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?

Do you not have footpaths?

Yanbu. I think town or city life probably works better for most people when it comes to mental health too.

Every urban/semi urban area I have lived in in Britain has been plagued with anti social behaviour. It’s depressing because otherwise it would be lovely but everywhere you turn you are faced with the absolute dregs of society leaving rubbish everywhere, smoking weed in public, yelling, spitting, setting off fireworks for weeks on end in their gardens. It’s also fairly impossible to find an area with more than a handful of nice streets, even the nice streets are a bit crap with limited greenery and often pretty poor pavements. Green spaces tend to be few and far between and quite dire. When I lived in Australia it was quite different. We lived in a nice but working class suburb with a lot of retirees. The streets were clean and shaded for blocks upon blocks, the parks were plentiful and pleasant, it was quite at night. Urban and suburban living can be utopian or nightmarish depending on how well it’s been planned.

Really? Well, I guess it depends where you live.

I can walk my dog on the beach without seeing a soul. I don't have to sit in my house listening to other people blasting music out, or not be able to sit in my garden in the summer because next door are having a noisy BBQ or shouting at each other. My nearest neighbour is about half a mile away, and I love the peace.

I grow a lot of our own veg and we have chickens. My DC all worked in the local seaside town - a couple of miles away - and biked to work when they were teens. Lots of opportunities for young people to have part time jobs and earn their own money. Schools are good, area is safe and they had a lot of friends.

I guess we all like different things.

Footie

It's interesting, I think I would have save rural poverty was often less painful than urban.

Most of the people I knew without much money at all in the countryside had a fireplace. Plenty of free wood around if you're prepared to collect it and chop it. Usually plenty of room to grow some veg. Keep a few chickens, they'll mainly live off scraps. And if you've got a gun (which almost all of them did), plenty of rabbit and pigeon for legitimate shooting and pheasant for poaching. We found a muntjac and the amount of meat we got off it after butchering it was vast.

Not easy in terms of shopping etc, but most supermarkets will run a delivery for your non perishables and if you pick the right slot you can keep it pretty cheap.

None of that is normal by town standards at all, but it wouldn't mark you out as especially odd where I grew up. Different difficulties (finding better paid work, access to secondary health care) I think.

That's a good point Nacerous.

I think town or city life probably works better for most people when it comes to mental health too.

Interesting. I have to say it's the total opposite for me.

Within minutes I can be on a gorgeous windswept beach, for example. I can go out with my dog for hours and not see a single soul. I find it extremely relaxing and comforting to live where I do. I found city life far too busy, noisy, stressful and overwhelming.

I don't think my mental health would be better in a city I like it here with my family and friends plus my community, why would I want to leave all that as I'd then be an incomer and feel lost. I meet hundreds of different people as I'm in tourism and my home overlooks the S.W. coastal path and the sea so I'm not isolated. We are all different and there's no right or wrong just wherever feels like home and feeling like I'm a valued member of the community is good for me.

I think town or city life probably works better for most people when it comes to mental health too

I think being somewhere that provides what you need mentally, emotionally and physically works better for mental health. As to whether that’s city or country is down to the individual.

Our nearest neighbour is about half a mile away. We have 200 acres of woodland behind us and 2000 acres of farmland around us. We rent a cottage in an estate. But less than a mile away is the nearest village with shops, pubs and a primary school.

The bus service runs past the bottom of our drive -500 yards- on the hour to the village or into the nearest town.

We have dogs and horses and love it here. At night it is absolutely silent except for the owls.

Our 7 year old DD thinks it is the best place on earth as does the Ddog.

My ILs live in the middle of nowhere. I don’t get the point about healthy living because even where they are they can get supermarket delivery the same as I do. Plus they grow their own veg too.
Other points I can understand somewhat.

The thing I would struggle the most with is the reliance on the car. I can do school drop off, get to the local shops, hairdressers, post office, gym, etc etc on foot or by a quick bus ride (which comes every 5 mins). That for me is the real benefit to being in the city.

There are aspects of their life that I do seriously envy though. The pace of life is slower. Because they can’t just pop into the corner shop or wander aimlessly through boutique home suites like I can, and do, I think they consume less and waste less. I get bored too quickly and constantly want new stuff - it’s hard not to when you pass several clothes shops and interiors shops every single day... I hate that.

My mental health would be a disaster in the city.

I need open space & fresh air and fields or sea to perk me up.
I know that's not the same for everyone.
I've not read the whole thread (sorry) but I saw a mention of rural poverty. People sometimes think it doesn't exist. Electricity is more expensive, heating fuel is more expensive. Water can be more expensive. Broadband can be more expensive (we pay £70 a month for max 10mbps, limited downloads- basic package). There aren't any libraries, or public transport.

I love it. The air is clean. When I go to big cities I can taste the diesel fumes in my mouth. City dwellers don't notice.

Yes, @JacquesHammer. No need to state the bleeding obvious! Most people live in the UK live in towns and cities. If there were millions of people desperate to live rurally then house prices in the countryside would be higher. Most people don't live rurally therefore, presumably, most people prefer urban living.

" I don't have to sit in my house listening to other people blasting music out, or not be able to sit in my garden in the summer because next door are having a noisy BBQ or shouting at each other."

No, but you could be living next door to a cockerel who wakes you up whether you want ti to or not. There's plenty of animal noises in the countryside. It's not always quiet.

"Most of the people I knew without much money at all in the countryside had a fireplace. Plenty of free wood around if you're prepared to collect it and chop it. Usually plenty of room to grow some veg. Keep a few chickens, they'll mainly live off scraps. And if you've got a gun (which almost all of them did), plenty of rabbit and pigeon for legitimate shooting and pheasant for poaching. "

I don't think everyone living in villages these days have those traditional country skills of hunting, skinning a rabbit, etc.

This kind of life was depicted in the film Winter's Bone set in the Appalachian Mountains. Yes, they could just about survive by hunting and charity from neighbours, but I think they would have had better opportunities in the city.

For me personally I live in a village and i just found it so much more soothing to be surrounded by hustle and bustle all the time! Don't get me wrong I enjoy going into town but after a day in town like I had yesterday I love just been able to shut it all off and sit in peace and quiet today

The family in Winters Bone survived by cooking meth. We haven't started doing that yet.

I live currently in a town of about 1500 people, having moved here from London I made the move because I wanted to study at a near by uni and because I hoped I would be more able to cope with my mental health problems removed from a crowded busy place where I was anxious all the time - it helped to a degree it was only part of the work needed to help me help myself but it for sure helped. Because I study I only need travel on Weekends when the busses are free for young people

See, I like walking and I'll avoid getting the bus if I can, but I hate walking aimlessly so would probably go insane somewhere rural where I should walk for the sake of it no matter how fantastic the views*. I reckon a lot of people are like this actually.

*I love visiting country parks for example but I know I'd get bored if I'd be doing it everyday, particularly if everything else is further afield.

I love where I am now- 10 min bus journey to a country park, 10 min walk to a nature trail, 10 min to all basic shopping needs (food and a Wilko etc) and about 30 min to Manchester city centre on a direct bus route.

Userzzzzz I’m so curious to know where you live! I want to live there too!

"How walking in the City is easier than in the countryside, I do not understand"

That's been explained hasn't it? Some rural areas don't have pavements or enough light. Also, people aren't used to seeing others walking as they're so dependent on their cars. Where I come from is only semi-rural, but there's immense pressure to take lifts even if only walking 15 minutes from one village to another! There's a stigma to walking through the countryside. People even offer lifts to people they don't know at all, which is nice, but not great for walking.

"but I hate walking aimlessly so would probably go insane somewhere rural where I should walk for the sake of it no matter how fantastic the views*"

Oh yes, I prefer to walk TO somewhere and I find walking past shop windows more interesting than fields.

I'd go mad living in a city. After more than a short stay, I start feeling claustrophobic surrounded by buildings and no open spaces. It's fine on a holiday when there's lots of new interesting sights, but even a day of boring shopping makes me feel trapped. And the air/ atmosphere is dirty and smelly.

I also can't imagine fitting the horses in the average garden, or driving miles to a livery yard and having my hobby spoilt by other people. Rather than nipping out whenever to just watch them being horses with nothing but open space around.

Plus the opposite of rural isn't London. So all the advantages such as fantastic public transport, libraries, museums etc aren't necessarily relevant in other urban areas.

Suits me if most people prefer urban life. Last thing I want is hordes of townies moving in to live the dream, especially as their dream is usually completely unrealistic.

I live in the city I grew up in - very popular on the coast in the South East. My DH grew up in the countryside and always says when our DCs grow up and leave home that we will move to his dream home in the Sussex countryside. I've always said that I would probably go insane!

However, we had relatives over from Australia last month and we picked them up from Gatwick in horrendous weather. My DH drove into the Kent countryside on the way home for a pub lunch and it was an eye opener. Even though it was bucketing down everything looked so beautiful, but when we got back to our city it all just looked ugly in the rain. For the first time I thought that maybe he had a point!

Have to disagree sorry. I think small towns and villages are healthier and offer a better quality of life. Air pollution is a huge issue these days and the various increases in diseases in causes. Crime and anti social behaviour and property prices. In contrast with the internet no where is isolated like it used to be.
I lived in both and there's no comparison. I would hazard a guess that life expectancy is higher rurally.