.everest.street.

Another paper for my Urban Planning class. Topic: your ideal place...

Tokyo, Paris, London, New York…some of the famous places on Earth and where one might find some dream neighborhoods to make a living, build a home, and perhaps stay forever. However, mine are different for they are all either in a book or in a movie- Zihuatenejo, Zion, Shangri-La, and Never-Never Land*. They are described as a place with no memory, last human city, valley of enchantment, and land of the young and free. Zihuatenejo is a place with no memory. It is somewhere in the Pacific where the ocean is just as majestic as the setting sun. Zion is the last human city. It is the sanctuary of the saved people. Shangri-la is a valley of enchantment. It is a place that's just perfect. Never-Never Land is the land of young and free. It is a place where everything is just so laid-back. As much as I want to be in these places, I know it's impossible for all are just fiction. However, a place close to these will be the most perfect.

If some will have it by the beach, my place will be on the mountains or at least on a higher ground. If some want sunsets, I'd rather have a full view of a sunrise. For some reason, I've always wanted to live on a hilltop/highland. I've always wanted to have a real nice view of nature and not the random facades of buildings; to be in a quiet place and not hear the constant honking and beeping of cars; to live in a low-density community and not in a place where everyone is a stone's throw away from each other; and to have a laid-back life and not in a place where everything is just about money, status, politics, etc. I've always wanted that at the end of the day, I don't think about little nonsense things that I don't really need at all- and maybe because I've always wanted sunrise outside my window or at the back door.

My dream neighborhood is just like the old days where everything is just simple. However, one cannot survive this modern time without the basic needs and a little luxury of convenience. And this sets apart city living from the old ways. One gives so much what is needed and one offers just the most basic.

So to meet halfway, I would want to live in a suburb lying on a highland. An hour-or-two drive to the city/workplace would not be a problem since I love short travels. A good number of small-scale gas stations, hospitals, and schools will have to be part of the area. The place doesn't have to have a mall to keep the day busy. A nice and vibrant small shops and a clean marketplace will do- and maybe some bookstores and movie houses might spice up the place a little. The place doesn't have to have disco balls to light up the night. Street lights along the roads and walkways will do and some Christmas lights come December time (or even earlier). Also, this neighborhood should have supply of electricity and water, access to communication and transportation, and a good TV signal.

If things are just simple, exchanging city living for suburb living (or vice versa) will not be a problem. It's just a matter of what kind of neighborhood fits your lifestyle. And with different lifestyles with different activities come different immediate environments that sustain these lifestyles. Would a fisherman exchange the seas for the farmlands? Would a party lover exchange a vibrant city for boring barrio streets? Maybe if there's a change of lifestyle.

*zihuatenejo (shawshank redemption), zion (matrix), shangri-la (lost horizon), never-never land (peter pan)

I'm wondering where to have the most beautiful sunrise...