[lucker]

Out of curiosity — how would you feel about a rural suburb if you could work remotely from it and make the same money that you could make in a big city? What other things would you need the rural suburb to provide if employment wasn't an issue?

[eropple]

For me, it would need to not be rural or a suburb to provide what I desire out of life. I want to be near things. There is a life to urban communities that does not exist in rural or suburban places (and I grew up in both) that I don't think I would want to live without. Being in places where it's a half-mile walk to things I want to do is an unmitigated good for me and there is nothing a suburb or rural area can do to replace that.

Remote work from home, where you are ensconced in your isolation box, is gross, too; as a consultant, I have a home office and I spend most of my time out of it.

(Mind, I have considered buying something in a rural area--but that's effectively a retreat, not a home. Homes are a by-and-large a pipe dream for people who are under 30 right now unless they want crushing commutes or nothingvilles.)

[lucker]

I have the opposite dream right now: I've spent almost my entire life in large cities and now that I'm in my thirties, finally have a career going, and am no longer obsessed with my sex life, I'm longing to move out of the city and somewhere a bit more suburban. I don't want kids or a wife — I just want space to be able to walk around half naked if I want to, sing at 4 in the morning if I feel like it, and indulge my own weird rhythms. I'm a software developer, and my company actually allows me to work remotely, so I'm seriously considering making the move. I seem to become more productive when I have more space, so even from a productivity standpoint the idea probably makes sense.

I actually love going on long walks, so the thought of walking a half hour to buy groceries if I don't buy a car seems ok.

I've spent the last decade or so in San Francisco, and none of the local scenes really attract me. There used to be some cool artists around, but a lot of them got priced out. Maybe some other city has a more thriving cultural life, but San Francisco's isn't doing anything for me. I just have to figure out where to move.

Well, I hope that we both manage to figure out a way of life that is good for us.

[eropple]

> I just want space to be able to walk around half naked if I want to, sing at 4 in the morning if I feel like it, and indulge my own weird rhythms.

What you're describing in terms of collapsibility, zero space, and cultural lifelessness is why I have avoided San Francisco like the plague, but San Francisco isn't like most urban areas--when asked why I refused a job with a startup out there I responded with something very similar to what you're saying here. =) I live in the Boston area; the city I live in is on the subway line, but isn't Boston proper.

I live on the top floor of an apartment building; my place is about 1200 square feet. I regularly sleep an off-kilter schedule. My neighbors like me, and me being up at 3AM doesn't seem to bother the downstairs neighbors seeing as how we hang out once a week or so.

Rural areas are fine if that's your thing, don't get me wrong. But there's a lot that you can't get in those areas (and I've spent plenty of time in them) at all.

[Frondo]

Three weeks ago I moved from a suburb-ish type neighborhood (not much walkable) to a urban-ish type neighborhood (nice grocery store 10 minutes walk away, bars 2, 5, 15 minutes away, pet store one block away).

I too work from home, and the difference is so stark, I can't imagine ever living in a less dense neighborhood again. I haven't gotten in my car in a week. Not going back.