Who’d Want to Live in a Mixed-Use Project?

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.