Advantages of living in/near larger cities.

[SetInStone]

I'm planning a move and I'm currently just a few miles out of one of the larger U.K cities. I'm debating whether to stick to living in or near a good sized city as opposed to a smaller city or larger town. I do like having so many things close at hand even if it isn't always the most exciting city and I appreciate little things like having a Passport Office to hand though I know that not every large city has one and that I'll rarely require their services.

Of course there are disadvantages too.

I'm curious to know how others feel about it? What advantages or disadvantages have you experienced if you live in or near by a more populated city?

I live in the centre of a small city.

Advantages: central location, good public transport, amenities.

Disadvantages: expensive, crowded, lots of deprivation and homelessness.

I'm 100% suburban born n bred and struggle to imagine living anywhere else! I've lived in a few cities and currently about 2 miles walk from the city centre. I love the countryside for holidays but have no desire to live there. For me the advantages are theatres, cinema, museums, restaurants all within easy reach, job opportunities, easy commute, good bus service, easy to get a taxi home from a night out, easy access to a mainline train station and airport......to be fair, I wouldn't live in any city, this one is quite nice and also has easy access to the coast and hills.

I grew up in a small village, lived in a small city whilst at uni, a larger one for a while in my 20's and now live in the suburbs.

I've often thought I would like to move back to the countryside but the lack of transport and amenities puts me off. I'm also sure I wouldn't like to live in the city again as its too busy and noisy. I think we have the best of both worlds where we are - short walk and we're at fields but c.15 mins train and we're in the city centre.

I'm very much a city person and I currently live slap-bang in the centre of Edinburgh. So central I can see the Castle from my window.

Advantages - everything is either walkable, or easy via bus, tram or cab. I do have a car, which I use for longer out-of-town trips, and the parking permit is quite reasonably priced. I'm within walking distance of tons of culture and many, many excellent restaurants. (And some shit ones.) Shops are a 10 minute walk away if I need anything. Neighbourhood is diverse and friendly (if a bit Airbnb'd in parts). I can be at the airport in 30 minutes or on an East Lothian beach in a similar amount of time. There's a lot of life going on, and living here I feel right in the middle of it.

Disadvantages - housing is at a premium; expensive and fought over. Mostly flats (although there are some palatial ones.) There's always some noise, even here which is a relatively quiet street. Just the usual city stuff - sirens, people out and about, construction work etc. There's some crime, although considering it's a capital city it's not too bad. Airbnb are eating the city from the inside out, although there's been some pushback on that recently. Tourists/hen parties/lads' weekends can be a pain, although most are fine and many lovely.

For me, it's the choice. I like having dozens of restaurants on my doorstep, as opposed to two, or none. I like having the option to go out and do cultural stuff on a whim. I like being able to get a taxi home at 2am if I've stayed out late. I don't have to worry about last trains. I like having a car but I also like not having to rely on it for everything.