Country vs City

[ScottyB 2,086]

Where would you rather live? Close, or in a major city, or away from it, towards the country?

There are many pros and cons for living in each area and I'm curious to see what you guys prefer and why and where you actually live now.

I grew up very close to the city and have been there all my life. I have also lived in a ski town for 4 months on 2 separate occasions, which is usually a country town but obviously very busy with tourists during peak season and I loved it there.

The older I have gotten, the more I realised that I hate the city and pretty much everything about it. I've always thought of eventually moving to the country at one point or another and the main thing that was kind of keeping me here is friends and family.

I have already moved to the suburbs, further away from the city but it's still as bad there now. My lease will be up soon and I'm ready to move further away again (still only about 2 hours away from the city) and I'm looking forward to it. Time to focus more on enjoying life and nature than competing in the rat race with millions of other people!

[JustHatched 12,123]

Country for me

City is ok, there are some things I miss about "being in town" like pizza delivery and good internet

[ScottyB 2,086]

Country for meCity is ok, there are some things I miss about "being in town" like pizza delivery and good internet

The pictures of your farm looked amazing. I want that one day. I think I'll slowly move out towards a proper rural/country town and have a massive piece of land so that I can ride motorbikes or do whatever I want on it. The next step will still be a much smaller city where you can still get pizza delivered, but there are much, much less people and cars on the road!

[Dodge 7,265]

I agree...

 

City for now Makes everything easier at this point in my life. But would like to move away a little once the kids are gone.

[JustHatched 12,123]

Having a massive patch of land isn't all it seems, yes I can step off the porch and take a whiz without issue, but there is a load of work to maintain it that people don't have in town. Pros and cons to both.

I look a pics of other areas the crew live in and think that would be so cool to see that everyday when to them it's nothing because they see it all the time. Same here, I see this everyday and everyone around me has huge yards so it's seems nothing to us but others look at it and are amazed. It weird what becomes natural to some and is awesome to others.

[DavidCore89 7,404]

City every time. Not just any city, but my city  .

 

I have lived in the countryside for 2 years... Actually the Welsh valleys and I was bored out of my mind!

 

It's very shit, I just can't understand people that want to live in a place that has only 1 or 2 shops, 3 police officers and 1 woman that has been around all 47 men in the village.

 

On a serious note, country life is boring and I'm far too used to the city to accept anything else.

[ScottyB 2,086]

The grass is always greener on the other side. There are always pros and cons and I guess you just have to weigh them up and see if it suits you.

Haha love your comment DC. A town that small would kind of suck (especially if you're single and there is only one woman there ). It really depends on how country-ish you want to go.

There are a lot of cool things about the city, but they don't suit my lifestyle. I would prefer to live near the bush and sea where I can enjoy nature at its finest. Go motorbike riding or mountain bike riding, hiking, boating and bush walks. People really annoy me and with the way the city is expanding, it's already taking over an hour to drive to work and I'm just crawling in traffic the whole way there. Such a waste of time! People are so rude and pushy and the whole vibe is just really shit.

At this point in my life I would prefer a smaller city so I can have the best of both world but I've always wanted a more rural property since I prefer to be alone or with only a few close friends most of the time so it would suit me perfectly. Oh, and I'd have a lot of animals, they're way better than people haha

And as long as I have the Internet and can game with you guys, that should help keep me sane

[truelife98 1,143]

I like the whole idea of country living sucluded not crowded and all the other good perks but i also enjoy being close to all the stuff i need to do. I sometimes go to someone's house who lives out in the country and think damn i havnt even seen a gas station for 15 20 minutes or more. I currently live in suburbs and thats the way i like it yeah you dont have the privacy of being out in the country but it also isnt as crowded as being in the city. I like leaving my house in any direction and knowing i will pass gas stations other shops and stores within minutes. I also lo e having a driveway to me when you say city living i immediately compare it to philadelphia which is about 20 minutes from where i live and everytime i drive thru i say no way i could do this fighting for street parking spots crowds of people just walking around not for me

[Moorjc 229]

I have to say city life is all I need, I'm 5-10 minutes from anything, and in the apartment complex we are closer together, but the down side, is fights  an arguments, cuz everyone can hear you, and let's not talk about the bug issue, because once, one person has something, many get it too...but for me there are a lot more pro's for the city life.   

[Haste 190]

I grew up next to tractors and harvesters, so I am definitely a country guy, I tried living in Copenhagen for 6 months, but I just couldn't and I moved back to the countryside!

 

I love fields and hills, open space, and the more intimate community where everybody knows eachother and people are much more forgiving

[Jaggy 2,811]

Country!

 

I grew up in Wisconsin, but in a decent sized city.  Not the size of Milwaukee or Madison.  My hometown has about 70,000 people, I think.  A lot of people I knew had homes out in the country.  It was so nice.  You could be as loud and rowdy as you wanted and there were no neighbors to complain.  It was peaceful.  You could stargaze without light pollution.  I loved it.

 

We could have a home in the "country" in the Las Vegas area, but it would cost so much money as land is at a premium out here.  If I wanted my ideal property here, it would easily cost us half a million dollars and then some.  Ridiculous. 

 

For anyone familiar with the southwest region of the US (Arizona, Nevada, Southern California), most of our homes are squished up against each other because of the price of land and the builders/developers wanting to fit as many homes as possible onto said land.  You will soon see what I am talking about when I post my before/after pictures of our backyard once it's landscaped next week.  It's not too bad as long as you don't have crappy neighbors.  We got lucky and got some really awesome neighbors who mind their own business and look out for each other.  But I'd still rather live out in the country.  Commuting into the city for errands wouldn't bother me all that much.  It feels like I do that already because we live a ways back from the highway as it is to get to the stores.

 

I'll stop blabbing... but really, country.  Probably when I'm old and retired and don't have to worry about much of anything.

[rumdig 957]

Country all the way...almost. Cities do have the amenities but more restrictions as well. I'd much rather take care of my property then have the local jurisdiction do it for me. Well that and I prefer "natural" beauty over man made buildings as a view. Having said that, I have never lived outside of the city.

[Protocawl 2,971]

I've lived in the countryside for about a year and a half and currently live in a small town. Both are too quiet and too underpopulated for my liking and driving me insane. I've also been to a few big cities and I can tell you right away I wouldn't want to live IN a city. I would, however, like to live just outside a city.

[PapOiteE 465]

City all day!! In the city we have everything we want, everything. Where i live, im 10 minutes away from a mall if i go on foot, 3 by car. Even our international airport is like 15-20 min from my home. And there are lots of people and activity in the city which is fun.

Country wouldn't fit me. I've been there and it is so different, so boring, nothing happens. I'd just go to the country for a relaxing weekend or 1 week vacation.

I vote city

[Kudisanga 380]

Always been a city boy but when i came to UK, i was on contract which included accomodation and boy that was adventure. I was put in a village near Wrexan in Wales with a few houses and a shop run by an old woman, ever time we needed something we had to go in 20 min drive to wrexham with only green fields and cows… hated so much … too much peace and quiet for me.

[JALJ 541]

Ive lived in the city for a majority of my life until i was 18 and moved to Humboldt County here in CA. It was such a culture shock because life was just different. The pace, the people, the general atmosphere was so different. When i came back from there  I moved in with my parents who had moved out to the boonies and once again i was out in the country. At first i hated the country, i was so used to the lifestyle that it was a bit hard adjusting but i eventually learned to love it. There is something so liberating about the country. My friends always come out to my house to have bonfires and hangout because they love how peaceful it is here. When i lived in LA it was IMPOSSIBLE to go one second without hearing the sound of another human being. 

 

There is alot of pros and cons between the two. I think it also has to do deal with what your comfortable with. I only live on an acre of land and i hate all the maintenance that goes on, i cant imagine what you go through Hatch.   I know for a fact that once i graduate im going to have to move out to LA and thats fine with me because I've lived there and it is nice and i know what to expect. However i do plan on moving back out of the country a few years later. The city is nice but i just hate the "rat race" mentality so many people have. Not mention all the rude people lol

[G37 3,445]

It .. really depends on what kind of person you are.

 

Believe it or not, I'm more of an introvert. Shocking, no?

 

I don't like being around large groups of people for extended periods (situationally dependent of course).

 

City living generally means closer conveniences at a higher cost in smaller portions (for example, real estate costs more and you get little to no acreage and less square footage .. but shopping/dining/activities/work are within very close proximity with different types of transit available. Reverse is generally true for suburban living).

 

I'm not a city type person. I'd prefer to live outside a city and commute there when needed - work/shopping/activities, which is how I'm set up now.

[zztop911 1,609]

Ive lived in the city for a majority of my life until i was 18 and moved to Humboldt County here in CA. It was such a culture shock because life was just different. The pace, the people, the general atmosphere was so different. When i came back from there  I moved in with my parents who had moved out to the boonies and once again i was out in the country. At first i hated the country, i was so used to the lifestyle that it was a bit hard adjusting but i eventually learned to love it. There is something so liberating about the country. My friends always come out to my house to have bonfires and hangout because they love how peaceful it is here. When i lived in LA it was IMPOSSIBLE to go one second without hearing the sound of another human being. 

 

There is alot of pros and cons between the two. I think it also has to do deal with what your comfortable with. I only live on an acre of land and i hate all the maintenance that goes on, i cant imagine what you go through Hatch.   I know for a fact that once i graduate im going to have to move out to LA and thats fine with me because I've lived there and it is nice and i know what to expect. However i do plan on moving back out of the country a few years later. The city is nice but i just hate the "rat race" mentality so many people have. Not mention all the rude people lol

Humboldt County huh?

 

I grew up in a small town, but still in the city. I walked to elementary and rode my bike to Jr and Sr high.

While in the military, I was always stationed in a large metro area, when not deployed.

After my time in the military, I very highly value my privacy. I love my places here in the country. It just takes a bit more planning and it is a lot more work than the city. That being said, it's time for me to downsize. My next property will be less than 5 acres and more than one. Preferably the place will be located on or very close to a large lake ad within a reasonably close to a metro area. Now remember, this is Texas and what others think is very far, is quick trip for me. A place with a nice reasonably sized home, a large shop or place to build one and nice sized garden spot with a small greenhouse is  my ideal.

[grjkie 727]

I've lived in the city all my life, eventually I wouldn't mind moving to a more quiet area... I still love the city but I also don't enjoy crowded places, the city is great and convenient but I am more like an old person, I like to be in quiet places and I love nature and all that, I guess once I am older I'll leave the kids in the city and go out quietly on the countryside

I just hope it is a futuristic countryside with fiber optic at least lol

Edited June 19, 2015 by grjkie

[LN-MLB 2,583]

For me, it depends more on the geographical location and the actual size of the city or country.  The West Coast is sort of ingrained into me, and I really have no desire to ever live on the East Coast.  That's not meant to sound offensive; I have visited and had a good time, but I just really, really prefer living out west and it would take a lot to make me want to leave.  I really don't like extreme weather and thankfully the West (as a whole) is fairly mild compared to most other areas in the country.

 

When comparing city to country though, I suppose I am definitely more of a city guy.  I've never lived in the country, but I do like the idea of the peacefulness and serenity.  I probably wouldn't last a day doing outdoor work, so if I chose that lifestyle, I would either have to win the lottery or be able to work from home via the Internet.  As for the city--I wouldn't want to live in a gigantic city like New York, Los Angeles, London, etc. but rather a medium-sized (less than a million, more than 500,000 in the city proper) city like my own.  If I could afford it, I wouldn't mind living in Vancouver (British Columbia) or San Francisco (California), but nothing more populated than either of those.  However, if given the chance, I would definitely like to try Tokyo simply because it's a fascinating place unlike any other.

 

I don't like the suburbs.  I've been there, done that and really just don't like it.  I'd prefer not to live in the core of downtown, but somewhere close enough that has unique restaurants and the feeling that you're still in a city.  I too am an introvert, so living in a city definitely has pros and cons.  The pro is that you are semi-anonymous and not many people care to know your business.  The con is that you simply can't get away from people as a whole.

 

All in all, if I had enough money, I would have a residence in both types of places.  Whenever I needed a break from the world, I would escape to the country, but I'd probably go a little crazy if I lived there on a permanent basis.  Of course, perhaps I would just pick option number three and have a coastal home in a peaceful little town in Oregon or Washington.

[JALJ 541]

Humboldt County huh?

 

I grew up in a small town, but still in the city. I walked to elementary and rode my bike to Jr and Sr high.

While in the military, I was always stationed in a large metro area, when not deployed.

After my time in the military, I very highly value my privacy. I love my places here in the country. It just takes a bit more planning and it is a lot more work than the city. That being said, it's time for me to downsize. My next property will be less than 5 acres and more than one. Preferably the place will be located on or very close to a large lake ad within a reasonably close to a metro area. Now remember, this is Texas and what others think is very far, is quick trip for me. A place with a nice reasonably sized home, a large shop or place to build one and nice sized garden spot with a small greenhouse is  my ideal.

Yup. I moved up there for the trees.

[zztop911 1,609]

Yup. I moved up there for the trees.

It's very beautiful there.

I love the redwoods! 

[ScottyB 2,086]

Wow, split right down the middle! I guess its how you interpret it as well. There are a lot of interesting comments here and pros and cons for both that i didnt really consider.

 

Being in the heart of the city where you dont drive and just walk every where is kind of cool, but its way to frantic. A country town with only a few shops would probably be too small for me. I like LNs comment about the anonymity of being in a city. I would still like that but also for people to acknowledge your existence while still giving you your privacy. Probably dreaming and asking for way too much but hey.

 

As for country and big properties, some how i let the maintenance of it slip my mind. My GFs parents had a 1500 square metre property in the subrubs (about the size of 2 standard properties) and it took most of the weekend to properly maintain it, trimming the bushes and mowing the lawn so i should have known better.

 

It also really depends on your stage in life. I have settled down and have no need or desire to be constantly be going out to clubs or restaurants all the time. I have drifted away from all me IRL friends and rarely see my family, so there is no loss on that side either. Also, with the internet now, you can set yourself up to work from home and connect with everyone fairly easily which is something you couldnt do previously.

 

 

Country!

 

I grew up in Wisconsin, but in a decent sized city.  Not the size of Milwaukee or Madison.  My hometown has about 70,000 people, I think.  A lot of people I knew had homes out in the country.  It was so nice.  You could be as loud and rowdy as you wanted and there were no neighbors to complain.  It was peaceful.  You could stargaze without light pollution.  I loved it.

 

We could have a home in the "country" in the Las Vegas area, but it would cost so much money as land is at a premium out here.  If I wanted my ideal property here, it would easily cost us half a million dollars and then some.  Ridiculous. 

 

For anyone familiar with the southwest region of the US (Arizona, Nevada, Southern California), most of our homes are squished up against each other because of the price of land and the builders/developers wanting to fit as many homes as possible onto said land.  You will soon see what I am talking about when I post my before/after pictures of our backyard once it's landscaped next week.  It's not too bad as long as you don't have crappy neighbors.  We got lucky and got some really awesome neighbors who mind their own business and look out for each other.  But I'd still rather live out in the country.  Commuting into the city for errands wouldn't bother me all that much.  It feels like I do that already because we live a ways back from the highway as it is to get to the stores.

 

I'll stop blabbing... but really, country.  Probably when I'm old and retired and don't have to worry about much of anything.

 

The other side is the price of property! I have no desire to work my ass of to say i own a property. At the moment here in Sydney its pretty big news about the affordability of housing. I dont see why people are whining so much about it and every one is acting so entitled thinking that they should own massive homes as a first home. If thats what you want, you need to work for it, right?

 

Haha half a million dollar properties, wow, i wish! The average home in and around Sydney (where i live) is around the $980,000 mark. I know there are exchange rate and living expense differences, but Sydney has been rated as one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

 

To get a standard 2 bedroom unit in reasonable condition and in an ok neighbourhood, you are looking at around $500,000. A car space (just a slab of concrete to call your own) in the heart of Sydney was purchased last week for $120,000! I decided to look up the article and found more like it. Someone purchased (for their Ferrari no less), also in the heart of the city, a double lock up garage in a security complex with its own title for $320,000.

 

As Jalj said also, Its the whole rat race and keeping up with the jones' mentality that has really gotten to me. Its always a competition who has the best and everyone stabbing each other in the back to get it. Decent and honest people are long gone and constantly take advantage of.

[Jaggy 2,811]

I just think it's sad people are so cold to others.  I try to be as friendly as possible.  I'll start conversations with my cashier at the grocery store and say hi to people I make eye contact with.  It's the polite thing to do.  But yeah... I notice the rudeness in big cities and it's not cool and I totally hate it.

[ScottyB 2,086]

I just think it's sad people are so cold to others.  I try to be as friendly as possible.  I'll start conversations with my cashier at the grocery store and say hi to people I make eye contact with.  It's the polite thing to do.  But yeah... I notice the rudeness in big cities and it's not cool and I totally hate it.

 

Yeah its hard to explain, and I'm not exactly helping to change it as i am bad, but its just what you do. If i try to talk to someone, they think there is a hidden agenda.. If it was a lady at the cashier they would think im trying to hit on them and it would just be awkward. Its a shame that the city has developed this cold, unfriendly attitude. 

 

I have always thought its really funny that when we are in an elevator, or crossing the street that we all just try to pretend that the other isnt there. I mean really!? We are all social beings and while im not that social IRL i still think its wrong that this is the way it is..