The article lists a lot of major issues with suburbs, and I saw them all when I used to live in one.<p>Something that wasn’t really mentioned is how utterly <i>boring</i> some of the everyday life choices are.  And yet, because none of the choices necessarily <i>sucks</i>, people remain “just happy enough” and never really yearn for anything better.  I’m sure this setup is great for corporations but it is sad for human beings.  Just observe: I mean, <i>every single shopping center</i> seems to have nearly <i>exactly</i> the same chain restaurants and a Starbucks…EVERY ONE!  And if by some miracle you do find something different, it is usually a “choice” between Home Depot and Lowe’s or a “choice” between McDonald’s and Wendy’s or something.<p>Plenty of variety still exists outside of suburbs.  The problem is that for people in suburbs, it would mean driving 45 minutes to even <i>reach</i> the alternatives, much less enjoy them regularly.  And if you are averaging long drives all the time to&#x2F;from work or to do anything else, the last thing you feel like you have time for is another long drive to experiment.<p>I felt it sucking my soul.  Long drives expose you to more traffic which leads to anger, etc.  Driving wastes a <i>lot</i> of money (cars are expensive even when fuel is not high-priced).  And I found myself slowly accumulating garbage to fill a large space.  Ultimately I felt that it was a lot more sane to live smaller, in an “expensive” place closer to civilization.  While it did cost a lot more per square foot, I <i>saved</i> money after not too long and I definitely felt better.  And I have more variety now.