Bohemian Lifestyles Could Be A Saving Grace

As global warming heats up and oil supplies get tighter, what once were described as "bohemian lifestyles" should become a wave of the future. Living in a small studio, pursuing art, culture and voluntary simplicity.

That is unless technology, such as nuclear power, can succeed in powering "main stream" American lifestyles.

Most likely, the future will be a combination of both "technology fix" and getting serious about "alternatives to mainstream lifestyles."

Bohemians offer another vision of living. Often less apt to be raising a family, thus not adding to population growth. Also consuming less. Usually they are in an urban setting so less apt to own a car. At the same time, having a rich life of culture. Possibly something richer than mainstream American life. That's good to know as people wouldn't "go for it," unless it offers something "better" than where most Americans are currently at. Bohemian living should be seen as something more than just a sacrifice.

What happened to the urban bohemians, that one heard about in the early 1960s living in places like New York's Greenwich Village?

Now, no one of modest means can afford to live in Greenwich Village.

Over time, parts of bohemian culture has evolved into the hippy scene. Some of this faded into the drug world and then there was also a "return to the land" movement.

Hippies went rural, thus becoming more, rather than less, dependent on automobiles. This added to sprawl.

In the heart of many cities, gay people inherited the position for "keepers of urban lifestyles." Fixing up, painting and rehabilitating urban centers that were falling into decay. Gay people held many of the traditions of bohemian living.

Still, it wasn't quite the same.

A sexual orientation is not the same as a way of life. Being gay could be a biological state, rather than a way of life so gayness includes people from every walk of life.

Many gay people are not actually bohemian in nature. Some even live in large suburban homes.

Gay folks are basically just like everyone else.

Then there is the advent of the yuppie. From many walks of life, both gay and non gay, the yuppie alternative has basically become more of a money thing. It does still offer some of the experimentation and innovation that could be associated with bohemian culture. No wonder many yuppies are quite successful.

Wonder why (liberal) blue states are often the powerhouses for the American economy?

And now days, the heart of the city is becoming a refuge for folks with money who are starting to escape suburbs and rural areas that are no longer functional.

"Move downtown to avoid having to sit in traffic."

So it is time to figure out how to pull some of these things back together again. To create an umbrella of bohemian lifestyles that can be accessible to all folks, both rich and poor. To plan more of the suburbs, so that they can work like the city. To support lifestyles of limited population growth and less consumption, but still offering much in cultural richness.