My Suburban to Urban Evolution

Earlier this week, I sold the 1997 Dodge Ram gas guzzler that I had been driving for the last 9 years.  The transaction left me with a strange realization that I had reached another of those transitional points in my life.

I’m talking about one of those points when you come to terms with the fact that things are going to be just a little different from this day forward.  Sometimes these new chapters result in changes for the worse, such as when a friend or family member passes away or when someone unexpectedly loses their job.  This seems to feel like a step in the right direction.

My family is in a fortunate position in that we live in a place that allows us options such as walking, bicycling or public transportation when we leave our home.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, this was a conscious decision on our part that probably isn’t the same choice that many families of 5 would have gone with…yet. 

When I mentioned my theories of new urbanism and the potential for “ suburban blight” to a close friend this past weekend, he discounted them as unrealistic citing the unlikely chance of other families to give up their suburban lifestyles for downtown living in that it lacks cost effectiveness and practicality.  With gasoline averaging over $4/gallon across most of the nation and an average commute time to work of 24.3 minutes (~100 hrs / year) for most Americans, I beg to differ on the subject of practicality.

In terms of what I plan to do with the cash I earned with the sale of my truck, here is my plan: $1000 of it went toward 2 new Trek bicycles for my wife and I from the Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium.  I typically don’t have any reason to head that far north of downtown, but my friends Brian and Jackie own the place, so buying anywhere else just wouldn’t seem right.  Incase you’re wondering, I went with the Trek Soho S and I’m totally stoked about it.  Unfortunately it is on back order so I haven’t been able to bring it home or ride it yet.  I’ll be sure to post a review once I’ve had a chance to ride it.

$3000 of it is sitting in the bank right now, just incase we happen to need a replacement vehicle sometime soon.  We are currently a 1 car household.The rest went toward gas for my wife’s car (ironically) and a few hours out on the town on Wednesday night including a stop off at the Hyde Park Live Music series event, which we coincidentally used public transportation to get to then walked home from there.