Moving from small town to big city (or vice versa)

[Dekka]

Just some random thoughts and wondering if any other chazzers have felt the same.

I lived outside of Ptbo or in Ptbo for years. Its a smallish City of about 75K. Its the largest thing in its area with many smaller towns and hamlets around. Not very population dense.

We moved to a large city this summer. Its part of the GTA (greater toronto area) The city of Mississauga is over 700k on its own and the GTA is over 6 million. Living an hour and half out of the GTA meant I was familiar with it having visited and shopped there often. However living here is different.

All the things so close! I am interviewing a vet's office and its within easy walking distance. Work is close for both myself and the BF. The school is really close for Darien. Canada's second largest mall is maybe a 15 min walk. Shops from small mom and pop shops to interesting ethnic shops to huge outlet stores all within a 10 min drive tops. Many in walking distance. Just down the road is Lake Ontario with great trails etc.

I feel like I could live a full and diverse lifestyle never going more than a short distance from my apt (well I would miss my horse, he is the one thing that isn't close). Its so weird.

Anyone else made the move from a more rural location to big city or maybe the other way around? Did you find it good, bad, etc? What did your dogs think? Schen doesn't know any different and Dekka doesn't care as long as I am here.

 

[Snark]

Well, we used to live in the suburbs, so nothing was really in walking distance there either (and the main road to the nearest stores only recently put in sidewalks) but everything was within 10 to 25 minutes drive time. Dogs only got to really run when we took them to the boarding barn where we kept our horses and they got to play off leash with the barn owners' dogs (no dog parks back then). I'll admit, I wish I'd recorded Patch playing 'manure luge' with the rest of the dogs (racing around the small mountain of manure, which had paths worn into it, to leap and disappear over the far edge - horse people should be able to envision what I'm talking about. ) She'd come home smelly but happy.

Now we're out in the country, the closest small town (with a grocery and hardware store) is 30 min, bigger town (more shops and our vet) is 45-55 min. (depending on whether one gets stuck behind an ambling pickup truck going 10 or more miles slower than the speed limit) and the big city is a little over an hour on the highway (70 mph).

I think I like country living better - no close neighbors so if the dogs want to bark their heads off at deer or other critters, no one is calling the cops. Family doesn't just 'drop by' without warning (omigod, pick up the dog toys, pull the old bedspreads off the furniture and vacuum up the fur that magically appears right after you vacuum the first time!!) We have 40 acres with 2 acres fenced around the house for the dogs and have access to another 120 acres adjacent to us for walking the dogs. Not a lot of traffic on the road and I can see the Milky Way on a clear night. We still drive into the city (we just plan on an hour or so travel time one way) but there are certainly a lot more nuts on the road, the closer we get to 'civilization'.

Down side is the travel time if there's an emergency and it's harder to socialize Michaela - no people around unless we drive somewhere. Otherwise, we plan our shopping trips, etc. with our route home from work and if something's forgotten, well, we're not hopping in the car to run back to the store to pick it up that night. It'll have to wait until the next day (depending on what other errands have to be run), the weekend (if we're going somewhere), or the next week.

 

[Dekka]

if something's forgotten, well, we're not hopping in the car to run back to the store to pick it up that night. It'll have to wait until the next day (depending on what other errands have to be run), the weekend (if we're going somewhere), or the next week.

For years of having to make due if you forgot something I LOVE being able to be all "nah I will just go get it" Takes the stress out of shopping and I hate shopping.

 

[*blackrose]

Hands down like country living better.

I grew up in the middle of nowhere, a few miles off a highway. 20 minutes away from a city of 100,000 population size. 45 minutes away from a city of 850,000 and an international airport. That's about perfect for me. Close enough to a large city that opportunities are pretty limitless, far enough away that my dogs have land to run on, neighbors have livestock, and I can see the stars.

Even when I lived in the apartment with Michael, we were still fairly rural. Just off the interstate. 10-15 minutes away from a Big 10 University campus.

Now we're in a small subdivision on the very north side of a city of about 72,000 (greater area has about 150,000). Very similar to how we grew up, although things are much more spread out and there is only one movie theater and walmart instead of 4. Haha I'd much rather be living on more rural property with a large yard than where we are now.

Luckily, Michael feels the same. So I'm hoping our eventual property/house will be close to our "ideal".

 

[Torch]

I enjoy living in the city. I grew up in a very rural area, moved to the suburbs while I was in college, and then my husband and I moved into an urban neighborhood.

I love being able to walk lots of places, socialize the dogs, and having courteous neighbors. I think living in close proximity with others has its upsides; people don't let their dogs run loose, someone's always around in case of an emergency, and so many services are available when you live in the city. We have a pub and a nice restaurant literally one street over. It's awesome.

Knoxville is one of the greenest cities in the nation, though, so it's not as if I'm living in a concrete jungle. We have a corner lot and a big yard with mature trees, so it's not totally artificial.

I can drive 15 minutes in pretty much any direction and find a park or preserve. There's tons of beautiful attractions around here that are dog friendly. I live about an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but sadly they are not dog friendly. However, there are multiple state parks within an hour's drive that are equally beautiful.

 

[sparks19]

I grew up in a fairly large city where everything was RIGHT there. Very densely populated (not spread out at all). Walking distance to everything or a short drive.

Then I moved to Lancaster, PA and while it's not a small town... it's VERY spread out! The closest grocery store and such is 10 minutes from my house. Tons of farm land and wooded areas and just very open and spread out.

I LOVE IT here!!!! Whenever I go back "home" to visit, I feel so insanely closed in, almost claustrophobic.

 

[CrystalGSD]

I live in the suburbs with little access to nature and everything is in driving distance (5-15 minute drive) but not walking distance, which is frustrating. I find myself wanting to live in a big city where everything is walking distance with access to forests and nature within a 45 minute drive.

 

[Landshark!]

I moved from the middle of nowhere TN to Knoxville. Which in my area of Knoxville, there's tons of places to visit within both walking and driving distance. My biggest issue with living in an urban area other than traffic is the noise and sheer amount of people surrounding me. I prefer quiet and can't stand excessive amounts of random noises or the thought of being surrounded by a lot of strangers...I'm paranoid.

 

[BostonBanker]

I prefer quiet and can't stand excessive amounts of random noises or the thought of being surrounded by a lot of strangers...I'm paranoid.

That's me as well, although I think it is less paranoia for me and more just...too much. I'm not even remotely in a city - I've lived in the same area of maybe 2 square miles my entire life - but I'm in a condo now, and I hate it. Too many people too close.

There are things I love about cities when I visit. I love different aspects of both Boston and NYC. But I just don't think I could do it long term. Unless I could afford to own my own bit of property without a HOA in a city, but I can't see that happening ever, even if it is something that exists.

 

[Greenmagick]

I like the idea of country living but I also realize I very much need the convenience of city....so its hard. What I really need is to win the lottery and be able to afford a 5 acre lot or so IN the city/inner suburbs that has a bit of the best of both lol and then also have acreage in the country as as getaway spot

 

[JessLough]

I find myself wanting to live in a big city where everything is walking distance with access to forests and nature within a 45 minute drive.

This.

I grew up in Ottawa. Big city, multiple stores, malls and vets within a 10-30 minute walk. I could also easily get to nature, or have a 15-45 minute if I wanted the true "country". Always some kind of festival or something going on, always something to do. I basically walked everywhere, or took public transit.

I'm moving to Guelph. Apparently there are some nice walking trails and things, but I haven't been here in nice weather to see/take advantage. The closest mall is a 45 minute walk way, and there's really no grocery stores or convenience stores closer. I basically can't walk anywhere easily, other than the park that's across the street. You really need a car to get around. There's transit, but it apparently sucks and takes way longer to get anywhere. There's nothing to do here, though again that could just be a winter thing.

It's definitely a difference. I consider anything that I could walk to within 30 minutes as close. SO considers anything within a 2 hour drive close.

It's not even like this is a small city or anything! It's just a lot smaller than I'm used to, and it's definitely an adjustment.

 

[milos_mommy]

I've lived in both suburbs (I don't consider them rural by any stretch, but people who have come to visit here have said they're surprised how rural it is...I think basically because there's farms and twisty back dirt roads instead of just a grid of .25 acre homes, but even the farms are within 10-15 minutes of all major commodities - grocery store, department stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc.)

and in the heart of Manhattan.

I don't mind the suburbs - I do love the nature aspects, being able to find hiking, beaches that aren't crowded, tranquility, etc. I preferred the city, but I think my ideal would be living somewhere slightly more city-like (public transportation, more ethnic diversity and food options, etc.)

Here, I live about 5 miles south of a university town. I live in an extremely typically suburban lower-middle class area. All the houses were built the same, however have all been expanded differently. Each house is on a quarter acre. The neighborhoods are more or less grids. My neighborhood is between a county road (so basically a small highway, no shops or anything, just exits to major highways and smaller roads) and another road that's all commercial. It's pretty much just strip mall after strip mall and they all have a nail salon, deli, laundromat, and americanized chinese takeout in them.

The university spans a couple of square miles, and north of it is the more wealthy area (upper middle class) where the professors, doctors (it's a university hospital), and people like engineers, lawyers, etc. live. The houses there are VERY old, mostly built in the 1600s (some in the 1500s), and generally not as close together. The roads are windy, properties are irregular (some people have a fifth of an acre, and their next door neighbors have five), it's dotted with small farms. The "villages" (walking distance) there are more like small businesses and expensive restaurants and clothing boutiques. It's only a five minute drive to more commercial main roads.

What I dislike about the suburbs :
1) less to do, obviously. On one hand, there's probably a lot more than other suburbs....we have tons of nice harvest festivals, strawberry festivals, and even small concerts at the farms, and some good events at the university, but I miss being able to go to whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. In the city, you want trivia night? Go ANY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. Wanna see a free concert or show? Choose your genre. Want to eat a really good meal for really cheap? Pick the type of food you want. Here....you can do those things, but you have to wait around for it and don't have as many options

2) Little to no public transportation Basically, you can take a bus if you're able to walk 2-5 miles to a bus stop, just to take the bus to either the mall, target, or the university. I like city transportation, even if the MTA gets a lot of flak and has it's downsides.

3) way less choice in food places/restaurants Here, the options are fast food chains, ridiculously expensive (I won't say overpriced, the food is renowned and very good, but unaffordable unless you have a three figure salary) restaurants, or like....a bagel place. or americanized chinese food. I guess we have cheap local family cafes and taco joints and stuff, but they honestly suck. In NYC if I wanted a delicious plate of goat and rice or ethiopian food or chicken tikki masala or calf brain tacos I could easily find them. A dozen awesomely reviewed wings places delivered. Here if I want wings I can call dominoes. Or pick them up at applebees curbside. Barf.

4) I don't find people as neighborly as they were in the big city. Weird, but true. I might ask my one next door neighbor here to borrow sugar, but in my apartment building, I could ask five people in the hall.


I'm a city person. Even though I love having lots of outdoor space, would love to have a pool one day, and maybe even a big house instead of an apartment or brownstone....I don't think I could ever live more than 45 minutes away from a major city. And I honestly think I'd give up the whole yard/pool/etc thing for city amenities. Here I can have coffee on my back porch, sure, but in NYC I could have coffee on my roof, and it didn't have to be either DD or starbucks coffee.

As much as I love visiting really rural areas/camping/growing up spending vacations at my grandma's house 25 minutes from the nearest gas station and 45 from the nearest supermarket, with bears and deer and coyotes and apple trees in the backyard and quadding in the woods for two hours before you hit the neighbor's property....I don't think I'd last more than about three weeks in the middle of nowhere.

 

[PWCorgi]

I came from a podunk little town in Pennsylvania, and moved to Minneapolis.

I want to say that I loved the country. But really, I love the convenience that I have now. It helps that there are so many parks and trails here, that I can still get away. But yeah, no intention of moving out into the country again.

 

[Dekka]

I like the idea of country living but I also realize I very much need the convenience of city....so its hard. What I really need is to win the lottery and be able to afford a 5 acre lot or so IN the city/inner suburbs that has a bit of the best of both lol and then also have acreage in the country as as getaway spot

If I was to win the lottery. I would like a nice condo down town Toronto. Near the lakeshore would be nice. Then I would buy a farm outside of the GTA. 100 acres or so and build a house and barn in the middle.

I love both and that way I wouldn't have to choose permanently. No suburbs though, I want all the amenities and the 'energy' of a urban area, or the solitude and nature of the country.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

No way I or DH could do it. In CO, we lived in the outskirts of Fort Collins and even that was much too city for us. We need space, no neighbors, ect. We are probably living pretty "rural" to most right now and it is by far not far enough out. We would be fine on about 100 acres in the middle of nowhere with a grocery store about an hour away. I couldn't deal with the noise, the people. UGH. No thank you.

 

[Fran27]

I grew up in the suburbs of Paris... like, 5 minutes subway drive to get to Paris, and 3 minutes walk to shops and a small grocery store, and 5 minutes car ride to basically everything. It's very city like over there though without much in term of green parks at all. It was great, until I moved out to a farther suburb at 22... I loved it. Yes, the commute was longer, and I had to drive 15 minutes for the closest grocery store, but there was green everywhere and it was so relaxing...

Then I moved to Paris. Horrible. I absolutely hated it. The noise, the crowds, the lack of green... I was so stressed all the time (ok, I was coming from a divorce, and it wasn't the best time of my life either, but still). Could walk or take the metro to anywhere, there were lots of shops in walking distance, I could order food or groceries for deliveries any time I liked (all kinds of food, really, even beer)... but it just sucked!

I moved to the US to a suburb too. Had to drive 10 minutes to go to the stores, but there were green spaces at least... and trees. Much better. The neighborhood was tiny though so there wasn't much of anywhere to walk to, and there were no sidewalks to get to the town center, so it wasn't ideal and I gained a lot of weight...

Now where I live it's actually perfect for me - great neighborhood with a lot of green, I can actually walk to a grocery store or pharmacy if I want to (10-20 minutes depending on which way I go), there are 3 different hubs with stores around (5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes car ride), movie theater 5 minutes away (25 minutes walk), two great parks within 5 miles... It's just great. I went back to France 3 years ago (where I grew up) and again I was shocked by the lack of green... I don't think I could live there again either.

So I guess I just need a balance... Lots of green, some room for walks without having to take the car, but convenience too... I hate living in the city but I wouldn't like living in the middle of nowhere.

 

[JacksonsMom]

Well I grew up in basically the suburbs. The typical neighborhood with house upon house, each did have like .30 acre lots, but sidewalks, lots of neighbors, HOA fees, etc. I loved it as a kid. My parents never had to worry about me really... I had sooo many friends as each home seemed to have kids my age so my friends and I were always at each others doors "Wanna play?!" haha. And in the summers I would spend outside with my friends ALL day from like 9am-9pm (or until the street lights came on). The ice cream truck came every day and we always had a dollar or two on us to get something. I rarely checked in on my parents, usually just for a quick lunch or dinner and then back outside. There was atleast 15-20 kids out on a daily basis.

I honestly don't think I would like that now. I'm so used to living with more land and more privacy now. I think the constant hussle bussle of a neighborhood may drive me crazy. But occasionally I miss it and I wish my little sister had that. She is 7 now and bored a lot, unless she has friends dropped off to play for a bit or whatever.

I like being able to go outside looking terrible without a thought to walk the dogs first thing in the morning. LOL. And not having to worry about a neighbor knowing you're home and being nosy. And constant sales/doorbell ringing/whatnot. BUT we're still super close to all the little local cities, I mean all grocery stores, malls, etc, are a mere 10-20 mins away. Definitely couldn't walk anywhere though from our house.

My dads street is kind of the best of both worlds. He has 2 acres, but we still live on kind of a 'street'/neighborhood, but we have privacy, farmfields surrounding us, but we're not totally alone either. lol.

I guess I see appeals to both and can't choose. I think I'd do fine living a city life, in an apartment, with everything walking distance for a while but I think I'd miss the quiet life of the country too after a while.

 

[crazedACD]

I've grown up pretty much in the suburbs... or, small towns but close to everyone. In Massachusetts it's all been smallish towns but there is usually a grocery store, gas station etc in town. I lived in Florida and Texas in more populated areas and everything was right there, but you still had a yard and green space.

I've now moved to the literal middle of nowhere in Missouri.. I like it. We don't lock the doors here. We have maybe 80 cleared acres and a total of 200ish? It's about 25 minutes to get to town...to gas stations, grocery stores etc. I do wish there was a gas station closer, so I wouldn't have to go all the way to town to get a pack of smokes or a soda or something. It's not bad at all though.
I will admit, in my small towns I was cool with going out walking the dogs after dark around town. Here..no way, way too many coyotes and wildlife.
It's about an hour and a half to Kansas City, and an hour and 15 to Joplin. So, shopping isn't TOO far but I definitely plan when I am going.
I will admit though I miss the dog sports scene. There isn't much for classes or shows or anything.

 

[CrystalGSD]

Well I grew up in basically the suburbs. The typical neighborhood with house upon house, each did have like .30 acre lots, but sidewalks, lots of neighbors, HOA fees, etc. I loved it as a kid. My parents never had to worry about me really... I had sooo many friends as each home seemed to have kids my age so my friends and I were always at each others doors "Wanna play?!" haha. And in the summers I would spend outside with my friends ALL day from like 9am-9pm (or until the street lights came on). The ice cream truck came every day and we always had a dollar or two on us to get something. I rarely checked in on my parents, usually just for a quick lunch or dinner and then back outside.

Sounds like my childhood

 

[joce]

When I was little we lived on what now is a giant park. Couldn't hear the road, neighbors, and it was surrounded by trees. It was at one time a quarry. Now it's a horse park I can go ride at so kind of neat.

I have always been weird about people being on "my" land. My mom says when I was five a hunter knocked on the door saying I confronted him telling him to get off my land, that he couldn't hunt there. I was supposed to be on the porch and heard him shooting(how am I still alive?)so went to tell him off.

I can't see paying money for a home in the city where you have to listen to neighbors and have people tell you what you can and can't do with number of dogs, barking, parking your cars, fences etc etc.

I'd be happiest in the middle of a couple hundred acres with an hour drive to anything. But I need to work to afford these horses so thirteen acres it is!! We are pretty country here.