Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Rural, Suburban, or Urban?

SamIchi

SamIchi

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 1, 2004
2,716
137
Where do you live and what do you prefer?

I've lived in the burbs for my whole life. I like it, but then again, I haven't lived anywhere else. I don't think I'd like the country side, or a small town. The city seems overwhelming but I think I could get used to it. My dad has an apartment in NYC, and have stayed there many a times, but livin' there would be a totally different experience. I don't know how I would take it in. I thought of tryin' to live there, but I'm so damn comfortable here, but I wanna experience the city also.

Well, what about you guys?
 
i live in the burbs but make frequent trips to la and i hate it. the city is noisy crowded, driving sucks and people are mean. but im sure some people love it, as my gf does. i guess the enjoyment is just lost on me.
 
I live in an urban area and love it, when I go and watch films and hang out, the city is full of life. Especially when I turn 18 and go clubbing. As such living a 5 min walk to the city and 15 min walk to the very central part of city is wicked. Compare that to some of my friends who take half an hour and even longer by public transport.

In fact I'm curious of how this changes from age to age. Do older people perfer the urban light?

Edit: It seem that younger people prefer the city. Thanks mad jew ;)
 
I'm suburban I guess. Smallish town within half an hour by train of London.

I love the countryside and maybe I'd move there one day but I like the things that are better in towns - broadband and being able to buy slightly more exotic food ingredients on the way home. The noise, cars and wankers I could do without.
 
I lived in all 3 types of areas and I prefer the city...a lot. Right now, I live in suburbia and only 10 years ago, it was a pretty empty area. Most of the roads have been converted from 2 to 4 or 6 lanes. Still, it's a long walk to much of anything but that's changing.

I'd rather be in or on the edge of Philadelphia or NYC or various towns in New Jersey where public transportation is easily available.
 
I grew up in the suburbs but headed for the city the first chance I got. I would not consider returning to burbs, but I would consider going rural at some point. However, I suspect the novelty would wear off rather quickly. I think the ultimate would be to have a place in the city and the country, and then shuffle back and forth at will.
 
I live in an urban area (one of NYC's boroughs other than Manhattan), but would prefer the outlying suburbs. Reason: it's way too congested and noisy in this city. I work in Manhattan and, while the diversity and energy is an attraction, the dirtiness is a major turn-off.
 
I'm stuck in love affair with urban locations. Not all urban areas, but those elite few world class cities. I spent most of my life growing up in the suburbs of major cities, and then started my college years in an even MORE suburban location.

That said, I grew up spending my days in San Francisco, and now I live in Vancouver (admittedly outside its urban core, but partly that's due to the layout of the city). You just can't match the dynamics and variety of city life. Though suburbs have increasingly international food options, it's just not the same. The tall buildings, masses of people, and endless choices are just so amazing and as someone still in his 20s, it's a very liberating and engaging lifestyle. When I settle down, it won't be far from a city like Vancouver, SF, London, Malmo, Copenhagen, or some other city I fall in love with in the next many years.

I'd find anything else stifling and isolated.
 
Can't get much more urban than Zone 1, Central London.

Although the noise and general rat-race does get to me sometimes, I like having 24-hour shopping, cinemas, bars and restaurants on my doorstep and an easy commute to work. You can be pretty anonymous too unlike smaller towns where everybody knows your business.

Have lived in the 'burbs before. Quiet but dull.
 
Done all three, liked urban and rural equally over suburban.

Rural - wide open spaces, big blocks of land, nicer people, calm atmosphere.

Urban - ever-changing landscape, always something to do, easy access to technology.

Suburban - long way from the city, socialising with neighbours not a given, lack of good public transport.

I just don't like the suburbs I guess - the stereotypical suburbs that is, I currently wouldn't class my current spot as "urban" but I'm 5 minutes from the centre of town and live in a little apartment building.
 
Blue Velvet said:
Can't get much more urban than Zone 1, Central London.

Although the noise and general rat-race does get to me sometimes, I like having 24 shops, cinemas, bars and restaurants on my doorstep
Click to expand...
Quiet bit of Zone 1? Only 24 shops? :D
 
I live in Leeds, UK. Have always, and will always like the bright lights of the city. I like being able to get what you want, when yo want it.

Oh, and Leeds is so much better than Manchester!!! (Sorry, had to get that in.)

Yup, I'm a city boy and will probably spend most of mylife either in Leeds, or London.

Subliving
 
I grew up in suburbia and found it the worst of both worlds. I love living in cities now, but can imagine to the countryside later in life. :p However, like jywv8 I can quite imagine getting bored of it, and struggling to be organised enough without 24 hour corner shops, and having to plan ahead buying food and such. Even though I don't go out nearly as much as I did, say, 5 years ago, I still prefer the city.

Having two houses is a bit strange, because I like having a 'base'. Frankly having two is a seems bit farfetched, as I can't imagine affording one of our own at the moment :eek:. So perhaps the best idea would be to live in a quiet street in the city. I don't like being disturbed (ie BLASTED BY THE SAME BOB BLOODY MARLEY 24 HOURS A DAY*) so I think the plan is to move back to Edinburgh or Glasgow, and be half an hour away from the countryside. :) And then when we're older, move to the countryside around Edinburgh and Glasgow, and be 30 minutes from an amazing city.



* worst neighbours ever a couple of years back :mad:
 
I grew up in a rural town in a farming community. By age 6, I moved to the city. I think it's important to be raised in a quiet town while growing up, since you know all the neighbors and it's a very tightly knit community. In the big cities, kids get separated and lose a sense of the real world, living in isolated pockets of urbane existence, with no escape from the hectic lives of people around them. In a rural existence, time slows down enough to enjoy life. Being able to step outside to view the sunset and hear crickets makes life pleasant. Living within 100km of the nearest city, it was always an adventure to head to the big city several times a year. As a kid, it was a thrill.

I currently live in a god-forsaken big city.
 
I live in the suburbs. It sucks. I would prefer to have both a city apartment and a country house. Better get working on that bestseller so I can afford it!
 
I grew up in the burbs, and hated it.

I might want to live in the sticks, but only when I'm old and too tired to chew my own food.

As a 25 year old, I think I'd like to live in an urban environment, but I'm sure I'd get tired of it too.

Where else is there?
 
Rural.

Maybe even more so soon. My mum wants us all to move a few miles over that way *points* in a little town called Diggle. which basically looks like the Emmerdale intro sequence. (incidently its where the actor who plays Martin Platt -coronation street- lives)

I just cant stand the city at all. My university is slap bang in the middle of Manchester pretty much and its just a whole pain. Too many rushing evil people. too many problems. the cost is just ridiculous too! Game in my town charge £19.99 for Bomberman DS, in Manchester's Game its £24.99. YEA! like that whole 8 mile difference costs those truck drivers that much. utterly pathetic

its nice up here. and calm. just the other day i was walking home from Ashton (another town nearby) and i went over this hill called Harts Head Pike. and wow. its just stunning, walking past horses and cows. you can see the city with all its pollution. makes you think that when you're down there you're breathing all that crap in. wonderful!

AND because I live on the pennines; if the ice caps melt and flood the world the pennines would be one of the few parts of England that would survive. the Pennine islands.
i like it here :)

I have some old photos too http://satansam.co.uk/dovestones/ from a near by reservoir. more shots of me and my girlfriend heading up from the village of Lees to Harts Head http://satansam.co.uk/blart/hartshead2.htm
finally a night shot of Manchester from the hills
100_0876.JPG


edit: i do like Manchester though. Personally i think its the best city in England. Where London seems to be bankers and gangsters Manchester is more art and design. which is more up my own street. and the music! oh god the Hacienda! Inspiral Carpets, New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, A Certain Ratio... maybe even Simply Red to a certain degree. and we wont mention Oasis
 
We live in a rural area about 25 minutes from suburbia. Next spring, we are moving closer to the suburbs. We will actually be in a planned subdivision, but all of our lots are 3+ acres. Immediately south of our subdivision is rural. North of us is more subdivisions. We will be right on the edge.

We are moving for many reasons, but fuel costs are a big one. We spend about $600 a month on gas. I estimate we will spend $200 a month on gas after we move.
 
I have no idea what you'd call our location. Definitely not urban, definitely not suburban, and definitely not rural.

I've lived in the city (DC), grew up in a rural environment (5-acre lot, farms either side) but prefer a mix of both.

Suburbal.
 
Rural. In fact the best of both worlds, live in the country and work in London. And commuting in by motorbike means that the journey to and from work is fun (not many commuters can say that).

Did spend 12 years living in London and enjoyed it but after 5 years in the sticks I'm happy with my lot.
 
annapolis is an odd mix of the three, iGary, very nice place to live.

i live in DC now, urban. prefer either urban or rural.

suburbs suck, they try to combine rural and urban, but fail. too far away from the city to be productive and active. too far away from rural to enjoy nature. what a lousy way to live.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back