Why Live in Such an Expensive Region?

I live in a suburb of a larger city. The city is expensive, but that’s not why we ended up moving to the ‘burbs. The reasoning is:

• Neither my partner nor I particularly appreciate living in a larger city. We both grew up in fairly small towns and find the noise, traffic, and proximity in living quarters in larger cities claustrophobic
• My partner works on commercial projects all over the region, and my commute would take far too long if I lived closer to the city, since I work farther away.
• We plan to have children one day, and neither of us can fathom having to raise our children in a condo, or not letting them walk to a friends house for fear of stranger danger and/or vehicle traffic
• Traffic. Street grunge. Air quality.

But it’s indisputable that while many city’s surrounding cities and suburbs aren’t nearly as expensive as the city itself, they are still more expensive than many of the alternatives. Here’s why we insist on living in such an area, and why, I suspect, so many others flock to expensive regions.

Culture

If you love culture, you’d love living near a larger, big city. For example, New York, Toronto, and Vancouver and the surrounding regions are truly a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. As a result, you can get some of the best and most authentic food in the country in these larger cities (which happen to be more expensive). The diversity is unbeatable and the opportunity to learn other cultures is always there.

This is the case even outside of large cities.

Weather

Many people live in cities such as Vancouver, BC because of the weather. Widely known as the best weather in Canada, Vancouver (and BC in general) can’t be beat if you want to remain Canadian – which most Canadians do.

Despite the rain in Vancouver, which many people who don’t LIVE in Vancouver use to try and prove a point that where they live is much better (lol), the weather is pretty great in the area, particularly in relation to many other parts of Canada.

Vancouver’s climate is very mild, with an average high in our coldest month (January) being 6.8 degrees Celsius (about 44 degrees F), and an average high in our warmest month (August) being 22.3 degrees (about 72 degrees F).

Vancouver itself is actually a little bit cooler in the summer than some of the surrounding cities, but with the humidity those 22.3 degrees feel a little warmer.

Recreation

Sure, it would be nice to pay less for housing and live in a different part of Canada or even BC, but Vancouver is great for recreation.

Vancouver is frequently rated as one of the best places to live in North America (and the world in general), because  of it’s outdoor space, weather, family orientation, and opportunity. Luckily, some of that trickles out to the ‘burbs and neighboring cities.

Opportunity

The opportunity in larger (and more expensive) cities makes it a desirable place to live. I moved to our current city from a much smaller city town, where both my partner and I would have had a hard time finding sustainable work. My partner was laid off several times before we moved because the companies for which he worked ran out of work. I would have graduated from school and would not have been able to find a job. If I was lucky enough to find one, I’d be stuck in it for an inordinate amount of time because there was (and is) little other opportunity.

In Toronto, for instance, while it is not as big as many cities in North America, there is a lot of opportunity. The industry here allows for a lot of jobs, and there are many cities around the Greater Toronto area in which one can find work.

I don’t work in the city, but in but a surrounding city. I know if I ever lose my job, I’ll be able to find another one.

I think these things far outweigh the cost of living near an expensive city. Plus, we are far enough outside of it that we can enjoy the city when we want to take the trip, but enjoy a lower cost of living for the most part.