How McMansions Could Turn Into Slums

[barbarus]

Coming soon to a development near you.....


Is Suburbia Turning Into Slumburbia?

 

[haha]

Coming soon to a development near you.....


Is Suburbia Turning Into Slumburbia?

If inner city crime could be controlled many suburbs would be toast already. And when underclass people start moving out into places without the urban social control and support structures things really get stinky fast.

Where crime is even marginally less than the national level, city RE is already pricier than more distant. Pricey downtown condos have taken off here. Many of them are located where I don't even like to walk during the day, let alone at night. So what gives? They are lockboxes really- with good car and entry security. Many people arrive and leave more often by car than on foot. The buildings are more on the street, than of the street.

IMO, this is just getting started due to increasing commute costs and cost energy for all uses.

If affluent people need close-in but safe and interesting neighborhoods, they will eventually get them, even if some political change is required.

Ha

 

[retire48in2018]

A lot of doom & gloom for a relatively modest % of homes in foreclosure.

Of course, if it's you or a close friend - it seems extremely bad.

 

[cantlogin]

Here’s a real world example. The Pocono Mountains are rarely forerunners for anything but this seems to be an exception.

FOXNews.com - Gangs Infiltrating Pocono Mountains Region - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

The Fox link is from 2006 but the conditions are worse now.

Tobyhanna raid reveals dogs, guns, marijuana - poconorecord.com - The Pocono Record

These homes weren't exactly mansions, but they were considered nice 20 years ago. The current situation is real. Coincidentally, there has been significant litigation in the courts for years involving mortgage fraud. Over appraised values and “misunderstood” loan terms. Lots of parallels with the current national mortgage mess.

 

[ziggy29]

A lot of doom & gloom for a relatively modest % of homes in foreclosure.

Doom and gloom? In the media? You're kidding, right?

 

[amy5708]

I am surprised by this, as I always believed people tried to leave the city and move to the 'burbs.

My family would never move to the city; being a small town girl, I break out in hives when I get near a big city (pollution, traffic, crime, etc)

 

[ziggy29]

I am surprised by this, as I always believed people tried to leave the city and move to the 'burbs.

Well, with cheap gasoline and higher city crime rates, that was the norm for 60 years. As some inner cities gentrify, become safer in some areas and are much closer to jobs in the era of $3-4 gas, city life can become a bit more compelling again.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

just happened to be scanning old pictures last night when i came across a bunch from our time in the poconos where we vacationed usually twice a year on a working dude ranch. i used to get up at dawn to help feed the animals and milk the cows. i used to squirt milk right from the utter at the cats who would come over for a free meal. here i am as a 12-year-old coming back from a trail ride. crips and bloods do not fit into my wonderful memories of those great times. the only gang i can picture fitting in there is maybe doc holliday's. hey brewer, blood, how goes?

 

[barbarus]

If affluent people need close-in but safe and interesting neighborhoods, they will eventually get them, even if some political change is required.Ha

Chicago has been removing its "undesirables" for some time.
Often, IMHO, leaving a gentrified but more sterile and boring replacement.

 

[Khan]

I wonder what's going to become of aging Baby Boomers in the far suburbs when they can no longer drive or take care of the McMansion.

 

[Zoocat]

I wonder what's going to become of aging Baby Boomers in the far suburbs when they can no longer drive or take care of the McMansion.

Well, as Ha stated, the urbanization of our generation has only begun. Many suburban areas that are close to cities have "new urbanist" developments going on. These new developments have stores, groceries, dental offices, etc. You can walk or bike or pick up the local bus. There are trade offs, of course. You have to deal with high density, which is not to everyone's liking.

Many people like their big suburban houses and they will stay there. A home health care agency would be a good business to start in aging suburbs. Maybe teenagers will start after-school handyman businesses to help out seniors -- it could happen!

Lazy -- very cool picture! I had a horse when I was a teenager in rural california. Many many happy times! I tried to get my kids interested in horsemanship and succeeded with my son for a while, but my daughter thought horses were dirty and smelly. She preferred to spend time at the mall with her friends. You can't win them all!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Saw a whole bunch of this around our old region. Lots of aging gang types and their families got pushed out of the more expensive areas near the coast and/or wanted to "get away" from the gang life style. Even cheaper housing is just gonna suck them in at a faster clip.

Unfortunately their 10-17 year old kids already know how to sell dope, handle a gun and avoid the cops.

So what used to be a nice place for hunters and fishermen, blue collar types, maybe a little rednecky has turned into gang central.

Not that the cities and towns pay it much attention. The day I decided to move away was the day I picked up the little local paper and on the front page were two articles. The first one was about the town selectmen pushing the installation of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of mature palm trees "so the people driving by on the highway will see them and notice the town". Second article was about a fatal drive-by shooting that happened on the same street right next to where one of the crowd-drawing palm trees was planned to be planted.

So, I was thinking maybe a little more money into the gang task force and a little less on landscaping?

 

[blessed]

I agree with Oldbabe; the baby boomers like me will stay in our large houses. I have 2700sf all on one level then again that much in the basement unfinished. I have 1/2 ac. lot that I can take care of or pay someone to. Most of the youngin' in the community have lawn service. I am less than 2 miles from the hospital and fire dept. Life is good

 

[haha]

Chicago has been removing its "undesirables" for some time.
Often, IMHO, leaving a gentrified but more sterile and boring replacement.

I was living in Venice CA back in the 70s when this was going on big time.

Many deny the facts, but it is inexorable-money talks to politics, and somehow it gets done.

I agree with your statement about the relative entertainment value of yuppies vs. artists, hustlers, etc- but it is hard to get it safe enough for many folks without that sterility factor. And face it, not everyone dislikes what we may think of as sterile environments. City streets can be challenging.

Ha

 

[Moemg]

Chicago has been removing its "undesirables" for some time.
Often, IMHO, leaving a gentrified but more sterile and boring replacement.

Sarasota did a great job with that . It turned downtown from a dying crummy neighborhood into a vibrant desirable area with sidewalk cafes and lots of shops and clubs in less than nine years .

 

[unclemick]

I agree with your statement about the relative entertainment value of yuppies vs. artists, hustlers, etc- but it is hard to get it safe enough for many folks without that sterility factor. And face it, not everyone dislikes what we may think of as sterile environments. City streets can be challenging.

Ha

They sure screwed up Pike Place Market and other fun places on the waterfront from 1964 - when I was 9 beers/9 feet tall and had a fake Idaho ID.

Took my Mother and SO thru in the 90's - just wasn't the same. Could not find the Chinese place where the hookers and police used to eat ?S. Jackson?

heh heh heh - but when you get old - quiet is nice. .

 

[mountaintosea]

I've been saying this for years. All these Mcmansions in So. Cal., I can see turning into slums. Large houses on small plots of land. I see them being chopped up and made into apartments etc. Quite frankly I don't find them attractive at all. I think landscaping goes a long way to adding to developments. When there's very small plots with huge ugly buildings it's quite obvious that the slums will follow in short order.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I wonder what's going to become of aging Baby Boomers in the far suburbs when they can no longer drive or take care of the McMansion.

A new business industry will service the boomers. Someone will end up making money off it.

 

[ziggy29]

I've been saying this for years. All these Mcmansions in So. Cal., I can see turning into slums. Large houses on small plots of land. I see them being chopped up and made into apartments etc. Quite frankly I don't find them attractive at all. I think landscaping goes a long way to adding to developments.

Not only that, but so many of these developments have no character. The houses mostly look the same, they are all painted earth tones (HOAs and all)... it's just sterility squared to me.

 

[HFWR]

A new business industry will service the boomers. Someone will end up making money off it.

You see how that worked for Eliot Spitzer...