Blog Post
On Choosing to Live in a Small Town
With its pros and cons
If there is a perfect place to live with a perfect climate and a low cost of living, you can bet it is thousand of miles away from family and already crowded. And the demand has ended the low cost of living.
But I prefer small town living. After moving around for years we nestled into a small town that offers four seasons but generally not to extremes in the heat or cold department for very long.
We are blessed to have wonderful views of a portion of our town and of some of the surrounding mountains. We live on a hill, which means we get a lot of wind. There are always tradeoffs. From our dining room window we can usually see a house in the distance, perched high above all of the surrounding hills. Just this evening my husband remarked whoever lives there must have the best views around.
I agreed, but being of a very practical nature added they also have even more wind to deal with than we do. Plus their road access is probably dirt or gravel that is a muddy or an icy mess much of year, and if they didn't have to dig a well, or couldn't dig a well, they have to haul their water up there.
Tradeoffs.
Here we have small town amenities such as sewage and water and trash pick up. We have a small and charming Andrew Carnegie library. Admittedly it has a limited supply of books and seem to have a limited budget when it comes to ordering more, but they do have access to the state wide library system. We also have a used bookstore.
One large retail store, two choices for groceries, several gift and antique shops, building supply stores, several eateries ranging from fast food to a bit more upscale, convenience stores, banks, and a smattering of just about anything else the bigger cities have. I'm good with that.
I'm also good with less traffic, easy access to the country side, and a quiet night life. (Expect for the 4th of July. That is never quiet!)
On the downside I wish they enforced dog leash laws mores strictly, we didn't have so many cannabis shops, and the city did a better job of plowing.
Pros and Cons.
The metropolises up north offer more in the way of entertainment, dining, and shopping. Sometimes it's nice to visit and take advantage of that.
The surrounding countryside offers more privacy, the opportunity to see more wildlife (although we get visits from bears here in town sometimes, and that's pretty wild), and the opportunity for bigger gardens, hen houses, or horse barns.
Sometimes we don't have a choice because our profession or family situations dictate where we live. When we do get to choose, some gravitate toward the amenities of the big cities and some would never trade their home out in the country.
But I like small town life.
Nice post. Almost makes me what to move! Just kidding.😊 I like our medium size town but can't say I ever heard anyone say I like medium town living! It just doesn't roll off the tongue like small town living does. But I have heard people say they like living in my town. It has the amenities of a big town but it takes 10 minutes to get across town. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteYou are right and I never thought about it before; there is no term for the size between small and large. Village, town, city, the lines are murky.
DeleteMy understanding is there are about 8200 residents here, but many other homes sprawling out into the nearby countryside, both the range lands to the east and into the mountains to the west.
You are right and I never thought about it before; there is no term for the size between small and large. Village, town, city, the lines are murky.
DeleteMy understanding is there are about 8200 residents here, but many other homes sprawling out into the nearby countryside, both the range lands to the east and into the mountains to the west.
I have no idea why my comment is coming up twice! One more thing to work out.....
ReplyDeleteWhat you didn't mention was medical care in a small town. That is very iffy as I recall especially when one needs major medical help like chemo treatments etc. Beyond that, I do agree with the medium size towns - or at least a small town near a BIG town, lol. But, it is hard to beat the charm of a small town.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in both very large, moderately large, and very small towns, plus a few suburbs and exurbs outside fairly large cities.
ReplyDeleteI like something about all of them, and I dislike something about most of them. Very large cities can feel very vibrant. Or too busy. Choices abound, and so does congestion. Very small towns can feel very intimate, or very claustrophobic. Housing is almost always cheaper, but prices on everyday stuff may be higher if the supply is limited. You can know almost everyone, but they may never truly befriend you. They can be friendly, but never extend friendship.
And specialized medical care is hard to find the farther one goes from larger cities. Those of us who are under the regular care of one or more specialists can't afford to live too far out.
For me, for now, a smaller town near a largish city is a pretty good compromise.
I would love to be able to live in the mountains, but we can't afford to live in those close enough to specialized medical care and I can't afford to live too many hours away from it.
Unless someone knows something we don't....
Well dang, no one's shared The Perfect Place so we can all move there!
ReplyDeleteI keep checking, just in case. 🙂
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