Which do you prefer: cities, suburbs or small town/rural?

[golden eagle]

I prefer cities. There's always something going on in a city.

Suburbs don't do a whole lot for me. They're OK, but they tend to lack character that central cities have.

I could possibly live in a small town, but not enough conveniences to for me to want to live in one on my own volition. I lived with my mom in a rural after I moved back to MS from San Diego. Not my lifestyle.

[hotdogPi]

I haven't experienced much compared to some others here, but I think towns with about ~4000 people are the best.

[vdeane]

I prefer suburbs.  Cities are too dense for me but rural areas lack conveniences.

[Takumi]

Suburbs, rural, and city, in that order, although I'm slowly gravitating towards rural over suburbs.

[Zeffy]

City. I've lived 15 years in this suburb and anytime I go to a city / urban area I just wish I lived there. At least I can get a job by walking somewhere, even if the city is a total shithole in this state. Plus, like Golden Eagle said...

There's always something going on in a city.

Unfortunately in New Jersey, 'something' usually refers to an act of violence, but hey, it's usually targeted.

[NE2]

I love suburbs and the damage they're doing to our planet and humanity's future.

[Molandfreak]

Rural through and through. Most cities and suburbs have a very elitist and narcissistic way of life that I don't like at all.

[corco]

Suburbs are boring as hell.

I either want to be in a small, tight-knit town, out in the middle of nowhere where I won't likely see anybody for miles, or in the center of a big city. Everything in between is icky.

[wxfree]

Give me a small town in the middle of nowhere surrounded by miles upon miles of utter desolation, a place with a strong sense of community and welcoming to visitors.  Aside from that, all I'd need is a ranch 30 or 40 miles out of town for when I want some time alone.  I'll buy a van and a big freezer and say good-bye to the city except to stock up on supplies.

[on_wisconsin]

Urban for sure, but nothing over 1.5 - 2 million population.

[empirestate]

I either want to be in a small, tight-knit town, out in the middle of nowhere where I won't likely see anybody for miles, or in the center of a big city. Everything in between is icky.

I'm kind of in this camp, although I don't object to those parts of a big city that aren't the center. What I don't much care for are those places that are peripheral to the big city, yet neither identifiably part of it nor appreciably distinct from it. For me, it's all about the identity of the place, not its size.

[Brandon]

I prefer a smaller-medium sized city to a very large city or a rural area.  But, it's not necessarily size that makes a place for me, it's also how it is in relation to its area.  It's much better being in a regional center than in a close-in suburb that must depend on a large city, or in a smaller town with few amenities.  It's also better having access to get out of town quickly.

I'd rather live in an area with easy freeway access, regardless of city or suburb.  Areas with poor freeway access, particularly dense urban areas, can be intolerable to live in.

[1995hoo]

Suburbs. I've lived in the Virginia suburbs of DC for most of my life (born in Texas but we moved when I was 1 so I don't remember it, and my college and law school years in Charlottesville and Durham were in areas that felt more suburban than urban). I don't care for many of the hassles of living in a city, such as parking, noise, etc., and in the case of the District of Columbia the corrupt government and single-party governance are further turnoffs to me. I prefer suburbs to rural because when I've spent time in small towns I've felt confined; because I prefer the conveniences of the suburbs; and because I like the easy access to some of the aspects of a city that I do like, the most notable in the case of DC being the ability to attend sporting events (primarily the Capitals and Nationals), concerts, and occasionally the theatre (meaning stage productions at the Kennedy Center or the National Theatre).

Yes, there are some hassles related to traffic, but I've lived here long enough that they don't bother me all that much. I can understand why someone moving here from a more rural place would think a half-hour commute into the city (which I no longer do, BTW) is brutal, but I've known that my whole life because growing up we always lived a short distance outside the Beltway and my father commuted to downtown.

[hbelkins]

I live in a rural county of 7,000, and the county seat is an incorporated town with a population of 1,000 or so. I love the rural life, but it has its disadvantages. In my case, the lack of high-speed internet is a real pain. (HughesNet satellite internet blows goats and I have proof). Shopping and dining opportunities are lacking. The nearest Walmart is in the town where I work and it's just an old-style WM. The nearest Supercenters are an hour away (Richmond, Winchester, Mt. Sterling, Hazard or London).

I hate the crowds and traffic jams that are a part of suburban or city living. I hate going to even a small city like Lexington because of it. I lived in Winchester for about six years and even felt it was too big for me, but that's partly because I only slept there and worked elsewhere, and I didn't know anyone. One of the things I like about small-town or rural living is that I know the officials personally and can ask them for things. You don't get that in bigger communities. After moving back to my home county, I lived in town for about nine years and I knew all three mayors elected during that time personally. If I needed a pothole patched or something, all I had to do was ask. I wouldn't have that luxury in Lexington, much less NYC.

[leroys73]

Country, small town, suburb, city with excellent/safe mass transportation in that order.

[agentsteel53]

rural, then urban.

suburbs are horrifying.

[texaskdog]

Suburbs

wheres the poll?

[pianocello]

I've lived on the very edge of metro areas all my life (Valparaiso, and the part of Davenport I live in). I feel it has a great blend of urban and rural, both of which I like.

[froggie]

Preference for the city.  Close to stuff, and there are usually options to get there BESIDES getting in a car.  Also, unlike some earlier commenters, I've found suburban traffic to be worse than city traffic.

That said, rural areas aren't that bad....I will have plenty of time to get used to them as I'm retiring to the hinterlands in the coming weeks.

[sammi]

In my current situation, I'd rather live in the city than suburbs. I can save $6.60 a day (~$800 for the entire year) in transit fares by moving at least 1 kilometer south. And I'd likely find a cheaper apartment than $1,256/mo. >_>

I prefer living in the city. Everything would be closer to me than in the suburbs. And I don't have to pay any more to get around than the $108/mo I already do. When I move out, I'm moving downtown. Or at least close to school.

[bing101]

Cities and Rural area. Suburbs feel too generic.

[agentsteel53]

can anyone justify the suburbs?  I think they're an absolute blight.

[Zeffy]

In a suburb, (well New Jersey anyway) it is almost required to have a car to get anywhere around the town. It would take me almost 30 minutes to walk the grocery store that is 1.3 miles away. People will call me crazy for saying this, but I would rather live in Trenton then where I currently do. There's lots of job opportunities in the Trenton area, and I've applied to who-knows-how-many places in Hillsborough that's within a suitable walking distance. At least in the city you have public transport and everything isn't too far away. Yes, I realize that Trenton is 'dangerous', but those dangerous city lists are skewed - it doesn't tell you what % of those crimes are targetted versus untargetted - and usually the former is much higher than the latter.

can anyone justify the suburbs?  I think they're an absolute blight.

Hillsborough is a very unblighted area, but like I said before, you need a car to get anywhere around town. That's my main problems with suburbs. Cities were made for people to work and live in, without needing (now) expensive transport options.

[ET21]

Cities

[hbelkins]

can anyone justify the suburbs?  I think they're an absolute blight.

Close enough to the city to be convenient to work, shopping and entertainment; yet in an environment more conducive to home ownership and the ability to have a place to park your car(s).