Question For Rural Folks, What Is Your Definition Of A Big City ? (garden, community)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I always found rural areas fun to vacation in, but I would never want to live in a rural for the rest of my life. I would get bored very quickly. Especially if I lived in a house in the woods all by myself just like a hermit where I can go days without seeing another Human Being.
So you're here on this board to be condescending to people who actually cherish the rural lifestyle? I'm sure there are plenty of urban/city specific other forums where you can find people who have much more in common with you than us rural folk.
Like another poster said, who has time to be bored? I'm trying to get the garden planted in between raindrops. I've got ducks, chickens, a turkey and a cow that need attention. I've got weeds to pull and a lawn to mow. In the fall I've got harvest. IMO you've never lived until you've eating garden fresh tomatoes and squash. Then I put-up all the food I possibly can. Because I know that anything I've canned will taste way better than the processed crap from the grocery store. But this is all boring to you isn't it?
I always found rural areas fun to vacation in, but I would never want to live in a rural for the rest of my life. I would get bored very quickly. Especially if I lived in a house in the woods all by myself just like a hermit where I can go days without seeing another Human Being.
I have never been bored a day in my life, regardless of living on a remote farm for 18 years, small towns for 11, and urban areas for five. The number of people around me does not dictate boredom or lack thereof.
there's one county like that in PA, StealthRabbit. I think Forest Co? maybe Elk Co, not sure.
Forest Co, for sure. Used to be Perry County too, but they just got their first traffic light. Surprisingly, New York State still has one county without a single traffic light, Hamilton County.
I didn't know a town with with only 7,600 people could have so many big name chain stores and restaurants.
The town that's the seat of my county has just 6,083 people, according to the census. Just off the top of my head, it has Arby's, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Long John Silver, Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, Radio Shack, Lowe's, and Walmart. Chains are everywhere, even many small towns, especially if a four-lane road passes nearby. Though that doesn't mean when I'm in town I'd pick them over a good locally-based spot.
And because the chains are clustered together on one end of town, most of this area definitely retains a small feel!
The town that's the seat of my county has just 6,083 people, according to the census. Just off the top of my head, it has Arby's, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Long John Silver, Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, Radio Shack, Lowe's, and Walmart. Chains are everywhere, even many small towns, especially if a four-lane road passes nearby. Though that doesn't mean when I'm in town I'd pick them over a good locally-based spot.
And because the chains are clustered together on one end of town, most of this area definitely retains a small feel!
I am surprised because I have seen bigger towns that do not have as many chains as where you live. For example Millbrae, California has over 20,000 people and they do not have a single Target, Kmart, Costco, or Walmart.
I am surprised because I have seen bigger towns that do not have as many chains as where you live. For example Millbrae, California has over 20,000 people and they do not have a single Target, Kmart, Costco, or Walmart.
Milbrae isn't the retail hub for that area. In a rural area a town of 7500 might be the largest town for 100 or more miles. That makes it the retail hub, and people from other even smaller towns will come there to shop. When these larger chains look at a market, they analyze not just the town, but the larger area of economic impact. If they feel they can draw enough people in from surrounding towns, they will locate there.
Not to sound snide... But, based on the comments you've made in this thread, it seems like you need to get out of the city and see what other lifestyles and areas are also like. You might expand your horizons a bit.
It may also help if you realize there is a difference between a small town, and a rural town. Millbrae, for instance, is a small town. As are lots of other towns in that section of CA. They are not rural. There is little or no space dividing these towns. People easily drive between them for different shopping and amenities. Rural towns are not like this. Large amounts of space separate them. They need to have enough shopping to meet basic needs. People can't easily/cost effectively drive between them to accomplish basic shopping and utility needs.
Last edited by Keim; 05-25-2011 at 03:54 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.