I'm done living near urban areas, I really envy you all (farm, acres)

[fastwalk444]

When I was younger, I really loved the energy and vibe of being in or near an urban area. I have been slowly changing my mind lately and this year had really clinched it for me. First Covid and now riots and calls to defund the police. That last part is what really clinched it for me. I'm grateful for the police and I don't blame an entire group of people for the actions of a few. The fact that this idea is even gaining traction in mostly urban areas was the last straw. Sorry for injecting politics into this just wanted to say you have reasons to feel grateful. The big, popular, touristy, high rent areas aren't all they are cracked up to be

[Nonesuch]

Originally Posted by fastwalk444

When I was younger, I really loved the energy and vibe of being in or near an urban area.

I never really got the whole energy and vibe thing, but I did like the varied ethnic cuisine and (during the house flipping craze) the 24-hour Home Depot, midnight tacos, etc.

Originally Posted by fastwalk444

I have been slowly changing my mind lately and this year had really clinched it for me. First Covid and now riots and calls to defund the police. That last part is what really clinched it for me. I'm grateful for the police and I don't blame an entire group of people for the actions of a few. The fact that this idea is even gaining traction in mostly urban areas was the last straw. Sorry for injecting politics into this just wanted to say you have reasons to feel grateful. The big, popular, touristy, high rent areas aren't all they are cracked up to be

Out in the small towns, we have our own police problems; just since I moved to town we've had sexual harassment lawsuits filed by police officers against their bosses, wrongful death lawsuits for chasing a car full of drunks until they went off the road, and generally high turnover in the police department. Some towns had chiefs who felt empowered to deny concealed carry licenses for petty, prejudiced reasons, though that was "preempted" via changes to state law (driven in part by early FreeStaters getting elected as state reps)

Like many small towns in New Hampshire, police department closes the doors at 4:30pm, response time can be long (in the "north country" you can be looking at an hour before a cop arrives!), luckily the state still encourages self-help, for now.

[pikabike]

Rural areas have their own problems. Some of them are similar to ones in urbs and burbs, and some of them are rare elsewhere.

I’ll skip mentioning the shared crap, such as drunken drivers, and list a few more likely in rural places:

- Dumping animals (pets, livestock, poached game) either dead or alive.
- Stealing from someone else’s water supply.
- Meth “homes.”
- Absentee owners allowing weeds to run rampant.

No place is safe from people doing stupid or illegal things. There are fewer people and more spread out; they also can hide more easily.

Change locations because you are going TO, not fleeing FROM.

[Garthur]

City people, it seems, all have an attitude that living in the country is living in a small town(that's not living in the country). Living in the country is not living in any town.

[Nonesuch]

Originally Posted by Garthur

City people, it seems, all have an attitude that living in the country is living in a small town(that's not living in the country).

OP used the term "urban area". TMK, there is no formal definition for "living in the country", and in many counties land area is annexed to a town or village, no matter how rural the area is.

Originally Posted by Garthur

Living in the country is not living in any town.

So only unincorporated areas, regardless of population density (or the lack thereof)?

So if a farm is "in the country", but tomorrow the quadrant is annexed by a nearby village, suddenly any residents are urban and no longer living out "in the country"? In my state, towns are sprawling and anything outside the "compact part" is rural rural countryside even at population densities down in the single digits.

[OpinionExperience]

I see living in the country as a closer to Earth lifestyle. I found that the country is a mix of Conservative and retired liberal hippies what a mix.

So don't expect a big change, what core thing wan'ts you to move? Less people and weather will do for me. Everything else is the same bs in a different location.

[Parnassia]

Well, TBH, its going to come down to:

1. what you need
2. what you don't need
3. what you want
4. what you don't want

None of those things are static. All of them can change with time. People often don't distinguish between #1 and #3 very well which is why they end up making decisions they regret.

Living more "rurally" usually means giving up convenience and some spontaneity. Only you can decide whether its worth it or not.

[k7baixo]

I grew up on 4 acres 3 miles from a small town. “Down in the pine trees” as my dad used to say. It was his sanctuary, his peace and quiet and that’s where he died. I left home at 18 and never really looked back but I always loved my visits home. That place is gone. Yeah, the house is still there but he’s not. Neither is my mom.

Now, I want my place in the pines. Deciding on where to retire was a challenge but at the end of the day, I sold my wife on a location about 120 miles east of my childhood home. We’ll be 20 min outside of two towns that house a major university, a nice medical center, the typical shopping and some really great restaurants.

10 acres. Nothing there now but pines and hardwoods. I’ll retire in less than 10 months, my wife, TBD. We’ve worked hard to set this up. We’ll work hard to make it a home, be good neighbors and get involved in the little church right up the road and the community itself. I know half a dozen people in the area st large from my early life there already. Got a buddy that I’ve known since I was 13 who lives only a mile or so away. My wife really enjoys them so that helps.

It’ll be different that’s for certain. Better in some ways, not so good in others but overall, it’ll certainly be quieter than living where we live now. That’ll be the best. Hopefully, we can pull this off. Man plans, God laughs.

[ddm2k]

Originally Posted by fastwalk444

When I was younger, I really loved the energy and vibe of being in or near an urban area. I have been slowly changing my mind lately and this year had really clinched it for me. First Covid and now riots and calls to defund the police. That last part is what really clinched it for me. I'm grateful for the police and I don't blame an entire group of people for the actions of a few. The fact that this idea is even gaining traction in mostly urban areas was the last straw. Sorry for injecting politics into this just wanted to say you have reasons to feel grateful. The big, popular, touristy, high rent areas aren't all they are cracked up to be

"Walkable" will be ridiculed as the biggest flop of the past decade in property features pushed on millennials and now Gen Z. As if getting into a car is an inconvenience. It might be, but that's only if your apartment complex MAKES IT inconvenient to access your car!

Your car is your storage, your climate control, your safety. I'm not going to carry my groceries in-hand for BLOCKS in the sweltering heat or freezing cold. "Walkable" is a step backward, honestly, to a time before cars and all they offer.

If you're worried about parking, you're trying to live too close to city center!

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by Garthur

City people, it seems, all have an attitude that living in the country is living in a small town(that's not living in the country). Living in the country is not living in any town.

The title of this forum is rural and small town living. I would say rural is living out in the country but small town living is not necessarily the case.