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Depends on the region, I suppose. Iowa is not Mississippi.
Also depends on the what people mean by quality of life. To me it means a non-polluted environment, friendly people, lack of crime, affordable housing and cost of living in general, pedestrian-friendliness, etc.
I'm from NYC. The white population has grown. I hope to see the changes in NYC racial demographics by next year. Rural and suburban America is going it be fine and suburbs are not dying. Richard Florida tried to kill the suburb but that failed miserably. In rural suburban America, especially white suburbia and white rural America. These regions lack jobs and lack job growth. This will force many to either leave for the big city after high school to work in service industry, or after college to work in professional job. After reading Charles muarry coming apart, corporations have been moving away from rural area and suburbs, and instead moving offices to urban centers or suburban tech parks like silicon Valley, or Mohawk Valley in NYS near white plains.
When have there been big corporations in rural towns and which ones have moved from a rural area to silicon valley or Mohawk valley.
Unless you can argue with a straight face that the pinnacle of human achievement was when we achieved a stable food source, ie farming versus hunting and gathering, this entire discussion is silly. Yes maybe rural lifestyle is idyllic in a way urban living can never be. But would it work if everyone had this lifestyle? Should we just enact policies to make America an agrarian society? How many innovations came from small towns and farm country? I know many of you would say, I'm happy to have a gun in my hand and the ability to grow my own food. What if the entire world operated this way? Would that be utopia?
depends on the city. The majority of the people moving into my area (via. CD threads and private conversations) site just those things environment (fresh air, lakes, streams, rolling hills, mountains, hiking, traffic), low crime, friendly people, low taxes, affordable housing as reasons they are moving from the cities to this area.
Unless you can argue with a straight face that the pinnacle of human achievement was when we achieved a stable food source, ie farming versus hunting and gathering, this entire discussion is silly. Yes maybe rural lifestyle is idyllic in a way urban living can never be. But would it work if everyone had this lifestyle? Should we just enact policies to make America an agrarian society? How many innovations came from small towns and farm country? I know many of you would say, I'm happy to have a gun in my hand and the ability to grow my own food. What if the entire world operated this way? Would that be utopia?
Again, its a free country live where you choose. I don't think everyone is saying everyone should live in a rural area (wouldn't be rural anymore would it). The entire premise of this thread is without warrant. People choose where they want to live for various reasons, not everyone wants to leave for the big city, thats the point. Those that must for economic reasons do, those who do want to do. Its those few who want to but dont for whatever reason that come up with this crap.
Depends on the region, I suppose. Iowa is not Mississippi.
Also depends on the what people mean by quality of life. To me it means a non-polluted environment, friendly people, lack of crime, affordable housing and cost of living in general, pedestrian-friendliness, etc.
Iowa is not Mayberry. Those little towns can be little Peyton Places with all the drama going on. If all the stories in those towns were actually covered in the news it would make many city dwellers blush. After knowing some of these stories my eyes can't roll hard enough when small towns are held up as paragons of virtue.
Iowa is not Mayberry. Those little towns can be little Peyton Places with all the drama going on. If all the stories in those towns were actually covered in the news it would make many city dwellers blush. After knowing some of these stories my eyes can't roll hard enough when small towns are held up as paragons of virtue.
I have lived in two such towns so far, but I can't really confirm what you say...
Sure, people have their personal problems like everywhere else, but I felt much safer, frankly.
And people were friendlier to me (after an initial period of distrust towards a stranger).
Iowa is not Mayberry. Those little towns can be little Peyton Places with all the drama going on. If all the stories in those towns were actually covered in the news it would make many city dwellers blush. After knowing some of these stories my eyes can't roll hard enough when small towns are held up as paragons of virtue.
Same stuff goes on in metros and suburbs. Might be a bigger gossip web in smaller towns.
I remember as a child listening to mom and a couple neighbors sitting around drinking coffee, smoking ciggs and talking all the trash about other people on our street or block. This was in the suburbs of a large city.
Same stuff goes on in metros and suburbs. Might be a bigger gossip web in smaller towns.
I remember as a child listening to mom and a couple neighbors sitting around drinking coffee, smoking ciggs and talking all the trash about other people on our street or block. This was in the suburbs of a large city.
I'm talking about more like people cheating on spouses with nieces/nephews, trading food stamps for drugs, preachers selling drugs, crazy stuff. Don't underestimate small towns; with nothing to do, people will find something to do and it's not like they lack for imagination. The most shocking situations I've ever heard came from small towns, not big cities where people are just too busy. Plenty of people grow up in small towns and move to the cities but they don't forget what happened (or is still happening when they go home to visit).
With all the talk about how terrible America's cities are lately and how rural America is a shining example of the 'real America', why is rural America in such decline? Why is there so much poverty in the Ozarks and Appalachia? Why does everyone who has the means to want to move to the big city for employment and quality of life? In addition, very few cities are predominantly conservative.
You answered your own question: big city means better jobs. These small towns in the rural states have almost no opportunity for work or for middle America type of jobs. The people living in the small towns have to give up their freedom and their calmness to support themselves.
You mention big cities not being conservative, well guess what? Small town America doesn't have the high crime rate your liberal, big cities have.
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