Compound of Privilege

I happened to visit a rather singular apartment complex recently. I'm inclined to say I didn't care for the place, or at least that I don't imagine that I personally would care to live there. I certainly can see the appeal in it for others. Reasonable people can disagree on such things. For me there are just a number of points (apart from the presumably much higher rent) which would turn me off. I will try to be fair and rational in outlining them.

The place was awfully big. It covered a pretty sizable stretch of land. We drove into one entrance and found it was not the one to go into. We guessed that there would maybe be another, and sure enough there was one. We came to it after driving a few moments further down the road. At that road's maximum speed limit, we might have circumnavigated a shopping mall. Once inside, we found ourselves walking for several minutes to reach anything. It was too large for me.

The place had a lot of amenities. Perhaps there were too many. My building has a barbeque, a laundry room and a fitness room. I use the laundry room and feel bad about neglecting the other things. This place I saw had a dining room, gyms, tennis courts, pools, hot tubs, conference rooms, convenience stores and so much more I must not have seen. I wouldn't be using those things. I'd be feeling guilty over not using them. I'm better off not having access to things like that.

I felt out of place there, particularly being among young people very used to such living. I can recall playing baseball with only my sister, paving stones marking the bases and ghost players manning every position except batter and pitcher. I can't relate to children so accustomed to living like the characters in 'Logan's Run'. I've written about being in well-to-do neighborhoods and thinking I'd be picked up by some private security detail. It was like that at this place. I'm sure that doesn't make it bad, but I was ill at ease. I would be always if I lived there. Don't give me a ghetto, but give me a neighborhood and building of manageable status.