The suburbs are often sold to us as the perfect place to live. Neatly arranged cookie-cutter houses, bright green freshly cut lawns, quiet streets. On paper, it sounds like a great and safe option. But when that sameness stretches out for miles in every direction, it stops looking charming and starts looking bleak.
We’ve rounded up some posts from the Suburban Hell subreddit that show just how depressing these places can get. Scroll down to see them and share what you think in the comments.
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Paranoid Neighbors And Prehistoric Rituals
We’ll Have Suburbia 🤡
Sadly Not Wrong Here
That's one thing among millions of things wrong with America. I f'ing hate it here.
POV: You Head Into Town To Go Out To A Restaurant
Sad But True
An American Ram Truck Designed For Suburbs Trying To Fit Into A Typical European Parking Space, Showing Just How Ridiculously Large They Are
This is a hill, I'm ready to d*e on. American cars of this size should be banned in Europe.
Dystopian Playtime
Thought You All Might Appreciate This Thread/Discussion As Well
You Will Live In The Pod
Upper pic: so many people live in each of these houses, that it is very much worth to build a shop, a pharmacy and a bus stop at almost every corner. The supermarket is less than 10 min on foot. Probably there is a park nearby. Second: the entire settlement has one shop that only sells candy and chips.
Visualization Of Space Dedicated To Cars
thats bc many areas have min parking requirements, that are on average more than stores actually need. And since large outdoor lots are cheaper, this is what you get. I know of areas where they encouraged the stores to be in a row cluster shaped U, and designed the roof tops for parking with only in the center of the U there is parking on ground level. Creates a much better feel, less wasted space, etc
Both Of These Places Are The Same Size. One Is Scaled For Cars While The Other Is Scaled For Humans
On the right that could be anywhere in the UK - Actually to be fair I can't speak of 'anywhere' my contribution was to say there is not enough parking. 50 years ago it was less than one car per household. Now it's at least one per adult.
Did It Reach The Bottom?
We had this for a while in my town. So many people ignored it (including K9 officers), they had no choice but to change it. We're still fighting to be allowed to use public transportation though.
One Of The Most Depressing Suburbs I've Ever Seen. Texas, USA. This Is Real
No Greenery Is Affecting My Mental Health Very Badly
lol. Now take the pic from the FRONT of the houses, and not the alley. I'm soory, we got a LOT of problems, but lack of old growth trees in the BACK of new built condos really ain't it, babe.
Americans Sure Do Love Their Strip Malls And Suburban Sprawl
Because in the first pic are too much places where people could hide. And that wouldn't be fair to active shooters, would it?
Keeping Children In Car-Dependent Suburbs
Part Of My Ongoing Efforts To Rebrand Urbanist Ideas As Patriotic And Pro-Freedom (Which They Unironically Are)
We Could Have Healthy, Sustainable Cities, But Instead We Choose To Have This
10 Points To Whoever Can Guess What State This Is
Hate Em
I'm A Traffic Engineer And I Just Finished Installing Our Town's First Bike Lane 🥰 What Do Y'all Think?
Suburbanites/Car Brains “We Don’t Want To Be Packed In Like Sardines”
Also their daily lives.
Dine With A View Of A Giant Parking Lot!
Las Vegas
This Used To Be A Forest
Suburbia: Expectation vs. Reality
Bibury in the Cotswolds, UK, apparently. Beautiful area but very expensive.
Suburbs Don't Have To Suck
The student is invited to review the definition of a Ponzi scheme.
Building A Picturesque Traditional City Like This Is Illegal Today Due To Modern Zoning Laws
You can live like this. I know lots of places that look exactly like this.
Maga Suburbanites Be Like: We Love Living In The Pod
A Large Astroid Impact Sounds Better And Better . .
Always The Same
Zoning Damaged The Planet Faster Than Plastic Straws Ever Could
North American "Town Squares" vs. Town Squares In Walkable Communities
This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things In The Us
Suburbs Are Ableist
We own a townhouse in Virginia (USA) that we are currently renting out. Originally we planned to move back there when I retire. After living 4 years in a highly walkable city (Long Beach, California), I have no interest in moving back to that house. Closest restaurant is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) and the vast majority has no sidewalks. The closest brewery is a 2 hour walk.
Found This Weird Arrangement Of Cul-De-Sacs In North Fort Myers, FL. Imagine Living In One Of The Middle Houses 👀👀👀👀
I Actually Live Next To This Picture Lmao
Because Of The Layout Of This Subdivision, The Two Marked Houses On This Map Are An 8 Minute Drive Apart Or 51 Minute Walk (Eureka, MO)
My Suburb's Social Scene, In One Picture
Let’s Be Real, Suburban Downtowns Are Pretty Depressing, Aren’t They?
Anywhere, USA
Oh My God, Just Build Apartments…
Prioritizing Cars Leads To Creating Hellscapes Like This
New Housing Development Outside Of San Antonio
Most homes under 700 square feet. Anything to not build apartments.
Defend Your Neighborhood Character
He Is Literally Crying Over A Few Trees
Soooo.. What you get without a HOA is something that's a lot more pleasant to live in? And no sanctimonious busy bodies? And somewhere where bugs and birds can live?
Suburb Life Requires More Driving But Also More Walking
Malls Are A Waste Of Space And Are Depressing Places
Now that Amazon has decimated the shopping experience, they are useful for walking in, in winter.
No Balls Allowed
What
Old Legacy Suburbs Juxtaposed Against Cheap New Construction Next Door
I Raise You The True Suburban Hell Final Boss
Mandatory Sprawl
Pushing The Limits Of Waterfront Property In Conroe, TX
Really?! Can’t Even Connect A Sidewalk
Nobody Does Suburban Hell Like North Texas
No Thanks
Unfortunate Reality Of Running In The Suburbs
And three seperate karens will call the police on you, because you, "look suspicious".
Nothing Says ‘Vibrant Urban Core’ Like A Half-Empty Parking Lot The Size Of A Football Field
I Still Don’t Get The Appeal Of Suburbs , Even If They Are Quieter And “Safer”
Can’t Imagine A Worse Place To Live. A Cul-De-Sac Inside Of A Golf Course
Look, Northern Virginia, If You’re Going To Build These Big Box Stores And Suburban Hell Sprawl Then Fine… Have At It. But Why No Access For Nearby Residents? Why Is Every Single Neighborhood Disjointed? Why No Trails Or Walking Paths? Why??? Answer Me!
And They Call It Town Center
I know I keep saying it, but I just cannot get over how much space is dedicated to car parks in the US. It's utterly mad.
Flying Into Austin, TX
Average Suburban Fear…
Why Do Developers Use Awful Road Layouts?
Is Houston Even Considered A City. Just A Big Suburb With To Many Freeways To Count
Salem, Oregon
Paint it colorful and it could be Houten, Netherlands.
Impressive!
Walkablity? Density? The Horror!
They Made The Squidward Neighborhood Meme
Truman Sports Complex, Suburban Kansas City, Mo
For those of you unfamiliar, this is where an NFL team (the Chiefs) and an MLB team (the Royals) play. They are soon relocating these stadiums.
Eagle Mountain, Utah
Living In This Will Suck The Life Out Of You
Thanks Suburbs!
One Of My Biggest Regrets Is Moving To This Hellscape, No One Needs Houses Like This
"Why Don't Kids Walk To School Anymore?"
1 preschool, 5 elementaries, 3 intermediate schools, 1 highschool in almost one square mile of land.
South Cedar Rapids, IA.
I'm not defending this but... this area of Cedar Rapids has been developed in the past 10-15 years. It was mostly farmland before that. The area I live in has an elementary and middle school within walking distance and buses are available.
Suburban Boomers Be Like
Recently a neighbor came by to ask if his son could walk through some of my property to get to, I kid you not, his grandmother's house on the other side of the woods. I of course said yes. I appreciate being asked but I couldn't help a surreptitious wink at the kid who had already been doing that.
I had a neighbor drive his truck across his lawn to scream at me (in front of my young son) for walking across his plot instead of walking on the dangerous country road with no visibility (very curvy) and no sidewalks. Now, this wasn''t a nice lawn - this was out in the country. It was a side plot that wasn't even visible from his house because of a large hedge. It was mowed with a large farm tractor with a bush hog mower.
Load More Replies...You need to add "American" in that title. American suburbs do seem awful, but there perfectly pleasant in many countries. Also, Why do so many people have a problem with where other people live? I think there's something I'm missing here.
My understanding: Dry land is limited, it can be used for building human dwellings and the associated places (like parking lots, shops, parks, etc.); the same surface can be used for agriculture (incl. wood); last, but not least, it can be left in/close to its natural state. In the latter case, it serves to maintain the biodiversity; however, when the area is reduced to 10% of its original size, only half the species originally inhabiting the land survive. Flora also uses carbon-dioxide, traps heat and produces oxygen, three things concrete parking lots are really bad at.
Load More Replies...Welcome to BP, where every third post is ragebait about how awful the US is!
Recently a neighbor came by to ask if his son could walk through some of my property to get to, I kid you not, his grandmother's house on the other side of the woods. I of course said yes. I appreciate being asked but I couldn't help a surreptitious wink at the kid who had already been doing that.
I had a neighbor drive his truck across his lawn to scream at me (in front of my young son) for walking across his plot instead of walking on the dangerous country road with no visibility (very curvy) and no sidewalks. Now, this wasn''t a nice lawn - this was out in the country. It was a side plot that wasn't even visible from his house because of a large hedge. It was mowed with a large farm tractor with a bush hog mower.
Load More Replies...You need to add "American" in that title. American suburbs do seem awful, but there perfectly pleasant in many countries. Also, Why do so many people have a problem with where other people live? I think there's something I'm missing here.
My understanding: Dry land is limited, it can be used for building human dwellings and the associated places (like parking lots, shops, parks, etc.); the same surface can be used for agriculture (incl. wood); last, but not least, it can be left in/close to its natural state. In the latter case, it serves to maintain the biodiversity; however, when the area is reduced to 10% of its original size, only half the species originally inhabiting the land survive. Flora also uses carbon-dioxide, traps heat and produces oxygen, three things concrete parking lots are really bad at.
Load More Replies...Welcome to BP, where every third post is ragebait about how awful the US is!
