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Diversity of job opportunities. A big city will have nearly any industry you can think of. Also, hobbies and entertainment. In a small remote town, you may very few if any people who have the same interests as you. Especially if your interests are more niche. What if you're not in watching football, fishing, drinking at bars? What if you're into theatre, djing, or into a less popular sport? But near a city, you'll find many different people and groups, and tiny niches can form a critical mass.
People can change drastically in 10 years. You may need to change industries. You may outgrow or become bored of your current interests and try to find something new. Your current setup in a small remote town may work in this moment, but will it scale 10 years from now.
I mean, I know this forum is more oriented toward people into cities (and I am one of them). But of course living near a city is not essential. Literally, millions of people today are not living within 2 hours of one. Shocking as it may be, many people are not into theater, or DJ'ing, or (pick your urban hobby and insert it here).
They may be into mountain climbing, or agriculture, or (pick your rural hobby here).
OP, you've listed some advantages to living in or near a city. But "essential" is not the word I'd use for it. More like "desirable" perhaps. Personally, I think I'd go insane if I had to live in, say, Lower Manhattan. But I'd also go insane if I had to live in some rural place that's two hours to the nearest city. That's why the suburbs work best for me.
I grew up in the city, always lived in the big cities and loved being among “civilizations” and the diverse cultures. I thrived and immersed in the city environment. I love seeing architecture, boutiques, store fronts, museums, concerts, exhibitions, galleries, restaurants, billboards, crazy freeways, people watching, cultural institutes from non-homogeneous backgrounds…..all that jazz. They are my “soul food”, so to speak.
The bigger and bustling the city, the more I am thriving. (I can always have the quietness and serenity of my own home and my strictly residential neighborhood to unwind and to have my own private time.)
Last year we chose to live in Sarasota FL.-a nice smaller town that’s in no way rural or lack of amenities but within less than 6 months I was feeling intellectually deprived and claustrophobic (I’m probably the only person who would feel “claustrophobic” in the famous FL resort beach town.)-there’s only so much time you can spend on the beach, there’s only so much time you can stare at the sunset, regardless how beautiful it is. (People in FL love their sunset.) I need my big city vibrancy and novelty colorful “bazaar”.
I love cities, i don’t want to live in “towns” and country side, no matter how beautiful and peaceful they are. (Except maybe those far and remote 20 acre English country homes, but only for vacations.) Cities can be beautiful and peaceful too, if you know how to look and appreciate the civilizations.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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For me the availability and quality of healthcare is the main reason to live near a city, jobs being 2nd. For my hobbies and other interests are much better satisfied in the country or at least the exurbs. Fortunately we are able to live just 23 miles from the big city where I work and yet live in a place with old growth forests, large lots, and no big box stores or entertainment venues. The major hospital is only 7 miles away in the next city.
I'd say the only real "need" to live near a city is because of accessibility to health care and hospitals. Rural hospitals are closing left and right, and doctors and nurses are usually easier to find in metro versus rural areas, as well as easier to get to. I get nightmares just trying to imagine whether a bleeding kid in an accident or a an old person on dialysis could get what they need when the nearest medical center is a 90 minute drive away. Sure, people do it. But I wouldn't want to be one of them.
Aside from health care, everything else about living in cities, or near them, seems like a matter of personal choice.
For me the availability and quality of healthcare is the main reason to live near a city, jobs being 2nd.
I keep seeing this repeated. What does "healthcare" mean in this context? The ease and affordability of going to a local doctor and getting loaded up on prescription pills isn't "healthcare".
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