I don't care about greenspaces and I think you are giving way too much credit to lawns in suburbs. It is not usually a 'green space' any more than a city park is.
I live in a very tiny apartment and I can do almost all of the things you are claiming you want to. I don't want to dox myself, but for much cheaper than a home in the burbs I have pretty much every amenity you described plus 24/7 security which handles visitors and deliveries, plus all the things found in a normal home (including a full gym) and more within one elevator ride. I can't do my laundry in my underwear but putting on sweatpants isn't difficult.
On top of that, everything I want to do or need to do is just a step outside or at most a few minutes on a transit line or a few tens of minutes on a bike ride.
All big box stores deliver and grocery stores too, and I think a tip + delivery fee is a tad cheaper than gas + insurance + maintainance.
Also, you might be surprised regarding schools in US cities...plenty of people go to public schools in cities and get great educations, plus they also experience diversity and when they get old enough they can walk themselves there.
But what's great is we can all choose. What's not so great is that my lifestyle is sustainable and most suburban lifestyles aren't.
The issue is that once you want to do one thing that isn't feasible in an apartment (I'm a metalworker) it's game over. All my stuff is set up at one of my friend's garages. That same friend's whole backyard is entirely vegetables and their front is fruit trees. Everyone has that one thing. My sister in law raises chickens and goats, my boss who lives on the edge of a public wood hunts and processes the meat. My dad collects rare books and my childhood basement is set up control humidity and temperature.
> plus they also experience diversity and when they get old enough they can walk themselves there
I was in the minority as a white girl in my suburban elementary school and I walked there starting in 4th grade. I biked then drove myself in high school. All the best schools in my state are in the rich burbs and so if/when I want to have kids I'll be looking to buy my way into that.
I think people have weird ideas about suburban life being just lifeless cookie-cutter rows of identical houses but I loved the diverse community of really cool and interesting families I grew up with.
Those things are not what I am talking about -- they seem more akin to rural than 'suburban'. To get on the same page, this is what I am specifically talking about:
I live in a very tiny apartment and I can do almost all of the things you are claiming you want to. I don't want to dox myself, but for much cheaper than a home in the burbs I have pretty much every amenity you described plus 24/7 security which handles visitors and deliveries, plus all the things found in a normal home (including a full gym) and more within one elevator ride. I can't do my laundry in my underwear but putting on sweatpants isn't difficult.
On top of that, everything I want to do or need to do is just a step outside or at most a few minutes on a transit line or a few tens of minutes on a bike ride.
All big box stores deliver and grocery stores too, and I think a tip + delivery fee is a tad cheaper than gas + insurance + maintainance.
Also, you might be surprised regarding schools in US cities...plenty of people go to public schools in cities and get great educations, plus they also experience diversity and when they get old enough they can walk themselves there.
But what's great is we can all choose. What's not so great is that my lifestyle is sustainable and most suburban lifestyles aren't.