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I always hear the expression----------" where everybody knows everybody"
I have often wondered what population size makes that possible.
My guess is over 1500 it is unlikely,
I have heard that expression used in a town of 7500 near me.
Strange that most of the kids graduating from that high school don't even know half of the students in their graduating class.
I have lived in everything from a very small town with a population of 65 to a very large city over 5 million and everything in between.
It all depends on where the small town is. To me a lot of small towns are just flat boring but it all depends what you like to do. For me, a small town does not offer the amenities nor things to do that a larger city does.
For me...it means EVERYTHING. I grew up in a big city..(UGGGGH) I DREAMED of a small town! I'm an only child...living in a small town makes me feel the entire town is family, I never felt like an outsider.OHHHHH.... I found my dream farmhouse (built in 1886) I LOVE my life in a small town! I made friends, we joke about how we were 'seperated at birth'....it's AMAZING...for me it is a dream!
I too grew up in a big city but we have lived in both: at this stage of our lives we would never consider a metro city again. We are close enough to shopping, medical facilities and decent dining to be able to enjoy a night or should I say, day out from time to time, but we have the wonderful experience of knowing our neighbors, going to the store and running into someone we know from a club, from the neighborhood or from church. The area is so safe we could probably go on vacation for a month and no one would bother the house, but if we need something we know there will always be a friend to help us.
The area is so safe we could probably go on vacation for a month and no one would bother the house, but if we need something we know there will always be a friend to help us.
We have the same thing and we don't live in a small town. I don't have to say probably our home would be safe because I know it is. We go away at least every month for trips lasting 3-20 days and have never had a problem.
After living in a city with a population of 66,000 people for almost my entire life, it was too big for me. I moved down south (for a lot of reasons) and moved in with a family member in a 84,000 population city and after two months, I moved to a small town where I do not foresee me leaving anytime soon. The population in this town is 8,000, which I consider small. I was looking at a smaller town with a population under 1,000 but I couldn't find a place to live there - Cheaper rent there.
"What does living in a small town mean to you?" - Living in a small town means a lot to me because I'm not a people person. I mean, I'm a nice friendly person, but I do not like crowds of people or a lot of traffic. Starting in spring, we become a tourist town, but it's nothing compared to the city nearby. Small town living is less stressful and people are generally more laid back and not up tight about everything.
But when is a small town too big? At 10,000 population? At 1,000?
I have always wondered, not when it is too big, but what is the defination of "small town" Our town is about 25,000 but for many, coming from metro cities, like Dallas, NYC, KC etc it is very much small town. For others even 10,000 isn't small town. The feel of the town plays a part I am sure. When we lived no of Dallas the town had aboug 20,000 when we moved there, now it is closer to 75,000. but even at 20,000 it didnt' seem little town at all cause it was just one of many towns that ran together...You never knew, without seeing a sign where one city stopped and the next started.. Here we have vacant land and rural roads between one city and another in many cases.
Nita
I have always wondered, not when it is too big, but what is the defination of "small town" Our town is about 25,000 but for many, coming from metro cities, like Dallas, NYC, KC etc it is very much small town.
Your message brought to mind a scenario I used to see many years ago as a college student in a small town in New Mexico and having had a sister with teenage kids in Dallas. The kids in New Mexico were headed for Dallas and the kids in Dallas were headed for LA and NY. I've not ever lived in Dallas or NY but I have lived in New Orleans and D.C. I now consider a small town one where the local grocery store has three rows of groceries and struggles to stay in business. I now have that. Unfortunately, we no longer have our grocery store.
I was born and raised in NYC. Once I left all towns/cities became "small" to me, even Ft. Lauderdale, FL
I'm now outside a town of about 5K and I like the feel of it. Small yet not too small to die out.
I previously lived in a town of 7K and loved it.."the" post office or "the" Dairy Queen..only one of anything.
But sadly the housing boom came and that small town grew to over 50K with many lights, new roads, big box and chains
To me that was too big so when I got the chance I moved to where I am now.
I'm about 45 minutes from College Station which is plenty enough big for me with all the amenities I'd need and not a bad drive at all for me.
1) no traffic lights,
2) time to visit at grocery, PO, or hardware
3) shared interests and help
4) potlucks
5) community events with EVERYONE helping
6) knowing the folks that serve you.
7) supporting locals and appreciating their hard work and contribution
8) time to sit and chat
9) laughter
10) relax, safe, secure
...
Drive your tractor (or ATV) to town and not feel wierd.
I like that no subdivision houses where they all look the same (oh excuse me, one house might be a tad lighter shade of tan! ) I dont like houses where the first thing you see is the garage sticking way out front. I like detached garages, the house should be the primary focus, not that garage. (Just my 2c) You dont have to lock up tighter than Ft Knox during the day when youre home, you can open the curtains, let some natural light in...
Funny, just a few years back, my daughter in law, from Oklahoma, came to visit in Calif where I lived at the time, and we took her to the Ontario Mills Mall. She exclaimed she's never seen so many people and that mall must have had more people than her entire hometown...which I can totally believe, considering Ive been to her town too) and was so surprised. Now that I live in a small town too, just not as small as hers, I totally have to agree, our rush hour might consist of maybe 12 cars....
I also agree with #10 on your reply there. Safe, secure, no fences or gated communities, heck, half the people here dont lock their cars, or homes, everyone knows everyone. So convenience store on every corner, one ma and pa store....yep.
Not to mock big city living or those who prefer subdivisions and city living, to each their own, but all my life Ive never liked cities, crowds and having to keep everything under the sun under lock and key.
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) I dont like houses where the first thing you see is the garage sticking way out front. I like detached garages, the house should be the primary focus, not that garage. (Just my 2c) You dont have to lock up tighter than Ft Knox during the day when youre home, you can open the curtains, let some natural light in...
