'Tis an old question, revived by a letter that wondered why anybody could be content to stay in Charlotte or smaller places when New York, Boston and other larger cities offer so much more broadening influences and so much greater facilities for ambition. The letter came from a man who has lived in New York only a year or so and talks glibly about the various streets, Weber & Fields', and a few well-known cafés. Men who know New York thoroughly and are known in that city do not usually advise other people to go there to live. The metropolitan enthusiast is the new resident, who will never know one-tenth as many people as he knew in his native village. He becomes dazed by the glare and glitter, the big sounds and the mad tumult, and calls all this a part of seeing and learning and living and broadening.
But is the city life more broadening than the life down here? Does it give a man a more comprehensive view of life? This question does not consider the genuine cosmopolitan type--the man of the world who may live in New York or anywhere, and who is broad because he has found how utterly small he is and simple because he has learned that any manner other than simplicity is absurd. But does the man who leaves this section of country, for instance, and goes to New York to live--does he enter a broader or a narrower life? Has he a right to pity those that are left behind?
-WiscoDave
How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm
ReplyDeleteAfter they've seen Paree'
How ya gonna keep 'em away from Broadway
Jazzin around and paintin' the town
How ya gonna keep 'em away from harm, that's a mystery
They'll never want to see a rake or plow
And who the deuce can parleyvous a cow?
PS: Big cities attract Liberal assholes & illegal immigrant criminals that's a good reason to stay away.
It took me 3 years to find a home in a place I wanted to live. The population is just over 2400 in town. My "quality of Life" has gone way up since moving away from Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteLazy ambitions are best achieved in a country setting.
ReplyDeleteGrew up in a small city in Texas. Moved to California at 25 and even with lacking much of an education was able to lock into working in high tech. Did that for 30 years and moved back to Texas. In a metropolitan area because that's where the tech jobs were. Linked up with a good company, did well with them, and two years ago bought a house 50 miles from anything resembling a city. 100 miles from any metro area.
ReplyDeleteHaving had both I'm unwilling to choose one over the other. Each was but a step in what has been a seldom easy, but otherwise interesting journey. I wouldn't have had such a great life and rich experiences without lived in the big city and in the country. That said, now I'm where I belong. BTW, Tsquared has got me beat; my town has 4,500 residents. And I love it.
"When we pile ourselves up in great cities, as they do in Europe, we shall become as currupt as Europe." -Thomas Jefferson
ReplyDeleteNYFC is about the last place I ever want to go, in the US at any rate.
ReplyDeleteMy town (county really, but only one town) has 18,000 and it's too big
ReplyDeleteI've spent time in large cities and small communities, as a young, dumb and full of you know what I loved the 24 hour life of the big city and all the trouble I could find..... Today I hate to go to town, population about 1200, much less go into some libturd city...
ReplyDeleteJD
Township with 2200 or so. Tucked away in the corner of a small population county that leans conservative . 73% Trump vote in 2020.
ReplyDeleteSimple is not better or worse. Anon had it right about lazy.
Cities are expensive. Packed like lab rats is stressful. The paradox of cities is more people, but knowing fewer than in settlements.
ReplyDeleteComing into contact with many people, most unknown, increases the exposure to crime, off kilter or violent people.
This list is long of problems peculiar to cities. Obviouslly, many people find city live acceptable, even energetic.
I don't even visting cities. I lived outside a historic town of 400 people. It was wonderful until a couple of farmers sold out. Beginning in 2005, houses were built and the population swelled to over 10,000 seemingly overnight. It is the stereotypical bedroom community; no infrastrure, except small retail and service businesses. 45 minute commutes to the jobs. Probably 20,000 by now. I moved away.
Born and raised in NYC. Left in 67 to join the Air Force. Saw other parts of the country and the world. Never went back there. Now I live in Alabama where if you don’t have a gun when you get here they will issue you one! 10 thousand rounds in your basement here is just a starter kit.
ReplyDelete