February 16th, 2005
What WILL they think of next?
This is so sad. Perhaps even pathetic:
You want a more urban experience, but you don’t want to give up your suburban trappings. The answer? A house in the suburbs that looks like it belongs in the city. Exposed brick! Floor-to-ceiling windows! A mezzanine bedroom! And just look how much space! Why, it’s just like the place we always wanted in college!
I’m not even really sure where to start with how wrong this whole way of thinking is. I love big cities, I love urban living, I love all the things that the suburbanites presumably hate about downtown:
…downtown still lacks the amenities that most Americans crave, such as good schools, convenient big-box stores, and, most importantly, a sense of personal space all but impossible in the big city.
(To this I say, A sense of personal space is not dictated by the size of one’s home’s lot, it’s determined by how well you mesh with your surroundings. And don’t even get me started on big box stores.)
So the concept of living in a “loft,” handily ensconced in a gated community several miles outside any area that could be considered urban, makes my stomach hurt. Isn’t yucko stucco bad enough? Now all the little developments will be peppered with corrugated metal and brick facades.
The only authentic aspect of a loft in such environs is the ability to see into one’s neighbor’s living room, due to microscopic suburban easements.
comments
It’s true… my neighborhood in Downtown Chicago doesn’t have a McDonalds, or a Home Depot. Come to think of it, this place sucks! Damn, I think I should pull up my roots now! I need to get out of my loft with a skyline view… get away from these crappy unique and charming restaurants and out to where the stuff people want is!!
I’m just spitballing here, but it seems more likely that this was designed for suburbanites to pretend that they live in a big city. It’s for posers from the ‘burbs, not refugees from the city. It’s Sex in the City chic with the inconvenience and blandness of the box stores within an easy drive in your H2.
oh, absolutely, Fitz—they want to “feel” urban. I’m reminded of the suburban gangsta-rap fad—it’s just “cool” to be urban now, but heaven forfend you have to give up your strip malls and three car garage.
and it’s really disturbing. If people are going to be posers, at least move into one of those luxury condo/apartments popping up in the suburbs now, the ones built over retail space? at least those are semi-authentic—you actually have to live in an APARTMENT without a YARD.
A house that looks like a loft doesn’t sound like a big deal to me. That style is popular right now. Open spaces, high ceilings, big windows, spare furnishings. You see it in magazines and on design shows.
I know this trend is going a little too far — making a house look artificially industrial is silly. But still, it’s your living space and you want it a certain way. I don’t see why authenticity has to be a factor here. Maybe the suburban kids like gangsta rap. It doesn’t speak to their experiences, but they like it anyway. Hey, when Gwen Stefani went around wearing a bindi on her forehead and a skirt made out of sari material, I didn’t complain; she wasn’t taking anything away from me. Authenticity is overrated.Here’s a novel concept. Renovate the actual preexisting downtown lofts and try to reinvigorate the downtown cores with better schools, new hardware stores, etc. etc.
I’m just flabbergasted to be honest.
I agree with Brian D. I mean, really, although I do not know what downtown they are speaking of but as a general example, University of Maryland’s law school is an ideal. This example of the downtown environment is being saved by Baltimore [those who don’t know, Baltimore was awfully ghetto, still pretty ‘colorful’, once you get away from M & T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards]. Maryland law is a great school and who the hell wants those big-box stores? Some are okay, like in Boston, but they make it sound like we’re freaking London or something with buttloads of flagships all over cities in the US. HOWEVER, I will admit living in a loft would be great, but having it outside of an urban environment is completely pointless.
Dave! - do you really have a skyline view? That’s so awesome it’s arr-some. [Funny? No?…]
And Fitz, as an 0L who wants to practice Environmental Law, I have to say DAMN those H2’s !