Would you prefer to retire to the countryside or city centre?

[Faciadipasta]

Inspired by another thread on here I'm just curious to see people's thoughts. I'm not due to retire for another 20 years or so but really hadn't considered doing so in the centre of London (or maybe another big city) but now after the other thread I'm thinking what a bloody brilliant idea!
I'd always just thought people tend to retire to the seaside or countryside before. So what do others think? City or countryside? And why?

City. I want to be able to walk to the theatre, concerts, etc. By the time we retire, the pets will no longer be with us and we can buy a flat in the Barbican!

People who retire to the countryside are selfish idiots

A really tiny city with lovely cottages very centrally located like Canterbury. When I worked there I always noticed the older gents who had popped out for a paper in the mornings. Nice and flat - close to everything, but also pretty quiet as no traffic right in the centre. A market town would do too.

This is our plan too. We actually live semi-rurally at the moment, though not in the arse end of nowhere. We do hope for a bungalow (in case of mobility issues) in a town with good public transport and more amenities nearer to home so that we can drive less as we get older.

My dream is an isolated house somewhere that I can watch the fog burn off while drinking my morning coffee. The reality is that isolated homes in the countryside tend to require lots of outside maintenance and it is not always possible to hire out all that work. So my dream isn’t really practical.

I'm just in the midst of making that decision.
I hate cities with a passion but live in a tiny village with no shops and no public transport. I love my house but we need to futureproof. So we are looking to move to either a large village or small market town. Somewhere we can walk to a shop or doctors, catch a bus once we can no longer drive.
It would need to be no more than half a mile from fields though!

Proper central London near all the galleries. Early morning walks. Bliss!

Seaside or somewhere hilly. In a house with huge windows so that I can sit and stare at the view and read.

City centre. My current home hits most of my requirements - it's within easy walking distance of shops, theatres, cinemas, concert halls, a university with public lectures, museums, gyms, a pharmacy and doctors' surgery and green spaces and a short bus/taxi/bike trip (or longer walk) to the hospital, railway station and sports centre. Friends live nearby, and there are lots of social activities available if I needed to meet more people. It's a nice place for other people to visit, and there's great stuff for kids for any visiting grandchildren.

Neither.
Walking distance to town centre, with excellent public transport.

City centre where you don't need a car and can walk to everything or pop up in a bus metro etc...

There loads of options in the middle of city or countryside! I live in a lovely market town - it has lots of shops, a indie cinema, theatre & nice restaurants. It’s got good transport links to a nearby city if needed.

There are not just cities or houses miles from anywhere 😂

City centre, I like the hustle and bustle, the local shops, e.g. Five mins for milk, bread ect.

Now if I had my own underground base, with about ground cover house, in the country then I'd prefer country, especially with the naturalistic views, wild life, ect.

In the last snowy winter we had our elderly neighbour would get the bus into London - he used to say that there was loads to do and, maybe importantly, the pavements were de iced!

Italy was my plan but with Brexit that changed. I'll be moving to Brighton I bought a flat there last year.

Where I am now, a suburb four miles from a city centre. I would be bored silly in the countryside and don't want to live in the city centre itself as I love gardening and country walks on my doorstep. I'm also minutes from a number of leading hospitals.

City - all the amenities to hand, not need to drive.

Countryside, no question. Although probably on the edge of or very near a decent sized village. I live in south east suburbia and have been starting to feel hemmed in for the last couple of years.

DP and I are actually off on a weekend break soon to a county we've earmarked as a possible- even though it's going to be few years before we can make a move. I'm very excited 😁

I wouldn't retire rurally, as others have said it's harder to get around if you can't drive etc

I do want to live by the sea though but there are plenty of seaside towns and cities I could move to.

Neither for me too, I’ve lived in London, Manchester, cities abroad and rurally in three countries. I’m now on the edge of a thriving market town. I can walk to restaurants, cinema, shops, transport links and be in beautiful countryside a mile out of town. Can’t imagine moving either way in my approaching old age.

I live in a city now. Countryside sounds nice but actually might have practical issues. I can see the appeal of a seaside town. Honestly it'll probably work out too expensive to be anywhere but where I already am!

City/ town/ suburbs anywhere with amenities within walking distance and good public transport.

City

City 100%. I grew up in a small village as did my DH. He keeps mentioning eventually 'retiring' to his childhood village (his best mate never left and family are nearby). No fucking way am I spending my later years going to the one village pub and regurgitating the same old anecdotes from decades before. I love the fact that we have multiple live music venues, pubs, restaurants, theatres, fast food places etc within ten mins walk or an Uber! Will never be going back to the countryside - sorry DH.

Bit of both, I suspect OH sees himself as Clegg from Last of The Summer Wine (though he dresses more like Compo or Wesley). Like others the main concern is transport and amenities as you age. Where we are is semi rural and nice. Even in the city you can't count on things staying the same, our town centre is emptying of shops most services such as hospitals are now outside the town and public transport is shrinking.