Once and for all: Small town life vs. city life

[Robb]

Poll question: Once and for all: Small town life vs. city life

Which, for whatever reasons you deem important, is better?

[Critters2]

1. Small town, definitely

But I still kind of feel like Robb is a dingbat, too.

[GoneOffShore]

2. Love the big cities

The cradle and hub of civilization.

And yes, Robb is a digbat.

[SmileyBoy]

3. I live in the happy medium.

Small city, urban area of about 165,000, metro area of 210,000. Traffic is light, very little crime, I can drive from one end of the city to the other in about 25 minutes, yet we have almost everything that a big city of 1 million has. Symphony orchestra, world-famous concert venue, 3 movie multiplexes, Division I NCAA college football team, 7 Starbucks, etc. etc.

Couldn't ask for anything more.

[Critters2]

4. I would call that a big city. What urban area is it? nt

[SmileyBoy]

5. Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN

Largest city between Minneapolis and Boise.

[Critters2]

7. I didn't realize it was that big. My college roommate lives in Minot

and always makes ND sound like a desolate wasteland. Doesn't sound so bad.

[LuLu550]

6. I live in a small town

but we are just 10 miles away from Albany, NY. That's big enough and close enough for me. New York City is a day trip and that is good, too. I love going to NYC, grew up on Long Island, but would never want to live there.

My son grew up in this small town and moved to NYC. Go figure.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Here's my order of preference:

1. Big city, preferably an urban village type neighborhood

2. Medium=sized city, preferably with a college

3. Small town

4. Older inner suburb that has sidewalks and a real downtown

10. Rural area

99. Outer suburb

[dysfunctional press]

9. we recently moved from the Big City to more rural digs...

so far, i'm not adjusting well to well water.

[RevolutionaryActs]

10. Thank you for the earworm...

Green acres is the place for me.
Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

New York is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

...The chores.
...The stores.
...Fresh air.
...Times Square

You are my wife.
Good bye, city life.
Green Acres we are there.

:P

[sasquatch]

17. .

:spank:

[RevolutionaryActs]

18. Do you know that whenever I go to My Posts

and see " . " as a reply, I know it's you before I click the post? :P

[sasquatch]

19. HAHAHA!

:rofl:
:D
How'd you like my "Stocks" reply yesterday?

[RevolutionaryActs]

20. I tried to ignore it

:evilgrin::rofl:

[sasquatch]

21. But you couldn't because it made you horny

And it reminded you of your naughty side and that you need to be punished, regularly.

[RevolutionaryActs]

23. !!

:spray:


You perv! :spank:


Yeah! How do you like THAT? :P :rofl:

[sasquatch]

24. It was ok, but not as fun as being on the giving end

:spank:

[RevolutionaryActs]

27. Perv

:eyes:



:P

[sasquatch]

29. Takes one to know one

[ChoralScholar]

11. I dunno

Harrison, AR proper is about 15,000 people. It's big enough to have most everything you want in your immediate area - coffee shops, fast food, etc.

Branson, MO is 25 minutes away with more shopping and dining than you can comprehend.

The only thing that would make Harrison better, is if it were better connected to the rest of the state, and if the college (North Arkansas College) would grow a bit, and be more of an academic presence in the community.

[Karenca]

12. I can't live anywhere except NYC

Not that I haven't tried. (5 years away) But I had to come back.
I'm never going to leave again.

[Critters2]

13. I'm just the opposite

Can't take the noise, the traffic, the people in a large city. MUST have open space and quiet. As the 'burbs move this way, I know I'll have to return to Iowa. I know I'll retire there (and I know where exactly), but will probably go back sooner than that.

I could never again live in a large city. It's good that some can, but I just can't.

The spice of life, I guess!

[Karenca]

14. Everyone is different.

I lived in the suburbs for five years. Actually, the town was a cross between suburbia and rural.
I couldn't do it -- I would wake up in the morning, look out the bedroom window, see trees and birds, sob, and pull the covers
back over my head. I was so lonely, and I'm really a loner! I need alot of visual stimulation, and NYC is electric.

Well, come and visit some day, anyway! New York is quite an experience. :-)

[Critters2]

15. My first several months here, I would wake up, hear traffic outside

look out and see buildings, sob, and pull the covers over my head. At least once a week, I take a drive in the country so I can see open space. If I didn't, I think I'd become depressed beyond the ability to function.

I've been to NYC. When I was in grad school in Boston, two of my good friends from college were there--one acting, the other in cantorial school. I'd go down on long weekends, spring break, and the like. But I could stand to visit again...but I'd need to go deep into Central Park every once in a while!

[bedpanartist]

16. loggin' in from the 'hood

here in the Gem City, d8n, ohio.

[Bucky]

22. Neeewwwww YORK is where I'd ratha stay. Iyyyy get aLERgic smelling hay!

da-dum da-dump-dump bump bump!

[Generic Brad]

25. New York is where I'd rather stay.

I get allergic smelling hay.

[baldguy]

32. Darling I love you, but give me Park Avenue.

[Nicole]

26. Small town

I live in a city now but would love to move back to a small town.

[deadparrot]

28. I can't do small town life.

I need a city. I need to be around people, I need to have the resources and activities that a city offers.

I go to college in small town, and while it's ideal for studying, I can't imagine living here for the rest of my life, 3.5 hours' drive from even a medium-sized city.

[wildhorses]

30. i would NOT trade where i live with anyone--

i live in a rural area 5 min away from a medium sized town and one hour in any direction gets me to 4 very interesting cities...also i am only 4-5 hours from the ocean and only 1 hour away from some of the best scenery this country has to offer...

if there were just something besides redneck knuckledraggers for men areound here...

[BarenakedLady]

31. I don't like being around a lot of people

so I said small town. But I don't like people being all in my business either.Rural life is the life for me. :)

[AirmensMom]

33. Small town, definitely.

Actually, we live outside a small town, about a 15 minute drive. The new house is about 10 minutes out of town. I like that even better than being in a small town. We're also 30 minutes away from a city, for when we need to do serious shopping, and an hour away from a few bigger cities. I wouldn't want to live in the city. I've lived in suburbia and don't want to do it again.

[Broken_Hero]

34. Small town life

is better, imo...I'm not knocking city life, its good, and its nice to be around a lot of people, and go out and actually go somewhere, but the small town life is better.

In most cities, the cost of living is higher, for goods, homes, etc, while out in the country its usually cheaper. I can actually play my stereo without neighbors telling me to turn off my own music, that I play in my own apartment...I can actually have a cook out, without everyone and their mom trying to nose in on us....

About the only bad thing I see about small town life is that you have to drive a bit further to go somewhere...

[Tyo]

35. City city city

I need to have people around. But not 100% of the time so also maybe a place to retreat to in the desert somewhere. A good desert is the most beautiful place on earth.

As for Cities, most cities are really a collection of small towns anyway. They're way less impersonal than small-town dwellers think.

[Zookeeper]

36. Depends....

When I was young (and childless) either the heart of a big city (S.F) or way out in the country was my preference. However, with three kids, I can't imagine trying to get around a crowded city on public transportation or circling city blocks for 20 minutes trying to find a parking space.

My inner ring suburb works very well for raising my family. We're 10 minutes from both downtown Mpls. and downtown St. Paul, so "culture" is nearby. And we have a quiet, safe neighborhood with parks, lakes, wetlands and woods.

When my kids are grown, my preferences may change again. (I'm leaning toward the Canadian wilderness.)

[u4ic]

38. Hopefully they'll be

some left for you, Zookeeper! :pals:

[Zookeeper]

42. Hi U4ic!

Hmmm...now you've got me worried. Is the wilderness up there disappearing that fast?

:pals:

[u4ic]

47. Hi Zookeeper!

Well, it depends where.

Here in Alberta - because of massive growth - urban sprawl is becoming a concern. If that ain't it, then there's the oil and gas industry, and golf courses, that's gobbling up land. :-(


Some of that urban sprawl is actually great farming land.

[Oeditpus Rex]

37. Some are small-town folk

Others are city slickers.



There's no "better." It's all in where you're comfortable.

[hfojvt]

39. How do you define 'small town'?

Having lived in cities of 15,000; 5,000; and 1,700 (okay that one is not a city) I would consider where I live now (city 38,000 county 73,000) to be a fairly large city, actually bigger than I am comfortable with. (For example, there have been something like 4 homicides since I moved here five years ago. In 18 years of life in my hometown I think there was one - a woman who killed her own infant daughter, and none in the decade I was in the 5,000 town.) So many people that live here, though, wanna call it a "small town". If this is a small town, then what is a place with 5,000 people?

[u4ic]

40. Medium sized city

around the population I'm in (725,000; and environs, 1 million).

I would just prefer to not be in this medium sized city.


The smallest city I've ever lived in was 33,000. If it wasn't for me being incredibly busy for the couple of years I was there, I would have went crazy. There was so little to do, except hang out in the bars (which I don't like to do).

The largest was Toronto. I was younger, so I liked living there - but not necessarily the people, who I found unfriendly.


Perhaps on a farm with some horses and other animals, but within say 20 or 30 km from a city, and that might be something I could live with.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

41. Can we agree that Suburbs suck?

Particularly the ones the try to create a "rural" feel by not having sidewalks and then having big-ass Wal-Mart right up the street and a friggin' Applebee's on every corner?

We can agree on that, right?

[grace0418]

43. Give me a huge city or the middle of nowhere. It's the suburbs I can't handle.

Right now I live in a huge city. But I could see myself buying an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere (as long as I could get internet access). But the suburbs with cookie-cutter houses and strip malls make me immediately depressed.

[terrya]

44. If "Green Acres" were real life, I'd be Eva Gabor

Dahling.

City life for me. Being in some place like Iowa would be the 7th Circle of Hell.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

45. City.

[momophile]

46. I voted city life although

I live in the suburbs. I'd rather live in the city but can't afford to.

[Beausoir]

48. I've tried both. Small town is MUCH better.

You may miss out of good restaurants, etc., but I can cook better than anything served in a restaurant anyday.

The schools are better. The crime-rate is much lower. The neighbors are nicer and best of all...


SPACE....wide open space. I have 7 acres of woods, rivers and lakes.

I couldn't live in a rat-cage ever again.