Urban Living V Country Living

It seems that today there is a large number of the population migrating from the urban lifestyle to country living. The country lifestyle appeals to a lot of people today. They are drawn to the supposed simplicity of the country lifestyle. Unfortunately for a large number of people this simple lifestyle is a lot more complicated than urban living.

While country living definitely has its advantages there is a lot to be said for city life as well. Having lived at length in both environments I feel qualified to comment on the benefits and disadvantages of both lifestyles.

The country provides wide open spaces, privacy and a perception of the simple life. While this is basically true, if you look a little deeper a different store emerges.

In the city shopping is a simple process. Just walk to the nearest store and buy your supplies. As well as saving gas and time there is the added benefit of getting exercise. In the country any type of shopping involves driving to the store. Over the years I have found that there is no such thing as a simple trip to the store. Once I am in the car there always seems to be a multitude of stops to make and time consumed. I rarely went out for less than two to three hours at a time. Usually my grocery shopping usually was done at the closest large supermarket. In the city I shop at local vegetable markets, butchers, etc. The quality, price and selection are in my opinion far superior to that of the typical one stop shopping spot. I also shop nearly every day, incorporating my exercise with shopping resulting in the benefit of always having fresh produce on hand.

Urban life also provides a vastly larger selection of nightlife, restaurants and theatre and cultural venues. There are more restaurants within walking distance than could ever be visited in even a year. Sporting events theatre and art galleries are all within walking distance. However, there is nothing like a summer barbecue in the yard while listening to the birds in the background.

The opportunities to learn about different cultures are endless. In the country, in my experience, different cultures tend to isolate themselves from the general population. In the city these different microcosms exist side by side in often very small areas allowing exposure to many different ways of life. In the country this is not possible and the different cultures tend to stay to themselves in different neighborhoods.

Another benefit to the urban lifestyle is the access to and availability of any type of education or learning you might wish to pursue. There are community centers offering courses in anything you might wish to experience, from photography to cooking.

To summarize, while I have enjoyed my life in both the city and the country, if I had to chose one above the other, I have to come to one conclusion. I need a home in both areas. That seems to be the only viable solution.