To find the suburbs a bit depressing?

I grew up in a rural area, it was incredibly isolating and while I enjoy the countryside for a few days on holiday, I would never move back. There was a very narrow minded element and a lot of bullying at school for anyone who was seen as 'different'.

I love the fact that here (London zone 5/6) DD can see friends easily, and we have excellent and frequent public transport. After living somewhere with no public transport for a decade or so I was very happy to ditch the car.

We have a high street with a range of shops, cafes etc, and as there is a very diverse population the shops etc reflect that.

We have various parks of different sizes and types (some managed as nature reserves, some a sports grounds etc). It is easy to get out of London by train as well, to take the dog for a longer and wilder walk.

On the other hand, there are stretches of the same inter-war housing estate that are a long way from the high street and appear quite bleak. But then, it's impossible to tell when looking from the outside. There may be a strong community spirit and good networks of support.

Basically, I don't see the suburbs as combining the worst of the city and the worst of rural living. Nor is there one type of community that is a 'suburb' and has a universal 'suburb experience'.

Agree @StripeyNighty I HATE the suburbs. Having lived in a small town, several cities, a large town, and a village (as well as a suburb,) I have to say hate the suburbs.

I hate the cul de sac within a cul de sac within a cul de sac within a cul de sac design, the bus stop being a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes walk away, the shops often being too far away to walk (coz if you buy anything it's too far to walk back,) no nice or decent walks anywhere, (as you can walk for 20 minutes and still be surrounded by houses,) and there's often no secondary school for 2 - 3 miles.

Houses all look the same, there's no community, (or community services or community spirit,) there's often no GP surgery, and it's full of rude and ignorant and hostile people who don't have anything to do with anyone except the neighbours either side.

I live in a village now with 400 people. Parish hall, community groups, 2 pubs, a Church, hobby groups and support groups, little school with 37 children, nursery, Sunday school, buses into the market town 3 miles away every hour, several childminders and petsitters, and everyone speaks when they see you. Only thing it 'lacks' is a secondary school, but a school bus goes there and back every day. Couldn't pay me to move to a suburb again.

People don't hate new builds because they're new. It's the quality of some of them which is lacking, and the fact that many don't have any character. They're made for profit, so why would they bother with masonry etc

There are some really good new builds in conservation areas etc which have lots of character and are as attractive as traditional buildings

Yes, you can tell suburbia by looking at an aerial map of an area.

If everything merges, it’s suburbia. If there is green space between settlements and you can see distinct places, it’s not suburbia. It could be called commuter land or satellites or dormer towns or villages of the city, but they aren’t adjoined.

I don't like it as I don't drive, so I feel happier living in a city centre where I can go to more places easily.

In a suburb I feel isolated and like I'm missing out.

When I moved to a city but wasn't in the centre, it felt like I didn't have any of the advantages I moved to a city for.

Suburbs work for the lifestyle most people lead.

I love living in the middle of nowhere. I feel at my happiest when I'm outdoors or gardening. But I get that living in a remote village would feel isolating and boring for many.

None taken. It does look bleak from the air in that photo but not so much close up.

I think suburbs are areas where there is no green space such as furled between them and the areas all merge together.

So, within the M25 is suburbs - the various areas all merge with roads and housing before you get to the green belt. There are certainly nicer suburbs. Previously, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, what is now zone 2 would have been considered the suburbs and would have been greener than it is today. As the tube expanded, particularly to the north of London, London sprawled outwards. That’s suburbia. Some bits had older properties that had been there before and some still have more green space, but it’s not splitting settlements. The Metropolitian line was developed with different types of housing and ‘zoning’ to attract different level of affluence. There are very affluent suburbs and some with a large proportion of large houses. Some of them border the M25 and green belt. I’m thinking if some of Zone 5 and 6 in north and north west London. Travel 3 or 4 miles further out of M25 and you’re driving through fields for a mile or so, as the villages and towns are not part of the sprawl but remain settlements in their own right. Commuter land - yes. Suburbia - no.

Even a short distance outside the M25 can be quite different - so towns and villages with green space between them….farms and fields.

I think that often people refer to towns outside other cities as suburbia, when actually they are towns and villages on the outskirts of that city, but actually places in their own right and don’t merge into the city itself.

Suburbia doesn’t mean commuter land. Lots of the towns and villages outside the M25 are certainly commuter land - often into deepest Surrey, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent etc. However places like Guildford, Reigate, Seven Oaks, St Albans are not suburbia.

@StripeyNighty I agree! Would far rather be in a city properly ,or in a properly rural area.
The “ Ticky tacky” identikit houses, lack of mature trees, endless roundabouts and roads that all look the same.
Most modern houses don’t age well, black algae grows on the render.
”Soulless” is a word I’d use.

But have been inside some of these newbuilds, and they are warm and cozy.

It’s the area that’s soulless.

I don't recognise the traffic/pollution element you refer to a lot. I live in a suburb of a very small city. We are mainly surrounded by golf courses and small woods between areas of housing. 30min bus to very centre of city. 20min walk to start of shops/pubs/restaurants. I think if you live outside the city and want to get to the centre in rush hour then there's probably traffic, but it doesn't affect me (I don't live on the main arterial road).

YANBU. I find large areas of the UK really shit.

But then I am a total bumpkin...

☺️ also, the OP has dogs, so she's really no room to complain.

For full disclosure we now live in a "new build village", with the oldest parts being about 30 years old. Most people would very much turn their noses up at that. I did when DH suggested it as an area to look at. It's actually an amazing place to raise a family. The facilities are great, a great community feels with lots of inclusive activites, it's well planned, the landscaping is great, real care was taken in how the whole place looked, and we are surrounded by beautiful country sides with great transport links (I can be in central london in 55 minutes). Our primary schools are outstanding (located in the village) and we are in catchments for loads of good secondary schools.

It's easy to be a snob about these things.

Generally I feel towns and cities are busier that the suburbs, but it would be very difficult if we all liked the same thing, some hate rural, some hate towns, some hate suburbs,🤷🏻‍♀️

Quite. I've lived in a new build, it needed nothing doing to it and was easy to keep clean..

Is Milngavie a suburb of Glasgow

We're definitely a suburb. Even though we're part of East Dunbartonshire council.

I have no idea if where I live is considered a suburb or not but I know I like it, I can easily access theatres, restaurants, shops, countryside, trains and airports. Basically feels like I have everything pretty handy except there are no beaches!

But London is so huge it's a bit of a special case and we could probably argue for hours over what is a suburb.

Is Milngavie a suburb of Glasgow? Or is it "the outskirts". Anyway it's quite posh and probably doesn't fit the OP's idea of a suburb.

x-post!

I'd say Wimbledon, Balham and Streatham are "outer city". Richmond and Carshalton are suburbs for me.

There are dogs everywhere. Loads of them barking and fighting, that's not the suburbs, that's 2023.

I am having difficulty understanding what a suburb is too, I thought it was an outer area of a city or large town (eg Horsforth in Leeds, Woolton in Liverpool, or Bromley, Teddington or Orpington in London - though the latter is a town in its own right I think), Some are nice, some are quite grotty but they all have a city feel to them I think.

If the pp above was referring to Cranbrook, I'd call that a housing estate, not a suburb.

You get soulless retail parks everywhere.

I live in a town which is quite suburban - a bit of a dormitory town for London commuter, but lots of places to walk, countryside very accessible, even on foot, and water (though not coastal). It has good transport links.

And there are too many dogs everywhere.

Also suburbs are mixed bag. Like anywhere else really.There are amazing ones - beautiful houses with lovely amenities and there are some really quite awful ones. Same as living in "a city" or "a village". It actually really means quite little and a generic description and hating all suburbs based on your "friends" location is silly.

Sounds like vast parts of Bristol, especially the northern side. I don’t get the appeal either, all the downsides of urban living, without the benefits but for a premium price.

@emptythelitterbox

Oops, no offence intended

I don't think it looks pretty, but probably a good layout for getting to know your neighbours. I can imagine kids playing outdoors