I’m a huge fan of Trent Hamm over at The Simple Dollar. It’s an amazing blog, and Trent has a wonderful perspective about life that I love.
Recently, Trent’s been talking about the area where he lives, and how it plays a huge role in his lifestyle. He lives in the mid-west, which is idyllic for him. I love that someone else consciously takes a decision about where they live. I’m a city girl myself, and currently I live by choice in Melbourne (Australia), in a lovely suburb a few minutes drive from the major CBD area.
Where you live plays a huge, huge role in your lifestyle, your friends and your happiness. We take a lot of time to think about other major decisions in our life, yet few people consciously choose a city like they choose their mate. It’s usually picked out for them – by a job, or where they grew up. Even if you don’t hate where you live, I think it’s worthwhile to think about where you’d live ideally, and what attracts you to the idea of living there.
If you think about it, where you live affects your life in so many ways:
- Career opportunities - This is the first thing that people generally think about when they think of where to live. A big city is more likely to have more and diverse career opportunities than a smaller town, simply because most organizations flock to one area. There’s more jobs, more types of jobs, and more choice – if you get fired at one place you can likely find a job in the same industry without having to move. It’s Silicon Valley (all the tech companies) vs Seattle (Microsoft only).
It’s true that some careers are location-independent. You can design software, write, or teach anywhere in the world. However, the reality is that most people do not have a location-independent career. So a decision about where to live usually needs to be made in conjunction with the reality of where the jobs are. But even after that, people make decisions on how far away from their work they can live.
For those who aren’t tied into a specific job yet, I personally believe that it’s really worthwhile trying to build up a location-independent career. This can even be tied into an existing job, if, for instance, you become such a star performer that your boss allows you to telecommute. - Socializing – There’s a reason many people live on in the place where they grew up. Close friends and family provide an incredible social net, a place to fall back on. Where you live impacts the kinds of people you’ll meet. Undoubtedly, you’ll find more quirky people, people from different cultures and backgrounds, and ambitious people in a large city. On the other hand, you’ll probably meet down-to-earth, unpretentious people out in rural areas. I know that this is a generalization, but it usually holds – you’re not that likely to meet a gay music composer with a love for art films out in the country.
So, if you already have a great social web where you live, should you move? Personally, I’m a fan of taking risks like that. Almost everyone somehow manages to make another group of friends at the new place, and often these are friends who are more in tune with your new life or aspirations in your new city/country/suburb. - Safety - A lot of people don’t like living in big cities because they think it’s unsafe. Inner cities normally have a higher crime rate than elsewhere. Many people think that rural regions are more friendly, cohesive and family-friendly. They probably have a point – but I’m still in love with big cities! However, despite my die-hard loyalty to the metropolis, even I’ll concede that the high cluster of crime you’ll find in certain parts of the city will never be rivaled by anywhere out in the country.
- Cost – It’s cheaper to live out in the country. Hands down. Rent is cheaper, food is cheaper and you can probably grow/raise most of your own, everything is cheaper! Except public transport, of course, which is non-existent
In addition, the lifestyle costs are likely to be lower – no expensive restaurants and theaters, no peer-pressure to wear designer duds. - Culture – For me, this is what really makes different regions stand out. As part of a young(ish) couple with no children, the cosmopolitan culture is really, really appealing to me. The arts, the literature, the vastly different people who live in a big city – all this really appeals to me.
On the last point, I have to add, this is a clincher for me. I’m a non-white female, and I’d stick out like a sore thumb out in the country. Despite the dangers of the city, I love the anonymity it provides. For someone of a minority, this anonymity actually provides a feeling of security, that I wouldn’t get in a smaller town, where I might be a bit of an exception. Of course, I know quite a few minority people who are happily settled out in the countryside (in Australia), and in no way do I imply that other people (living rural lives) are prejudiced. It’s just that I personally feel more comfortable being a part of the multi-colored hub that is a large city, where my quirks are easily overshadowed and mingled with those of others’. - Natural Beauty and wildlife – I’m not really one to comment here. I’ve grown up in cities, I don’t know much about this. Sure, I can appreciate when the landscape is beautiful, but I’m not an artist or really good with animals. However, some people are. If you’re one of those people, your surroundings really matter to you on a different level. You need to surround yourself with beauty, or you need to be more in touch with nature. Some people get by with regular holidays, but if this is really important to you, there are ways to move out to the country and live more harmoniously with nature.
- Education – For someone with younger children, or who is seeking education themselves, this is a really important factor. States’ and suburbs’ rankings in terms of schools can easily be obtained. For most people with children, I think it’s a balancing act to try to live in an area that’s a good school district and also in accordance with their other preferences.
These days, “liveability” studies show which cities are more “liveable”. But what does liveable mean to you? Everyone’s different, so it’s really important to think about what you want.
Related Posts
No related posts.
No comments yet.