Gen X, does it matter

[Zoe Girl]

I saw another couple articles over the last weeks that focused on millennial and boomers, as a Gen X generation I am not sure what to think. Of course there is annoyance at times, there is a whole generation that is forgotten, but does it really matter if we are considered in all the media or public policy, or anything? If the government and powers that be are taking care of boomer needs and millennial needs then I am sure we will get our basic societal needs met. Which is the question, do we have any different needs that need to be addressed? We are all affected by taxes and public policies, and we all have different circumstances even if we have a generation in common, so it probably doesn't matter.

On a side note, I find that many in my generational age group don't really know that we are Gen X but also don't really care.

[catherine]

I feel that Gen X was the transitional generation between the landlines and cell phone cultures. They have some of their parent's values, but just started breaking away. Millennials are like a whole different animal. Their lives are much different than my life was as a Baby Boomer. ZG, you may remember when there were no cell phones, or twitter or Facebook, but the new technology is a part of the Millennial DNA. They know nothing else.

You were an adult when the recession hit: the Millennials may have seen their families lose their McMansions.

My kids were born between 1978 and 1985 so they bridge Gen X and Gen Y.

So Gen X is kind of sandwiched in-between two ways of life that are vastly different. That's why you guys don't get as much attention. In terms of needs, I think you guys appreciate the responsibility of work and family, but you're more likely to take advantage of resources to get it all done. My generation was "Bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan" and my younger kids are like: We don't even want responsibility at all.

My DIL sent me an article this weekend that 65% of Millennials typically have buyers remorse after they buy a house because they didn't realize that you have to pay for your own maintenance. Duh. But that's a good example of a generation that wants life with no strings attached.

[Teacher Terry]

None of my kids are having kids or buying homes. They don’t want to be bothered and they are between ages 39-45.

[Simplemind]

My son is a millennial. Although he is very responsible to the responsibilities he has, he doesn't want very many. Never wants to own a home, never wants animals (but loves to visit the family dog he left behind, dog and house sits) and NEVER wants kids. My husbands kids are in their mid-30's and they want no animals or children but do enjoy home ownership. All are looking to make money now, play and retire early.

[KayLR]

Maybe if you wait long enough you'll get blamed for everything that's wrong in the world like the Boomers are currently. Maybe by the children of the Millennials. I tell people to blame the Silents---they're the ones who had so many danged kids.

[sweetana3]

Many women, not all certainly, had kids because that happens when you have sex. In today's world, it is within each woman's power to control whether she had kids. Maybe more will be wanted instead of resented.

With the price of housing such a multiple of a reasonable salary and what was seen in the 2008 crash, I can certainly see why home ownership has lost its bloom. It also ties the young down to a physical location and makes moving for a job so much more difficult.

With the costs many kids have, certainly not all, with student loans, car payments and the necessary phone and data plans, there is just less money in their pockets.

[Chicken lady]

My two young millennials are married homeowners. They are planning to wait longer than we did to have kids. My youngest is genz.

[Teacher Terry]

My kids spend their money on travel versus things. They are much better traveled than us.

[Zoe Girl]

My kids are the millennials who are basically making it but not very easily. There is not a choice between homes and travel because they can't afford either of them, but they are very good responsible people. 2 of them manage others, which is not easy. I feel like some of the things we went through, and my own personality, helped them become good people for working with others.

I don't want to blame any generation for everything! My parents are the younger silent generation and then my siblings and I are Gen X so we are all left out the media focus. I do recall being called slackers and irresponsible before the millennials. Gen X is the first generation to not do as well as their parents. We also have overall shown to be good parents, more open to changing male/female roles, and interested in a work-life balance. However even that is suspect, by what standards, over what period of time, in what countries/cultures? It all raises more questions rather than answering things.

The one thing I have noticed, and it has come up a couple times in the last year, is that on an interpersonal level there is sometimes an assumption that we are all really boomers or that we know the culture or we at least all value the culture. When I was talking to someone about the sexual misconduct blow up in my buddhist world she mentioned that since 'we' had free love it was bound to happen. The teacher responsible for sexual misconduct and I are in the same generation so we came of age with Aids, not freedom. That is a huge difference in how we experience relationships and sex. My son also had a customer get really frustrated with him (he runs the meat/seafood counter and has regular customers) because he didn't know some classic music that every boomer would likely know. The customer was frustrated and assumed that at least his parents listened to this music. My son answered he was raised with Clash and Metalicca, not Simon and Garfunkel. It just took a lot in both cases to explain that we had different experiences. I have had that too in religious ways, I was raised Christian but honestly don't try to remember it. All the unconscious references I hear are interesting, but I don't relate to them.

I tend to get frustrated with assumptions and want to poke holes in them, play the counter opinion. That means I don't want to make assumptions about a group as large as the boomers. I find the people in that age range are wonderfully diverse. Also the assumptions tend towards white, working or middle class, heterosexual, American born, etc.

[rosarugosa]

"I don't want to make assumptions about a group as large as the boomers. I find the people in that age range are wonderfully diverse."
I think you make a great point here, Zoe Girl. I worked in a dept of over 40 people. The managers were Gen X and almost all of the employees were millennials. I had a unique team in that environment that was made up of 2 boomers, 2 gen xers, 2 millennials and 2 gen zers (my HS interns). I found the generalizations based on generational group to be more of a fun parlor game than anything else (like what's your zodiac sign). I did of course see valid differences between older and younger workers, but that's not quite the same thing.

[Zoe Girl]

Yes rosa, there are some larger factors of course but most people are unique. I just recall being very upset about being called slackers and told we were ruining the american dream when our incomes were significantly lower than the boomer generation. Other than that it it is largely personal differences, and a willingness to listen to others experiences.

[catherine]

Yes rosa, there are some larger factors of course but most people are unique.

My interpretation of your post is that you almost feel left out because your generation isn't discussed to the degree that Boomers and Millennials are. I think it's valid to make broad cultural distinctions among various demographic groups, based on the shared experiences of each of them. If I had grown up during the Great Depression, I would probably behave and think differently than I do now.

It's not to deny the fact that people are unique--of course that's true, but I think certain assumptions can be made about large groups based different cultural norms, attitudes and experiences. Otherwise, why even study sociology or anthropology?

For the record, I don't particularly get offended if anyone calls my generation the generation that ruined the climate or the free love generation. Why would I take that personally? But if the shoe fits...

[Zoe Girl]

Left out, yes. There is SO MUCH media it seems about the boomer and millennial generations. I don't even watch news or TV or get magazines and I think it is a lot. It is working out to about once a week I hear a generational reference of some type (I am editing my facebook preferences but I go on as an admin for several groups). I hear a reference to Gen X a few times a year. To be honest I hear nothing about my parent's generation (silent).

I think one actual issue I have is that the western buddhist teachers are overwhelmingly boomers. There is a big push now for diversity in training new teachers and I have a feeling it will affect those younger than me. The big Gen X Buddhist line was just decimated by sexual misconduct, a line I felt connected to because it was much more my culture. So there is a resounding sense of loss there that may be affecting this as well.

[iris lilies]

What if the millennials arent interested in buddhism?

They arent interested in ornamental gardening, thats for sure. But those in my neck of the woods do seem to like the ideas of organic/grow your own food/ natural eating and etc yet they cannot seem to master the principles of our trash system which includes single stream recycling, this latter being an earth-friendly life skill.

[Zoe Girl]

Hmm, maybe they won't be? That is a point.

The left out feeling is a big one, I have had it come up in several personal ways the last 2 years. The media focus on generations is just getting to me for that reason I am sure,

IL When we have earth week at our program i like to do a recycle relay game. We give the kids a bag of trash for their team and then run to the bins, put it in the correct bin and run back to tag the next person. I use fake fruits and veggies for the compost bin, not sure having them do this with a real banana peel would be a good idea. My last school had trash, recycle and compost with large signs explaining it all. Still it does seem a mystery to many people.

[Tammy]

I think feeling left out might be more a personality factor unique to you, tather than a factor related to gen x. I remember reading and hearing a lot about gen x back in the 90s. That was when they were entering the workforce and “messing things up”, like the millennials are now.

[catherine]

Hmm, maybe they won't be? That is a point.

The left out feeling is a big one, I have had it come up in several personal ways the last 2 years. The media focus on generations is just getting to me for that reason I am sure,


Why would you care? What will you get out of a media barrage of stories on Gen X?

[ToomuchStuff]

I think feeling left out might be more a personality factor unique to you, tather than a factor related to gen x. I remember reading and hearing a lot about gen x back in the 90s. That was when they were entering the workforce and “messing things up”, like the millennials are now.

+1
But may be a bit of a factor.
I understand the feeling left out thing, in multiple ways. I also knew it would happen. Most in their 20's connect to more people and as they age/get families, etc., people tend to move, get jobs, etc. etc. etc. You don't spend as much time as you once did, to feel connected. I/we are at a stage now, where friends are grandparents, and some are late parents. My old social group has been dissolved for years, because they are all over the country and I don't Facebook, etc. The older generations I have been friends with, have been dying off. So there is that.

On the other hand, I could be in a room full of 100's of people I know all of them, and feel alone.

Talked to a gal I've known for years yesterday (pretty sure she qualifies as a millennial) and while part of her doesn't fit the stereotype, another part of her, I think would. We were talking about a type of restaurant and she was shocked I hadn't eaten/tried quite a number of them. In my days, we didn't eat out as often, and that habit has caused me to tend to not try new ones. The idea that as kids, we generally got to go swimming once a year, didn't go out as much, etc. left her saying I've lived a "sheltered life".

[ToomuchStuff]

Why would you care? What will you get out of a media barrage of stories on Gen X?

A sense of relevance?

[JaneV2.0]

The only relevance generations have for me is the irritation I feel when all boomers are lumped together and blamed for this or that, but that doesn't happen enough in my life to be worth my time.

What generation is it that doesn't like going out to eat? My Korean-conflict era SO (not sure which generation that is) and I went at every available opportunity, and enjoyed a wide variety of cuisines. My parents' generation didn't--probably because there weren't more than a couple of ethnic restaurants to make it worthwhile. You can make good food at home, otherwise.

As far as I can tell, the Greatest Generation was the last one that lived well--on one income--without a lot of insecurities, and that varied. too.

[Teacher Terry]

You have to make a effort to keep your social life alive. Yes people do move away but why not make new friends? Our social life beyond family is important to us. Also now that we have more time we have reconnected with old friends that live all over the country and have been having get togethers every 2 years and it’s been so fun.

[catherine]

What generation is it that doesn't like going out to eat? My Korean-conflict era SO (not sure which generation that is) and I went at every available opportunity, and enjoyed a wide variety of cuisines. My parents' generation didn't--probably because there weren't more than a couple of ethnic restaurants to make it worthwhile. You can make good food at home, otherwise.

As far as I can tell, the Greatest Generation was the last one that lived well--on one income--without a lot of insecurities, and that varied. too.

Maybe they lived well because they didn't go out to eat as much, which would have saved a lot of money. I know my family never went out to eat. In fact, now that you mention it, I can't remember one time as a child going out to a restaurant with my family, except for the Thanksgiving when both my mother and father were in the hospital and my great-aunt and grandmother took us out to eat. And maybe when my brother went off to seminary his freshman year of high school (didn't last).

We can thank our long-suffering mothers for that. As you (and Paul Newman, in another context) said: why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home? And you are right about the dearth of choices of cuisine, at least in my case, pizza was about as ethnic as we got.

Also, as you said, the economy was geared toward the SAHM. And houses were much smaller then--no McMansions to support. I also recall less pressure to succeed, and far fewer distractions.

The insecurities you mention were probably felt by those SAHMs who were not natural domestic engineers. For women, that era was as if all men had to be doctors, or plumbers, not realizing that some simply don't have that skill set, yet you are forced to compete with all the others who do.

[Teacher Terry]

Houses were small, ate at home and vacations were renting a cabin for a week at a lake. We didn’t eat out until I the youngest was 12 and it was Friday night fish fry at a local bar because my mom was working full time and tired.

[catherine]

Houses were small, ate at home and vacations were renting a cabin for a week at a lake. We didn’t eat out until I the youngest was 12 and it was Friday night fish fry at a local bar because my mom was working full time and tired.

Yes, that's what I remember. (minus the fish fry at the bar... with alcoholic/recovering alcoholic parents that wasn't possible. But we did have pizza! My mother used to call it ah-beetz'. Maybe that was a 50s Connecticut thing).

[iris lilies]

I grew up in a two income middle class household and I do remember going out to eat but we didn’t go often. There was the “nice “Italian restaurant we went to probably four times a year. There was a dive kind of chicken place we went to two times a year, and my dad brought home sausage sandwiches about four times a year.

Then, once McDonald’s established itself we ate there regularly but not often.

DH lived in a very small town and his mom was a great cook and they had a bunch of kids so I don’t think they went out to eat very often. She made pizza long before the average American made pizza because she was from Europe and pizza was not that foreign of a food.

[JaneV2.0]

Houses weren't particularly small--in my family, anyway--but they were cheap--about twice income, in our case. I bought a condo, much smaller than my parents' house, for about the same ratio. Now, houses here can be ten times or more annual income, given a 50K salary. And of course, school, health care, insurance costs, etc. have skyrocketed.

[Zoe Girl]

I talked to my friend in LA who is a couple years older. She has 4 grown kids and I have 3 and we are both in the Buddhist world. It was really good to have that connection time, made all the left out stuff feel better. We are both struggling with finding community, buddhism is not as big to have that as other cultures/religions. Hey when we get bigger I bet we are more likely to get bombed however.

I think there is a cultural shorthand that feels connecting. Reading this conversation I can see that people are excited to share things that are similar, like the fish fry. I just stopped pretending I understood the cultural significance of the 60's, the Vietnam war, or anything else. I don't. I don't expect people outside my age group to understand how big the Berlin Wall was, or grungy authentic music, or how epic it was that Rage Against the Machine shut down Wall Street with music.

Oh on out to eat, we grew up not going out that often, I think my mom was thrilled when that started to change. Then I went to college in Boulder and I could eat so many places! It was so wonderful I never looked back. Being a vegetarian in a family of omnivores was hard, and I was thin. My kids don't eat at fast food (another way millennials ruin everything) but when they eat out it is good and different. The last time I took them out was for Native American food. Around Easter we go for Indian food buffet.

I just was checking on a meditation group on FB and saw the Millennials are ruining things by not using top sheets!! I haven't used one in years but when my mom would visit she would put one on for me, and then I would take it off. It bothers her a lot, like brushing your teeth at the kitchen sink ( a brilliant way to monitor that your kids are actually brushing)

[catherine]

Houses weren't particularly small--in my family, anyway

Here's my childhood home. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/45-Crescent-Dr-Milford-CT-06460/58918973_zpid/

I am surprised it's 1800 sq ft. It was a very typical post-War Cape Cod, but it did have 2 small bedrooms downstairs and 2 small bedrooms upstairs under the roof. There were 6 in the family. I think the difference between homes in the 50s and homes in the 70s is that in the 50s people had more kids, so at least 3-4 bedrooms, but there were NO "family rooms" or "bonus rooms" or dens. You slept, you ate in a small kitchen, you watched TV in a small living room and that was it.

[Zoe Girl]

people houses were smaller, but I am not sure when we are talking about. Here is the home I spent 8 years growing up in


https://www.google.com/maps/place/5262+Whippoorwill+Dr,+Kalamazoo,+MI+49009/@42.1977331,-85.6532753,3a,75y,18.88h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7bXSsMFtdYlntokPpNWlhA!2e0!6s% 2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D7bXSsMFtdYlnt okPpNWlhA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearc h.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D86%26h%3D86%26yaw% 3D18.884632%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8 i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x8817745751d244fb:0x80b648cdef613 6c9!8m2!3d42.1980296!4d-85.6531406

[Teacher Terry]

Our cape cod style house was 1200 sq ft with 5 people. 3 bedrooms and my sister and I shared a room despite being 9 years apart. We had one car.

[JaneV2.0]

It's fun seeing people's houses. This is mine:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3142-NE-22nd-Ave-Portland-OR-97212/53885812_zpid/


I don't know about all that random foliage. We just had a camellia bush, some roses, a purple clematis, and a giant cherry tree.

[catherine]

It's fun seeing people's houses. This is mine:

This IS fun, seeing people's childhood homes. Maybe this should be a different thread.

ZG, I assume your house was built in the 70s, and even though my current NJ home is a very typical 70s home, I really don't like the layouts. However, I do LOVE the property in the picture. Lots of trees.

Jane, your home looks hard to identify from a period POV. But to your point earlier, it is big, for the time period you probably grew up in.

[JaneV2.0]

...
Jane, your home looks hard to identify from a period POV. But to your point earlier, it is big, for the time period you probably grew up in.

It never seemed big. My grandparents' house was much bigger--but they had five kids and some live-in help. Most of the houses in our neighborhood were good-sized. It was a largely Catholic neighborhood--a family across the way had 17 children!

[catherine]

It never seemed big. My grandparents' house was much bigger--but they had five kids and some live-in help. Most of the houses in our neighborhood were good-sized. It was a largely Catholic neighborhood--a family across the way had 17 children!

I think I've told this story before about my best friend who was 5th born out of 9 total children. Their house was almost a story book house--but very small. A very small kitchen, good sized dining room average living room, and 3 bedrooms. As the number of children expanded, my friend's dad would build walls in the bedrooms to accommodate the growing family. There were 3 girls in one bedroom, 3 girls in another (1 twin bed, one set of bunkbeds), and then another carved-out room out room for the boys. The baby was in a crib in the parents' room.

But they were my dream family. They were so cool. We would set up paper doll neighborhoods across the living floor. There were always pies baking. the basement was reserved for sleep-overs. My friend's mother traded me an outfit that she made by hand for a drawn template of their family tree for her to embroider (that was during my artistic period). And they were so organized!! Nothing ever out of place. With nine kids in this very average home, you would imagine chaos, but it was anything but.

[JaneV2.0]

My SO was the fifth of nine, also in a very small house. It can be done. And I imagine organization is key.
Big families can be a lot of fun.

[flowerseverywhere]

Wow, you guys lived in mansions next to the 800 sq. Foot two bedroom seven of us lived in. Most kids slept in an unfinished attic space. With a small window at each end it was really hot in the summer. Who knew?

i really hate generalizations about generations. Each era has it’s doctors and alcoholics, engineers and layabouts, teachers and drug dealers, rich and poor, generous and stingy, good and bad.

[Zoe Girl]

Well i dont have much to say, our house in Oakland CA was small like you are talking about. The Michigan home was 4 bedrooms, a family room and eat in kitchen, plus a formal living room and formal dining room. We also had a full unfinished basement. One of the cool features was a dedicated office for my dad, with a separate telephone line. It was even a red phone. My dad worked at home when he didn't travel.

I back we had way more trees than in front, a series of small ponds ran through the neighborhood. We had a canoe for the summer and ice skated on it during the winter.my dad built a free standing fort nestled in the trees and we also had room for a half court basketball area.

[iris lilies]

As an adult I live in smaller houses than those I grew up in. I remember my parents slaving away in the service of the Victorian house, removing wallpaper. painting. Refinishing the floors. New roof—No vacation for us that year. And etc. But yet I still dont want a new house, I like the pre-war stuff.

1st image: my childhood house from ages 5 to 11 in a very small town. It had a giant lot, maybe 3/4 acre. It dates from 1910, has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms for our family of 4 people. I keep an eye on it and at the moment it seems to have a loving owner. It went through a rough patch. Some fool filled in the front porch, not a good move for the aesthetics BUT those upstairs bedrooms that hung over the porch were cold!

2689


2nd image: a different small town, I lived here ages 11 to 19. Great old Victorian house of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. It has been going downhill for the past 45 years with the same owner my family sold it to. Owner is college professor and his wife, now ancient. He started painting the front 15 years ago and quit in middle of trim line. I can only imagine what the inside looks like. :(

2690

[iris lilies]

This IS fun, seeing people's childhood homes. Maybe this should be a different thread.

ZG, I assume your house was built in the 70s, and even though my current NJ home is a very typical 70s home, I really don't like the layouts. However, I do LOVE the property in the picture. Lots of trees.

Jane, your home looks hard to identify from a period POV. But to your point earlier, it is big, for the time period you probably grew up in.

I would say Jane’s house is an Arts and Crafts influenced house circa 1915.

[JaneV2.0]

I would say Jane’s house is an Arts and Crafts influenced house circa 1915.

I was going to say "kinda Craftsman-like." I think you've got it. There were quite a few craftsman-like houses in the area, but also a wide variety of styles. They just don't make many neighborhoods like that any more--which partially explains the eye-popping prices houses are going for.

[iris lilies]

I was going to say "kinda Craftsman-like." I think you've got it. There were quite a few craftsman-like houses in the area, but also a wide variety of styles. They just don't make many neighborhoods like that any more--which partially explains the eye-popping prices houses are going for.
Portland is nice but silly-high prices. I am always surprised to see old houses in Portland, I think of Oregon as The Land of Ranchettes.

To be more specific, I think your house has a lot of Prairie Style going on there.

[catherine]

Wow, you know your houses, IL! BTW, I LOVE the first house with the high-pitched roof--it gives a storybook cottage quality to it. Our house in VT has almost a flat roof, which I hate. I'd like to change that at some point

BTW... I think we've definitely hijacked ZGs OP. :)

[Teacher Terry]

The house in Wisconsin that we raised the kids in was 3 stories plus a basement and built in 1920. We slowly remodeled the whole house. I stripped all the paint off the woodwork and doors downstairs. When I go home I drive by the house and it was bad for awhile but looks great again.

[JaneV2.0]

Portland is nice but silly-high prices. I am always surprised to see old houses in Portland, I think of Oregon as The Land of Ranchettes.

To be more specific, I think your house has a lot of Prairie Style going on there.

Inner Portland has lots of lovely old houses; the ranchettes are in the suburbs. There were some Rummers--mid-century modern houses--in Beaverton that I used to drool over regularly. https://modernhomesportland.com/project/rummer-homes/

[Gardnr]

Portland is nice but silly-high prices. .

Oh yes. My sister paid $435k for 1100 sf back in 2014:0! and $400 HOA......

[pinkytoe]

Folks in my boomer demographic often cite millennials as being spoiled. Broad generalization but some truth in it as few hardships were endured. I always say though "boomers raised them."

[Zoe Girl]

Yes Catherine, I am thoroughly enjoying the hijack, although I still want to know opinions on millennials ruining the world by not using top sheets.


Folks in my boomer demographic often cite millennials as being spoiled. Broad generalization but some truth in it as few hardships were endured. I always say though "boomers raised them."

I raised millennials and I am a Gen X, didn't have them at 16 either. Most of the millennials I know are not spoiled, then again I don't know many who are going to college or getting great jobs or traveling.

[Simplemind]

Uh ZG…. We are Boomers with no top sheets. It must be the end of days.

[Zoe Girl]

Uh ZG…. We are Boomers with no top sheets. It must be the end of days.


Oh dear, the generational divide has been broken! Honestly though my mom (she is 76) would visit and want to wash my bedding and make my bed. I wasn't going to argue. However she could NOT make the bed without a top sheet. I told her that I wash the duvet cover often but that was not enough. So I gave her the top sheet, she made the bed and was happy, then when I went to bed I took it off.

[Teacher Terry]

I couldn’t care less if my kids use top sheets or not. I only care about what’s on my bed.

[pinkytoe]

Another thing I wonder about concerning various generations is who is buying all these brand new oversized houses out in sprawl land, any city USA. Media would have us believe that younger folk are drowning in college debt and actually prefer smaller digs. I would love to find an affordable new smaller house (1200-1500sf) but they don't seem to exist in abundance except in retirement neighborhoods (which doesn't appeal to me just yet). I know of a couple in their late 50s who just bought a new 5BR, 4 bath house way way out. She says they want a big house so their kids/grandkids will visit and stay often. I am thinking it must be dual income couples with kids in their 40s for the most part who are driving great distances to work in most cases. Old paradigms are so slow in changing. I keep hoping a younger generation will be smarter about a lot of things...

[JaneV2.0]

I wish builders would come up with a variety of styles of housing instead of the same old stuff. I'd like a smallish, single-story house in a somewhat planned/cohesive neighborhood. I don't know anyone who wants a far-away McMansion.

[Teacher Terry]

Our neighborhood is right in town and the homes were built in the 50’s and range from 800 sq fr-1500. There is a mix of ages. Some friends of ours that were 64 bought a new house that’s 3k sq ft and they don’t have kids. It’s out a ways. There old house was 1700. They used a inheritance and 7 years later are still working full time.

[Tammy]

We were able to find a smaller house built in about 1930 in one of the very first suburbs of Phoenix. So it’s 1.5 miles to the heart of downtown - not in sprawl land. It took a few years of keeping our eyes open to find this. 810 sq ft, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, about $150,000, ready to live in.

This was perfect for our child free older years. Kids can either stay in the spare room or we get them a hotel - depending on how many are visiting.

We also have a shaded outdoor patio that’s almost as big as the inside of the house. Other than the 4 hottest months, we do a lot of our living outdoors anyway, so why buy a huge house.

[Gardnr]

Our 'hood is mixed age: young couples with babies, us in our 50s (no kids or grown kids) and retirees. Our home is 1850sf single level. The hood ranges from 2600 down to 1100. We've been here since 1991 and we're not leaving voluntarily.

Downtown is 6 miles and that's where my preferred grocery store is located. The most expensive in town is just 2 miles....but I have to be desperate. We're 5min walk to the river that runs through town...great walking/biking path for 20 miles west and 10 miles east. Lots of bald eagles and blue heron live along it's banks-the fishing for them is great!

what's not to love!:cool:

[iris lilies]

Uh ZG…. We are Boomers with no top sheets. It must be the end of days.
It is European. They have bottom sheets and duvets.