[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by jjjayb

I lived in midtown for several years. I moved about 4 years ago. After so many times of having your car broken into, you just get sick of it. After so many times of having guys making lewd comments to my wife when she went jogging, you get sick of it.

For the first time in my life, I'm now a suburbanite. Yes, I know, it's not the cool, hip thing. Sure, the neighborhood isn't diverse enough to get over my white guilt. But I don't have to deal with the BS I dealt with in midtown either. Neighbors arguing at 3am at the top of their lungs, cars bumping bass at 3am. Constantly having my car broken into. Having someone walk by and dent in the side of my car in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Having someone knock my motorcycle over in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Reading in the paper about car-jackings, murders and robberies within half a mile from my house on a consistent basis.

It isn't about being too scared to be in midtown. It's about finally realizing that the things I just accepted as normal parts of life aren't actually normal.

I live in old OP and it's gotten rather diverse around here. That is as far as I'm willing to go while I have children in my home. We lived in the Westport area 30 years ago and were burglarized. I'll pass. I really don't even like my kids hanging out down there and for the most part they don't.

It's about valuing the safety of yourself and your family more than appreciating what an area has to offer entertainment or 'culture' wise. Besides, once you have kids in school you are not staying in the city centers. You are moving to better areas with good schools.