Adventures in Southern Suburbia
Jolene and Pat and Dad bought a big, new house in Braselton, GA. They have a yard, but no large trees. They've had several trees planted, that will hopefully make it through the three feet of red Georgia clay. It's about 45 miles NE of Atllanta proper and one to three hours of driving, depending on traffic.
A half mile in one direction and we get to a new shopping center (no coffee shop). A half mile in the other direction and we're in a lightly wooded area with fields (previously pasture) heading down to a small river. Yet another half mile in a third direction and you're on the highway.
They were the second family to buy a home in this subdivision - The Falls of Braselton. (There is a small falls down in the small river.) Many of the houses are still under construction or not yet built. This is an environment that I probably would never have otherwise found myself in. I admit that my first reaction was, "They live here?" I'd been working for the past for years for an organization whose mission is to prevent sprawling development like this in the SF Bay Area. So, I admit my prejudice.
My second reaction is to see if I can come to understand why they live here.
The closer into Atlanta one gets, the more money it takes to buy smaller houses in shabbier neighborhoods. They lead a quiet life of working, cooking, eating, working out, walking their chow-mix dog Skanky, and watching movies and TV. A night out is usually just a half hour drive to the $1.99 movie theatre in Duluth. (Yesterday, we went to see Ice Princess. Because it was a matinee, it was only 99 cents for each of us.) They don't go out to eat much (maybe once a month), because they're being careful about what they eat (and it's cheaper). Dan manages parts of three hospitals, which are all off the highway that's a half mile away. Jolene and Pat both have part-time jobs that are nearby. They have a lot of comfortable space to live in. I can see why they've made this choice, but I don't think that it would work for me.
A half mile in one direction and we get to a new shopping center (no coffee shop). A half mile in the other direction and we're in a lightly wooded area with fields (previously pasture) heading down to a small river. Yet another half mile in a third direction and you're on the highway.
They were the second family to buy a home in this subdivision - The Falls of Braselton. (There is a small falls down in the small river.) Many of the houses are still under construction or not yet built. This is an environment that I probably would never have otherwise found myself in. I admit that my first reaction was, "They live here?" I'd been working for the past for years for an organization whose mission is to prevent sprawling development like this in the SF Bay Area. So, I admit my prejudice.
My second reaction is to see if I can come to understand why they live here.
The closer into Atlanta one gets, the more money it takes to buy smaller houses in shabbier neighborhoods. They lead a quiet life of working, cooking, eating, working out, walking their chow-mix dog Skanky, and watching movies and TV. A night out is usually just a half hour drive to the $1.99 movie theatre in Duluth. (Yesterday, we went to see Ice Princess. Because it was a matinee, it was only 99 cents for each of us.) They don't go out to eat much (maybe once a month), because they're being careful about what they eat (and it's cheaper). Dan manages parts of three hospitals, which are all off the highway that's a half mile away. Jolene and Pat both have part-time jobs that are nearby. They have a lot of comfortable space to live in. I can see why they've made this choice, but I don't think that it would work for me.
Labels: environment
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