Country vs City Life
90Yeah, I've had to do this before.
Melbourne, Australia
Which do you prefer: country or city life?
See results without votingI was just thinking the other day: Everyone I know in the country is weird. At least for my town, which has no stoplights and one main intersection, we are a little strange, I think. We don't get out much. We think running across the freeway is a thrill. I grew up playing in mud with frogs and snakes. Is that weird?
I feel like my friends and I have had a somewhat difficult time in mixing with others. I almost feel like if I had lived in the city, I might understand more about other types of people (as I've said before, I am the only Asian in my town, along with my brother) and how they think and interact. I feel at times that I am behind on a lot of things, including how to be cool. *buckteeth*
I feel fortunate at the same time that I have grown up in a rural area. I would never trade in my memories of playing in a stream, climbing trees galore, swimming in the river, and hiking up hills for a breathtaking view... all within a half mile from my house. I sometimes feel sorry for my friends who were surrounded by asphalt, concrete, and power lines.
I also think city life is much less healthy, what with all the waves radiating from wireless items like cell phones and Bluetooth, smog, gross water (tap water in the country is so much better than city tap, I can't even explain the difference), garbage... the country is so CLEAN. The sky is so expansive and the hills so extensive that I couldn't imagine such a thing as disease. The only people I know in my hometown with sicknesses smoke, color their hair, and eat too much aspartame. The people who grow their own vegetables and sit outside during the evenings are pretty healthy, as far as I can see.
Work may be more difficult if you live in the country - things get pretty dirty, and there's probably more yardwork (we have a big yard with bushes and trees and roses and more). You also have to look out for mountain lions and coyotes where I live... though I guess you have to battle traffic and other such things in the city.
It can be hard to bond with people in the country due to the physical differences between homes, but at the same time, there are so few people, you can't help but get together sometimes, and we are so close to our neighbors - even our city neighbors with weekend homes - that it's hard to believe.
There are some fascinating structures in Urbania - beautiful buildings, great shows and parades, and breathtaking lights and signs. I envy the diversity as well, in every aspect from ethnicity and culture, sexual orientation (anyone homosexual where I live are considered... different), political views, and more. It's also nice how much people have in common where I live, though.
I do like that I can set my own pace while living in the country. In the city, it seems like you're on a zillion schedules, and you have to depend on traffic, coworkers, prices... city life is too fast sometimes, but that can be exciting in a good way, too.
There are pros and cons of city and country life. Please tell me some of your own benefits and/or disadvantages you may know of!
Country Boy / City Girl
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Great perspective! I don't exactly live in the country, but I don't live in a big city either. (my city's pop. is 50,000) However, you can drive about 15 minutes out of town and be in the country. So I can identify with what you're talking about. It is very different!! Great post!
The best solution is to in a small satellite city of a huge one
I don´t think you´re weird but I´m suspect because I also live in the country :D
Even though I was born and grew up in a big city when I had the chance I escape to the country side and I will never live in a big city again. I guess I must be weird too ;)
Hello glassvisage,
This is a great hub. I live in the city, but I think I'm pretty weird for being bored of it. There seems to be nothing left to do. Another physical ailment: I'm semi-deaf. My most commonly used phrase is "what?"
My first 15 years of life, glassvisage, was as a city boy in Yonkers, N.Y., where there were always lots of kids around to play with and lots of things to do. We could travel all over the city easily on the trolley cars and we played a lot of stickball and softball and all the old games like Kick the Can, Hide and Seek, etc. I didn't see a live cow until I moved to Connecticut around 1950 or so. I loved the city, but there were drawbacks as well. Times have changed, and cities aren't what they once were, nor is anything else. It also depends, to some extent, on what city you're talking about.
We live out in the country, just outside the city limits of a village whose population is less than five hundred. I have ten acres surrounding my house, including part wooded (mostly oak) and part pasture, and an orchard full of apples and peaches. It's a great environment for my nine year old daughter, who is very active, likes gymnastics, swimming, horse-back riding and climbing trees. The down side is that she has no other kids to play with, unless we make a very formal play-date appointment. Children used to go outside and find their own friends. Now most parents work outside the home, and children my daughter's age are in day-care, even when school is out. Once we went to the pool and met up with some of her class-mates from school, who were on an organized outing with their day-care providers. It seems that with the social structure today, even children living in the country have very little individual choice as to what they do or who their friends are.
This is so true! It would take quite a bit to arrange a good playdate... and forget about house parties!
I'm living in a small town right now because I didn't want my children to grow up in the city. It's almost crime free which is great, but if you don't like tractor pulls then there's not a lot of entertainment except for the gossip:(
I agree, Karen; after living in both the country and the city, I've found the country or at least surburbia to be a much better place to raise children
Hi Karen, Aren't we all weird? And if we realize that, we would be more compassionate about others not like us. I am in La Mesa across the street from San Diego-surrrounded by nature. I love the culture of city and love the connected to harmony in nature. Viva la differance!
Judy Cullins bookcoaching.com
I love the countryside and being surrounded by nature, less traffic and less pollution too. Maybe someday I will retire in the countryside. LOL But for now where I lived, its not that bad yet. But the traffic is getting to be heavy. :)
I was born in the city of Philadelphia, and later when I was 12 years old I move to Horntown, VA a small contry town where I was raised. I love it. I move back to the city when I was 28 years old and hate it I plan to move back to country livig when I am retired, when I am 55 years or when my kids is old enough to take of them.
its so romantic to in country side with the one you love rather than staying in city with a buzy life................
not bad
interesting
certainly i like country live, perhaps someday i will go to my hometown too
the country seems super boring, what kind of night life is there really?
there is so much that you miss out by living in the country
(i can not speak for the country side since i never lived there for long)
I live in a little cityish place (daytona florida). Anyways ive been to the city and ive been to the country. God i love the city. I love the noise, the people, the lights, its a wonderful thing. When i went to chicago i was so happy, same with boston. I hate country life. I dont like silence, i love the noise of cars, people. I dont like the privacy, i love talking to people, meeting people. I basically am growing up in the middle. The city is the best thing ever. It looks so much more beautiful than the nature. I would die of boredom out in the country. I feel so at home in the city
Thanks, isaac, for your honest and personal perspective! You like what I like about cities... although the quiet of the country is something I adore as well, at times :)
Although I am grateful for this hub I can't believe it's the only link from Google on this subject. What a vast untapped topic. I moved from Chicago where I took the "L" to work to big hotels where I cooked and I always liked guns. I lived there 13 years. In Chicago you can't have guns. Sensing trouble I moved to rural WI where there is a shooting range right in town Pop. 1100. I've lived here now 10 years. Of course there are good and bad. Countryboy/citygirl is right lots of nature but you can tell he is lonely and I feel sorry for his girl and she will probably leave him. I never shoot I live alone I flip burgers in in strip mall and am distraught. The country lacks most of all culture, sensitivity and socialbilty. If you are not around people you will lack the social skills to communicate. The spoken word, the different body languages- all that- developes personality. Also the spoken word and human interaction is how much knowledge is disseminated. Converstaions are short and lack depth and meaning. Sarcasm, satire and innuendo are unheard of. As a country friend responded after I told of a city experience "you mean like a Stienfeld show?" I would trade all the rabbits, turkey, bear, deer etc. for a group of friends who were not trying to use the relationship to gather gossip as previous posts referred. It's like living in the Big Brother house where there are no secrets and lots of petty drama. Prison also comes to mind. Envy is rampant as country people are content with just being better of than you. In Chicago, to be exposed to poverty and despair you went to the west side, Here it's right down the street and they aren't black. They are referred to as white trash. Most live in trailers and are consumed with who has weed and when can we smoke it. Partys center around cards and Yahtzee. No gambling, too complicated too broke. The Gov't dole is everywhere. In Chicago it was mainly in the projects. In the city, hardship creates and interesting entrepreneurship - the hustle - selling socks on the subway, shining shoes on the street. Here it would be subect to ridicule and derision. Hard work and competion is risky. If unsuccessful you will be considered a loser you can't simply pick up and try it someplace else, the next corner or train. There is a hierarchy in all small towns going back generations -the chosen few -if you will. A mentality that there is not enough to go around. You can't tell a funnier joke than these people. You will be scorned. My advice to those making the same mistake as me first- don't buy country magazines they know your dislikes of the city and will play on them. Second -be vary wary of buying property our house sold in Chicago sold in a day. I've seen the same homes for sale for ten years out here. You will not know this as listing contracts expire. Just came on the market you'll hear. Third tell those you can that your from a small town somewhere else with more poverty. Lastly and don't laugh act real dumb feign a limp or stutter and they might leave you alone - alone in the country. All alone. After I while you'll be able to strike up a conversation with a turkey or even a coyote. good luck.
Very interesting, Dean. The comment about envy among country folk struck me; I agree, in that I feel that when I go back home, I shouldn't talk too much about what I'm doing in school or at work for fear that people may think I think I'm "better than them."
And as far as coyotes... we have to keep our cats inside so they won't have conversations with the coyotes!
OK... So I love the country
I've only been in a ranch and Grand Canyon. You feel like you can FINALLY breathe! It is like so totally cool.
GO COUNTRY-SIDE
Thank you for your comment HestiaPearl ,me too. As a young man I lived in a ranch in Oklahoma. I grew up riding horses, swimming in a lake, and hunting. The country is a wonderful place to go. It's quite healthy too.
Did I mention I am moving with my wife, Bonny to Oklahoma?
I'm moving into a ranch!
guidebaba says:
16 months ago
Thanks for answering my request.