My husband and I moved to Minneapolis from New York City, and we still wanted to live in the city. We rented an apartment in a hip urban center. We were still in the middle of the action and we were able to walk to nearby restaurants, stores, etc. We were on a main bus line and were spoiled by the contemporary neighborhood. After we got married we wanted to move to a house. In order to afford a nice home, we moved into the nearest suburb to Minneapolis. Our new home was one digit difference in the zip code and only 10 minutes away from our apartment. While we could still walk to a small shopping area, we had definitely moved into the suburbs. We gave up our life in suburbia but at the same time we gained a yard, a neighborhood and neighbors. The bus line was near our new home, but was not as convenient. Plus, the travel time to work was much longer and we began to rely on cars for transportation. As our family grew, it was time to move again. We bought our current home in the next suburb over – still 10 minutes away from downtown Minneapolis. Our new home has a lovely, large yard and kind, devoted neighbors. The bus line is closer to our home and there are many commuters in our neighborhood. Our home happens to be in a good school district. Some families in the neighborhood selected to live here because of the school system. However, there are many families in our neighborhood that have selected to send their children to private schools or have open enrolled in other school districts. This year our city’s existing school funding referendum came to a close and we had to vote on whether to continue providing tax dollars for school funding. The new referendum voted by a landslide even though this will mean an increase in our taxes.
When I was younger my parents moved into the suburbs in search of not only more space, but also better schools. We had lived in downtown before, in a relatively poor neighborhood, and our public school was lacking in resources. My parents were doing well and so could afford to move in search of better education, something I will forever be grateful for. However, a good education is a right and should not be dependent on geography.
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Author: The Storytellers
Here you will find a compilation of stories about house privilege and house marginalization told by everyone. The people sharing these stories are your friends, your family, your neighbors and your acquaintances. The next could be you.