[Jelena]

Earlier this week I had some things to take care of in Stockholm, our capital with about 1000 000 inhabitants. Although it's not a big city compared to many other cities in the world it still has many of the criterions of a big city: the flow of people during all hours, the vast amount of restaurants with food from all over the world, in many ways it's a cultural center, the anonymity, the homeless people just to mention some.

I grew up in one of the suburbs to Stockholm and also lived in the city a couple of years when I had finished uni. In between I lived in the north of Sweden in a small town.
I used to love Stockholm and when I had moved to where I live now, a small town, I yearned for its pulse, its beautiful buildings and the way I was anonymous.
Today I value my small town and the fact that I'm not anonymous here. When I enter my local post office I'm greeted by name and if I need help in any way I have lots of families around that will help me out without hesitation. I'm happy my children can grow up where there isn't much crime and that I have the nature right next to my house.

Now, where are you most comfortable? In a city, in a small town or perhaps somehwere else?

[RLacey]

A small town - by which I mean a quiet one. Or even a village. I hate not being able to walk down the street at my own (rapid) pace, having to wait an eternity to cross the road and hearing buses drive past my window at night.

That said, I like living, when I'm at home, in a small town that has easy access to a city. So I still have access to most of the advantages of city life (albeit for the cost of transport).

[Relek]

Ideally I would like to live in a city, but only if I could score a condo near the city centre . I guess I would be ok with living in a small town if it was close-ish to a city though, I just need convenience, but I don't really like lots of noise 24/7.

[Squinky]

I'm a city girl, all the way.

That might have something to do with having lived in quiet suburbs for most of my life, though.

[colpet]

I grew up in the heart of Montreal, but living in the city never ingrained in me. I consider my present town just right - ~25,000 population. It is close enough to Toronto for the 'big City' experience (should I get the hankering), yet I've got bush trails, farmland and multiple lakes at my doorstep. Another plus is that I commute all of 3 minutes into work .
The only drawback is that the choice of dining is rather limited to roadhouse food and Italian. However, Barrie (pop. 100,000) is 30 min. away and has some great ethnic food (thai, japanese and indian).

[Melanie68]

I love small towns with a pretty easy access to the big city. I feel too crowded if I'm smothered in with too many people in a bigger city. When I take a day trip to San Francisco, I have a terrific time but I am really ready to come home at the end of the day.

[Giligan]

City.

Having lived in small towns quite a bit, I'd have to say that the inconvienances and disadvantages of small town life far exeed the advantages, to the point where I've come to dislike rural living quite a bit, and like city life a lot That said, I wouldn't want to live in an overly large metropolitan area, i.e. one of the major cities in the country like NYC, LA, Miami, etc. etc. Well, maybe Miami...

[Jeysie]

I'm a city girl. I prefer convenience, so I'd rather either live in a city just small enough where you can walk everywhere (like my 40K person hometown) or in a city big enough to have good bus service.

I also prefer the anonyminity of city life. I only speak when I have something to say... so I prefer to only socialize with people I have things to say to (if that makes sense). People in MA tend to offer quick nods of greeting and "hellos" to passerby even in the city, and that's good enough for me.

I'd feel uncomfortable with my neighbors being solicitous all the time if I wasn't in the right frame of mind and felt pressured to respond even though I didn't know what to say or was in a hurry. And I'm well aware of the fact that my geeky nature makes me odd to most people... something else I prefer to avoid dealing with as much as possible.

There's also the fact that in a larger city there's more people around who might be like you... whereas in a small town you can be the only geek (or whatever) for miles. I have a friend in NC with that particular problem, and I find myself suffering from a lack of available like-minded friends offline as well. (I live in a moderate-sized city... and Western MA is fairly "rural" on the whole outside of a few small and a couple moderately-sized cities.)

As for nature... even the Boston area has lots of trees and plants and flowers... no sadness there for me.

Peace & Luv, Liz

[Kolzig]

I like my hometown or homecity, which ever this should be called. We have officially 60 000 people living here, but when you count the surrounding areas like Mustasaari and everyone from there comes to Vaasa to work and shop everyday, so basically we have about 100 000 people here.

I'm going to Helsinki tomorrow for the weekend to visit my friend and go to a concert, officially that place has I guess about 500 000 people, but unofficially they have about 1 000 000 people living there. I don't like Helsinki that much, it's fun place to visit but not live in.
Sorry Wormsie and Swordsie.

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Kolzig

I'm going to Helsinki tomorrow for the weekend to visit my friend and go to a concert, officially that place has I guess about 500 000 people, but unofficially they have about 1 000 000 people living there. I don't like Helsinki that much, it's fun place to visit but not live in.
Sorry Wormsie and Swordsie.

I've visited Helsinki twice and I must say it's a beautiful capital!


Just wanted to say that.

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by Jeysie

I also prefer the anonyminity of city life. I only speak when I have something to say... so I prefer to only socialize with people I have things to say to (if that makes sense). People in MA tend to offer quick nods of greeting and "hellos" to passerby even in the city, and that's good enough for me.

I completely and utterly relate.

[bulldog]

When I was born we lived in the country, and I remember hearing my mom talking about having to drive along way to get somewhere. Then when I got a little older we moved to Atlanta (pop 4,112,198) and that is where I grew up at.

No my husband and I live on the outskirts of Atlanta... about an hour away. But where we live at now there is just about every conveniences of the big city. I like where I'm at, the middle

[Once A Villain]

Originally Posted by bulldog

But where we live at now there is just about every conveniences of the big city. I like where I'm at, the middle

I agree entirely and that's the situation I'm in as well. Technically, I live in a suburb, but it's Frisco, TX (one of the fastest growing suburbs in the U.S., it was #2 a year or so ago I believe). Population was about 34,000 in 2000, and as of 2005 was over 75,000. Plus, it's pretty much an extension of another city I've lived in called Plano. And that suburb has a population of 222,000. These suburbs have the FEEL of a suburb and a big city at the same time. I mean, Dallas is right down the road if I want to explore the big city (which I often do), but even Plano houses big corporate headquarters like Frito-Lay, JC Penney, Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Electronic Data Systems (EDS), and Cinemark theaters.

So, basically I feel like I'm "in the middle" too, and I love that. The suburbs I call home "have all the convenciences of the big city", as you say, but if I want to go bigger, Dallas is right there. If I want to go smaller...well...I wouldn't. Heh.

[Trumgottist]

I think I could live equally happy in either. It's not that important if I live in a city or some hardly populated place, as long as it's a nice place and there are good people around. The where isn't particularly important.

But after a couple of months in Stockholm I do understand why so many city people have summer houses in the country. I can miss open spaces a bit. Beaches and horizons...

[Aj_]

I live in a small city with about 140,000 people in it, it doesn't feel like a city, I can see cows out of one window, and the city centre out the other. I can walk to fields in 1 hour, or be in a city centre with lots of bars, shops etc... in 30mins. I prefer the fields.

[Relek]

Originally Posted by Aj_

I live in a small city with about 140,000 people in it, it doesn't feel like a city, I can see cows out of one window, and the city centre out the other. I can walk to fields in 1 hour, or be in a city centre with lots of bars, shops etc... in 30mins. I prefer the fields.

Ooooh best of both worlds I wanna live there!

[Gordon Bennett]

I love living in a huge city. There's so much to explore and do. New shops, museums, film festivals, art galleries, cafes, markets - everything. Plus, I can get around fairly easily without owning a car, and if I really need to get away for a while, I can get to any of several train stations and airports via the Tube.

I also love the diversity of the city. There are people from all over the world here. On any given day, I might hear half a dozen different languages spoken around me. I get to meet people from many different countries, and share the different experiences we've had, the interests we've developed, and learn about films and books I would otherwise never have heard of.

[Once A Villain]

Originally Posted by Gordon Bennett

I love living in a huge city. There's so much to explore and do. New shops, museums, film festivals, art galleries, cafes, markets - everything. Plus, I can get around fairly easily without owning a car, and if I really need to get away for a while, I can get to any of several train stations and airports via the Tube.

I also love the diversity of the city. There are people from all over the world here. On any given day, I might hear half a dozen different languages spoken around me. I get to meet people from many different countries, and share the different experiences we've had, the interests we've developed, and learn about films and books I would otherwise never have heard of.

I've got to own a car myself. Those are the only big cities I could never live in. The ones where people don't have to own a car. Ha ha. The whole atmosphere is wrong in my opinion. It's the ONLY reason I prefer L.A. to New York...

And I don't think learning about movies and books is dependent on living in a big city. But I do see what you are saying, and agree for the most part.

[bulldog]

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

if I want to explore the big city (which I often do)
So, basically I feel like I'm "in the middle" too, and I love that. The suburbs I call home "have all the convenciences of the big city", as you say, but if I want to go bigger, Dallas is right there. If I want to go smaller...well...I wouldn't. Heh.

Yea…. I love that. If I need to go into Atlanta then its right there, but I comfy right where I’m at.

[lumi]

I've lived most my life in suburbs out on the edge of smaller cities, and right now I want a change. It's too quiet and not enough contact with others. People stay in their cars, and don't mingle with the neighborhood too much.

I could go with a small town if it's a lively town. Something closely packed, and not spread out like farmland.

Big cities can be both good and bad. Someplace like LA or NY would not be my thing, but Tokyo would be. I felt at home everywhere in Tokyo when I was there, but when I was in New York (or other big American cities) I don't feel like I fit in everywhere.