Rural vs Urban

[MoogleViper]

I had to go to the chemist today, which for me entails a 7 mile round trip walk. I started thinking that I wouldn't have to suffer things like this if I lived in a town or city. But that led me to thinking of various advantages/disadvantages of either. Take this walk of mine. Yes it's a bit annoying that it's such a distance, and that most people in a city wouldn't have to walk further than a mile, but it also got me thinking about the actual walk. On this trip to the chemist, rather than just passing houses, people and cars, I walked through a ~1000 year old Duke's estate, a forest that was once part of the Sherwood Forest, and a gorge with caves that have been known to have had human settlement for 45,000 years. And all of the wildlife that I encountered on the way.

 

There's so many benefits to living in a rural area. Fresh air, I don't have to put up with car pollution. There's little traffic or noise, in the 11 years that I've lived here I've never been woken up by cars or drunkards, something that happened to me on a weekly basis when living in Aberystwyth, which is only a small town. There's virtually no crime, we've never had anything stolen, and I've often left my car or the house unlocked for long periods of time on numerous occasions (my car has been left unlocked for days on end). Before we moved here we lived in a small town, and we had numerous bikes and lawnmowers nicked (on one occasion our shed was broken into twice in one week, and on another I had a bike stolen within a week of buying it), as well as two cars (one of which was stolen in Leeds outside of Elland Road). As previously mentioned it's great for walks. There's so much room to play sports (I have an orchard on my back garden, and numerous grassy fields within spitting distance of my house, that I'll never have to share with other people [/unsociable], how many people in a city can say that?). Also the aforementioned wildlife, most of the birds and animals that appear on the likes of Countryfile are regulars to my back garden and the surrounding fields. And most of the benefits are available to me after a short drive (I can be in Worksop in 6 minutes, and Sheffield in just over 20 minutes). There's also much more of a sense of community in small villages and rural areas. Almost everybody knows each other. You don't get that at all in cities.

 

However that's not to say that there are no downsides to living in the country. I do miss (when at uni) being able to walk to the supermarket. Even a 5 minute drive gets a bit tedious when it's a necessity. Nights out are also a massive hassle. If you want to drink then you can't drive, and a taxi is going to cost a fortune. I do miss being able to walk to the pub at the drop of a hat. Also it wasn't that great being a teenager. Luckily there were two people who were one and two years older than me, so I did have some friends that I could play football with, and due to the low crime area we got to stay out much later than we would have been allowed had we lived in a city (and considering there are about 60 people where I live, most of them over 60, having those two was definitely a lucky coincidence). But other than that, it was really hard to form close friendships outside of school. There's no buses, and the nearest train station is in the same village as the chemist (3.5 miles away). That makes it really hard to do just simple things like going to the cinema with your mates. Everything has to be an organised trip, if my parents weren't in to give me a lift then I couldn't go. And there's only so many times you can decline an offer before people just stop asking you.

 

The other distinction is to do with the people. As well as the sense of community I mentioned, people from cities seem to be far more ignorant of rural life than the other way around. Some years back when we were foster carers, the social worker came round, and was completely stunned about how remote it was.

 

"What do you do if you want to go shopping?"

"Well we drive to the nearest town."

"YOU HAVE TO DRIVE? Well what if you want to go to the cinema?"

"We have to drive."

"YOU HAVE TO DRIVE? What if you need to go to the supermarket?"

"Yep, we have to drive."

"YOU HAVE TO DRIVE?"

 

That was an actual conversation I had with her. I could understand if I lived in the middle of the Peak District, or in the Scottish Highlands, but it's not that far to various places. And she was only from Sheffield, which is, while a large city, hardly on the same scale as places like New York or London, it would have taken her less than 25 minutes to get here. I also had a similar conversation recently with a guy from Watford who came here to pick up something he'd bought from us on eBay. As well the above, he also said, "It's really busy where I'm from, there's so much traffic." We're not hermits, we have encountered people and cars before. We don't look upon them with fear and suspicion.

 

One last point is to do with the scenery. This is the view from my bedroom window:

 

 

Not the best view in the world, but I'd much rather wake up to that than a block of flats.

 

I'll be moving to Oxford soon, and it'll be the first time I've lived in a city (more of a large town), and I'm looking forward to it. But I would definitely call myself a country person, and would like to move back out of the city in the future.

 

So anyway, that's my opinion, what's yours?

[Magnus]

Minecraft has taught me that cows make more noise than all the cars in the world, so that view looks awful.

 

I once had a teacher named Urban and he was awful and everyone hated him, so I guess I'll have to go with Rural based on that. But really I prefer living closer to things. As long as everything's within walking distance, that's fine.

[Murr]

I've been to Oxford once and pulled! Was a good night!

[Ashley]

Urban all the way. The thought of rural just makes me say "urgh". Whenever I go back home (a small town) I just lament how much more difficult life is.

 

Being in a city makes me feel connected to everything, to everyone. For example, the last two nights I've been to two different animation short film nights (at the same place, coincidentally) that wouldn't have happened elsewhere. At one of them I had met one of the speakers at the bar in my previous job.

 

There's just so much more going on.

 

Plus cows are kind of shit.

[bob]

 

So anyway, that's my opinion, what's yours?

 

You should get a car.

[The Peeps]

I grew up in London but now I live in Swindon which isn't exactly rural but you do have to drive everywhere and there aren't even any paths.

 

Things cities have over towns... easy access; I could ride my bicycle whenever I needed to get somewhere in London, or walk, or tube or bus. In rural areas the buses are not regular or there are none. In Swindon there are no paths to walk and no cycle lanes, it's bus or car all the way.

 

There's a lot more to do in a city too, whether you're looking for comedy, music or just a good night out in a pub or club, a city will always have something going on. I think I prefer to live in a city like London but it would definitely be a bigger drain on my bank account if I did.

[MoogleViper]

You should get a car.

 

I do have one now, but when i was 10-17 it wasn't an option.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

I echo pretty much all your sentiments, Moogle. I'll forever be the most comfortable in the countryside, but it's a bother being so far from everything. Which is why I love the place I live currently so much; it's a suburban living area just on the outskirt of a rather big (but not too big) city, which means it strikes the perfect balance between the calm of the rural and the closeness to the city. I hate that I have to move away once I'm done studying.

[jayseven]

I've just spent nearly a year in the distinctly suburban domecile which is a bit of a middle-ground to the two types of residential areas you mentioned, moogle. There's a set of shops 15 minute walk away, with the next batch of shops a 2-hour round trip away. You gotta drive if you want to go anywhere, elsewise the public transport here is one an hour into Sydney -- and that bus tends to ignore the advertised time.

 

Of course there are a lot more residents around than there would be in a strictly rural environment - this area is largely retirees but there's still youth about. There is a distinct lack of 20-somethings for me to associate with, though, but there's bushland and parks nearby for plenty of wildlife and quiet (inasmuch as the squarking, screaming wildlife offers).

 

There's a community feel here which I suppose is nice, but I am used to the relative anonymity of the city life. My eyesight means I'm not really likely to identify who is walking past me as quickly as they will spot me, so in the city I can just not bother trying to recognise people whereas here it's more of a stress -- on my life, anyway. Also, my poor night vision means that the lengthy trips to potential socialising avenues becomes much more time consuming and, again, stressful that it is simply easier to avoid. Being unable to drive definitely doesn't help.

 

I don't miss the heavy pedestrian traffic of Brighton/Sheffield, nor the loutish/yobbish behaviour that the aforementioned 'anonymity' can inspire in people, but I do miss the ease in which you can do things in the city = the array of entertainment on offer. Whilst I still have some semblance of youth I would like to take advantage of urbania, and instead figure the rural retreat a place my future self can focus on developing hobbies such as gardening and painting :P

 

EDIT: Dannyboy beat me to the middle-ground suburbia post! Excellent

[Iun]

Rural for the peace, urban for the convenience. My family lives in Ringwould, a blink-and-you-miss-it village with three streets and an A Road going through the middle of it. It's absolutely beautiful there. But yes, you need a car to get to the nearest town, and the nearest town is Deal and there's very little there. Then Dover is close, but that's even more of a shit hole. The only decent place is Canterbury, but that's a 90 minute round trip on a good day.

 

Plus, my eyesight disqualifies me from driving, so I guess I'm stuck in Shanghai for the rest of my life. :/

[Diageo]

Urban all the way. I want technology, convenience, social life, ease of travel. I don't care about history or green pastures. A block of flats can look very nice if well constructed.

[Cube]

I grew up in a rural environment. A main road with one side-road, about 30 houses. There was also a school, then nothing until the next village (admittedly, the next village was very close). The nearby had more houses, a post office, a ruined church and a pub. And that was everything.

 

I much prefer where I am now - a town not far from Manchester. Cities are way too busy, but it's nice to be able to get there within 20 minutes. And as someone who doesn't drive, having six train stations and a major (£3.7 million) bus station in your town means that public transport is great.

[Jonnas]

The fuck? We literally just discussed this in my German class... Anyway, we reached the conclusion that Porto is an urban, big city that still manages to feel like a smaller town. I can see that, even though I live near its busiest centre, there were no big malls or supermarkets in the area for most of my childhood (they were all in neighbouring cities/suburbs, and no Metro/Subway at the time, so my parents too had to drive). I swear, it's like every big business actively avoids Porto itself.

 

Of course, it's still not rural at all. I do have family on the countryside, though, and spending a few days at our relatives' places can give us peace and quiet when we need it the most (truthfully, this is an option for most people I know, too)

 

So...I guess I'm an Urban kind of guy who doesn't really feel like one.

 

Also, why was she surprised you needed a car to go to the supermarket? Every time one of our family goes shopping for the week/month/whatever we need the car simply to carry everything.

[Grazza]

Difficult one but I'd say... rural. The more you develop the planet, the more you ruin it. Every tree that is cut down, every field that is concreted over is just awful, in my opinion. And yet at the same time I wouldn't want to be without plumbing, electricity or communication, not to mention facilities. I don't mind a 7-mile walk by any means, but it would take up a good chunk of the day. Perhaps that's the answer? Rural would be great if we didn't have the lives we have, if we didn't have to earn money etc?

 

I often imagine a fantasy version of England where it's still mostly trees (which it was, once). There are no real "housing estates"; every building of any kind is carefully slotted-in and spaced apart from the others. Ah well, it's a fantasy. The sad thing is we had to "ruin" the country with cities to get the kind of economy we have and to have had any power in the world. In the meantime, I'll stick to Dragon Quest...

[Fierce_LiNk]

I prefer Urban, although I wouldn't really like to live within a full-on concrete jungle, such as inner-city London for example. I'm currently in Bournemouth and feel that it is quite a good balance of both worlds. At the bottom of our garden is the Bournemouth Upper Gardens. We can see squirrels climbing trees, foxes regularly make an appearance in our area and there are horses, donkeys and ponies outside of my school on a regular basis. On the other hand, it's a 10/15 minute walk into town, so I can always just go and get what I need. I don't feel isolated, yet it's not a particularly loud area either.

 

Basically, I'm quite lucky where I am at the moment. There are some lovely areas to go and visit and some of the houses and locations by my school are beautiful. But, there's also civilisation that is quite easy to find. London isn't terribly far away, neither is Southampton, and there are plenty of restaurants within reach, shops, etc.

 

I'm slightly more inclined towards Urban, and I'd guess Ine would say she prefers more Rural. We cancel each other out and have ended up somewhere inbetween.

[Cube]

The fuck? We literally just discussed this in my German class... Anyway, we reached the conclusion that Porto is an urban, big city that still manages to feel like a smaller town.

 

That sounds like Sheffield over here. It's a big city, but seems to have the atmosphere of a town.

[Eenuh]

My hometown is kinda like that, a city but feels very town-like. Even though it is the capital of the province, it is one of those places where a lot of people just know each other. And it helps that there is only something like 3 tall buildings in the center, it helps it feel more homely to me. =)

 

*misses it*

 

 

Though like Jim described, Bournemouth is quite nice. I don't get to go into town much, but it is nice and not too busy. We are quite close to it but not too close. I like living in a quiet area where you won't have people yelling in the streets and sirens everywhere.

 

I lived in Brussels for a year and a half and absolutely hated it. I never dared to use the metro as it was smelly and scary. None of the stores were really close to me to walk to. I missed seeing trees. People were cold to each other. I just didn't like it there at all.

 

I much prefer smaller cities or big towns, where you can get a bit of both worlds. =)

[Strider]

Countryside no doubt about it. Cities frustrate me. I've been to London twice in my life and although its okay for a few hours/a day it's nice to be home. Also (this may go against everyone else's opinion) I struggle to find things to do in the city. Where do you go for a walk to chill out?

 

Ever since going to university ive developed quite a fondness for where I live (it's not hard when you live in Hull for 2 years - it must be the most depressing city imaginable). The village I live in is a bit of a shit hole, but the surrounding area is great. In someways this is linked to my degree (biology) as its given me a better understanding of how things 'function' so to speak. I've also gained quite an interest in wildlife such as birds and plants so it gives me something to look out for. Ive noticed for the past couple of years I've been paying more attention to the agricultural calendar. The drive to my girlfriends house is all countryside (in fact I pass moogles house along the way, but who Is never outside to wave to) and I always look in the fields at what stage the farmers are at. So yeah, I'd say I'm definitely more county.

 

The village I'm from used to be a (relatively large) properous mining town back in the day so it has quite a lot of history. In fact the whole area is packed full of interesting heritage. As moogle said there's so many old estates, stately homes, scientific sites of interest and country parks it's great.

 

For me nothing beats going outside at night and hearing the calls of a tawny owl.

[jayseven]

What is it about Hull that is so depressing? I've never been, but everyone who goes there comes back with Tales From Beyond The Grave, or something.

[MoogleViper]

Here's a question: How many of you urban/rural people have experienced both sides of the coin?

 

That sounds like Sheffield over here. It's a big city, but seems to have the atmosphere of a town.

 

When I read it I thought the exact same thing. Sheffield is the fourth biggest city in England (maybe fifth, I think Leeds may have overtaken it recently), but it's certainly not the one most people would think of. Doesn't seem like a lot is happening.

[CoolFunkMan]

I haven't actually lived in a rural town, or anywhere in the countryside, but I used to go camping quite often, and that was great fun! I say camping, but we really just stayed in a cottage in a forest somewhere. I know it's not quite the same as living in a rural town, but I still enjoyed the experience. It's nice and peaceful.

 

However, I find urban life too convenient to give up. Everything is within easy reach and transport tends to be a lot better (and cheaper!) Plus I tend to go out a lot and, in my experience, it's much easier to do so in the city. Besides, I've watched too many horror movies/programs in my time, so I'd probably be terrified of living in the countryside.

[Ashley]

Countryside no doubt about it. Cities frustrate me. I've been to London twice in my life and although its okay for a few hours/a day it's nice to be home. Also (this may go against everyone else's opinion) I struggle to find things to do in the city. Where do you go for a walk to chill out?

 

I think I'm in the minority but I find the fast paced nature of a city more relaxing than the countryside. Something soothing to me to be able to watch others stress out while I stroll.

 

Besides, I've watched too many horror movies/programs in my time, so I'd probably be terrified of living in the countryside.

 

I did text a friend in Scotland (which is one big village, right?) recently saying "I want to a horror film about city people who go to the country. Do you know how terrifying quietness is for us?" as I was back home and it was eeirly quiet.

[Shorty]

Here's a question: How many of you urban/rural people have experienced both sides of the coin?

Grew up in suburbs of a large town (Ipswich), moved to a small village in Lincolnshire for 7 years, now live in a city. The rural life was nicer in terms of immediate surroundings, but here the Peaks are on my doorstep. In terms of ease/quality of living I can't really compare because I haven't done both whilst living independently. Pretty important to me: Urban = Fibreoptic Cable.

 

[Re: Rural Living]

 

"What do you do if you want to go shopping?"

"Well we drive to the nearest town."

"YOU HAVE TO DRIVE? Well what if you want to go to the cinema?"

"We have to drive."

"YOU HAVE TO DRIVE? What if you need to go to the supermarket?"

"Yep, we have to drive."

"YOU HAVE TO DRIVE?"

 

I live in the city, and I drive to all those places. How do you get back from the Supermarket with a dozen bags and no car? The cinema is way out on the outskirts and I'm not waiting for a bus and a tram to get there, especially when it costs £3.80 per person.

 

Btw 6 mins to Worksop 20 mins to Sheffield, you don't live in Dinnington/Anston do you?

Edited December 6, 2012 by Shorty

[Strider]

What is it about Hull that is so depressing? I've never been' date=' but everyone who goes there comes back with Tales From Beyond The Grave, or something.[/quote']

 

It is exaggerated to some degree, but it's just got a feeling about it that I don't like. As a city I like Sheffield, it's got more going for it than hull, an atmosphere. Hull on the other hand just feels poor, dim and lifeless. As horrible as it might sound you can see it in the people that live there. Now im not rich by any means what with coming from a deprived ex-mining village, but even in Hull there's a difference. Other than The Deep aquarium and passing through to catch a ferry, there isn't anything to go to for. Even the shops are no better than the ones in my local town at home.

 

It also feels very isolated. You do get the impression that it is tucked away in a forgotten corner. The m62 motorway leading towards Hull is always near enough empty in both directions. I'm not going to complain about that because it helps my commute to uni, but it just shows how unimportant the city is.

 

York on the other hand is a very nice city. I forgot about that one when I was slagging them off. I like the oldness. Lincoln is nice aswell.

 

Btw 6 mins to Worksop 20 mins to Sheffield, you don't live in Dinnington/Anston do you?

 

Close, but the wrong side of worksop, our area is the void between Mansfield and a worksop.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Strider
Automerged Doublepost

[Blade]

Well the beauty of sheffield is that it is actually a busy urban centre surrounded by beautiful countryside. There are lots to do on a regular basis. Sheffield to me is the best of both worlds.