To think that town/ city life is often healthier than rural life?

[BoogleMcGroogle]

I've just been speaking on the phone to a good friend who has just made the surprising move of leaving their big, beautiful 'forever home' in the rolling countryside and moving into an unremarkable bungalow on the edge of a large commuter town. They are so much happier and she was describing how their quality of life has improved. They are healthier as its now safe to walk wherever they like ( their dogs are fitter than ever), they have more time because of a shorter commute and less maintainence, they know and like their neighbours and have joined a local political campaign group, have more money ( only one car now), eat better because of the improved shopping options and their kids are finally able to learn independence now they can use buses and pavements. I am so pleased for them, as they weren't certain about this choice.

Similarly, when I visit London, I'm always struck by the older people, students and kids enjoying the cultural and sporting opportunities ( and cheap transport).

I'm not ignorant of the issues in urban environments, especially for some people. I worked for years in children's services in an inner London borough, although I'm not convinced the issues were less in the large shire county, where social isolation can be devastating.

AIBU to think that for many, if not most people, and especially older people age families the chances of enjoying a good quality of life are better in urban/ semi rural communities, rather than trying to live the rural dream?

@BunsyGirl Funny :) My severe asthma has all but disappeared since i moved away from the countryside!

Figamol...mine has got much better since I moved out of London. My hay fever has almost disappeared

I have no quibbles with the OP, but country life suits me down to the ground. Beauty on my doorstep, no neighbours unless you count the occasional deer, perfect privacy. When the mood strikes (and it does often!), the city is always there. It’s all about where you want to come home to.

Also, Figamol. My grandma died of emphysema in her early 50’s. My mum was diagnosed in her mid 40’s and had about 15 years of shit quality of life surviving on 30% lung capacity until she died at 61. Growing up in the inner city did nothing to help her or my grandma.

Some are town mice and some are country mice. I would die in a city and mope in a town. I live in a village which is close to towns and a very fast connection to London and I love to spend a day in the capital but I sigh a great sigh of relief when I am back in my lovely, green village.

That said, my DH suggested we move a few miles out to one of the most stunningly beautiful valleys in the country, Fingest. One road in and one road out - and not even that if it snowed. No thanks.

I’m from the city, lived in the country and felt trapped. Am now moving back to the countryside, have found a picturesque village, extensive and beautiful places to walk dog (this was a must) and a slower pace of life. We will get a small flat in london too in time. Win win.

Eh? My commuter town isn't full of soulless new builds, in fact the centre is all Tudor. It's bloody nice if I may say so myself. Nice enough to film a BBC show and have rip-off house prices....(which I will suck up and pay because I like it that much)

gwen yes, I'm sure if you live in the middle of Birmingham or Manchester you have regular public transport and museums etc. Obviously not on the scale of London because less money per head is spent. And even on the outskirts of large cities, the access to those amenities isn't going to be the same as someone on the outskirts of London. Let alone all the smaller cities and towns.

Footie we have cars in the countryside. We've discovered we can drive them to towns to work, shop, socialise and shit. We've even figured out how to get our dc in them to drive them places.

Personally I find the image of unfit dc stuck on a screen and not allowed to play out with no freedom or independence quite sad. The same dc that think it's amazing to visit here and play outside, when my dc just had it as a way of life.

I live in a compact coastal city surrounded by lovely countryside. I can be in a woodland park or walking the riverside trail in 10 minutes, the city centre shops in 15 minutes, on the waterfront in 25 minutes, in the
mountains in 45 minutes, on the rural coast in 45 minutes.

Is it a northern city @seren?

Depends what you enjoy and what you value more. I know my mental health is better in town because there is more going on and my kids will be happier in time as they get to an age where they need more independence.

My physical health will also improve as I fall back in love with walking to somewhere rather than feeling as though I ‘should’ walk for fitness.

What people want also changes over time. I know it did for me, having made the move to somewhere I couldn’t walk anywhere from safely and then moving back to town to escape that.

Some may find that move surprising. My friends know our reasons, they like my new home and understand how the location and layout of the house are more suitable to my family’s needs. Location wise, I hated the drive back home from the train station in the winter as the roads are fast and winding with a lot of lorries. Always felt scared. Now I can walk to the train station which is good as I commute to London several times a week. The rural idyll sounds great until you have to live with downsides like that, dangerous icy roads and slow broadband.

We haven’t looked back since we moved and are happy. Some may not like the house and think it too much of a compromise or a ‘step down’ from our previous house. It’s turned out not to be a compromise really even though our garden is much, much smaller and the house is nice but, to some, may lack a wow factor.

Only friends and family have been as yet as our move was only recent. I’m sure there will be some chatting behind my back amongst the mummies at my DD’s snobby school about how much of a step down it is from our previous large house in the country but now that we’ve made the move and we know how much it suits us, I really don’t feel it is a compromise as it just works better for us (and I don’t actually care what they think).

Air quality may prove to be an issue in summer but this place has other benefits for us that will keep us healthy in other ways including mental health.

I now live in a city but have lived in the country too. City has lots to do but it doesn’t compensate for peace and quiet, clean air and no light pollution. I am far more stressed in the city. Heavy traffic, angry people, no one says hello if you’re out for a walk. I can’t wait to get out. There are advantages to good bus services and not needing two cars however, not to mention better supermarkets.

Seems to me you are all (ALL😁) missing the main issue. Yes, personal preference matters, but your age and stage of life matter more. Age 7= love big space to run around: country / suburb. Age 13= love good transport to get to friends without mum ( and it IS mum). Age 21 = love drugs (city = available; country / suburb = unless you like horses nothing else to do- even streaming TV doesn't work/ so a draw). Age 25 - city = jobs. Aged 35 = wherever you can find a house/school/school transport/nanny/job combo that works - or even the right partner- so now you're stuck cause that combo is hard to find).

But age OLD - you can't drive, or ride horses, or hike, or even walk far. Or you are younger but care for an old person/ have a Sick or disabled child and need services. Now you need a flat with a lift over a tube station with a doctor/chemist this side and a grocery store this side; and if you don't think YOU need all that your carer(s) will. But you can't afford to move from the countryside because city prices have gone up, but rural property has stayed flat or fallen for 20-30 years.

Not saying I like this reality. But I've seen it play out enough times to say: expect it. And plan to MOVE at some point.

That's very interesting. Never thought about it before. Yes I would like to retire somewhere in London now.... That is the goal. A long way off yet though

my husband spent his entire life on farms until he married and moved to my home on the outskirts of town I thought he would want to go back to rural living but he loves being able to walk to the library the dr the shops the pub the local restaurants and having a great bus service to the nearest city .

My village is full of aged people who manage very well actually. I have no worries, the local town is where a lot of older people move to and selling my house here would buy me a very nice flat in a gated community with staff in the local town.

Not all jobs are in cities. I've had 3 well-paid professional jobs all in small-medium towns half an hour out of London. Wouldn't commute into London for any amount of money.

For me personally a town is the best balance - London or the middle of nowhere are both a bit nightmarish. It's nice to be able to walk into a lively town centre, but also to sleep in dead silence.

"Seems to me you are all (ALL😁) missing the main issue. Yes, personal preference matters, but your age and stage of life matter more. Age 7= love big space to run around: country / suburb. Age 13= love good transport to get to friends without mum"

I mentioned the difference between small children and teenagers and also access to services for older people!

*Yes, personal preference matters, but your age and stage of life matter more. Age 7= love big space to run around: country / suburb. Age 13= love good transport to get to friends without mum ( and it IS mum). Age 21 = love drugs (city = available; country / suburb = unless you like horses nothing else to do- even streaming TV doesn't work/ so a draw). Age 25 - city = jobs. Aged 35 = wherever you can find a house/school/school transport/nanny/job combo that works - or even the right partner- so now you're stuck cause that combo is hard to find).

But age OLD - you can't drive, or ride horses, or hike, or even walk far. Or you are younger but care for an old person/ have a Sick or disabled child and need services. Now you need a flat with a lift over a tube station with a doctor/chemist this side and a grocery store this side; and if you don't think YOU need all that your carer(s) will. But you can't afford to move from the countryside because city prices have gone up, but rural property has stayed flat or fallen for 20-30 years. *

Complete rubbish IME. Certainly we're I am rural properties are much more expensive than town /urban prices to purchase anyway not sure about renting

I am in a village of around 500 people 7 miles no nearest market town and 20 to the nearest city. there are loads of old people here and they like it because there is so much socially for them. Everyone knows everyone else. There are lots of clubs societies and events, weekly doctors surgery in village hall kitchen, prescriptions are brought into the village or people order online. All the supermarkets run free shopper buses to the rural areas twice a week, we have mobile butchers van, fishmonger van, hairdresser. Whereas I think elderly people in cities could be quite isolated.

I think I currently have the best of both worlds; I live on the edge of a city. I can get into the city centre in under an hour (regular busses) or can walk out into the countryside or cycle in about the same amount of time. It's kind of suburbia I guess so quite quiet but equally we have a local highstreet with everything you need so no need for car (neither me nor DP drive). We can walk/cycle or bus everywhere we need to go. Some people might find it boring I guess if they want bars and restaurants right on their doorstep and that kind of thing but I can easily get to that if I need/want.

And I agree that rural transport is often terrible.

@LoveMySituation no!

One thing about Greater London is that the transport links are perhaps the best in the country. The down side is that you are much likely to witness trouble on the tube than on a rural bus service.

im a city girl moved to village. LOVE it. air is clear, noise level is less ,everyone is helpful and friendly, lower crime due to less people, lovely country pub/church/shop. less aggression from drivers on the roads, beautiful walks up country lanes , regarding eat better , how? more choice yes but not better, things really fresh taste different! freshly picked from fields farm produce (stuff in supermarkets usually days old before put on shelves ) fresh eggs can be purchased and money left in a box at our local farm sometimes still warm! milk has a much longer use by date. when we have bad weather the villagers help to get or take you to shops in their 4x4. Although we have delivery shopping from nearest towns we have all the usual waitrose /Tesco/ Sainsburys/ morrisons. two towns not far away have usual theatre /restaurants/clubs, local village bus couple times a day and local taxi firms, loads of things to do as we create things.Sat early evening im at a local stately home, with carol singers all dressed in olden day clothes with free mulled wine, can join in and sing along, all by candle light, along with a small fair in the grounds for children, people come from miles away to set up stalls and try to sell their wares. Afterwards theres a ghost walk in the grounds with a story teller telling tales of old. Sun im in the local walking group we all meet at 10am go for a 5-6 mile lovely walk through a local protected area of natural beauty , watching the wild deer and their young running free, then end up at the local pub for some proper simple cooked home food. give me this any day than walking round supermarkets and shops any day, each to their own, I know what I prefer.

I grew up in a tiny village. One village shop which was a half hour trek over moorland, then half hour back again! Evenings as teens spent hanging out in the bus shelter in the rain as there was nowhere else to go! As soon as I hit 16 I was gone!

I still have relatives there and one posted on her FB the other day about how the factory her husband and two of her sons work in, is closing down. She's understandably really worried. Contrast that to my DC who have all the opportunities that come from living in London. The work I do is available all over the country but not in such a high concentration as it is in London. I freelance and can walk out of one job one day, and into the next the following day. I'm well paid, whereas all my relatives in that village earn barely more than minimum wage. I can see from the FB posts that they are unhappy. They're always posting those memes about depression and suchlike. So I think their mental health is definitely affected by the limitations of where they live. I guess they have each other and I don't have that, but I don't think it's enough.

At one time in my career I dealt with NHS complaints and it was quite clear that people living rurally have poorer health outcomes. If I had a heart attack right now, paramedics could be with me in minutes. Where my relatives live it would be at least half an hour. That can be the difference between life and death. I've also seen how much harder it is for them to obtain and attend routine hospital visits. Things I could get sorted here in a day or two can take them weeks or even months.

So I think, on balance, yes it probably is healthier to live somewhere more urban.