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?

Semi rural here and completely agree.

Drive myself and kids everywhere as no pavements and bad public transport. I'm friends in cities with good cycle lane provision cycle everywhere (with kids too).

Grocery shopping is expensive - lack of choice.

Weekends and evenings - when lived in city so much choice to take kids to different places really easily - my kids have hobbies but my weekends aren't filled with museums and interesting exhibitions.

Limited clubs and courses too.

When I compare my life to city friends surprising they are a lot healthier/more interesting

"So all the advantages such as fantastic public transport, libraries, museums etc aren't necessarily relevant in other urban areas."

Anywhere big enough will have regular public transport, at least one museum and a few libraries.

Good info here www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38520092

How walking in the City is easier than in the countryside...

In the countryside there are food crops, and fields full of livestock where folk are not allowed to walk. Plus farms which are obviously private. These private fields & estates & farms are much larger than the number of completely off limits areas in cities.

People tend t live in small rural villages because they want to be part of a community. Societies and clubs abound everyone knows and speaks to everyone. Children are safe because everyone keeps an eye out. If you want to go for a walk, you do not walk along the highway, you go on oublic footpaths and bridleways through fields and along tracks. I start my day with a walk at about 6 everyday and say hello to probably a dozen people out dogwalking, running, cycling.
Towns are unfriendly, ugly and polluted by comparison

Each to their own.

We live a few miles from the nearest town and I love it. No traffic, woodland and field walks start at the front gate, I see deer and hares most days. Clean air when out running, decent pub within walking distance, small friendly school, no neighbour disputes about parking or bonfires. No crime. No car alarms I can watch the sunrise over the back field.
I studied in London but left as soon as possible. I hated the bustle & noise.

I’ll move into a village when I get old - I see the value of amenities nearby when old and doddery through.

Honestly?! I walk out my front door onto fields for miles, can get my full Ocado order, can still cycle into the nearest small town should I wish, and have the space to grow everything I wish (and then some!). I go to London/any city for the day and feel more drained and depressed than ever.

Honestly?! I walk out my front door onto fields for miles

I can't see how this is a benefit?

If you like calm, quiet and an unhurried atmosphere then a rural village is hard to beat. No light pollution, lots of wildlife, lovely walks across fields. If you want to be able to 'pop to the shops' or your kids to walk to their school, then it's suburban life/town life for you.

I prefer the former. Yes, there are inconveniences, but the fresh air, miles of running/walking on quiet rural roads/bridleways and the quiet is worth it.

We regularly holiday in the north west of Scotland. The cottage we stay in is half an hour’s drive from the nearest pub/shop and the nearest decentish supermarket is a 90 minute round trip. There are other houses round about but not near enough to hear you shout! There is a tiny coffee shop that opens 3 days a week. We love it but my god I couldn’t live there. Apart from anything else I’m on lifelong medication for a thyroid condition - where I live the chemist is a 5 minute walk to pick up my prescription.

@formerbabe -It's a benefit if you like walking and/or have a dog! I would much rather walk in my local countryside with my dog than along pavements. I like to see the changing seasons, the widlife and the open skies. From my house I can walk down the road for 10 minutes and then be in endless open country where you can walk in any direction for hours and rarely see a soul. This last thing is important to me - I'm pretty anti-social and I detest crowds too. I feel hemmed by people and buildings in when I go to any big city.
I have just been reading on the bbc news about busy road pollution stunting children's lungs by 14%. So much for city life.

These private fields & estates & farms are much larger than the number of completely off limits areas in cities.

Yes this may be true in terms of square miles. There are normally footpaths however. I am surrounded by farmland and obviously can't just wander around on fields with crops in, however there is a network of footpaths and bridleways that allow you to walk across safely. I find these old trackways really interesting amd enjoy watching the changing seasons and wildlife every day. More so than my walk to work in London where the changing shop displays were the interest. People watching is more interesting in London though, lots of diversity and style. Us country folks seem permanently dressed in brown or green.

Not all villages are a few houses and a pub.

My village has a drs (admittedly only open 3.5 days a week) a dentist, four pubs , two takeaways, 2 corner shops, a butchers, a chemist and a primary school. It also has fields, bridle paths and a cycle path that links up to the two cities nearby.

Not all villages are remote and rural without pavements.

That's a very large village! Even our nearest town has less pubs 🤣

Fizzypoo - sounds like a quirk of naming that your 'village' is considered a village. That would be a town where I come from. You must have quite a population to sustain 4 pubs.

That's not a village, it's a suburb!

"Us country folks seem permanently dressed in brown or green."

Posh country folk then? I'm used to people in rural areas being in dark colours all the time, black and dark blue, maybe the odd green Barber jacket.

Posh? No, the agricultural and estate workers also wear mud coloured clothes! I think you are overthinking if you see a post referencing clothes that misses out "black" as somehow classist!

Our village is the same. Three pubs, a small coop, post office, indian and Italian restaurants, yet open countryside to the moors as far as you can see. It’s commutable to Manchester and Leeds, so has grown a lot in recent years.

Another thread with incidences of fake “oh but I don’t understand”, which is clearly “ugh, my choices are vastly superior”.

Plus ca change!

It's a benefit if you like walking and/or have a dog! I would much rather walk in my local countryside with my dog than along pavements. I like to see the changing seasons, the widlife and the open skies. From my house I can walk down the road for 10 minutes and then be in endless open country where you can walk in any direction for hours and rarely see a soul

If you're into that, must be great.
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I'd imagine for most children, especially teenagers though, that would get very boring, very quickly.

We're in London, zone 3 and my DC get to be outdoors a lot as we have so many parks... difference is, parks have cafes, basketball courts, football pitches, playgrounds, other children to play with, a boating lake, tennis courts, outdoor gym equipment. Much better for children than an empty field imo.

difference is, parks have cafes, basketball courts, football pitches, playgrounds, other children to play with, a boating lake, tennis courts, outdoor gym equipment

I’m in the sticks and our local park has all those things. We also have running water and electricity!

Definitely. I live on the edge of a beautiful small city. We walk cycle or bus everywhere in town that has all we need. Can do a country walk from the front door. My parents and rural friends drive everywhere. I was a teen in a village with hopeless public transport not inflicting that in my kids. My 13 year old can go to the ice rink after school and get the bus home. We had NOTHING to do in the winter at that age bar hanging about at home.

I have the best of both worlds. I live in a village in a beautiful valley, on the edge of the Scottish highlands. We have a great community, village school, active church, good shop, hotel/pub and a post office. Yet I’m only 10 miles one way and 15 miles the other to two cities, with all the theatres, concert halls, sports facilities, shopping etc I could wish. There’s a bus service in both directions, which I don’t need as I drive. Prescriptions are delivered by the pharmacy to our village shop.
I’m one hour from the centre of Edinburgh, with all the festivals, culture, tourist attractions and restaurants.
I have some stunningly beautiful scenery all around me and am less than an hour from the mountains.
I grew up in London at the time of the killer smogs (pre Clean Air Act).
Nothing would induce me to return, even if I could afford the house prices. In our village, a 4 bed detached with garage and garden is still only £200K.

Air pollution is a huge issue these days and the various increases in diseases in causes

This is true but traffic pollution is only one type of air pollution. Crop spraying, muck spreading and the shit that spews out of people's much loved log burning stoves are all air pollution too.