What is the purpose of a suburb?

While our loft is being built, hubby and I are living, and I use that word very loosely in a suburban setting. This experience has led me to the question, "someone please tell me the purpose of a suburb?!"

Now please do not mistake my question as that of a city snob. I am no city snob and grew up in the suburbs. However, I was a child and would like to point out that I did not know any better.

I understand the country. Its beautiful, space is vast, air is clean, produce tastes great! I am a big supporter of local farming, and farming requires country, so I get it. I do suffer from rather intense allergies, so I prefer to get it from a far, but none the less I do get it.

The city is where there are people, culture, neighbourhoods, and overall a society that evolves and grows as time passes. This I totally get.

Suburbs? Hmm. Well.... from what I have experienced, there are no people. Sure the long rows of identical looking houses that stretch for miles and miles would suggest there are people in these places, but Hubby and I have yet to see a single person in our "neighbourhood" for over two weeks now.

Distances are completely distorted from what I consider to be normal. You should not have to get into a car and drive for ten minutes to get any sort of food. Food is a basic human need. Basic.

Gas stations on the other hand are everywhere! Well, of course they are... how else do you expect people to get to the place that sells food?! Sound backwards yet?

Our daily commute has taught me that most people who live in these areas are sure as hell not working in these areas. Highways are clogged as we are herded twice a day to and from our workplace. Packs of animals do not make the journeys we do twice a day. I'm just saying...

By the time Hubby and I get "home" we barely have enough time to defrost something from the freezer, clean up from dinner and hit the hay to do it all again the next day. This is why I used the word living loosely at the beginning of this post.

There is one place where you will find people though. The Mall. It's like ants on honey. People shop like buying crap is a limited time offer.

The way people consume, commute, and co-exist is nothing but head shaking. Walking down the streets feels like being on a film set. One swift push and you might knock the whole row of identical houses over...

It is clear to me that deep down somewhere in there the people who live here must not like it? I mean they do not work or play in the area (there is nowhere to play!) Going to work? Go downtown. Going to the theater? Go downtown. Go see a sporting event? Go downtown. Is anyone else seeing a pattern?

Now c'mon people, this is not about real estate prices! Of course its cheap here. You pay for what you get right? I mean does a bare bones home in the middle of nowhere that has nothing around it and is two hours from your place of employment sound like a deal?!

Six months until this experience is over. I don't mean to sound harsh, but the count down is on.