Big cities or small towns?

[sleepydumpling]

I'm with you Alli - I like a little from column A, a little from column B!

[kaytie]

I like visiting small towns and living in big cities, but the big cities have to be big enough to support the kind of literary culture I like. San Diego is a big "small city," meaning it has some of what I love but not everything. Whereas Seattle is a small "big city" because it manages to have literary events AND opera AND small neighborhood festivals AND beautiful scenery.

Sometimes it's nice to go visit a small town with one main street and quiet roads, maybe with a river running through it...

[notrorygilmore]

I went to college in Macomb, IL. We had one movie theatre and it only had two screens. Our largest stores were Wal-Mart and K-Mart. Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonalds, and Wendy's were the only fast food places. I take that back, Arby's JUST opened up. Despite the tiny size, I really liked Macomb. It wouldn't be my ideal place to live, but I was fine with it. At home I'm in Peoria which is a fairly large city. It's no Chicago, but it's good size. There are plenty of stores, restaurants, parks, etc. to go to for entertainment. I know in high school everyone said they couldn't wait to get out of the town because it was too small. I have no problem with it. For larger towns like Chicago, LA, New York City, etc. I like to visit them, but I would never want to live there. I just would prefer not to live in a hustle and bustle town. I prefer the smaller, calmer, and relaxed setting a lot better. Like I said, I love to visit the big cities, I just don't care to ever live in the cities that are that large. To live in I'd prefer any size from small to big. Not tiny and not large. I wouldn't want to live in a town where, in order to my grocery shopping, I'd have to drive twenty minutes. I'd prefer to live somewhere that I can get anything I need in the town.

[ScottsdaleHomes]

I really prefer the small towns. The first time I got to truly experience one was when I went to college in Ellensburg, Wa. Unfortunately, I have to make a living so here I am in the huge town of Phoenix. Ha. Not to say I don't love where I live, but small towns are great.

[Scott]

I like big cities except that the cost-of-living tends to be higher.

[leslie.aponte]

I'm puertorrican. Puerto Rico is getting more like NYC with each passing minute. The only diference is: There are barely any parks here, and the ones that we do have, don't exactly cualify. I absolutely hate it! Everywhere you go there's some cliche and nobody knows anybody, it's like living with strangers. I would really love to live in a small town, where the crimes are lower due to the minority of people and it's much more familiar and peaceful, a much easier place to read in.

[callalilly]

Leslie Aponte, you must live near San Juan. Some of the smaller towns in PR are beautiful. I lived in San Juan for 3 years and it was pretty crazy. Beautiful but very crime ridden compared to what I was used to. I grew up in small areas. Now I live in Omaha, Nebraska which has about half a million people, not too big but small enough to know how to get around. I wish I could live in NYC just once. Doubt that will happen now that I have kids but it would be fun. I would love to visit, heck I want to visit everywhere!

[Bighuey]

This is an old one, I thought I would throw it in and see what happens. Ive lived in small towns most of my adult life, I like them better. Theres not the crime and hustle and bustle and noise and traffic there is in the big cities. The town I live in now is a little farm town of about 500 people way out in the middle of nowhere and I love it here. Its a little primitive, mine is one of the few houses that has indoor plumbing with a septic tank, most people have the little house out back. But I like primitive. I have to drive once a month 200 miles to San Diego to get my mail but I psyche myself up 2 or 3 days before I have to go and just grit my teeth and bear it going to the wicked big city.

[Fran]

This is an old one, I thought I would throw it in and see what happens. Ive lived in small towns most of my adult life, I like them better. Theres not the crime and hustle and bustle and noise and traffic there is in the big cities. The town I live in now is a little farm town of about 500 people way out in the middle of nowhere and I love it here. Its a little primitive, mine is one of the few houses that has indoor plumbing with a septic tank, most people have the little house out back. But I like primitive. I have to drive once a month 200 miles to San Diego to get my mail but I psyche myself up 2 or 3 days before I have to go and just grit my teeth and bear it going to the wicked big city.

Good Lord ... 200 miles to get the post. I can see why you like ebooks

[Bighuey]

When I go that far to get my mail, I buy myself goodies at Walmart to reward myself and go to the jack-in-the-box and get an American hamburger. That makes it a little easier. I like tacos but sometimes they get a little old.

[Melaniep]

I grew up in a big town outside of Seattle. I now live in a tiny town you've never heard of in Wisconsin and I absolutely hate it! There's nothing to do, nothing to see. I have to drive an hour for a decent grocery store or a movie or any other form of entertainment.

Not to mention the "small town mentality." From the moment I moved here, everybody had to know what my last name is, who my "people" are, etc. Most people don't bother taking the time to get to know newcomers as they already have all their friends that they've known their whole lives. The only way for an outsider to make friends is to hang out at the bar, which I'm not a fan of.

My fiance and I are looking for work in more urban areas. We can't wait to get out of here!

[Bighuey]

Thats a disavantage of small towns. Everyone knows your business, whos sleeping with who, etc. But after a while you are accepted as one of them and I think that is great. People tend to help one another and are closer than in the cities, where no one gives a care whether you live or die. As for being away from stores and things, you learn to adapt and work out a schedule to get groceries and things like that. Also they have services like Netflix to rent movies and to download music online. I wouldnt live anywhere else.

[Fran]

I've lived in cities and have never been a fan .. too many people & too little me space.
I live in a rural location although only a few miles from both large & small towns and I love it. I love the space, the privacy, the air, the lack of traffic & the fact that I'm almost beside the beach and still have lots of rural roads & lanes to walk safely & at my leisure.
We have neighbors but we retain our privacy knowing that our neighbors are friendly & helpful when required as we try to be to them.

The only down side is the holiday invasion of noisy citydwellers

[Bighuey]

We dont get the big city folks here, were pretty much off the beaten track. Every couple months or so the town has a party at the beach, its kind of like a pot luck, everyone brings something. Its really nice, everyone gets to talk to everyone, people are really close here. I dont talk much, my Spanish is terrible but Im learning. You dont see that in the big cities. Nobody cares about their neighbors. Your wife could be raped, you could be strung up by your thumbs to reveal the whereabouts of your hoarded wealth, your Uncle Joe could be knocked in the head, your dog Spot could be shot, and the neighbors would sit idly by and watch the whole thing as if they were watching an episode of CSI. No, small towns are defenitly better.

[Melaniep]

But after a while you are accepted as one of them and I think that is great. .

How long is a while? I've been here since 2002. Lol! To be honest, at this point I'd rather not be accepted as part of the community. Way too much bull comes with that territory. I'd rather live in a place where everybody didn't grow up together so being "accepted" isn't an issue. You can just talk to people and become friends. It's so simple! I miss it. Hopefully soon...