A Look at Real Estate

Tired of that cramped studio? Dying to have a view other than a brick wall to look at? Has public urination gotten you down?

Then head on out to the suburbs where the air is clean, the housing is bigger and the rents are cheap(er). Just make sure to read the hilarious piece in today’s New York Times first.

Among the priceless quotes that Gothamist loved were:

"Out there, you have to work at being with people," she said. "In a year, I got one play date for my kid. We joined the Newcomers Club, and the day we put our house on the market, they finally called. You'd go to the library for a reading and there would be no one there." She added, "You're a lonely, desperate housewife with nothing to do."

Who knew that Wisteria Lane was in Pound Ridge, NY?

"I can't wait 15 minutes in a bagel store to get two bagels," he said. "I can't have people looking at me like I'm crazy when I walk in and put a quarter on the table to get my paper and walk out. I go home and there's, like, people doing their lawn every five minutes. They seem like normal people but they spend, like, hours working on their lawn."

Clearly this is not the behavior of normal people.

And consider this harrowing tale of living in Riverdale. (We always thought Riverdale was part of the Bronx).

"It was just like this land of no culture," said Ms. Williams, who owns Plain Jane, a children's home furnishings shop on the Upper West Side. "You never met anybody. There's one little street with a meat market on it. It was very bizarre but beautiful."

So, if you like people and meat and don’t like to wait for your bagels, don’t leave the city. You’ve been warned.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Peter Trinkle in News on January 8, 2006 12:34 PM

Comments [rss]

jane

hmm..where are all the mothers? they are working to pay for that big house..they do not have the luxury of going to the park..or hanging out at the Newcomers club..

hardcore BX..i love it!

Samantha T

Oh, how this real estate piece grated on my last nerve (they all tend to, though). Actually made me all the more motivated to leave the city (I live in Brooklyn beyond Carroll Gardens - does that count?).

boconno

You know... Riverdale is a part of the Bronx.

I know my boro isn't as trendy (therefore uninteresting for most of you) as Brooklyn (although every time I hear of a gun-oriented murder it tends to be near hipsterville), but we do exist, and we do have neighborhoods up here -- many of which are pretty nice.

I'd say come up and visit, but I'd rather not live next to another Teany. Oh, yeah that went out of business.

Maia

I actually grew up in Pound Ridge (now live in Brooklyn) and although I did enjoy the open space, I have since found that suburb people are reeeeally lazy when it comes to going out...not only do they not have to walk to wherever they're going, it's like they think it's waaaaay too much hassle to spend 30 minutes in a car to do almost anything unless it's a "day trip." It really is sleepy life up there. But then again it's not like you dont' have to work at being social in the city too...

anon

Really? Aw these poor spoiled yuppies. Yes, I too would love to stay in New York in my 1800 sq foot Tribeca loft rather than move out the suburbs so my kid can ride a bike. Of course I don't make 100K so my kid will grow up in a tenament one bedroom. Spoiled people suck everywhere, in the city and out of it.