these, but we wanted to get some input from other people. What decisions did you brand when you became a parent? Were y'all happy with the outcome, or would you lot brand a dissimilar conclusion if faced with the chance?
In before stages of your kids lives (< 11 y.o.), I don't believe it matters where you raise your kids. They'll be fine as long as their parents are there for them. Near kids are sheltered at this age anyway. I personally propose y'all live close to where your husband works so he has time to run across them as MUCH as possible.
In terms of how your kids grow up, I believe suburbs vs city really matters when they are older (Class 7 +). This is when they commencement becoming more than independent and listen to their peers more than than their parents. I'd like to hear what parents with older kids think well-nigh this. I however have a pre-schooler and this is what I was brash.
BTW, I'm raising our kids in the metropolis (small bungalow near a subway terminate in Willowdale) with work commute times of 15-xx minutes by subway or cycle. I chose this location based on transportation amenities (subway, Get bus, 401) and walk-ability. So far it has been working for us.
Source: https://forums.redflagdeals.com/raising-family-city-suburbs-993408/
0 Response to "Raising a Family in the City Vs Suburbs"
Post a Comment