6 ms·

Ignoring internet access issues in rural areas, What is there to do in your free time in smaller towns and the countryside? That's the reason.

• PerfectElement 7y ago
  It depends on what you like to do. Countryside living is appealing to many people.
  • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
    Technologists are probably not typically the ones that find it appealing.
    • ghaff 7y ago
      What do you think is so special about technologists that they uniquely prefer urban (or suburban) living?
      • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        It really isn’t a mystery: they like tech obviously, they probably went to a big university with lots of diversity and eat out options, they feel a strong need to network. All hint toward city living rather than country side living. Also, many techies in the USA aren’t even Americans, they are even less likely to be craving for the countryside lifestyle.
        • ghaff 7y ago
          I think you're projecting your preferences and those of your circle. The significant majority of the people I work with at a fairly large tech company live in exurbs/suburbs/country. Relatively few live in the nearby major city.
          • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
            None of that is countryside or even small town America.
            • ghaff 7y ago
              You can define terms however you like but I do live in a town with a population of about 7,000 people and together with my two neighbors we're on about 100 acres adjacent to town forest. Sure, it's not some remote small town where you have to drive 3 hours to get to the nearest Walmart but it's not exactly urban--at least the way most people use the term--either. There's a pretty broad continuum between living/working in a city where you can walk to everything and living somewhere that's hours from "civilization."
              • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
                Yes, but you’ve just described about half of the Bay Area, or West Chester county, or even Queens (let alone Long Island).
                • ghaff 7y ago
                  It describes a lot of places. If someone argues that tech people tend to prefer the greater metro areas (combined statistical areas) of large cities rather than truly rural areas (as defined by the census), I don't think there's much argument. Of course, by the numbers, so does a significant majority of the US population. But that's a lot different from people arguing that tech people like big cities specifically, as that tends to suggest that they can walk to coffee shops, take public transit to work, etc. which does not describe the bulk of the space in greater metro areas.
                  • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
                    The original comment I replied to: > It depends on what you like to do. Countryside living is appealing to many people. My reply: > Technologists are probably not typically the ones that find it appealing. Your reply to that: > What do you think is so special about technologists that they uniquely prefer urban (or suburban) living? reply Putting your last reply in the context of the entire reply chain, I'm confused about what you think we are arguing about?
        • icebraining 7y ago
          Why do you say non-Americans are less likely to crave countryside lifestyle? As an EU developer, that's not been my experience at all; small town developers get dragged to our bigger cities for the jobs, not because they prefer the life. Some have pretty long commutes just so they can keep living in a non-urban area.
    • nostalgk 7y ago
      On the contrary, most of my peers are either living in the country on their own land or saving to do so. Especially if it's within driving distance of a city.
      • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        That’s anecdotal, but I’m willing to bet the typical technologist is not like your peers.
        • nostalgk 7y ago
          As is your claim. What is the typical technologist? My peers, along with me, live outside of one of the biggest cities in the Midwest, and work remotely or commute to and from. I would consider us part of the prevailing technological culture.
          • seanmcdirmid 7y ago
            True. We need real data to say otherwise, but we already know most techies live in cities anyways, you can claim that is not within their desire and they would like your lifestyle better, but I would claim it is as they want.
            • nostalgk 7y ago
              I would claim that the majority population of techies probably do desire to live in cities and hubs in which there are large communities of other techies, you're right. My point is just that there is also a sizable community of people who work in tech who also enjoy living outside the city, and can still enjoy a city lifestyle from time to time as well. I often notice that this sizable community is brushed to the wayside because they aren't the in-crowd of city-based IT enthusiasts, with their regions being considered "flyover" and their opinions devalued. Yet still, in small towns, we do have Slack and hackerspaces and lots of professional development, just like the cities.
      • ghaff 7y ago
    • sudosteph 7y ago
      Plenty of introverts who like building things (the stereotypical technologist) are into it. More income savings to spend on new gadgets, space to build things (plus No HOAs to say you can't run a business or put up a big antenna on your property), and relative peace and quiet in your environment are quite appealing. I know some brilliant technologists who work remote and wouldn't trade their life-style for any salary in a big city. I'm a city-lover myself, but easily understand the appeal of working in tech while living in the country.
  • neom 7y ago
    Except then your best friend moves to San Fransisco and now you have no friends, so you move to San Fransisco and then you live in San Fransisco (I'm not bitter or anything....) :(
• tdb7893 7y ago
  Ride horses, hang out with friends, play video games, go hiking, pay music with friends, cook food, shoot guns, watch Netflix, play poker with friends. My wife grew up in a small town and she always found stuff to do, it's really not that hard depending on what you like. Edit: to add some more specific flavor my wife liked to ride horses, play her guitar, swim, and watch TV. Her parents were pretty busy but they would hang out with friends and liked to cook and play in what was essentially an Irish folk band in the area.
  • nostalgk 7y ago
    Exactly, all of these things. The notion that city living is the only way to live and that smaller towns are simply flyover communities is pretty ignorant. I love visiting the city as well, there are excellent opportunities like restaurants and events, but the culture is different and I am always happy to return to my small town hobbies.
• arethuza 7y ago
  Garden, walk, cycle, fish, run, hunt, sail, ride horses, keep bees, kayak, swim, view historical stuff.... [I'm just naming things that people do within a couple of km from where I live]. NB Personally I garden, walk and look at mysterious old stuff. But plenty of people doing the others. Edit: Until 2 years ago I lived in the very centre of Edinburgh - which is quite a nice place to live. So far I've never regretted moving out of town to the country.
• switchbak 7y ago
  I've got gigabit fibre running to my house, and some of the best natural beauty and outdoor activities available anywhere just minutes away. Mountain biking, climbing, white water paddling, kite surfing, trail running, sailing, hiking, etc. Let me assure you, there is plenty to do if you're into this lifestyle. Don't knock it just cause it's not something you're into. I think as more people get good remote jobs that many of them will realize that living in nice small towns is really desirable.
  • rootusrootus 7y ago
    That sounds wonderful. Can I be your neighbor? Edit: Ah, I'd have to move to Canada. Not a deal killer :)
  • 0xffff2 7y ago
    Lucky you. I have a house just outside a small town of 700, about 30 miles outside a town of 30,000. I can't even get DSL; I'm stuck with terrible satellite internet when I'm out there. I really can't wait for Starlink. If it works as promised, I'll finally be able to ditch my Silicon Valley apartment and go full remote.
  • rb808 7y ago
    > there is plenty to do if you're into this lifestyle I wonder if there are fewer people that like the outdoors lifestyle now. New generation prefers xbox and eating at restaurants and doesn't like yard work or hiking. I'd love to move somewhere quieter but my wife would kill me.
  • fzeroracer 7y ago
    There are plenty of cities where this is also the case however. You're also not locked into the local area only (where the nearest airport might be hours away) and your options for everything else other than leisure aren't limited Living in small towns is incredibly stifling for people that prefer to use their feet to get around, at least in America. It always seemed fittingly ironic that people move to small towns so they can drive out to their outdoorsy hobbies.
• landryraccoon 7y ago
  I don't think the problem is not having stuff to do, the problem is finding people to do it with. Small towns and nature have no end of things to do. But it has way fewer people. I think modern society has a bigger problem with loneliness than with not having enough entertaining activities.
  • circlefavshape 7y ago
    This. I live in the countryside, 5km from the nearest village (<1000 people). It's a very pleasant village, and I know plenty of people in it, but the population is too small and sparse for me to find a group of people like me. To hang out with my real friends I need to go into the city
• thrower123 7y ago
  A whole lot more than you can do if you are stuck in an urban area or worse, a suburban hellscape. At least if you like doing things outside, or want to do more worthwhile things than mindless consumer hedonism. Go fishing, go hunting, go hiking, do some trailriding on an ATV or a snowmobile or a horse. Plant a garden or an orchard and tend to that. Have a barbecue with the neighbors. Get involved with the community. Work up your firewood. You can read books, or watch TV or engage with the internet just as easily as anywhere else, and you can get anything in the world delivered to you with two-day delivery from Amazon. You can look up at night and see the stars, rather than just washed out orange halogen haze.
• madengr 7y ago
  Guns Archery Model rocketry Ham radio Fireworks
  • kawfey 7y ago
    +1 for ham radio, HF is much better in rural areas since it's farther from manmade electrical noise, however VHF+ is boring due to lack of people (and typically line of sight range) unless you're into satellites, sporadic-E, and tropospheric ducting.
    • madengr 7y ago
      Even then, getting a decent satellite station the the suburbs is problematic. I’d like nice rotor setup with dual band, dual polarized yagi. I have a active loop for HF RX, which does a good job of rejecting local noise, but would still be better in rural area.
• hutgu 7y ago
  For anyone who isn't into highly social hobbies the countryside is usually at least equally good. Apart from restaurants and larger selection of food in stores, city life has not changed my free time much at all.