We don't have a yard but there's a balcony and we don't have to mow it. We have 3 birds and a rabbit. We're allowed pets, but legally even though places can tell you you're not allowed to have pets, they can't enforce it. Rent you have to pay for everywhere. Laundry is often in the basement of houses too. We have less parking troubles than my best friend who lives in a townhouse, plus we don't have to shovel.
Although I don't agree with your arguements, I too don't care much for apartments. They're small. Carrying groceries, or anything up is a bitch. BBQs are illegal (but only if you get caught). There's constant water shutoffs and other annoyances. Having to take the stairs when the elevator doesn't work is a bitch. When you live in a city though, apartments are MUCH cheaper, and when it comes down to it, that's why most people, myself included, live in an apartment.
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'Itâ??s a wonder I havenâ??t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.' - Anne Frank