Suburbs vs Cities Debate

Commenters argue over whether described experiences or characteristics apply to suburbs, cities, small towns, or Silicon Valley specifically, challenging generalizations about suburban life versus urban areas.

📉 Falling 0.3x Politics & Society
3,601
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#7251
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
5
2008
21
2009
31
2010
52
2011
51
2012
74
2013
143
2014
114
2015
174
2016
242
2017
304
2018
289
2019
318
2020
271
2021
308
2022
336
2023
407
2024
244
2025
213
2026
4

Keywords

UC OR US LA HN HQ DC LANL NOVA MD city suburbs cities suburban suburb detroit downtown town areas portland

Sample Comments

nullc Aug 11, 2022 View on HN

More of a property of suburbia than silicon valley.

azinman2 Mar 19, 2024 View on HN

Sounds more like a town/city than a suburb to me.

pavel_lishin Oct 28, 2025 View on HN

That doesn't sound like the city I lived in to me, that sounds like my suburban neighborhood.

protonfish Jul 29, 2014 View on HN

I am not sure that the suburbs you are talking about are the same suburbs everyone else is talking about.

simonebrunozzi Sep 7, 2019 View on HN

Suburbs of a big city != small city

tptacek Sep 17, 2013 View on HN

What neighborhoods? Surely, not the whole city.

stretchwithme Jun 26, 2012 View on HN

maybe its more like suburbia than a ghost town.

flyingfences Mar 8, 2022 View on HN

Your "the suburbs" dismisses most small cities and large towns in the US.

axiom92 Apr 5, 2020 View on HN

Sounds like you were in the city (SF). The suburbs are much better!

missingrib Jun 26, 2022 View on HN

I'm not sure you're accurately describing a suburb.