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I grew up in the city (Dallas) in the 1960's and 70's and have no complaints. Although a large city, the area we lived in was one where everyone with kids knew everyone else, usually through school or church. We usually couldn't go someplace without seeing someone we knew - whether it be shopping or a restaurant. There were fields and creeks nearby where we built forts and made up games, so it wasn't exactly an urban jungle by any stretch of the imagination. We lived in nice homes on curving streets but all of us kids knew all the back alleys and shortcuts where we could get just about anywhere we wanted to go after telling our mothers half-truths about our plans. LOL!
My cousins, on the other hand, lived in the country in Central Texas and we'd spend time with them for a few weeks in the summers, where we'd spend the days wandering around finding things to do. There weren't paved streets or concrete sidewalks there to ride bikes on or a Dairy Queen to walk to, like at home, so we made our own fun playing in the fields or exploring creeks, similar to what we'd do back home in the city except it was in a totally rural atmosphere.
What is interesting in retrospect, however, is that our "country" cousins were far more advanced than us "big city" kids the older we got. Despite living in a relatively urban environment, we didn't do HALF the drinking and carousing that our cousins did living out in the sticks. They were WILD. LOL!
Grow up in a large city, no question about it. A lot to do, weath, being surrounded by a lot of other people...you didn't need to go create your own fun...it was already there for you.
i would say it was better growing up in small town america until illegal immigration got out of control as well as crystal meth. those two are now tied extremely close and small town america, specifically in california. now rural california has to deal with similar issues, gang violence (primarily mexican), drug murders, drugs, graffitti etc.
Meth has been cooked in small, rural Californian towns since the 60's-mainly up around the Grass Valley area. I also would think that it is fairly safe to say that meth is a problem in almost any rural environment across the country, and has been for a long time.
I find people generally to be friendlier and a bit more open minded coming from a small town rather than a big city.
I know that statement might surprise people, but I really tend to find small town people open to doing a lot more stuff than people from big cities who think they already made their mind up on what they like and don't like.... and people they like and don't like.
I would add suburb to your list, because I think growing up in a suburb is different than city or small town or farm.
I grew up in a small town and have lived in the US's largest city (NYC) also some suburbs. I think that city and small town have more in common than suburb and city.
Although I won't knock my parents' decision to raise us in a small town, I will choose to raise my family in a city. The experience of living among diversity is priceless. One of my biggest fears for my children is that they will grow up seeing only people who look like them (except on tv).
Suburbia, especially, breeds fear and ignorance. There are exceptions, but only when parents make a real effort to exposure their children to the broader world. And typically the people who choose the suburbs are not that interested in the "real world."
I'm a senior in high school, and I've grown up in a town that's about 5,000 people most of my life. However, we're only about 10 minutes away from a town of 90,000...And we're right inbetween Milwaukee and Chicago. My mom grew up in Chicago and my whole family still lives in Chicago so I'm biased towards more urban living.
I've liked growing up in the country, green space everywhere, not a lot of traffic, people are generally nice. However, I've also found that it's hard to feel like you belong in a small town unless you were born and raised there, and your family was born and raised there. This may not be true for all small towns, but I find it true here. I also think people tend to be a bit more judgemental of people who aren't just like them and some don't seem to care about anything that goes on outside this town.
I go to a high school with maybe..7 African-American students, and everyone here thinks its so funny to be 'ghetto' and for homecoming we even had a 'ghetto' day. The ignorance of other cultures is ridiculous here. A lot of people are afraid to go to a town of 50,000 and are scared of pretty much all hispanics, blacks, etc.
I wouldn't change anything. I like the balance here, it's rural, but we're close enough to big cities where I don't feel isolated. Honestly, I could raise my kids in either environment, urban or country (as long as it wasn't TOO rural..), however I will never ever live in the suburbs. IMO the suburbs are the evils of both worlds without any of the benefits.
I think all have very very very good pro's to them.
Cities have a lot to offer with many oppurtunities, but I wouldn't say there is more to do when you are growing up really... Every one of these three have their own unique things to do for kids/teens.
Small towns are really good to grow up in as well, very safe and well... home-ish. People know who to trust.
Farming is a very dedicated lifestyle, and even if someone grows up on a farm, that doesn't mean they are doomed with that label forever, they can take that work ethic with them and use it in their future.
I think all three are great... so, to each his own.
I grew up in a major northeastern city and spent most of my life in cities on the east coast. My Wife was born and raised in a very small town, on a small farm, and never got used to city or even suburban living...so we decided to move to the country 12 years ago and now live on some acreage formally part of a large farm and we wish we did this a lot sooner.
City living is okay and it gives you "street smarts" but if I had it to do all over again I would prefer to have been raised on a farm.
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