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Old 02-19-2018, 01:36 PM
 
Location: Eastern Washington
17,122 posts, read 56,797,628 times
Reputation: 18416

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Quote:
Originally Posted by pvande55 View Post
Everyone has posted about hospitals and doctors, but what about other urban amenities? Doesn't anyone like to go to sporting events, concerts, meetings? You don't want to have to drive several hours. Airports, yes, you don't mind doing that.
These urban amenities are not that important to me. I would rather have the space and the peace and quiet, the privacy. I am just not a spectator sports kind of guy - won't watch it on TV, and definitely won't drive out, pay to park, pay to get in, pay too much for snacks, etc. for that "live" experience. Likewise the live music experience anymore - the crowding, the idiots spilling beer on you, not able to really see what's going on unless you pay a mint for a close seat, frequently too damn loud...no, just no.

Of course that's just me, but, I think many people who live rural by choice are not that interested in urban amenities.

Not making a value judgment here - if you like the urban lifestyle, fine, live in town. More room out in the country for me.
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Old 02-19-2018, 01:43 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,271 posts, read 61,027,360 times
Reputation: 30164
Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Mitch View Post
These urban amenities are not that important to me. I would rather have the space and the peace and quiet, the privacy. I am just not a spectator sports kind of guy - won't watch it on TV, and definitely won't drive out, pay to park, pay to get in, pay too much for snacks, etc. for that "live" experience. Likewise the live music experience anymore - the crowding, the idiots spilling beer on you, not able to really see what's going on unless you pay a mint for a close seat, frequently too damn loud...no, just no.

Of course that's just me, but, I think many people who live rural by choice are not that interested in urban amenities.

Not making a value judgment here - if you like the urban lifestyle, fine, live in town. More room out in the country for me.
Same here.

My wife used to go attend things as a feature of homeschooling our children. But once they all went to college, it stopped.

Without children, we did not include much of the urban amenities in our lifestyle. Now that we are fairly rural, this suits us well.
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Old 02-19-2018, 05:28 PM
mlb
 
Location: North Monterey County
4,971 posts, read 4,429,250 times
Reputation: 7903
I am a homebody. LIving further out from "amenities" doesn't bother me. And I only grocery shop once a week - I make a list and stick to it - so just dropping by a grocery is not something I will do. I believe in planning trips so that I am not wasting time, resources or gas.

I don't need to be out of the house every day - and I suspect that living near family will have me interacting with them.

NEVER was a museum person - hate the theater, We will have a decent surround sound theater room in the house for movies...

And besides - I plan on spending the first year of retirement SLEEPING or catching up on the sleep I missed all those years.
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Old 02-20-2018, 04:06 PM
 
3,930 posts, read 2,082,083 times
Reputation: 4580
Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Mitch View Post
These urban amenities are not that important to me. I would rather have the space and the peace and quiet, the privacy. I am just not a spectator sports kind of guy - won't watch it on TV, and definitely won't drive out, pay to park, pay to get in, pay too much for snacks, etc. for that "live" experience. Likewise the live music experience anymore - the crowding, the idiots spilling beer on you, not able to really see what's going on unless you pay a mint for a close seat, frequently too damn loud...no, just no.

Of course that's just me, but, I think many people who live rural by choice are not that interested in urban amenities.

Not making a value judgment here - if you like the urban lifestyle, fine, live in town. More room out in the country for me.
I like having those amenities close by so if I can drive 30-45 minutes and be in a large city with those amenities, large airport, great hospital then that’s fine with me and I can plan on going for weekends when I want to do that. Most time I prefer quiet, hiking in nature, little traffic. Which is why I prefer a somewhat rural but still close enough to a town with groceries, stores, local hospital and then a big city for when I need bigger things.
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Old 02-26-2018, 02:30 PM
 
9,891 posts, read 11,692,841 times
Reputation: 22085
Quote:
Originally Posted by matisse12 View Post
Will you be driving yourself in your own car to the emergency room or hospital during and while you're having your heart attack, stroke, or other similar dire event in your rural location?
Just because we live rural, does not mean we have to drive ourselves to the hospital in an emergency. We do what they do in the city, call 911, and the send an ambulance with a trained EMT crew to our door. In fact we can get an ambulance to our door faster, than most people get them in the city, due to lack of all that traffic.

You may not realize it, but rural areas have fire departments, ambulances, police/sheriff, just as they do in the cities. They get around in cars now, not horses and buggies. We actually have those things called telephones and 911 services, so we can get that kind of help as needed. Yes telephones, as we no longer have to rely on smoke signals.

In our part of the world, our big medical system which we are part of, if too far for an ambulance, send a helicopter with a great medical crew for you, and if you live further way in Montana, or in Western North and South Dakota, northern half of Wyoming, or a good section in Canada, they send one of their 3 twin engine turbo prop medical air lift planes for you. Medical system actually own the helicopters and airplanes, which is very rate. Yes this medical system we are part of, is pretty good, and is the big one to go to for all that territory. It is good enough it has won award, after award, and is only one of 7 medical systems that is an affiliate of the Mayo Clinic. We have one of the best medical systems in the country, not what so may think they they have in rural areas. There is another huge hospital system in Billings, so we have 2 top notch systems not just one available.

My daughter had to be moved from our local small hospital to Billings 50 miles away. The 2 local ambulances were at a big highway multiple car wreck. So they sent a helicopter to move her. When that flight crew came into that part of the hospital, they handed the flight nurse my daughters records, answered any questions then got out of her way. I have never seen such a pro at work. Hooked up her own instruments to my daughter, checked her to see if it was safe to move he, and got her bundled up and ready to go. The pilots helped put her on their gurney, and moved her with the nurse trotting along side. In just minutes she was loaded into the helicopter and gone. Fifteen minutes later they were down at the big hospital.

The nurses we knew, told us about that flight nurse. Told us she was the best nurse in the system. She had the claim of never losing a patient she was transporting in over 20 years. They said if they are ever in the position of an emergency helicopter transport, they just hope and pray that is the crew they get. Said the others are all top notch, but that nurse is so superior to anyone they have ever seen, they want her.

Rural living, is not what so many city people think it is. It is not what they show on TV Comedy Shows. Andy Griffin's Mayberry, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres is not real life in most rural areas. Montana is the 4th largest state, with only a total of 1,000,000 people. We have something like 7 Indian reservations with the largest larger than the smallest state. Very low unemployment rate, and reasonable cost of living. And the modern amenities you have in the big cities, without all the problems that the big city states have.
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Old 02-26-2018, 02:41 PM
 
10,800 posts, read 3,557,193 times
Reputation: 5950
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtrader View Post
Just because we live rural, does not mean we have to drive ourselves to the hospital in an emergency. We do what they do in the city, call 911, and the send an ambulance with a trained EMT crew to our door. In fact we can get an ambulance to our door faster, than most people get them in the city, due to lack of all that traffic.

You may not realize it, but rural areas have fire departments, ambulances, police/sheriff, just as they do in the cities. They get around in cars now, not horses and buggies. We actually have those things called telephones and 911 services, so we can get that kind of help as needed. Yes telephones, as we no longer have to rely on smoke signals.

In our part of the world, our big medical system which we are part of, if too far for an ambulance, send a helicopter with a great medical crew for you, and if you live further way in Montana, or in Western North and South Dakota, northern half of Wyoming, or a good section in Canada, they send one of their 3 twin engine turbo prop medical air lift planes for you. Medical system actually own the helicopters and airplanes, which is very rate. Yes this medical system we are part of, is pretty good, and is the big one to go to for all that territory. It is good enough it has won award, after award, and is only one of 7 medical systems that is an affiliate of the Mayo Clinic. We have one of the best medical systems in the country, not what so may think they they have in rural areas. There is another huge hospital system in Billings, so we have 2 top notch systems not just one available.

My daughter had to be moved from our local small hospital to Billings 50 miles away. The 2 local ambulances were at a big highway multiple car wreck. So they sent a helicopter to move her. When that flight crew came into that part of the hospital, they handed the flight nurse my daughters records, answered any questions then got out of her way. I have never seen such a pro at work. Hooked up her own instruments to my daughter, checked her to see if it was safe to move he, and got her bundled up and ready to go. The pilots helped put her on their gurney, and moved her with the nurse trotting along side. In just minutes she was loaded into the helicopter and gone. Fifteen minutes later they were down at the big hospital.

The nurses we knew, told us about that flight nurse. Told us she was the best nurse in the system. She had the claim of never losing a patient she was transporting in over 20 years. They said if they are ever in the position of an emergency helicopter transport, they just hope and pray that is the crew they get. Said the others are all top notch, but that nurse is so superior to anyone they have ever seen, they want her.

Rural living, is not what so many city people think it is. It is not what they show on TV Comedy Shows. Andy Griffin's Mayberry, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres is not real life in most rural areas. Montana is the 4th largest state, with only a total of 1,000,000 people. We have something like 7 Indian reservations with the largest larger than the smallest state. Very low unemployment rate, and reasonable cost of living. And the modern amenities you have in the big cities, without all the problems that the big city states have.

Yeah, but you also have Billings.

Looks great up from the escarpment, but in my opinion, one of the worst holes in North America. However, love Great Falls, Boseman, Missoula etc. Just Billings. Who knows what happened to it.

BTW, agree with most of the rest of your post.
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Old 02-26-2018, 03:00 PM
 
8,238 posts, read 6,540,743 times
Reputation: 23135
oldtrader, that's great that you have excellent emergency services in your rural area.

Would some other rural areas perhaps not be as well-serviced?

I was responding to another poster who seemed to maybe be saying that he or she thought one should probably be within easy driving distance of a hospital or emergency room..... and it sounded like maybe the poster was thinking along the lines of being sick and being able to drive oneself - rather than thinking of emergency medical events taking place - so I was asking for clarifications with my question.
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Old 02-26-2018, 04:02 PM
 
3,930 posts, read 2,082,083 times
Reputation: 4580
Every area is different. I know some living in a rural area in Georgia mountains but their community does have 24/7 EMS service, hospital in town 20 minute drive away and helicopter emergency should that be needed to big city hospital in Atlanta
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Old 02-26-2018, 04:44 PM
 
9,891 posts, read 11,692,841 times
Reputation: 22085
The problem in rural areas, is Medical Specialists in some parts of the country. If you have a condition that requires regular visits to a specialist, this is the one thing you need to check out.

I need to visit a cardiologist twice a year, even though I have not had problems for years. Our medical system has one come to our hospital every month to visit patients. I just lost my Doctor. Her and her husband were both top Cardiologists. He was hired by the University Of Washington to be a Professor and oversee some research projects. The big famous hospital grabbed her when they had a chance. They are now in the process of hiring 2 new Cardiologists to replace them. They have several Cardiologists but need 2 more top ones, to be able to handle visits to the different medical clinics they own around the state. We have very little turn over of doctors here, but when they came to him and offered him his dream, so they took it of course.
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Old 02-26-2018, 05:31 PM
 
17,273 posts, read 11,123,264 times
Reputation: 40598
Quote:
Originally Posted by matisse12 View Post
oldtrader, that's great that you have excellent emergency services in your rural area.

Would some other rural areas perhaps not be as well-serviced?

I was responding to another poster who seemed to maybe be saying that he or she thought one should probably be within easy driving distance of a hospital or emergency room..... and it sounded like maybe the poster was thinking along the lines of being sick and being able to drive oneself - rather than thinking of emergency medical events taking place - so I was asking for clarifications with my question.
Allow me to help clarify again what my intention was when I said easy driving distance to a hospital. I certainly wasn't trying to say I would be driving myself to a hospital if I had a stroke or heart attack and I can't possibly understand why someone would think that.
I was doing research regarding a small town that I may be interested in moving to. The town itself has about 2000 people but no hospital. The closest hospital is 17 miles away in a larger town. I wrote to the hospital with my concerns about being located 17 miles away. I received a very nice email back from one of the hospital board members who explained to me that they provide 24/7 EMT service with up to 6 ambulances located in the smaller town at all times.
In an emergency the 17 mile drive in reality is only about a 10 minute drive because it is rural with no lights or traffic so is basically a straight shot to the hospital. It takes no longer and maybe less time than driving across town in a large city. That's what I meant by an easy drive.
It was also explained to me that there was also a helicopter available that could transport a person to a large hospital within the second largest city in the state in just 15 minutes.
I hope this clears up any confusion regarding my statement "easy driving distance to a hospital".
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