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Mostly though truly small-towns are a bit conformist.
Good for Lihue.
As for conformism, I can't deal with it that easily. I have a college friend who left a small town where he grew up. According to him "small town, small minds". That is his take on it.
Yes I do have something against small towns. They lack diversity. The people from small towns does not know how to dress. If I would go to a small town dressing the way I dress, they will look at me odd. Also being that it's a small town people will gossip about you all the times. fuggedaboutit, small towns are not for me.
Well, I think it depends on where you are too. There are some relatively "diverse" small towns and cities here in Upstate NY. Here's a couple off the top of my head: https://www.city-data.com/city/Lyons-New-York.html
I have lived in very small towns and large cities. Personally I prefer a large city. Compared, at least to the small towns I have lived, the cities offer more to do without having to drive anywhere. The only thing I prefer a small town over a big ciy is maybe a larger yard.
In the American landscape... yes... definitely prefer the big city. In Europe? Not so much, there are dozens of smaller cities which are built totally different and offer a lifestyle I am comfortable with. Even their smaller cities tend to have new york density and walkable with good transportation options.
The main problem I have with American cities is the car centric nature, and very poor urban planning, it leads to very different styles of life.
Just an example of a city I'm very familiar with, Geneva for example... it is only 180k people. But has a pop density of 30k/ square mile, higher than NYC.
I wonder why so many people here are enamored with being packed in as tightly as humanly possible? Is it a conservation issue? (Packed in you're using less land) A convenience issue as things are closer when packed in?
Or am I misreading it? I do know the densest cities in the world are not necessarily praised. Manila, Cairo, and Macau don't seem all that beloved. So is it like a certain density is good with higher or lower bad?
I guess as a smaller town person I associated being more packed in as a bad thing. Something that increases stress and encourages aggression. Maybe not violent crime, but agitation and frustration.
In the American landscape... yes... definitely prefer the big city. In Europe? Not so much, there are dozens of smaller cities which are built totally different and offer a lifestyle I am comfortable with. Even their smaller cities tend to have new york density and walkable with good transportation options. The main problem I have with American cities is the car centric nature, and very poor urban planning, it leads to very different styles of life.
Just an example of a city I'm very familiar with, Geneva for example... it is only 180k people. But has a pop density of 30k/ square mile, higher than NYC.
I agree with that. A car-centric society makes it very hard. My experience is that a car-centric society is hostile to pedestrians and persons who don't have cars. Things are further away and it is almost like you are forced to use a car. Not only that, in many of these places, public transit is not invested in good enough. It is like many people want a society based solely on the car, and when I think about it, it boils my blood because I don't have a car. Some people might say "go by a car". If only it were that easy. Cars are expensive and if you can't pay in full, you have to get a car payment, and that is if you have the credit. If not, then you are SOL. Then there are gas prices to consider. Personally, where I live, it would be a much better place if the transit system was better funded, expanded and managed better.
I grew up in a town of 180. My family was one of few not related to anyone else in-town. I hated every minute of it. The gravel roads were poorly maintained and every day it rained, after school I had to sit on the front step and scrape the caked gravel-mud off of my shoes with a butterknife. My town was a 10 minute drive from the nearest town with a school, but I had an hour long commute on a poorly heated bus because the school bus had to pick up every single kid that lived out in the country. The same town had the nearest police and ambulance but it was another 45 minutes to the nearest hospital once the ambulance picked you up. I was a socially awkward, artsy kid and therefor was labeled as weird, which later changed to "evil." Even at my confirmation one of the old ladies stopped while shaking my hand and told only me to "stay out of drugs." 8 years later I'm still hearing rumors that went around about me that never happened. Apparently, being into reading and drawing = devil worship and doing heavy drugs when you live in a small town.
I love big cities (Fargo isn't what I consider "big" but its not a small town either). There are more (and a larger variety) people to meet and places to go, public transit if my car breaks down, and the town doesn't shut down at 6 pm. I love just being another person in the crowd. I don't mind visiting small towns because I love the old architecture and little shops and cafes they tend to have, but I'd never live in one again. There are too many major inconveniences and there is just too much gossip and prejudice if you can't conform to what they want you to be. I figure the people who like living in them are the ones who always fit in with everyone else or was at least related to them.
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