What is it really like living in a small town?
May 17th, 2002, 03:00 PM
#21
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I live in a small town (13,000) and wouldn't trade it for anything. Great place to raise kids, where neighbors are real neighbors, everyone helps everyone, plenty to do...the list goes on. It's a bad commute to work though, if you hit one red light somewhere along the way
May 18th, 2002, 02:16 PM
#23
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Small towns are great places to live, especially if you have small children. Just know that if you move to a small town you will be a newcomer for many years. Schools in small towns typically don't offer as many choices for kids, especially high schoolers. Everyone does know your business which can be a good thing, they help you out and know what your kids are up to. Sometimes it feels that you live in a fishbowl too.
We just moved from a rural small town to a small town just outside a major metro area. We like it better here: more choices for dinners out, close to entertainment, theatre, sports ect. better schools and more opportunities. Most importantly we don't feel that we live in a fish bowl anymore.
We just moved from a rural small town to a small town just outside a major metro area. We like it better here: more choices for dinners out, close to entertainment, theatre, sports ect. better schools and more opportunities. Most importantly we don't feel that we live in a fish bowl anymore.
May 18th, 2002, 02:36 PM
#24
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I like this question.
I've always wondered what it would be like to live in a city.
But IMO
There is a huge difference between a town of 5,000 and 30,000. In a town of 5000 everyone tends to know your buisiness but everyone watches out for each other too. Bigger but still small towns you might see people you know everytime you go anywhere, but there are plenty of people you don't. When you get up to 30,000 you have things like Walmart and and a few chain stores but still not alot in the way of shopping. I lived in a town that size and it was almost the worst of both worlds. Lots of problems similar to bigger cities (wanna-be gangs, seedy bars) but not alot of things to do.
I've always wondered what it would be like to live in a city.
But IMO
There is a huge difference between a town of 5,000 and 30,000. In a town of 5000 everyone tends to know your buisiness but everyone watches out for each other too. Bigger but still small towns you might see people you know everytime you go anywhere, but there are plenty of people you don't. When you get up to 30,000 you have things like Walmart and and a few chain stores but still not alot in the way of shopping. I lived in a town that size and it was almost the worst of both worlds. Lots of problems similar to bigger cities (wanna-be gangs, seedy bars) but not alot of things to do.
May 19th, 2002, 12:36 PM
#25
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Here you can be known easier, have a feeling of community achievement easier, can live cheaper for the majority of the year, and can feel a connection with your community. When we get sick of being from being from a small town we travel to a bigger city. We experience the traffic, a lesser concern for others individuals, the great museums, the great restuarants, the lines, what its like to be in a society where everbody is a nobody, and then we go home to see what everyone else really is missing. It really isn't that much different. We don't have the great restaurants, museums, sports teams, night life, and commercialization. For the most part we have local businesses who treat you like they need you to come back. The people treat you like someday they know that they will need you. The jobs don't pay much but it doesn't cost much to live here. We will retire with less money, we have less immediate and less specialized health care services, but we live with less stress and don't need a lot of cash to retire. We won't retire in a big city where less people care about us or even know us, we will retire here where we have worked our lives to develop the community support that we will need.
May 19th, 2002, 02:46 PM
#27
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We really don't exhaust the available restuarants. For one, many come and go, new restaurants pop up. Secondly, a thirty minute drive can put us anywhere in a thiry mile radius. Neighboring communities provide the variety. Remember we are not dealing with the traffic congestion, long lines at restuarants, and parking problems. Granted have fewer upscale choices.
The problem with medical care is with specialization. The lower the population the less specific the practictioner can be. When special needs arise we need to travel to a larger city and stay in motels for days or weeks while our relatives receive special care or surgery. This doesn't happen often but it does. We have hospitals but the specialists may only be there a day or two a week.
The problem with medical care is with specialization. The lower the population the less specific the practictioner can be. When special needs arise we need to travel to a larger city and stay in motels for days or weeks while our relatives receive special care or surgery. This doesn't happen often but it does. We have hospitals but the specialists may only be there a day or two a week.
May 19th, 2002, 03:07 PM
#28
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We left a large town for a small one 3 years ago. With 6,000 people, a world class summer music camp, a community college, and a 4 year college. First name basis with the mayor, chief of police, city council members, college President and the local bookstore owner. Swim every day at the club. Went to buy topsoil for our flower beds the first year - asked the local merchant (never met before) to fill up my pickup and indicated I would be back for two or three more. He said, "well just pay me at the end of the day". From now on, if I need it, I'll visit the big city but no way will I move.
May 19th, 2002, 05:17 PM
#30
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I grew up in a very small town (1300 pop) in northern MN and couldn't wait to get out when I graduated from high school. I was so tired of the same people, never having anything to do besides drive around or go to the one movie in town. I have lived in Minneapolis, Atlanta and now LA and love city life. However, now that I'm planning for kids of my own, I remember all the great points about growing up in a small town (people always told me that I'd appreciate it when I was older, and I'm frightened to find out they were right!).
Everyone was on pretty equal footing in our town. The adults seemed to have high-school like cliques, but nobody had a lot of money and so my family (w/ gross income of around $25k/year) was very average and I never felt deprived of anything. My parents paid cash for used cars (we got a $5000 car when I was 15 and it felt like we were REALLY living it up), and their mortgage payment was about $135/month for our 3-bedroom house that my grandmother had grown up in. I can't imagine living in a house with only one bathroom and no dishwasher now, but it seemed plenty big when I was a kid and didn't know anything else. We only needed one car since both of my parents' jobs were within walking distance, as were the elementary and high schools.
We locked our doors when we went on a week-long vacation, and never any other time. Friends, neighbors and my mom's piano students wandered in and out all day long. As soon as I was old enough not to get run over by the occasional cars on our street and the highway two blocks over, I had the run of the neighborhood. We were about six blocks from "downtown", and I grew up exploring every square inch of town with my friends - we had an incredible amount of freedom due to the fact that nobody could ever imagine anything bad happening (and it never did). I also had the run of my grandparents' farm, about 8 miles out of town, where I spent summers feeding chickens, helping to bale hay and herding cows.
School was always boring for me, but I did know all of my teachers very well and there were a few of them who were great scholars and did their best to help me learn to the best of my ability despite the limited curriculum. I was involved in just about every single extra-curricular activity that the school offered and learned more from doing that than I did from my classes. My mom's work as the town librarian only took up 35 hours/week (plus the 10-minute walk home), so she was easily able to attend all of my games/performances. Dinner with the family was the only option except on very special occasions (dining out entailed at least a 20-minute drive).
I don't know that we'll ever end up in a small town, but it is certainly a completely different way of life. There isn't much in the way of diversity, culture or structured academic opportunity, but you do get a high degree of freedom (kids roam the neighborhood freely instead of sitting inside playing video games or watching TV) and lots of attention from teachers and non-stressed parents. I can't quite imagine raising kids in LA, although I know that it has its advantages as well.
Everyone was on pretty equal footing in our town. The adults seemed to have high-school like cliques, but nobody had a lot of money and so my family (w/ gross income of around $25k/year) was very average and I never felt deprived of anything. My parents paid cash for used cars (we got a $5000 car when I was 15 and it felt like we were REALLY living it up), and their mortgage payment was about $135/month for our 3-bedroom house that my grandmother had grown up in. I can't imagine living in a house with only one bathroom and no dishwasher now, but it seemed plenty big when I was a kid and didn't know anything else. We only needed one car since both of my parents' jobs were within walking distance, as were the elementary and high schools.
We locked our doors when we went on a week-long vacation, and never any other time. Friends, neighbors and my mom's piano students wandered in and out all day long. As soon as I was old enough not to get run over by the occasional cars on our street and the highway two blocks over, I had the run of the neighborhood. We were about six blocks from "downtown", and I grew up exploring every square inch of town with my friends - we had an incredible amount of freedom due to the fact that nobody could ever imagine anything bad happening (and it never did). I also had the run of my grandparents' farm, about 8 miles out of town, where I spent summers feeding chickens, helping to bale hay and herding cows.
School was always boring for me, but I did know all of my teachers very well and there were a few of them who were great scholars and did their best to help me learn to the best of my ability despite the limited curriculum. I was involved in just about every single extra-curricular activity that the school offered and learned more from doing that than I did from my classes. My mom's work as the town librarian only took up 35 hours/week (plus the 10-minute walk home), so she was easily able to attend all of my games/performances. Dinner with the family was the only option except on very special occasions (dining out entailed at least a 20-minute drive).
I don't know that we'll ever end up in a small town, but it is certainly a completely different way of life. There isn't much in the way of diversity, culture or structured academic opportunity, but you do get a high degree of freedom (kids roam the neighborhood freely instead of sitting inside playing video games or watching TV) and lots of attention from teachers and non-stressed parents. I can't quite imagine raising kids in LA, although I know that it has its advantages as well.
May 20th, 2002, 06:32 AM
#31
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I really liked the last posting. Seemed to describe my small town life in the 1960s also.
I think the key to successful small town life is friends and activities. 99% of my time in the big city is spent doing activities that can be done in any size town. I know people in big cities with few friends or activities who are bored silly and people in very small towns who are incredibly active and enriched.
I think the key to successful small town life is friends and activities. 99% of my time in the big city is spent doing activities that can be done in any size town. I know people in big cities with few friends or activities who are bored silly and people in very small towns who are incredibly active and enriched.
May 20th, 2002, 07:51 AM
#32
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Some of these small town portraits are very appealing, yet based on personal experiences from 20-30 years ago. I grew up in a small suburban city (appx 50,000), and had experiences similar to cg's rural way of life. I am bringing up my children in a rural suburban town of about 4000 and it's not quite the same as many remember it being a generation ago.
We can't let our kids roam freely either, since our backroads are a bit too deserted, the woods too thick for comfort. I think most parents are as stressed as city-dwellers - either trying to have double incomes or make-do on a single income. Kids are overscheduled and/or left home alone too often. TV is the great equalizer. If you don't have cable or a dish you can probably somewhat protect your family from the infuences of commercial advertising and Hollywood morals.
The plus side is that many people really do care about the well-being of others in the community, and the "village" really is looking out for the "child." However, if a child or adult is stereotyped, that label is extra hard to expell since everybody knows your history.
My experience is New England based, and it may be different in the mid-west or south. But I have a feeling human nature prevails regardless of the size of the town.
Reading the original post, I was reminded of the movie Baby Boom with Diane Keaton. If you haven't seen it yet, do rent it. I found the Vermont town scenes very closely depicted my life! (I love the scene about the well; it rang SO true!)
We can't let our kids roam freely either, since our backroads are a bit too deserted, the woods too thick for comfort. I think most parents are as stressed as city-dwellers - either trying to have double incomes or make-do on a single income. Kids are overscheduled and/or left home alone too often. TV is the great equalizer. If you don't have cable or a dish you can probably somewhat protect your family from the infuences of commercial advertising and Hollywood morals.
The plus side is that many people really do care about the well-being of others in the community, and the "village" really is looking out for the "child." However, if a child or adult is stereotyped, that label is extra hard to expell since everybody knows your history.
My experience is New England based, and it may be different in the mid-west or south. But I have a feeling human nature prevails regardless of the size of the town.
Reading the original post, I was reminded of the movie Baby Boom with Diane Keaton. If you haven't seen it yet, do rent it. I found the Vermont town scenes very closely depicted my life! (I love the scene about the well; it rang SO true!)
May 20th, 2002, 08:04 AM
#33
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I have found very few small towns in the US, outside of tourist towns, to be nice.
Most of the people are pretty unsophisticated and shop at Walmart.
If I was going to live in a small town it would be in an area that attracts big city people with money, such as New England or the coastal US. Lifelong small-towners just aren't very bright. Tacky houses, furniture, clothes etc.
Most of the people are pretty unsophisticated and shop at Walmart.
If I was going to live in a small town it would be in an area that attracts big city people with money, such as New England or the coastal US. Lifelong small-towners just aren't very bright. Tacky houses, furniture, clothes etc.
May 20th, 2002, 08:18 AM
#34
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I think anyone who judges people by their personal preference in clothing and lifestyle is UNSOPHISTICATED. That last post is an uneducated, ignorant view point from someone who is either bordering on retarded, or is completely narrow-minded, hasn't been anywhere for any length of time, or all of the above. Then again, school's out so maybe that's it. Have you ever wondered why it's called the Rat Race in the city? Ever seen a gerbil on a wheel?
May 20th, 2002, 08:29 AM
#35
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OK,
You are correct about living in the big city. It is a rat race. I've relocated to Door County Wisconsin for peace of mind. However, most of my neighbors are wealthy Chicagoans. There was no way I was going to move to a small town in Wisconsin, or any other small town other than a college town, artist colony, or resort area. Now I'm sure I have offended Wisconsonites, but let me add that their small towns are among the nicest in the US. Just not nice enough. Unless a small town has a few B and B's and tries to attract tourists, its probably a culturally dead.
You are correct about living in the big city. It is a rat race. I've relocated to Door County Wisconsin for peace of mind. However, most of my neighbors are wealthy Chicagoans. There was no way I was going to move to a small town in Wisconsin, or any other small town other than a college town, artist colony, or resort area. Now I'm sure I have offended Wisconsonites, but let me add that their small towns are among the nicest in the US. Just not nice enough. Unless a small town has a few B and B's and tries to attract tourists, its probably a culturally dead.
May 20th, 2002, 08:41 AM
#36
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Grew up in a small town in S CA near the coast. At the time there were about 15,000 people living there. Father grew up there as well. Grandparents were main street shop owners so they were very well known. We children were expected to behave in a certain way so as not to bring any "shame" to the family. Lots of pressure regarding that matter. Moved away at 19. What I do notice when I go back, infrequently, is that drivers stop to let you cross the street. No one is in a hurry. Could be that it's because the town is still only 4 miles long. They finally got a mulit plex and you can see great movies without standing in line.
There isn't anything I find charming about the town though others in my family do not agree. I find it a closed community with a stiflingly rigid mind set. It reminds me alot of how high school is. That sameness and pressure to be just like everyone else.
It was good to grow up there until after high school then nothing to keep an adult there.
There isn't anything I find charming about the town though others in my family do not agree. I find it a closed community with a stiflingly rigid mind set. It reminds me alot of how high school is. That sameness and pressure to be just like everyone else.
It was good to grow up there until after high school then nothing to keep an adult there.
May 20th, 2002, 09:00 AM
#37
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I grew up in a small town (about 35,000 ppl) in Kentucky. It was nice enough. We had of course Walmart and Kmart. The usual chain restaurants like Applebees, Outback, Denny's, Red Lobster etc. Our mall was the only major one in probably a 40 mile radius. It had Jc Penny's, Sears, Dillard's and stores like the Gap, American Eagle, and Casual Corneras well as a mulitples w/12 theaters. The closest large city was either St. Louis or Louisville both about 3 hours away.
The pace was definitely slower and activities revolved around being very involved with your church and school. Everyone did not know everyone else but it was very close. I later moved to a larger city (about 500,000) to attend grad school and absolutely loved it, currently I live in the VERY large scity of Chicago where the pace is crazy. I think for me a medium size city is perfect (200,000-700,000). The small town had the chains that are everywhere but did lack cultural activities and variety of restaurants (other than chains) The large citys are just a little too impersonal for me. If say I missed church on a Sunday morning nobody would ever notice and they certainly wouldn't call my house to check and see what was up like they would in a small town.
I think different people like different things, to me a mix is best and that is why my goal is to move to a second (or third) tier city of less than 1 million like say Lousiville, KY or Richmond Va. I don't mind being far from family as long as I am in a city with an airport where I can get to family quickly.
The pace was definitely slower and activities revolved around being very involved with your church and school. Everyone did not know everyone else but it was very close. I later moved to a larger city (about 500,000) to attend grad school and absolutely loved it, currently I live in the VERY large scity of Chicago where the pace is crazy. I think for me a medium size city is perfect (200,000-700,000). The small town had the chains that are everywhere but did lack cultural activities and variety of restaurants (other than chains) The large citys are just a little too impersonal for me. If say I missed church on a Sunday morning nobody would ever notice and they certainly wouldn't call my house to check and see what was up like they would in a small town.
I think different people like different things, to me a mix is best and that is why my goal is to move to a second (or third) tier city of less than 1 million like say Lousiville, KY or Richmond Va. I don't mind being far from family as long as I am in a city with an airport where I can get to family quickly.
May 20th, 2002, 09:33 AM
#38
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When I was 6 we left the city for the "country"...a town with a population of 7,000. My brother and I hated it. My parents (4th generation city kids) were afraid to let us out of their sight for years...we might get lost, or kidnapped, or bitten by a rabid animal. However, in the city, they had let us do whatever we wanted, and go wherever we wanted, on our own. My mom had often sent me two blocks to the grocery store to buy bread...at the age of 4 and 5! Little by little they gave us more freedom in our small town, but we were bored. There was absolutely nothing for teenagers to do there. We had no place to hang out! So we had drunken parties in the woods and vandalized cars. Soon as I finished college I was out of there - and back in the city!
I think I'll always have to live in a city. I hate driving & yardwork & cooking. I like excellent restaurants, nightlife, and meeting interesting people from all over the world. I like my relative anonymity. I like it that the people I know are all intelligent and open-minded and don't butt into my business. People like me are just not cut out for the country life.
I think I'll always have to live in a city. I hate driving & yardwork & cooking. I like excellent restaurants, nightlife, and meeting interesting people from all over the world. I like my relative anonymity. I like it that the people I know are all intelligent and open-minded and don't butt into my business. People like me are just not cut out for the country life.
May 20th, 2002, 09:50 AM
#40
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Grew up in a small town of 10,000. Both of my parents are are colege educated, my mother has a master's degree, and father is doctor. I love small town life. Not eveyone is uneducated obviously. I went away to college at a state university and got a degree in elementary ed. I moved last year back to a small town of about 25,000 that is about 45 min. from where my parents live. There is everything I want here as far as quality of life. I am an avid traveler as are both my parents. When I want culture and more stimulation than I can get here, I take a long weekend in a big city. I have been to most large cities in the Us as well as many in Europe. I don't consider myself to be beneath someone who lives in say NYC. I just prefer the slower pace and the tight knit community. I hope to raise my family here as well.
