What's the best environment to raise kids?

[Barrister]

Like what I had as a kid.

I wonder if everyone's reaction essentially boils down to that.

I of course grew up suburban, my wife rural.

Well....even if I wanted urban I lack the piles of cash necessary to try it out.

You have the cash necessary.  I'm positive you could find a 3 bedroom apartment/condo in downtown Austin, possibly by renting.

[viper37]

Then there's rural.  All of nature is your playground.  You can actually see the stars at night.  Depending on the town, you might actually not even bother locking your door at night.  But very few programs, and what is available will have you driving everywhere.

This.  Can't imagine growing up anywhere else than I did.  Even while travelling with my father, we were staying on a construction site, always lots of space.

[Malthus]

Not sure how I'd rate where I live right now. Is it urban or suburban? It was certainly designed as a suburb.

I do have a house and a backyard, but I'm right next to the subway and shops. 

[MadImmortalMan]

If you can get to things without driving, that's urban in my book.

[Malthus]

Then there's rural.  All of nature is your playground.  You can actually see the stars at night.  Depending on the town, you might actually not even bother locking your door at night.  But very few programs, and what is available will have you driving everywhere.

This.  Can't imagine growing up anywhere else than I did.  Even while travelling with my father, we were staying on a construction site, always lots of space.

I never thought a construction site would be the answer for raising children. Though it would have a certain Darwinian attraction ... 

[lustindarkness]

Suburbia, close to a city but far enough from it.

[Admiral Yi]

I never thought a construction site would be the answer for raising children. Though it would have a certain Darwinian attraction ... 

It's like being raised in a circus, minus all the fun stuff.

[Eddie Teach]

Suburbia, close to a city but far enough from it.

Rural enough to have trees but urban enough not to have bears.

[Malthus]

If you can get to things without driving, that's urban in my book.

Then I guess I'll vote urban. Unfortunately, this choice is reflected in property taxes. 

*Cue rant ...

[derspiess]

I never thought a construction site would be the answer for raising children. Though it would have a certain Darwinian attraction ... 

We were one of the first houses in our part of the development, so there were a lot of houses being built on our street and the adjacent streets.  My brothers, friends & I had tons of fun exploring the constructions sites in the evenings and scavenging scraps to use to make boats for the ponds.

Ehm, probably not the *safest* places for young kids, but I guess that was before the "child safety no matter what" thing took hold.

[Razgovory]

Urban, suburban, or rural I think we can all agree that a child is best served with a house full of money.

[Valmy]

Urban, suburban, or rural I think we can all agree that a child is best served with a house full of money.

[ulmont]

Like what I had as a kid.

I wonder if everyone's reaction essentially boils down to that.

I of course grew up suburban, my wife rural.

Not really.  My wife grew up suburban and would never move back; I grew up rural and would never move back.

[mongers]

I wonder if everyone's reaction essentially boils down to that.

Yeah but seriously it was a friggin' childhood utopia.  I really had no idea at the time how well we had things.  Only downside was that it was in West Virginia and 3 hours away from a city with decent museums, pro sports teams, zoo, etc.

Where I'm raising my kids, it's a nice street and we have a wooded lot with a big-enough yard, but there's a little too much traffic on the street for my tastes. But on the other side, I've gotten in probably as much "city stuff" with Tommy as I had my entire childhood.

That's the same the world over.

Look at a current photo of any street in a village,town or city and one from 40 years ago and these a lot more traffic, cars on/in the roads, plus more road furniture/signage .

[Ed Anger]

Sparta