Originally Posted by SteveRogers
Reality? We are a "car society" in the US. Gas would have to hit $6-$7 per gallon before Americans would dream of giving up the beloved automobile. Heck, I'd have to cycle 15 miles to catch the train every morning (in business casual!) Moving closer to work would be way too expensive right now (+$100k min) just to move closer to work. Now imagine housing prices in the city when EVERYONE wants to move closer!
I guess those of us living in the city have the best of all worlds. I live right next to a supermarket and the dry clearners is just down the block. The park is about a block and a half away with my $53.00 dollar a month, (unlimited rides) light rail just 7 blocks away. I have to say the price of gas has had no impact in my life.
You have a good point in that housing prices in the city when EVERYONE wants to move closer could go through the roof and I see this happening already! All new high rise construction is for luxury apartments costing 175k and up to 1 million for one or three bedroom apartments. People are moving back into the city in droves and for the first time in my life, I'm seeing construction in areas that have been abandoned for 75 years! Construction is happening everywhere in swamps, slums and toxic waste sites! It's incredible.
However, living in the burbs is not cheap either. Homes in the burbs (New Jersey) are not averaging about 275K and up if you want to live there. You're only hope for inexpensive housing are the exurbs or 125 miles away from the city. Traveling 225 miles a day to work in the city should be real fun. Of couse, you can move to Alaska and live with the bears. ;-)