I live just on the edge of the city limits but in the county. The city limits is one block away but we have no bus service except a very small area downtown and around the mall which doesn't go within 8 miles of my house or my office where I work. I have almost a one acre yard. I am tired of it now because it is so much work to mow and take care of. Here we have to mow until December. Grass just keeps growing. Now that my daughter is 14 I would be perfectly happy in a townhouse (especially near her school due to the numerous school functions) but when she was younger, there was nothing as nice as the large yard for her and her friends.

>>Maybe two of these are worth riding a bike. This is completely different from what I saw back home (or in Germany, for that matter) - wherever I was, there were at least two shops within a 1km radius where I could buy at least basic food. A little supermarket, a baker, a butcher, a newsstand.
>
>Places like this exist in North America. You just have to give up the large house, and multiple cars. Within half of a km, I have:
>- movie theatre
>- 3 coffee bars
>- resturants: sushi, thai, chinese, Indian
>- large hospital (also my workplace)
>- several law offices
>- 2 small supermarkets
>- gas station
>
>This part of Vancouver is almost like living in a small village. There is only 800 sq feet for the three of us, but so far it is enough. I marvel at my friends that move to the suburbs with gigantic houses, but they end up mostly using an area about as big as our apartment.