Possible?: More millenials want liveable neighbourhoods, more transit, etc.

[shootingstar]

Also the cost of appartments and homes is a good bit less in the cities outside of Mecklanberg county as long as you aren't looking to buy a home on the lake, then those are also a minimum of $350,000 last I knew.

In Vancouver, BC you would get a 1 bedroom and small one --if you're lucky. It has the highest real estate in Canada. (Actually at that price, it's probably more Toronto, which means Toronto is a bit cheaper than Vancouver.)

It terms of increased value for one's home over time, it's probably better to get a place within walking distance of transit or bike/ped path to destinations anyway --even if you drive alot.

Alot of real estate agents would tell you that....if they aren't, then they haven't progressed in their way of thinking. (Sorry to be brutal, but that's my opinion of what I expect out of real estate agents...intelligent, market forecasting of community future needs. Not just out to make a quick sale.)

Certainly in Vancouver and Toronto, it's been proven if you have a home within a very short bike ride to a bike -ped. path in a greenway area, it will make your neighbourhood more valued --for many different reasons.

At work, a colleague mentioned that she personally knew someone whose children (late teens to early '20s) had never used our local transit system which does have a wide network. She and I both thought it was wierd....and ridiculous. (which means the children had been chauffered around in cars or not allowed to use transit. ) The person who told me this is herself is a single mother with 2 children in now their early 20's. Colleague's children do a blend of driving as well as taking transit at times.

Koronin, I grew up a twinned city in southern Ontario in the 1960's-1970's. Population at that time was under 80,000 for 2 cities combined. There was/still is a transit system. This city also has 2 universities and 1 college. We lived only a 10 min. walk away from local bus system. I learned to use it when I was.....14 yrs. old by myself. Yes, those were the days. But later I went university and used it for lousy weather days. I just walked 5 km. each way between home and campus when the weather was good.

So as a child, I already knew how transit fitted into my life. If children are not exposed to using any transit several times per year (even with an adult), it would be tougher (in my opinion) to get them used it and how to weave it into their schedule.

Maybe some millenials got tired of being held to someone else's driving schedule, cost of car/insurance/gas to have a car, whatever else or maybe there's less stuff to do in the suburbs as teens grow independent and get itchy feet....? Or maybe preference to spend their money on technology vs. car or ...?

[Crankin]

My oldest son could not wait until he could drive himself to the train station. I started letting him go into Cambridge by himself when he was in 9th grade (I dropped him at the train) and many parents thought I was terrible. He spent his entire high school years "walking" around Boston and Cambridge, going to stores and coffee shops with his friends. We lived in a rural town of 5,000. There was nothing to do at all. My younger son never had the desire to do this. He was too busy training for racing on our rural and suburban roads. However, now he lives close to the downtown of his city, and one block from the beach, too. You can walk to plenty of places and catch also a train, which for southern California is good.
I remember so clearly, the first time I took my kids into Boston, after we moved here from AZ. They were 5 and 7. We went to do a walking tour, which involved taking the commuter rail and the subway to the start, as we lived up near the NH border at the time. My kids were "amazed" that I knew where to go, what trains to catch and the fact that I had started doing this at age 11 (and, that my mother let me).

[lovelygamer]

My oldest son could not wait until he could drive himself to the train station. I started letting him go into Cambridge by himself when he was in 9th grade (I dropped him at the train) and many parents thought I was terrible. He spent his entire high school years "walking" around Boston and Cambridge, going to stores and coffee shops with his friends. We lived in a rural town of 5,000. There was nothing to do at all. My younger son never had the desire to do this. He was too busy training for racing on our rural and suburban roads. However, now he lives close to the downtown of his city, and one block from the beach, too. You can walk to plenty of places and catch also a train, which for southern California is good.
I remember so clearly, the first time I took my kids into Boston, after we moved here from AZ. They were 5 and 7. We went to do a walking tour, which involved taking the commuter rail and the subway to the start, as we lived up near the NH border at the time. My kids were "amazed" that I knew where to go, what trains to catch and the fact that I had started doing this at age 11 (and, that my mother let me).

Crankin, by this thread I realize you live where I am going on vacation next month. I'm hoping to go to the Walden pond one day and were staying in Cambridge across the Charles River. Our hotel rents bikes for free and I plan to use them but my other half will not. He doesn't believe in commuting by bike and/or using them for practical nature. He likes to MTB, but I'm still working on the rest. Me, though I'll ride almost anywhere and love to do so. We are not renting a car and plan to use the transit system everywhere. I think the stop closest to our hotel is Lechemere. I also read that we get to Concord taking the Fitchburg line from the North Station. I am so excited!

[Koronin]

In Vancouver, BC you would get a 1 bedroom and small one --if you're lucky. It has the highest real estate in Canada. (Actually at that price, it's probably more Toronto, which means Toronto is a bit cheaper than Vancouver.)

It terms of increased value for one's home over time, it's probably better to get a place within walking distance of transit or bike/ped path to destinations anyway --even if you drive alot.

Alot of real estate agents would tell you that....if they aren't, then they haven't progressed in their way of thinking. (Sorry to be brutal, but that's my opinion of what I expect out of real estate agents...intelligent, market forecasting of community future needs. Not just out to make a quick sale.)

Certainly in Vancouver and Toronto, it's been proven if you have a home within a very short bike ride to a bike -ped. path in a greenway area, it will make your neighbourhood more valued --for many different reasons.

At work, a colleague mentioned that she personally knew someone whose children (late teens to early '20s) had never used our local transit system which does have a wide network. She and I both thought it was wierd....and ridiculous. (which means the children had been chauffered around in cars or not allowed to use transit. ) The person who told me this is herself is a single mother with 2 children in now their early 20's. Colleague's children do a blend of driving as well as taking transit at times.

Koronin, I grew up a twinned city in southern Ontario in the 1960's-1970's. Population at that time was under 80,000 for 2 cities combined. There was/still is a transit system. This city also has 2 universities and 1 college. We lived only a 10 min. walk away from local bus system. I learned to use it when I was.....14 yrs. old by myself. Yes, those were the days. But later I went university and used it for lousy weather days. I just walked 5 km. each way between home and campus when the weather was good.

So as a child, I already knew how transit fitted into my life. If children are not exposed to using any transit several times per year (even with an adult), it would be tougher (in my opinion) to get them used it and how to weave it into their schedule.

Maybe some millenials got tired of being held to someone else's driving schedule, cost of car/insurance/gas to have a car, whatever else or maybe there's less stuff to do in the suburbs as teens grow independent and get itchy feet....? Or maybe preference to spend their money on technology vs. car or ...?

You do realize that the $350,000 is for a lake front home (that would be homes less than 500 sq ft and no where near a main channel and way back off back roads to get to it). There is NO public transportation anywhere near the lake homes. You're paying to live on the lake. If you want to be close to public transportation the stop in Huntersville has apts near by, but no single family homes (must drive to the parking lot for the bus). In Charlotte the bus stops are all near not very desirable places to live. If you want to live in a decent area of Charlotte (no apts) you'd be paying a minimum of $500,000 for a condo PLUS HOA fees. Or minimum $1,000,000 for a house and you will be no where near a bus stop or the new light rail. All those stops are in areas that are crime ridden. Hey if you want to live in neighborhoods with robberies, murders, attacks, ect on a weekly basis go ahead, but I'd rather live in a safe affordable area, which for most people who aren't doctors or lawyers or CEOs is not downtown Charlotte.

The city I grew up in had a around 50,000 people and is a bit less than that now. The city I went to college in was and still is at 100,000 and another 100,000 in the suburbs and there is no public transportation for either city. Another city I grew up about 45 minutes away from has a population of close to 300,000 and it's sister city has about 250,000 and neither one has any public transportation.
The city I now live in is 80,000 people, and as I stated has two bus routes. One goes from base housing to the mall, the other goes from a bad area of town to the mall. That is it. No other routes. The larger city an hour away does not have public transportation.

Then to be able to use public transportation you have to work while it is actually operating. Let's first pick up for Charlotte's buses is around 8am and the last drop off is around 9pm (they have to back at their hub no later than 10pm). The only place I worked in downtown Charlotte. Day shift was 7am to 3pm. Afternoon shift 3pm -11pm and night shift was 11pm til 7am. Couldn't use public transportation even if there was a stop within 5 miles, which there wasn't. The closest bus stop I saw was about 8 miles away. The other place my husband worked downtown shifts were 4am - 3pm and 3:30pm until 2:30am. Also not condusive to public transportation. For public transportation to work, IMO, you actually need a regular office job which is not something a lot of people actually have. Now for my current job even if it was available and useful it wouldn't work, but I'm also lugging around a truck full of stuff for different projects. Hence the reason for buying a small hatchback that is easier to get things in and out of it.