General Chat

I've lived in cities all over the world.

OH & I said (about 20 years ago) that we'd like to eventually move to a small town, on the coast, a few amenities (he wanted a golf course)....... in Australia, in a warm but not too hot place.

We moved here 7 years ago...... I think the population is about 5,000 and we have the basics (supermarket, butcher, baker, newsagent, doctor, dentist etc), and I can't imagine ever moving back to a crowded noisy city. We've made some very good friends here.

If we need to go shopping for more than basics, it's only a 30 minute drive.... and 25 minutes until we meet the first set of traffic lights (of which we have NONE in town).

I have always loved visiting new places, cities or otherwise, and do enjoy exploring especially if I am on my own.

Moving to a new and unknown place (Cambridge) when I was in my early 20s, was exciting, finding a flat and a job and getting to know my way round was a wonderful experience. I had always lived close to the centre of Norwich city till then.

I had a couple of visits to Edinburgh in 2000 and loved that city. How I wish I had moved round more when I was young.

I have reason to visit Chelmsford now and am enjoying each visit, getting to find my bearings and make my way around. Lots to see there yet.

Lizx

I quite enjoy visiting Cities with someone else as long as there is interesting architecture to look at. Mind you, on the rare occasions I've gone by myself, I feel isolated rather than anonymous and quickly revert to the busy busy busy way of walking around in your own little bubble. Like Jax, I used to work in London, in my case the West End, until the birth of our first.

Getting off the train at our home station, even during the evening commute, calm descends again.

I've lived in the centre of cities, villages and the middle of nowhere. I moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, as Southampton (at the time )was a bit violent. I liked Portsmouth a lot. Then moved from Portsmouth to the middle of nowhere in Shetland, then to quite a few other places, villages, and other places in the middle of nowhere.

I now live on the outskirts of Winchester, which, albeit small, is still a city!
The estate where I live is very cosy - a bit like a village, and on the edge of the South Downs Way. In fact, we just have to cross the bridge across the M3 and we're on it!!
Even if you think people don't know your name here, they probably do, and if not, they know your face :-D

However, there's something empowering, when in town, and fighting your way through hoards of tourists, to suddenly hear a 'Hi Maggie, how's things?' To go into a shop, in a city, and be greeted like an old friend is a marvellous feeling, and to be asked, how's so and so - have you seen them lately?.

I think I have the best of both worlds - apart from the constant drone of the motorway - which didn't exist when I first moved here :-|

I used to love living in cities when I was younger. I loved the vibrant, busy hustle bustle and excitement of city life and all that went on. I still love cities but for short stays only...I have found that as I've got older I value the peace and quiet of the countryside :-)

I live in a city but not in the city centre, I wouldn't like to be in the hustle and bustle but I do like it where I am and wouldn't want to be rural. Never having lived in a village I can't say if I'd like it or not. but think perhaps I'm more suited to town than country.

I love visiting cities but I'd hate to live in one.

I worked in London (city) for many years....think it has changed a lot since 1992 when I handed my notice in the weekend after the St Mary Axe bombing...where if it had happened during the day time, I doubt whether I would be here today :-(

I do like cities and prefer to live in a town rather than a village

After having a pub in a village it was like living in a gold fish bowl

I love living in the country and knowing everybody. I wouldn't want to live amongst millions of strangers.

I love cities and love, love London :-D But I also like quieter places, this week I've been in London walking around in the hustle and bustle, the next day I was beside the sea, total opposite, and had a lovely day there.

I feel more alive in a City, so much to see, and especially in London you do see some sights (human) and they aren't given a second glance :-D

Is one of the things I like about visiting busy places like London. No one knows what you normally do, what kind of house you can afford, what you buy in the village shop, no one knows that you are X's daughter, wife, husband, mother, father, friend.

Not that any of those things are a secret just that it is fun to be yourself only without any preconceptions as to 'who you are'.

"“What is the purpose of a city if not to grant the greatest of gifts, anonymity?”
? Rabih Alameddine, I, The Divine: A Novel in First Chapters"

Do you like cities ( or going to new places) for that reason or do you prefer being somewhere where everybody knows your name?