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I've had the opposite experience. Having moved from the boonies to a downtown in a Tier 2 US city has caused a lot of my old friends and neighbors to point out

I've had the opposite experience. Having moved from the boonies to a downtown in a Tier 2 US city has caused a lot of my old friends and neighbors to point out that I could buy a 27-bedroom house on a 100 acre lot in the country for what I pay in rent in the city. They fail to realize that not having to drive two hours each way to have fun is worth the 35% premium in housing for me. Before I moved I owned a house and justified living where I did by saying stuff like > country people can make a day trip to do that too. ...but I was lying to myself. Rounding friends up to drive 90 minutes then hop on light rail for a half hour before even getting in the vicinity of where you're going has a very real chilling effect on planning fun time. Most people just end up drinking Mai Tais that a bartender pours out of a plastic jug at a riverside dock bar instead. Different strokes for different folks, but I think everybody should give each paradigm a shot and decide what they like.

xp84 1y ago
> give each paradigm a shot and decide what they like. Hard agree. I think the article is right that most people haven't even come close to trying the lifestyle he's suggesting.
FeloniousHam 1y ago
> ...but I was lying to myself. Rounding friends up to drive 90 minutes then hop on light rail for a half hour before even getting in the vicinity of where you're going has a very real chilling effect on planning fun time. 1000%. I would complain about driving the 12 minutes just to get out of my subdivision (before moving into town). Just what you say, there's a "chilling effect" when everything you want to do is 30 mins away.
- bombcar 1y ago
  A big part of it is how you want to find friends. If you have a “friend profile” and you want people to match it, a city is wonderful - more people, more matches. Thing: all friends within 5 years of my age, similar jobs, education, etc. Go city! Or college maybe. But if you’re old country or old rural and want to be friends with those around you a suburban or rural area can be fine. You end up making friends with the ten year old next door, and his parents, along with the retirees on the other side, etc.
rufus_foreman 1y ago
>> my old friends and neighbors to point out that I could buy a 27-bedroom house on a 100 acre lot in the country for what I pay in rent in the city. They fail to realize that not having to drive two hours each way to have fun is worth the 35% premium in housing for me Good point. There's no possible way to have fun in a 27-bedroom house on a 100 acre lot.

xp84 1y ago

> give each paradigm a shot and decide what they like. Hard agree. I think the article is right that most people haven't even come close to trying the lifestyle he's suggesting.

FeloniousHam 1y ago

> ...but I was lying to myself. Rounding friends up to drive 90 minutes then hop on light rail for a half hour before even getting in the vicinity of where you're going has a very real chilling effect on planning fun time. 1000%. I would complain about driving the 12 minutes just to get out of my subdivision (before moving into town). Just what you say, there's a "chilling effect" when everything you want to do is 30 mins away.

bombcar 1y ago
A big part of it is how you want to find friends. If you have a “friend profile” and you want people to match it, a city is wonderful - more people, more matches. Thing: all friends within 5 years of my age, similar jobs, education, etc. Go city! Or college maybe. But if you’re old country or old rural and want to be friends with those around you a suburban or rural area can be fine. You end up making friends with the ten year old next door, and his parents, along with the retirees on the other side, etc.

rufus_foreman 1y ago

>> my old friends and neighbors to point out that I could buy a 27-bedroom house on a 100 acre lot in the country for what I pay in rent in the city. They fail to realize that not having to drive two hours each way to have fun is worth the 35% premium in housing for me Good point. There's no possible way to have fun in a 27-bedroom house on a 100 acre lot.