Some time ago, I was out in Long Island, NY and drove by one of the busiest shopping centers in Nassau County. Across the street—actually, a very busy intersection—sits a brand-new multifamily development built by a recognized apartment company. And surrounding that multifamily project is even more retail shops, as well as office space.

While sitting at the light, waiting for the traffic to clear, my husband and I looked at each other and said, “Who the hell would want to live here, for god’s sake?” It’s a question we ask every time we drive through that area, because we can’t even fathom the idea of having to live so close to a bustling retail center, surrounded by incessant traffic. And even though this particular project was a standalone community surrounded by other uses, we can’t imagine living in a true mixed-use community, either.

Maybe it’s just us—we like our quiet space. Our townhouse in Westchester is part of a larger development, but we still do have some privacy and yard space. Perhaps it’s because we both work in Manhattan, so we want our home to be away from the hustle and bustle of more dense, crowded city life (though I’m sure some urban planners would not like that way of thinking).