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I guess i'm a loner i need to be out away from the city, nearest neighbor 1/4 mile, but i don't care much for power outages & dust off of gravel roads but still better than city.
much rather walk in the woods with the wind in the trees & deal with the skeeters than a crowded city with sirens all types of noise.
I voted for working and suburbia. My other choice was rural and acreage, but neither are a complete answer. Perhaps you should add another option--metropolitian outskirts? These are areas that are just outside of suburbia but still less than a 1 hour drive (during non-rush hour times) from downtown. It's like having the best of both worlds--you have both the open spaces and land and the shopping and activities of a large metropolitian region.
If money weren't an option, I'd want to live in a house on a medium-sized or medium-large lake with a view of mountains opposite the lake located less than an hour from a large city's downtown. (Of course, millions of other Americans have the same dream, so any property like that is going to be $$$.)
Next time I move it will be to a rural area. The brief time I lived in the "country" it was a happy, fun time with no problems. Not having to deal with zoning inspectors, bad neighbors, lawyers, and high property values/taxes, makes life worth living. Yes you have to grade the dirt road yourself, but that just means more time with the Bobcat, tractor or dozer. Yes you drive a lot, but it takes less gas to go 20 miles on the highway that 4 miles in the city. People aren't motivated but tend to be less dependant that city dwellers wo can't do much for themself. Oh yes and rural areas are not targets for terrorists. City life had advantages, but in the 21'st century I feel that only rural living can provide the freedom needed to be a true American.
Next time I move it will be to a rural area. The brief time I lived in the "country" it was a happy, fun time with no problems. Not having to deal with zoning inspectors, bad neighbors, lawyers, and high property values/taxes, makes life worth living. Yes you have to grade the dirt road yourself, but that just means more time with the Bobcat, tractor or dozer. Yes you drive a lot, but it takes less gas to go 20 miles on the highway that 4 miles in the city. People aren't motivated but tend to be less dependant that city dwellers wo can't do much for themself. Oh yes and rural areas are not targets for terrorists. City life had advantages, but in the 21'st century I feel that only rural living can provide the freedom needed to be a true American.
Nothing like the smell of industrialized chicken coups and cattle ranches, or the sound of 24-hour a day farm machinery and non-stop trucks right outside the ranchette during harvesting season. And, oh, the sound, smell and taste of crop dusters mere feet overhead. These are just some of the problems I've heard people in the "country" complain about as they discover that the grind to keep a hungry world fed never stops. To each his/her own; I'll take the city and be a true American there any day.
I've done the living/working in the city thing, living/commuting in surburbia thing, and living in a rural area thing too. Overall, I'd have to say my preference was for suburbia because it's a good compromise.
Rural living was definitely NOT for moi. Isolation, wild animals and lots of driving ain't my idea of Paradise. City living was fun but you never know what kind of neighbors you'll get, how much noise they'll make or how much their cigarette smoke will affect you in your apartment. Convenience was great but try to get a doctor's appointment.
The 'burbs was just the right mix. Not too far to drive, nice places to walk for exercise, close enough to necessary amenities and flowers on the back deck. Yep, that's for me.
While working, I'd want to live in a rural area, with acreage
I do live in a rural area with acreage and have for 6 years and will do the same when I move.
I don't miss the city life at all and I sacraficed my earning power to live this lifestyle and don't regret it for one moment. I'll admit I'm hooked on horses/mules and love having them at home and not boarded somewhere. Because of my love of horses I knew what I was getting into before I jumped and had many friends with farms I was not jumping off a cliff blind.
But it is not for everyone...I think many city folk are un-realistic about what it takes to live on even a small acreage tract and keep it up. For instance I'll be weed spraying my pastures this weekend...not fun but it's a have too thaing. Then after that in a month or so I'll be spreading fertalizer...then of course it's seed spreading time....all this just to keep up about 3 acres of pasture. Much I do by hand sprayer and hand spreader. The rest of my 10 acres is in hardwoods so then there is also fence repair...branches do knock down fence line. Then there's spreading fly and 'skeeter treatment stuff once a month during bug season. This is just a taste of my life and I work a full time job. Sooooooo for all of you city folk who think they wanna do the country life think real hard about it. It's labor intensive and you still gotta work. I love it so I'm happy but it sure isn't for everyone.
ReturningWest - so true. Even for those who move to the exurbs it can be a huge shock. I know my parents moved from an inner-ring more urban 'burb with a small lawn (that could be mowed in less than an hour with a pushing lawnmower) to what I jokingly call 'the woods', but is really an exurb area and that first couple of years dealing with just 3/4th an acre was a huge adjustment. They still complain all the time about dealing with not being on 'city water' and having to deal with squirrels, deer, raccoons, and all sorts of other more rural annoyances. They can have it. I wouldn't even know what to do with 1/2 an acre of land, let alone 3.
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