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?

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

You do realise villages have those things too?

Ours even has internet access, electricity and gas heating!

You do realise villages have those things too?

I was comparing open fields with parks. Not parks in villages with parks in cities.

It is a village! It's definitely classed as one. Maybe some of you are mistaking villages for hamlets!

There are neighbouring villages around me, a town and two cities. Not all villages are 5 houses and a pub!

My village doesn't even have a pub! We've got a phone box though. That's our 'amenity'.

I like to see the changing seasons, the widlife and the open skies

People in cities don't all live in skyscrapers blocking out the sky you know. We do get to see the seasons. I see this from my bedroom window. And this is from a recent Riverside walk and the last taken in the summer in a wildlife reserve in my city centre.

Oo and we have the village hall which puts on jumble sales, christmas fayre and a community cinema! I love my rather large village, it has a lovely community spirit.

We live on the edge of a large town. The city is a 20 minute train journey. We have a lot of countryside within walking distance or a short (less than 15 minutes) drive also so imo the best of both worlds. We have family in small rural villages and when we visit for a weekend I get so bored. Yes it’s lovely and quiet but most things are a drive away and a long drive at that. I can walk to a supermarket, bakery, butchers, hairdressers, school etc. Their nearest supermarket is about 25 minutes drive. Our children have more opportunities as there are more things to do. We are lucky that where we live also has a village feel in the suburb so I really do feel fortunate.

seren that looks pretty but it's not quite the same.

I've lived in all sorts of areas, shit run down council estates and inner city areas and now on a small estate in the countryside.
So far I prefer where we are in a rural area, BUT we still have the problems of a shit council estate as two families on the street act as if they are in a city.
Loud music, rubbish all over the place, mending cars on the road.
I'd never move back to a city or an urban area.
If I won the lottery, an old farm with lots of land/forest and miles away from anyone would be my dream!

Definitely.

I walk at least 5 miles a day in the city, 10 on a busy day. In the country I drove everywhere and only walked more than a mile if I specifically set out to go for a walk.

I have a much better social life and can get involved in the community in so many ways, whereas in the country my social life was limited and getting involved in the community meant signing up to be ignored by the handful of 80-something’s that’d been running things for 50 years.

I eat better because I can shop for fresh food daily and have access to much more variety. In the country I had to make compromises because getting to a good size supermarket more than once a week was a hassle, but now I don’t have to think about which veggies will last 7 days. There’s also a lot more options for healthy fast food and take out. No excuse to eat crap except wanting to.

The main thing though was how great it was when my kids were younger. So many lovely parks and museums and other free and cheap activities just a few minutes walk away. Whatever their latest thing was, there was always some activity in the city that delighted them. Then when they were teenagers they had opportunities that just aren’t there in the country, like the chance to do work experience at huge companies or spend hundreds of hours reading about their niche interest in a library that has a whole section dedicated to it.

I was comparing open fields with parks. Not parks in villages with parks in cities.

But it doesn't have to be one or the other - you can have both. There's a big difference between "tiny rural hamlet consisting of five houses and a phonebox" and "village with basic amenities such as a butcher, grocer, baker, post office and school".

Lots of people seem to be referring the former, when actually living in the latter is probably much more common.

Trewser I was trying to counter the view that seems to prevail on here that cities are concrete deserts. They aren’t.

I know they aren't. But it's very different to the countryside.

So much litter for a start!

Fly tipping seems to be a problem in some rural areas.

Yes it is.

I don’t understand when people want to be Isolated from other people for much of their lives. Do you not work and interact with people ? Do you not enjoy going for meals, a drink etc with other people ? The thought of a child with only a dog and no one else for at least a mile radius is sad to me tbh. Where is the fun in playing by yourself all school holidays ?

Honeyroar sounds like todmorden or somewhere, hebden bridge way. I would really call those villages they’re more like outer suburbs ?

I don’t understand when people want to be Isolated from other people for much of their lives. Do you not work and interact with people?

I work from home

Do you not enjoy going for meals, a drink etc with other people?

We do have eating and drinking establishments! Lovely country pubs with roaring fires, a couple of very nice restaurants

The thought of a child with only a dog and no one else for at least a mile radius is sad to me tbhWhere is the fun in playing by yourself all school holidays?

Who says that happens?

I don’t understand when people want to be Isolated from other people for much of their lives. Do you not work and interact with people ? Do you not enjoy going for meals, a drink etc with other people ?

Yes, I work with the public, hundreds of people every day.

On my day off I want a break from people. I'm fortunate to live on the edge of a regional park, which being close to other more touristy countryside tends to be quiet even in the height of summer. I can walk all day without seeing another human being. Absolute bliss.

As for meals out and pubs that depends. A quiet restaurant meal with family or close friends is lovely. A works' meal with dozens of colleagues I can take or leave. A quiet pub with a roaring fire and preferably a pool table, great now and again. Noisy bars in the city where I can't hear myself speak over the crowds, or worse, loud music, hate it.

I developed an aversion to village halls due to my village upbringing even entering one depresses me.

There is a much deeper pool of like minded interesting people in the city. Also extremely wary of “idyllic” little village primaries my poor sister only had 2 other girls in her year one was troubled and bullied her for years poor sis was stuck as no other options for her. I wanted my kids in a school with minimum 2 class entry. The country walks nice but for me negative outweighs positive. Very personal though no one is “right”

working from home though all day in the middle of no where do you not get cabin fever ? I’m honestly just interested in people’s lives /a nosy Parker 😛😘

I know there are lovely pubs in the country, I go to them myself but what some people are saying on this thread makes it sound like they’re 3 miles from even a pavement that leads to a pub ! I just think it would make life such a logistical nightmare !

Oh and @JacquesHammer it was sort of reading between the lines on a couple of posts that people with small kids living realy rurally think it’s great but I don’t see how being an only child with no others for miles around is much fun?

working from home though all day in the middle of no where do you not get cabin fever?

I’m not middle of nowhere (sadly) but no, ive never struggled with my own company!

So my DD is an only child - we do exactly the same as other families. Play dates, trips out, holidays. Now she’s old she commutes about 15 miles to school so hops on the train to see friends.

Sorry I must have got the impression that you’re very rural. Need to read properly !
It’s good you can spend time with yourself ! Is probably save a lot of money if I was more like that. If I have an hour spare I’m like ‘oh, spare time, I’ll pop over to the coffee shop and treat myself to cake’

Don't start me on bloody fly tipping...