Vancouver: A Close Second

Okay. You can't watch that video and say that Vancouver doesn't look beautiful. Of my international dream cities, this is the top of my list. It has been voted, repeatedly, one of the best cities to live in in the world. And is at the number one spot on the North American list of cities. During the Twentieth Century, the mayor of Vancouver proposed making downtown Vancouver very densely populated - which makes downtown look like New York City, but in reality, Vancouver only has about 700,000 people (compared to New York's 8 million).

The worldwide-accredited University of British Columbia houses its larger of two campuses in Vancouver. The campus is huge. Imagine walking from the Fine Arts Building to the CIE. Multiply that by three or four, and you get the shortest walking distance from one end of campus to the other. UBC campus also has several beaches, and even a great view of downtown.

Vancouver is surrounded by the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Making the city seem urban, yet natural, which is a very respectable trait in a city.

If I see my brother in Seattle this summer, I'll definitely do some begging to see Vancouver, which would be a great experience for me. And I'll also be applying to UBC whenever I do start applying for colleges.

Maryville Saved My Life (And That's Not Sarcasm)

I noticed that I do a lot of complaining about Maryville. I mean, there's a lot to complain about, but we do have it a lot better than others do.

I grew up in this town called Barnard, about fifteen minutes south of Maryville. It was a good place to grow up; there was no crime, you couldn't get lost, and most of the people were friendly. But as a kid, you lack cultural exposure. We had one African American student in the entire elementary school. Most of my classmates (there were about fifteen of them) were raised very conservatively, and that's just how things were. Anyone who had a conflicting viewpoint (namely myself) was often tormented.

I moved to Maryville when I was in seventh grade. I had gone previously during my second grade year, but hated it and moved back to Barnard. I really liked it. I made friends quickly, I felt as if I blended in, but not enough to get one-on-one attention from teachers, and I just felt like I didn't have to try to fit in to a group of people. I was myself and found friends that appreciated that.

By the end of my seventh grade year, however, my mother passed away. I begged my dad to let me continue going to school in Maryville, and he did the most awesome thing anyone could have ever done for me. I lived with my aunt and uncle for a semester of eighth grade, and then my dad bought a house in Maryville that I could live in so I could attend MHS without paying tuition.

I now attend the Missouri Academy, and I feel that I would not be here if I went back to my hometown. Why? I would value education much less. An agricultural class is required to graduate from there. That's not my cup o' tea. Also, Maryville's curriculum (as awful as it seems now) really helped me understand the concepts of math and science. And if it weren't for Maryville, I would lack the friends I'm literally never going to forget.

So, as I rant about how terrible of a school Maryville High is, I want you to know that it helped me be who I am today. And I'm very proud, at times, to be a former Spoofhound.

The picture is the last day of the summer when all of my friends and I were able to get together. We call ourselves the Soccer Field Society - we hang out at the soccer fields almost constantly during the summer. It's the best.

The Benefits/Disadvantages of Urban Living

In Maryville, we have a low crime rate and short commute times. The air is very clean, and the people greet you on every corner. These may sound like things you could never find in a large, urban area, right?

Not always. Lately, cities have been revitalizing their centers to move in a more middle-class population that could, "participate in the local economy, urban planning, businesses, and schools." With more middle class citizens in what was once a crime-ridden, smoggy, urban center, the revitalization of the inner-city is inevitable.

"The benefits of America’s re-embracing truly urban living can be: better mass transit systems, better educational districts, and more successful law enforcement agencies funded by a deeper tax base. And communities can become stronger, more productive, and more caring through the physical closeness of shared spaces.The benefits of America’s re-embracing truly urban living can be: better mass transit systems, better educational districts, and more successful law enforcement agencies funded by a deeper tax base. And communities can become stronger, more productive, and more caring through the physical closeness of shared spaces.The benefits of America’s re-embracing truly urban living can be: better mass transit systems, better educational districts, and more successful law enforcement agencies funded by a deeper tax base. And communities can become stronger, more productive, and more caring through the physical closeness of shared spaces."

Read more at Suite101: U.S. Is Revitalizing Urban Living: City Living Offers Luxury and Convenience Along With Green Benefits http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/us_is_revitalizing_urban_living#ixzz0dYrkwRVH

See? I didn't even have to mention the disadvantages because they can all be fixed - over time, but quite easily.

Narrative - Why I'm Interested in Cities

It all started when I was about four or five years old. My parents were doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, and decided to go to Crowne Plaza in Kansas City. We cut right through the center of downtown to get there, and I was fascinated. Being from a town with less than 500 people, I didn't really see these everyday.

Before second semester started this year, I went to visit my sister in Houston. She really dislikes the fact that she's living in Texas (they have ridiculous laws and people drive huge trucks all over the place), but she loves the fact that she lives in the fourth largest city in the US. We talked about how nice it was to say to yourself, "I need some new clothes," or, "I need to get a few books," and get in your car and drive five minutes. Keep in mind, Maryville has no Borders or Barnes and Noble, and the only places to shop for clothes are Wal Mart and JC Penny (And Maurices if you're of the female persuasion).

To be honest, cities are not my highest interest. I really enjoy discussing and researching political theories (I'm apparently a radical liberal, according to several quizzes - not that I disagree). But politics become so controversial. I don't always become happy while thinking politics; there's a whole range of emotions when it comes to the current Congress of the US. But cities have always been at the top of my daydream list. Besides, I would get tired of politics if I did an entire blog on it.

Whether or not one believes that city living beats rural living, we can all come to the same conclusion - finding the resources that we need the most would be extremely difficult without cities. Jobs would be scarce, and there would be a lower demand for farm and industrial products. Believe it or not, but urban living exposes us to many new ideas and cultures - the things that we rarely get to see in a rural setting.

Seattle on My Mind

Seattle, Washington is on the top of my list of US cities I dream of living in. Its population is around 650,000, and in a 2-mile radius, you can find 100+ Starbucks. Seattle is the birthplace of grunge music (Nirvana, for example). People may recognize or affiliate Seattle with the Space Needle, which lies just north of Downtown. The metropolitan area covers Lake Washington and Lake Union in the middle and is bordered by the Pudget Sound to the west.

Seattle offers many employment and educational opportunities. Washington Mutual Bank (before its closure) was headquartered in Seattle, along with Starbucks Coffee. Microsoft Corporation has recently opened new facilities in the area, as well. The University of Washington's main branch is located in Seattle. This is particularly important to me, for I would love to attend that school.

I took this photo on my last trip to visit my brother (who lives in Olympia, about an hour away). We go to Seattle every time we're in the area.

Background Information

This blog is an assignment for my Composition 112 class. We were instructed to start blogs on something we're interested in. I find myself heavily interested in politics, but since I'm dedicating a few years of education to that later on, I find that another interest of mine will be best suited for this.

I chose something about living in urban areas. I find that, since I've lived in a rural area for the majority of my life, I can safely say that urban areas pose more opportunities. For instance, I attended Maryville High School (~450 students). The music program was severely underfunded, as well as the science department. I hear about schools in suburban Kansas City, and sometimes inner-city schools, that have huge auditoriums for their multiple school plays and musicals per year. Maryville has one play per year, and one musical every other year.

With time, I will find more information regarding this topic. But I would also like to discuss in the duration of the semester a few choice cities with top-notch public services. Every week, I'll pick one or two cities and post information on them.

I'm glad I have this all planned out...