Are the suburbs unique for such insular mean-girl moms? 

It’s very easy to rag on the suburbs. They lack the cultural institutions of cities and the natural beauty of rural areas, but they have good qualities! They give families a cheap place (relative to the city) to raise their family, and if you have no problem living amongst a sea of strip malls, they might be a good option for you!

Despite their looks, every suburb is different. Some are much more welcoming to outsiders than others, but that’s true of every city and township. If you’re lucky, you’ll move into a friendly neighborhood with a bunch of families who enjoy socializing together. If you’re unlucky, the houses on your street will be occupied by nobody but sticks in the mud. If your suburb is experiencing a population boom, with a bunch of new families moving to town every year, it’ll probably make it easier to make friends. If the majority of parents grew up in the same town they live in now, they might not take kindly to strangers, especially those with beliefs different from their own. 

One mom in this story tried to extend an Olive branch to her new neighbor, but it quickly went sour when the other women in her mom chat kicked the new girl out immediately after their first hangout. She explained that they didn’t want to include a stranger in their groupchat because they’re so close, but that just rubbed salt in the wound.