burbs
Beyond city limits
Burbs is informal shorthand for suburbs—the residential areas surrounding a city: We moved out to the burbs when the kids started school.
The word carries a slightly dismissive or ironic tone, suggesting bland uniformity or middle-class conformity: Nothing ever happens in the burbs.
Intermediate socioeconomic group
- mortgageSecured home loan
- gentrificationWealthy influx displacing locals
- 401(k)Tax-advantaged retirement savings account
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
Portion of something larger
- cul-de-sacStreet closed at end
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- townhouseAttached multi-floor urban residence
- bungalowOne-story house with porch
McMansion · detached · backyard · driveway · garage · patio · fence · landscaping
Multipurpose family vehicle
- homeownerProperty title holder
- HOAResidential community organization
- PTAFamily-faculty advocacy group
- family-friendlySuitable for all ages
barbecue · trick-or-treating · garage-sale · dog-walking · carpool · drive-through
Regular work travel
- trainRail vehicle or instruct
- stationFixed stopping point
- metroUrban rail transit
- busLarge passenger vehicle
carpool · traffic · highway · expressway · park-and-ride · transit · congestion · rush-hour
middle-class
Intermediate socioeconomic group
- mortgageSecured home loan
- gentrificationWealthy influx displacing locals
- 401(k)Tax-advantaged retirement savings account
subdivision
Portion of something larger
- cul-de-sacStreet closed at end
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- townhouseAttached multi-floor urban residence
bungalow · McMansion · detached · backyard · driveway · garage · patio · fence · landscaping · lawn
minivan
Multipurpose family vehicle
family-friendly · barbecue · trick-or-treating · garage-sale · dog-walking · carpool · drive-through
commute
Regular work travel
bus · carpool · traffic · highway · expressway · park-and-ride · transit · congestion · rush-hour · freeway
- suburbiasuburbia, subdivision, subdivisions, cul-de-sac, tract homes
burbsdowntown
Central business district
city center · inner city · urban core · metropolis · city
burbscountryside
Rural area beyond towns
rural areas · the sticks · farmland · boondocks · backcountry
- the burbsOutlying residential districts, casually
suburb, suburban, suburbs, suburbanite, suburbanites, suburbanization, suburbanizing, burb