u/bluetopaz525 — reddlx

Thoughts one whether you think the new Cambridge zoning laws are producing outcomes promised

TL/DR: the city of Cambridge provides a lot of city-run programs that benefit people from lower income households. It prides itself on its socioeconomic diversity, which is rapidly declining as housing increases in price, so these lower income families can no longer afford to live here and thus don’t get to benefit from the programs that were created to support them. The new zoning laws were allegedly supposed to address some of these issues by providing more affordable housing, yet the new developers are providing housing that can only be afforded by people more financially well off. If you don’t see a problem with that, then that’s your right, but the point of the post wasn’t to argue whether that’s right or wrong.

I’m genuinely curious how other Cambridge residents feel about some of the development we're seeing under the new zoning rules, and whether there are reasonable amendments that could address some of the unintended consequences without preventing new housing from being built.

One example is 16 Field St. An existing affordable 2-family rental house (affordable likely because it’s outdated) is proposed to be replaced with a 9-unit development. According to the flyer being circulated in the neighborhood, the project would have no off-street parking, remove mature trees, leave very little green/permeable space, and contain no affordable units. Supposedly, if the building housed 10 units instead of 9, the developers would require the units to be affordable. This is one of many new developments being put up in a relatively quiet neighborhood with narrow streets and not much street parking as is.

I understand the argument for allowing greater housing density in Cambridge, especially given how expensive housing has become. But I'm wondering whether the current rules have struck the right balance.

A few questions I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts on:
Affordability: If one of the major public-policy arguments for upzoning was improving housing affordability, should larger projects receiving substantially increased development rights be required to include at least some income-restricted affordable units? The flyer claims this particular proposal has 9 units because a 10-unit project would trigger an affordability requirement. If that's accurate, should the rules address that incentive?

Parking: Should developments of this size be required to provide some off-street parking in residential neighborhoods with narrow streets and already-limited street parking? Underground parking exists in some multifamily developments, so could requirements vary based on neighborhood conditions rather than having a blanket rule?

Trees/green space: Should increased density come with stronger requirements for preserving mature trees, maintaining permeable surface, managing stormwater, or replacing lost tree canopy?

Neighborhood context: Is there a reasonable way to accommodate substantially more housing while also considering the scale of the surrounding street and existing residential buildings?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who support the multifamily zoning ordinance as well as people who have concerns about it. Are these simply necessary tradeoffs of building more housing, or are there specific changes you think would make the ordinance work better?
And for anyone familiar with Cambridge government/zoning: what is actually the most effective way for residents to advocate for amendments? City Council? Planning Board? Zoning petitions? Are there already proposals addressing parking, affordability, trees, or projects that fall just below affordability thresholds?
I'm not looking to stop housing construction. I'm interested in whether we can build more housing while doing a better job on affordability, street capacity, trees/green space, and neighborhood impacts.
In addition, if you do have problems with some of these new developments, my neighbor sent me a link to sign a petition to amend the new zoning laws that I believe can be improved to actually provide affordable housing: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/modifying-the-mfh-ordinance?source=direct_link&clear_id=true&

u/bluetopaz525 — 1 day ago

▲ 6 r/ATLHousing

Best Atlanta neighborhoods for a single woman commuting to Sandy Springs?

Hi everyone! Posting on behalf of a friend who doesn't have Reddit.
She's in her early 30s, single, and just accepted a job in Sandy Springs. She's moving from the Boston area and has also lived in NYC and the Baltimore area, so she'd love a neighborhood that has some energy rather than feeling too suburban.
A couple of things she's looking for:

-Apartment complexes or neighborhoods with a reasonable commute to Sandy Springs

-A good social scene for meeting people in their 30s
Walkability to coffee shops, restaurants, or bars since she'll be working from home two days a week

-A safe area where she'd feel comfortable living alone

One caveat is that she has a pit mix, so she's limited to apartment communities without breed restrictions (or those that are pit-friendly), which has made the search a little more challenging.

She's also really into boxing and is hoping to join a boxing or martial arts gym after she moves, so bonus points if you know of neighborhoods close to a great gym.

Right now she's considering the MAA apartments near Chastain Park since it seems like an easy drive to both Sandy Springs and Buckhead.

If anyone has lived in an MAA community near Chastain Park, I'd love to hear about your experience, both good and bad.

If you were a single woman in your early 30s working in Sandy Springs, where would you choose to live? Any apartment complexes you'd recommend , or ones she'd definitely want to avoid?

Any leads or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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u/bluetopaz525 — 1 month ago

▲ 2 r/TotalHipReplacement

Cemented vs uncemented stem for a 34 year old with mild-to-moderate femur osteoporosis.

TLDR: pros and cons to a cemented vs an uncemented stem. Seems like surgeons prefer a cemented stem for patients with osteoporosis (who tend to be on the older side), but uncemented for younger more active patients. I’ve had different suggestions from different surgeons.

Hi all, so my surgery is proving to be more difficult than I originally thought and I’ve been getting different suggestions from different surgeons.

Background: I’m 34 and need a bilateral hip replacement. My hips are 11 out of 10 OA (according to a surgeon) and bad for an 80 year old…

I found out that the cortex of my femur bones are thinning, so I likely have osteoporosis in my femurs (so fun). Surgeon said it was reversible with diet and weight training (which I can’t really do until I get my replacements).

One surgeon had recommended cementing the stems in (I’m not sure why because he didn’t mention the osteoporosis), but the surgeon who I saw yesterday said he wouldn’t cement the stems and just have more restrictions post-op (50% weight bearing for 6 weeks) to avoid a femur fracture.

My limited google searches have suggested that cementing the stems in works better for older patients with osteoporosis and would allow me to bear weight sooner. However, it isn’t recommended for younger patients because it would be much harder to replace the stem if needed.

I was wondering if anyone has been in the same boat. I have a toddler and the thought of 50% weight bearing for 6 weeks post op from hip 1 and then from hip 2 just sounds impossible, but so does getting a femur fracture.

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u/bluetopaz525 — 2 months ago

▲ 3 r/astrocartography

Living long-term near your Saturn/DC line with Saturn in Aquarius.

I was wondering if anyone had experience living long-term along their Saturn/DC line.
For context, I lived in this location for 7 years during graduate school and my first Saturn return. Parts of it were brutal and others were blessings. I did have a major focus on relationships while I lived here and met many people who I believe were karmic. Saturn is in Aquarius in my 7th house.

For reference, I also have many Capricorn placements, so I’m somewhat used to Saturn energy. Sun, Mercury, mars, Uranus, Neptune, and north node are in Capricorn and my 6th house.

As brutal as it was living there, I have many close friends who still there and now being back in my hometown where I’m close to Chiron square my MC and Saturn square my MC, I’m struggling with my career.
I’m wondering how moving back to Saturn on my DC line would look. Logistically, it would be a bit tricky, but having the social support of people I know would make it easier.
The Saturn and Chiron square my MC energy is really just taking a toll and I feel like I need a change.

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u/bluetopaz525 — 2 months ago