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Is it better to live in the city or the country?

Results so far:

Country		66%	1214 votes	Total: 1831 votes
City		34%	617 votes	Total: 1831 votes

Country

1 of 116

Having no particular use for noisy, inconsiderate and intrusive neighbors, street lights shining in my window at night, the sound of screaming sirens, and teenager's boom boxes rattling my windows at all hours, I would have to say that my definite preference is to live in the country.

Being a practical person, however, I would also have to say that my ideal rural sanctuary would be no more than ten to twenty miles from at least a descent sized town; I do, after all, appreciate the convenience of a Wal-Mart Super Center. And, as a person who has to re-read the instructions every time I pick up a screw-driver (not the drink), reasonable access to repair persons.

Four pieces of advice I would give to anyone contemplating moving to the country are: 1) buy a big freezer and at least one extra refrigerator, 2) get organized it's really not practical to pull into your driveway and realize you forgot something at the store, 3) learn to do as many basic home repairs as possible, and 4) get used to very large insects, scorpions, and rattlesnakes. This last piece of advice might, admittedly, be specific to my particular geographic region. All, however, are based on personal experience and were learned the hard way.

Upon moving back to Texas following a short stint in Casper, Wyoming, my wife and I bought a small house on 2 acres of land in a very isolated rural area. Our closest neighbor was just over a mile away, and while the closest town population 999 was only a ten minute drive, the closest Super Center, along with those wonderful men and women blessed with the ability to fix things, was another forty mile jaunt down the highway.

There is nothing, in my opinion, like the peace and tranquility of living in the country; to lie in bed on a late Spring night with the windows open to a cool breeze and hear nothing but the sound of trees rustling; to sit on your porch early in the morning with a cup of coffee and watch the sun come up; or to look up at the sky at night and be able to see more stars than you ever knew existed are some of my fondest memories of that time. On the flip side, stepping out on my porch early one morning and hearing the buzz of a rattlesnake not one of my favorite memories.

Another great memory for us, and a huge advantage of living in the country, was all of the summer weekends our friends came and stayed with us; there were usually no less than three other couples, and sometimes more. They were able to strip off immediately upon arriving, leave their clothes in their cars, and not have to worry about gawking neighbors; nothing but the occasional low-flying plane. And as the summer progressed, it seemed, there were more and more of those. We just laughed and waved.

We would cook steaks or burgers on the grill, swim, and then sit up on the porch half the night, talking, laughing, and drinking ourselves silly. I should point out that one of the first lessons we learned as country dwellers is to screen-in your porch as, after dark, mosquitoes or as we refer to them in rural West Texas miniature helicopters will carry you away.

While circumstances dictate that my wife and I are again city dwellers, I truly do miss our rural experience. With the exception of the previously mentioned Wal-Mart Super Center and easy access to repair persons, my wife and I have little use for anything a city has to offer.

We still have friends over frequently. In the city, however, even with a privacy fence, we have to be wary of neighbors who will conveniently find an excuse to be on their roof, kids who will decide they need to climb a nearby tree, and even the occasional soul intrusive enough to retrieve a step-ladder and stick his or her head over the fence. And of course we still get the occasional fly-over. We just laugh and wave.

Learn more about this author, Terry Donelson.
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City

1 of 41

by Patrick Sills

While there are many who prefer the relative peace and solitude of country living, I prefer the city. I'll explain my reasons momentarily, but first I will present my definition of "'the country," for it may not be the same as yours.

In my opinion, the country can include any small town classified as a village. We're talking about towns with maybe one gas station, no fast-food, no name-brand stores, and a population under 1000 people. I worked as a bookkeeper in such a place from 2000-2003. In these places barely visible on the typical highway map, everybody knows everybody else's business. The residents are usually very conservative; so much so that they can be 20 years behind their urban counterparts. If you don't drive a car or truck made by General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler, you are un-American. If you don't listen to country music, you're a radical head-banger. The few (if any) places to shop are closed by 4:30 or 5:00 PM. As a resident of a city of over 60,000 people, tiny towns are about as far-removed from my comfort zone as a tropical island in the Carribean would be to someone living in Barrow, Alaska.

Of course, the country can also be outside of any city limits; just as the name infers. One can find plenty of houses situated miles from nowhere; whether it be on a farm or merely a small spot of land. For those who like to be away from it all, this is undoubtedly an optimum living experience. Crime, congestion, and the comparatively fast-paced life of the city is virtually nonexistant. If this type of environment grabs you, then there is nothing wrong with that.

However, the problem I have with country living is twofold: To begin with, I live in Wisconsin. Six months of winter weather each year is guaranteed, and more often than not, you can count on seven months of snowy, icy roads. The last thing I want to be doing is driving several miles on treacherous, unplowed country roads at 1:00 AM because there is no milk in my refrigerator. Should you roll or slide off into a ditch out in the "boonies," it could be hours before help arrives. In the city, you can at least walk somewhere to warm up while waiting. To summarize, winter weather and country living don't mix unless you have a 4-wheel-drive truck with a snowplow.

And even in favorable weather, who wants to drive miles and miles every time he or she wishes to see a movie, dine out, or go to the mall? For that matter, just what do people in the country do to entertain themselves? Cable TV and internet service is often unavailable.

"Do other things. Take walks. Hold conversations. Read a book," so say proponents of the rural life.

In my thinking, the novelty of such activity would wear thin soon. This is 2009; not 1939. Thanks, but I'll stay in the city.

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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