by Cherrine Banks

Created on: September 05, 2008

New York City on a sultry, early September evening. There are thousands of people coming from work/school/volunteer activities. Each with a different agenda in mind. Yellow cabs are picking up and dropping off passengers who are too tired to walk or too late for the next appointment. While in the taxicabs, women are wondering which restaurant to enjoy with girlfriends, men are texting messages to see what's for dinner, and teenagers are plotting with their friends on how to miss their curfews.

On the other hand, maybe the women are deciding to go to an art gallery, the men to a sports bar, and the teens to the local football game. These are the choices you have when you live in the city oppose to the country. Depending on your desires, you can see a top rated play at 8pm, choose to eat at an Italian, Mexican, or East Indian restaurant at 10pm, and still have time to go to a nightclub at midnight.

As a family, you can enjoy numerous activities. You can take the family to Central Park for a free concert in the late afternoon, a family-friendly movie, and enjoy the neighborhood ice cream parlor. The freedom is based on finances/time more than options. Its a choose of do you want to spend fifty dollars for a family of 4 to enjoy the movies with snacks(Remember, this is typical for New York City) or do you want to save money and eat popcorn during the concert? The key is that you have a choice of which activities depending on inividual, couple, or group.

There has been as ongoing debate on whether country or city living is better. Honestly, it is based on lifestyle issues including home values, quality of education, commute for work, nearby family and scenery. Also, a person has to consider where the lived as children. As creatures of habit, we tend to live in similiar enviroments as adults. Some people switch back and forth between city and country living. For example, if there are young children the school system may be considered better in the country and live in the country to avoid private school costs then the parent can apply the savings towards college/advanced education.

I understand that there is peace, lower cost of living, and lower crime in the country but for now I think I will enjoy my sultry, early September evening listening to the local traffic on the porch while drinking my lemonade and remain happy that I live in a country which allows me the choice.

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