What type of area do you live in? Why?
I'm in a suburb that might as well be rural. My town has about 1200 people the sign says, and there is another town 6 miles away with more people, maybe 3,500. I work in a town of less than 4000 people which is about 12 miles away from me. If anyone gets ideas of shopping "in the big city" then St. Louis is just an hour away and right up I-44 from us.
In academia you go where the jobs are, so that's what I did 29 years ago. I grew up on the West Coast and went to grad school on the East Coast but realized that as a single mother I could not afford to live on either. I never thought I'd be in the Midwest this long, but my small, churchy, bigoted town is inexpensive to live in -- I can live well on my retirement but the money probably wouldn't be enough to live elsewhere. Sigh.
Followed a job here; wife picked the home because it was in a better school district for our son. Very practical.
I moved to New Jersey 37 years ago because my husband got a job here. It’s an urban suburban rural mix all jumbled together in one area of the state. I live in a condo community now that I’m single. I may move—ideally somewhere with more open space—within the next few years. I telecommute and can work from anywhere with internet access.
I live in the woods. Less idiots per square mile! 12 acres next to the river high on a bluff surrounded by thousands of acres in conservation so nobody cane build anywhere near me. No EPA Superfund sites anywhere near or up river, no shale formation for companies to frac, plenty of pure, clean drinking water. I have bear, deer, turkey, fox, geese, ducks... You name it. I am not a hunter but would be if I had to be.
I've never minded being alone... But it can get lonely at times. Thankfully the bears love it when I sing Karaoke!
suburban because that is where my guy found the house to buy to rent to me. that's not the arrangement anymore but that's how it started. i was dependent on the bus line so it had to be on one. it had to have a yard so we could get a dog. stuff like that. i am more of a city girl but it is what it is.
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Urban. I grew up in a rural town of two thousand. As an adult, I love the constant exposure to new people and cultures I get from city living. Also, anything I need is within walking distance. It took a while to get used to the constant activity in the city, yet after ten years, I find the quietness of my home town after 9pm incredibly unnerving. I don't think I could ever go back to the rural. I'm in the Midwest as well, so most of the rural folks here are, well, fucking bigoted religious uneducated rubes. I would rather deal with the constant money requests from the homeless, than have to spend a single second listening to some drivel about how Hispanics, blacks, and gays are ruining the fabric of america.
We live in a distant suburb of Los Angeles (60-75 minutes drive time). We made this choice because it offered better schools and safer neighborhoods within a reasonable commuting distance.
The scary part is that you think 60-75 minutes is ""reasonable commuting distance" It's all what you get used to of course. 40 minutes in bad Phoenix traffic pisses me off and I had to do it daily for a long time.
@lerlo it was better than not being able to afford to have our kids in a safe neighborhood. My husband works from home over 90% of the time now so it is no longer an issue.
@JenBeberstein I wasnt suggesting you should be closer...just that in most places that's not a normal commute--glad it's not an issue now
@lerlo you're absolutely right that it's not normal in a lot of places. I definitely prefer a shorter commute.