Country Life vs. City Life: Which Do You Prefer?

  • Thread starter wolram
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Life
In summary: The country side is getting worse, i guess no where is far from a motorway in the uk, and traffic on b roads can be horrendous at peak times.I live here (between Tampa and St. Petersburg). I would guess it's a medium-sized city. I think it's quite nice. I like having plenty of stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, recreation facilities, libraries, museums, emergency services, and such nearby. There are also lots of tourist attractions around....In summary, I prefer cities and towns because they have more to do, but I don't like the crowds, traffic, aroma, hustle and bustle.
  • #1
wolram
Gold Member
Dearly Missed
4,446
558
Which do you prefer?

To me cities and towns are places to avoid, and only visit out of necessity,
I don't like the crowds, traffic, aroma, hustle and bustle.
Some cities, towns are 24/7 so i guess there is all ways some thing to do
but it's not for me.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Hmm I am not sure what the aroma is in our city :P. We have quite a lot of bustle but not much hustble... Plus the country roads around here are dangerous and everyoen in teh country lives a billion miles away.
 
  • #3
I prefer to take the middle ground- live on the outskirts of a medium sized city, so there's plenty to do and lots of people to see, but the countryside is just a stone's throw away.
I do love the country, but i don't think i could be happy so far away from everything/everyone. I'd get bored/lonely a lot.
 
  • #4
A small old style apartment in the middle of a large city, definitely :approve:
 
  • #5
Monique said:
A small old style apartment in the middle of a large city, definitely :approve:

What is meant by, "old style", how do they differ from new?
 
  • #6
I much prefer the relative quiet of the country-side, having lived in several major cities (and visited several of the world's major cities) and several very small country towns.

Unfortunately, at the moment, my family and I live in what is essentially as suburban area. And we get the benefit of ozone and other air pollution from the major metropolitan area, which is spread out some 50-100 miles to the south of us. :grumpy:
 
  • #7
Astronuc said:
Unfortunately, at the moment, my family and I live in what is essentially as suburban area. And we get the benefit of ozone and other air pollution from the major metropolitan area, which is spread out some 50-100 miles to the south of us. :grumpy:

I guess city dwellers get used to the aroma of pollutants, but to me different
cities have different aromas, some are ok but others not.
 
  • #8
wolram said:
I guess city dwellers get used to the aroma of pollutants, but to me different cities have different aromas, some are ok but others not.
Quite true - each city has a unique smell.

I lived outside (150 km) of one major city, where my family (parents and siblings) and a few close friends lived. When I would visit the city after being away for several months, I would invariable smell the 'stench' up to 100 km away, and the smell grew stronger as I approached. Then I would notice the 'brown' or 'yellow' air.

Now when I fly along the eastern and southeast coast of the US, when the plane flies through the low altitiudes (700 - 1500 m), I can see the 'brown' haze that stretches across the sky.

I then wonder why we poison ourselves and the world which is our home. I wonder how many illnesses and premature deaths are caused by that pollution. For many, I suppose it's out of sight, out of mind.
 
  • #9
Astronuc said:
Quite true - each city has a unique smell.

I lived outside (150 km) of one major city, where my family (parents and siblings) and a few close friends lived. When I would visit the city after being away for several months, I would invariable smell the 'stench' up to 100 km away, and the smell grew stronger as I approached. Then I would notice the 'brown' or 'yellow' air.

Now when I fly along the eastern and southeast coast of the US, when the plane flies through the low altitiudes (700 - 1500 m), I can see the 'brown' haze that stretches across the sky.

I then wonder why we poison ourselves and the world which is our home. I wonder how many illnesses and premature deaths are caused by that pollution. For many, I suppose it's out of sight, out of mind.

All this sounds so bad :yuck: but i wonder if humanity will evolve to tolerate
this gunge? That sounds worse human rats.
 
  • #10
Astronuc said:
Quite true - each city has a unique smell.

In some cases, each street does. There are a few places in my city that I can identify by smell alone.
 
  • #11
matthyaouw said:
In some cases, each street does. There are a few places in my city that I can identify by smell alone.

The country side is getting worse, i guess no where is far from a motorway
in the uk, and traffic on b roads can be horrendous at peak times.
 
  • #12
I live here (between Tampa and St. Petersburg). I would guess it's a medium-sized city. I think it's quite nice. I like having plenty of stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, recreation facilities, libraries, museums, emergency services, and such nearby. There are also lots of tourist attractions around. I don't feel like it's overcrowded, but I would much rather live in a car-free city.
 
  • #13
In my neighborhood, we have 4 Thai restaurants, 3 Japanese, 2 Ethiopian, 1 morrocan, 3 mexican, 3 noodle shops, 4 italians, 1 cajun, 1 vietnamese, countless bars and dance clubs, etc., all within walking distance. One just doesn't get that kind of ethnic and cultural diversity away from the city. It's busy, yes. Noisy? Sometime. Parking? Horrible at times. But I wouldn't trade living with such diverse group of people from practically all over the world for peace and quiet. The idea of "different but equal" is never more clearly illustrated here.

Zz.
 
  • #14
Astronuc said:
Quite true - each city has a unique smell.
I lived on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge for a summer, and you could definitely smell the garbage in some places. I just held my breath and walked a little faster until I was past it. :yuck: It was still great to be able to walk around safely at night, because there were plenty of other people walking around. I miss being able to do that here.
 
  • #15
honestrosewater said:
I live here (between Tampa and St. Petersburg). I would guess it's a medium-sized city. I think it's quite nice. I like having plenty of stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, recreation facilities, libraries, museums, emergency services, and such nearby. There are also lots of tourist attractions around. I don't feel like it's overcrowded, but I would much rather live in a car-free city.

Your city looks nice, surrounded by water, and i think all cities should be car free, bring back the trams.
 
  • #16
honestrosewater said:
I lived on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge for a summer, and you could definitely smell the garbage in some places. I just held my breath and walked a little faster until I was past it. :yuck: It was still great to be able to walk around safely at night, because there were plenty of other people walking around. I miss being able to do that here.

Why is it not safe to walk around at night, gangs or some such?
 
  • #17
wolram said:
What is meant by, "old style", how do they differ from new?
Right now I live in a new apartment, which feels like a concrete box. A friend of mine living a few streets down lives in an apartment that is original to the neighbourhood, which still has wooden floors and lots of character. A pro of new buildings is that you don't have mice and noise from neighbours, a con is lack of character.
ZapperZ said:
In my neighborhood, we have 4 Thai restaurants, 3 Japanese, 2 Ethiopian, 1 morrocan, 3 mexican, 3 noodle shops, 4 italians, 1 cajun, 1 vietnamese, countless bars and dance clubs, etc., all within walking distance. One just doesn't get that kind of ethnic and cultural diversity away from the city. It's busy, yes. Noisy? Sometime. Parking? Horrible at times. But I wouldn't trade living with such diverse group of people from practically all over the world for peace and quiet. The idea of "different but equal" is never more clearly illustrated here.

Zz.
Exactly my sentiment, I love the ethnic/cultural diversity in large cities. Everything is walking/cycling distance, or you just hop onto the subway/tram. I like going to the park and sit there reading a book, watching city live go by.
 
  • #18
Doe's anyone live or work in a sky scraper, do they scare you, "i see they sway
in the wind", is that noticeable? how long would it take to get out of one like
the empire state from the top?
 
  • #19
wolram said:
Why is it not safe to walk around at night, gangs or some such?
There are some gangs (the only ones I've had contact with are the Bloods, B Boys, Eastside, Latin Kings, Crips, and Folk Nation), but they are usually only physically violent with each other. They don't have a big presence, and AFAIK there aren't a lot of hardcore members in my area. I've really only had contact with them because I was friends with a lot of them when I was younger and stupider. I think I could probably spot a group of them anyway, since they usually display their colors and such (wearing hats to the gang's side (right or left), rolling up pant leg of their side, tattoos, etc.). They also usually congregate in certain areas, which I would avoid. Anyway, I'm more afraid of lone rapists and murderers who might see a young woman walking alone down the street at night as easy prey. Not that there is a lot of crime here- it just isn't safe enough.
 
Last edited:
  • #20
I like living near cities, but not in them. I want to be able to go into the city on weekends to have things to do, or even to work in a city...there's an energy there that I can just feed off of, but then have my house out where it's quiet and dark at night.
 
  • #21
honestrosewater said:
There are some gangs (the only ones I've had contact with are the Bloods, B Boys, Eastside, Latin Kings, Crips, and Folk Nation), but they are usually only physically violent with each other. They don't have a big presence, and AFAIK there aren't a lot of hardcore members in my area. I've really only had contact with them because I was friends with a lot of them when I was younger and stupider. I think I could probably spot a group of them anyway, since they usually display their colors and such (wearing hats to the gang's side (right or left), rolling up pant leg of their side, tattoos, etc.). They also usually congregate in certain areas, which I would avoid. Anyway, I'm more afraid of lone rapists and murderers who might see a young woman walking alone down the street at night as prey. Not that there is a lot of crime here- it just isn't safe enough.

The uk is bad according to the news papers, crime seems rife, and punishment is a dirty word, even young kids going around terrorizing the public, but if anyone tries to stop them they are in the wrong, and risk prosecution.
Gets off soap box.
 
  • #22
Wow sounds like a nice place to ... rob a bank.
 
  • #23
Moonbear said:
house out where it's quiet and dark at night.
Ulp :devil:
 
  • #24
Pengwuino said:
Wow sounds like a nice place to ... rob a bank.

Yep, and is by some slim chance you get caught you are treated five star
at one of HMP's.
 
  • #25
Can i sue the police too for no reason?
 
  • #26
Pengwuino said:
Can i sue the police too for no reason?

Well no, but if a copper looks at you may be you have grounds.
 
  • #27
hmm... well if that's the case... i prefer california
 
  • #28
i prefer smaller towns, just as long as i have access to broadband internet!
 
  • #29
I detest neighbours they are a nuisance.

The perfect "home":

A large (6/7) bedroomed Victorian Farmhouse.
Enough room for a pool obviously covered over with a conservatory, also a patio, decking area, pond, and then onto pastures and farm buildings for the horses.
Preferably the house would have a basement too.
The closest neighbours a mile or more away.

Yup, I'm anti-social - in fact I think so long as I had an internet connection I'd quite like to be a hermit...
 
  • #30
wolram said:
Gets off soap box.

*quickly jumps up on wolrams soap ox*

Bring back corporal punishment - simple solution. Why should you be protected if you cause loss or harm to others?
Oh yes of course human rights, now you can't even slap that little brat screaming that it wants sweets.
You have to tell it calmly why mommy says no and if you can't do that you're a baaaaaaaaad parent.
poppycock
A swift slap across the rear never hurt anything more than pride for long, and those slap need not be delivered often if respect is instilled - the threat of the slap is enough, so long as you say what you mean and mean what you say.

*gets pushed off the soap box*

hey - I wasn't done I could go on ALLLLLLLLLLLLL day
 
  • #31
*Kia* said:
*quickly jumps up on wolrams soap ox*

Bring back corporal punishment - simple solution. Why should you be protected if you cause loss or harm to others?
Oh yes of course human rights, now you can't even slap that little brat screaming that it wants sweets.
You have to tell it calmly why mommy says no and if you can't do that you're a baaaaaaaaad parent.
poppycock
A swift slap across the rear never hurt anything more than pride for long, and those slap need not be delivered often if respect is instilled - the threat of the slap is enough, so long as you say what you mean and mean what you say.

*gets pushed off the soap box*


hey - I wasn't done I could go on ALLLLLLLLLLLLL day

I hope Danger is reading this :biggrin:
 
  • #32
*Kia* said:
*quickly jumps up on wolrams soap ox*

Bring back corporal punishment - simple solution. Why should you be protected if you cause loss or harm to others?
Oh yes of course human rights, now you can't even slap that little brat screaming that it wants sweets.
You have to tell it calmly why mommy says no and if you can't do that you're a baaaaaaaaad parent.
poppycock
A swift slap across the rear never hurt anything more than pride for long, and those slap need not be delivered often if respect is instilled - the threat of the slap is enough, so long as you say what you mean and mean what you say.

*gets pushed off the soap box*

hey - I wasn't done I could go on ALLLLLLLLLLLLL day

You brits don't seem to like your kids much :P
 
  • #33
ZapperZ said:
In my neighborhood, we have 4 Thai restaurants, 3 Japanese, 2 Ethiopian, 1 morrocan, 3 mexican, 3 noodle shops, 4 italians, 1 cajun, 1 vietnamese, countless bars and dance clubs, etc., all within walking distance. One just doesn't get that kind of ethnic and cultural diversity away from the city.
Yes, the one thing that would drive me crazy about living in the country is the boring food. I once spent a long weekend in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful area, but the only place to eat was this one small diner, and you couldn't get anything except cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and fish sticks.

Actually, central New Jersey offers a nice balance in this regard. For a suburban region, we have a remarkable degree of ethnic diversity. All of the different kinds of food you mentioned are available, not within walking distance perhaps, but certainly within easy driving distance (10-15 minutes). A lot of New Yorkers like to make jokes about New Jersey, but in reality we get many of the benefits of living in the city, without the hassles and high costs.
 
  • #34
Pengwuino said:
You brits don't seem to like your kids much :P

We're not too keen on yours either :wink:
 
  • #35
I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to live anywhere but a suburb. I'd like the serenity of the country. However, I'd also like the convenience and activeness of the city. Suburbs, however, (at least the one I lived in) aren't quiet and spacious enough ot be serene, and aren't close enough to lots of different stores/restaurants or busily exciting enough to be convenient and active. It's like the worst of both. Granted, I think people's opinions differ a lot when they use different types of transportation. I only recently started driving regularly, so going into the city before meant about 1 hour total of public transportation. I also lived on a pretty busy street that was very noisy. Yep - worst of both :mad:
 

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
25
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
747
  • General Discussion
Replies
20
Views
2K
Replies
20
Views
854
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
9
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
882
Back
Top