Are people generally far happier in the countryside?

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Derfel60@reddit

All of the research says rural areas make people happier. There was also some i found that made an interesting argument for peoples yearning for a return to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle leading to the popularity of Avatar and other such films while i was considering a similar topic for my dissertation.

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FatThorp@reddit

I lived in a city until 3months ago. Now I live rural countryside Honestly, the countryside is peaceful, the views are incredible and the space is fantastic, but people are slow and miserable, think old reform voters but not the thick ones who hate migrants the rich ones who want to horde their vast wealth and properties! there is nothing to do with out driving miles and the Internet sucks ass as does the phone signal! I'd say I'm as happy as I was in the city but for different reasons.

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ccc1965@reddit

Live in rural Dorset, where my family has been based since at least the 1600's. Love it and would not dream of living anywhere else! And both my kids feel the same.

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coffeewalnut08@reddit

To some extent. I live in a rural region and people are friendlier, air is cleaner, sunsets are so much prettier, and it really feels like a place where my creativity can thrive. I feel less robotic living here, ironically.

But it doesn’t come without its problems. Economic and public infrastructure is shite.

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Dear_Grape_666@reddit

I like how quiet it is, and yeah being able to see the Milky Way at night is pretty cool.

I did have to learn to drive when I moved out here, since there were no buses and the nearest shop is a 20 minute drive away. Literally, the nearest small cornershop type place, not even supermarket. But luckily even before I got the car we were able to get by with the odd taxi, and online shopping and a bit of help from my mum who lives around 45 minutes away.

We're surrounded by farms and right now it absolutely pongs with fertiliser. Just farms doing farm things.

Overall, I definitely prefer it to living in a city although I think I'd like to be in a slightly larger village with at least some amenities, haha.

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Ok_Tangerine6023@reddit

It's always a dream of mine to see the milky way! Where are you based?

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Any-Web-3347@reddit

The Milky Way is very clear here - rural West Wales. You can probably google a map showing the nearest area to you with dark skies.

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Ok_Tangerine6023@reddit

The issue is don't drive so getting to the dark sites is an issue

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Dear_Grape_666@reddit

I'm out in a tiny village in the Fens (Cambridgeshire).

The Milky Way isn't insanely obvious, but you can definitely make it out on dark/clear nights.

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Ok_Tangerine6023@reddit

I've mostly lived in cities so I get excited when I can see more than 5 stars at once 😂

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Nature2Love@reddit (OP)

Yeah, i can imagine. My dad lives semi-rural and the bus service runs every 2 hours, and the local shops are a little over a mile away. I sometimes worry that if anything happens then he's stuck out there, but he has decent neighbours. He's left his front door slightly ajar before for almost a whole afternoon and came back to a house that was how he left it. The crime is pretty much non-existent.

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sillysimon92@reddit

This is a rarity, most rural areas are pretty "friendly" in an almost sarcastic way I've found in the Midlands. Plus there's 0 police out here so while there's little to no petty crime, the risk of getting properly burgled is always there.

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blizzardlizard666@reddit

Tbf I leave my front door literally wide open quite frequently and I live in an extremely high crime risky part of the inner city, just a few feet away from a hostel where sex offenders and murderers go after prison. I think nobody is going to walk in a wide open door, it looks like some sort of set up. Maybe it helps that my house looks like a witches den.

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whatd0y0umean@reddit

I live in a town but it's right in the middle of nowhere, I don't know where my house keys are anymore as I've never locked my front door lol

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yellowsubmarine45@reddit

Agree on the people and infrastructure. I am from a smallish town and now live in a city. There is a lot more to do in a city. A lot more opportunities, both for work and social activities. I love that. But the people are "harder". There is much more of a "not my problem, not my business" attitude instead of a community.

I feel more comfortable with the people in a more rural areas but there is no investment, you really struggle with public transport and it can be dull.

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Any-Web-3347@reddit

I love living in the country, but there are downsides. We have a lovely view, peace and quiet, space, privacy, clean air, huge veggie patch & orchard. But, it’s a drive to get a pint of milk, the nearest pub shut a few years ago, and the next nearest is too far to walk. The buses stop at 7pm, and the nearest bus stop is over a mile away, the last bit of the walk to it is on a dangerous road. If you are properly rural and work at home, it’s easy to become isolated - you have to make an effort to make and keep friends, and there is less opportunity to do that. I wouldn’t go back to living in a rural area until I need to due to old age and infirmity, but it’s not for everyone.

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Mossgrrrrl@reddit

There are some interesting think pieces coming out around ‘friction’ and it’s effect on how we experience life- particularly the speed of it.

I’ve lived in city and country and I do genuinely believed the added friction you meet in the latter makes life slower and generally more enjoyable.

E.g. https://medium.com/@a.klimm67/the-slow-brain-why-focus-needs-friction-not-speed-1a8b9adb89d1

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AssumptionBudget279@reddit

I personally love both. I live in a quiet countryside town but I work in London. Both I actually enjoy. I enjoy the quietness of the countryside and it feels just so much more relaxing but I also enjoy that there is so much to do in London that I am never bored when I visit when I am not working.

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TheHayvek@reddit

It's interesting how people often talk about how quiet the countryside is. It's obviously quieter but I'm struck by how loud the countryside is because people drive everywhere. I think people get used to the traffic noise so don't see it but as someone who doesn't drive and therefore walks quite a lot I feel like I notice it a lot more. The traffic in my hometown (20k people which i dont class as a countryside) on a Saturday morning is far worse than what I see in zone 3 London near where I live. It's much louder.

Same when I stayed in a village in Hertfordshire recently. A lot of HGVs going through this village. A lot of cars as well. It wasn't a quiet, peaceful place at all. Even when you left the village it was quieter, but loudest thing was often the nearby A road.

It's made me realise that it's not people that make cities loud. But the cars.

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AssumptionBudget279@reddit

I guess as someone who grow up in the countryside but next to a road, I learned to tune out or just not notice the cars so for me it’s much quieter than the city

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TheHayvek@reddit

Surely you could say that about any noise? It's what you're used to I guess.

I just find it interesting that it's an accepted fact that the countryside is a quiet place but I don't think it actually is. People are too car dependent for it to be quiet.

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AssumptionBudget279@reddit

Well it is a quite place if you are used to turning the cars out 🤷‍♀️

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TheHayvek@reddit

That's like me saying that cities are quiet places because I'm used to tuning out the noise of the city........

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AssumptionBudget279@reddit

Well not really, because cars are just one thing. City noise tends to mean everything else including cars

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TheHayvek@reddit

If you're having to tune something out hatd quite loud it's objectively not a quiet place.

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AssumptionBudget279@reddit

I disagree, because turning something out happens automatically when you hear the sound a lot but it doesn’t have to be a loud sound for you to tune it out, you just don’t notice it anymore because you are so used to it

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Throwawaythedocument@reddit

I mean rural crime is a thing.

But I'd say being in the suburbs surrounding a decent city, but with good links to the countryside is best.

I can imagine being out in the styx would suck unless it's like the lake district.

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Grower_munk@reddit

I (from about ten miles east of Manchester) was seeing a girl from the lakes for a while in my mid twenties and it was amusing that my peers and peers parents always fawned over the lakes like imagine living there and that being your view etc - but all the youngsters in the lakes were "oh jesus get me to a city I'm so bored and every job here is a service industry or shops" - anyone remotely middle class was being shoved by their parents to fook off to uni elsewhere and graduates were told like...go to a city to start a career and come back later for a family.

We entertained moving to slightly more rural Scotland (not rural by Scotland standards mind you - about an hour out of Glasgow) and I did some research and it's the same old same old. City good for xyz - bad for ABC Rural good for ABC - bad for xyz

One of the most worrying ones was a guy with a young family who left UK city for quite rural Scotland and he said within a few months of moving up there everyone except him (i.e. wife and two kids) got fairly serious medical issues (unrelated to move) and every trip to a specialist doctor took forever - NHS was worse up there, whereas back where he was he was 15 minutes from the hospitals and tons of upper tier specialists which would fit his family needs were all back down there.

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CrimpsShootsandRuns@reddit

I was one of those youngsters from the Lakes. Couldn't wait to get out, moved to the city for uni and loved it. When I finished and moved back home for money reasons I actually realised I was happier back in the countryside and then settled down here. Not without it's problems and limitations, of course.

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mibbling@reddit

Yep - I think it stays with you. I grew up somewhere tiny, couldn’t wait to get out and see the world, and have lived in big cities for decades - but last year realised I was totally done with cities and have moved to a small village. I absolutely love it here, and it felt so comforting to move in to.

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sleepingjiva@reddit

Sticks, unless you mean the underworld

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Throwawaythedocument@reddit

Both.

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Fun_Passage_9167@reddit

It's true – cases of combine-harvester theft are notably higher outside urban areas.

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Ok_Requirement_7489@reddit

I don't think so generally - there's just as much poverty and mental health problems in the countryside.

That being said in my personal experience when I visit london everyone seems much more highly strung - e.g. drivers seem less patient, angrier and don't thank each other. It feels like nobody can sit still for 2 seconds and the noise is constant. I feel a huge sense of relief and increased inner peace when I get home to my quiet village. But others I know find the silence unsettling and the lack of anything happening unbearably tedious so some of it is just personality.

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Mr-Incy@reddit

I have lived in the countryside all my life and could never see myself living in a city.
Mostly I prefer the peace and quiet.

Yes towns/cities are more convenient when you need something, but they are also busy and noisy.

As for the community, that depends on you and your neighbours, I have lived where I am now for 25 years and even though there are only 24 houses, I only know 3 of my neighbours, and we barely interact, although that is mostly my doing, and preference.

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TheHayvek@reddit

To be fair, I think that last point is a bit universal. It's notoriously difficult to crack into the rural community. A lot of people have lived their entire lives there, they've got their friends, family and life pretty much set up. They're not really interested in anyone new. Oh and you'll be the new person for decades. Very much an outsider.

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Mr-Incy@reddit

There are a couple of small villages around here that definitely have that vibe.
In one village near to where I used to live I got to know the people who ran the local pub, they had been running the place for over 10 years, most of the villagers used the pub, but they were still classed as 'outsiders'.

Where I am most of the neighbours are friendly enough, there have been plenty of people who have moved here since me and they quickly became friends with most of the other neighbours.

I have friends who live in cities who don't know anyone who lives on the same street, in some cases they don't even know the name of their next door neighbour.

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Nature2Love@reddit (OP)

I've always found the countryside really quiet and stress free whenever I've been there. My dad has lived semi-rural for a long while and it's nice to visit him, especially during summer when i can sit outside on the patio and listen to the wildlife without the sounds of cars every few seconds or people shouting and making noise.

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SubstantialSnow7214@reddit

I think a lot of it also comes down to your stage in life.

In my 20s living in a city was great, I was close to all the nightclubs, great for getting jobs and working up the career ladder etc

In my 30s with a wife, kids and a dog having a house in the countryside is great, I can go nature walks with the dog and pram, running without having to breathe in car fumes on Forrest paths, and work from home

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ScottRans0m@reddit

Yeah I’d much rather live in rural Surrey than London.

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Stinkinhippy@reddit

From my own experiences, which have aged like fine milk with the way the world has gone.

0-15/16 - Village life is great.. run around in fields, can find space to just do whatever without a bunch of people around.

16-30-ish. Kind of sucks.. very little to do.

30+ and you're back to enjoying it a bit more again.. wanting to slow back down and enjoy some peace and quiet.

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BaldyBaldyBouncer@reddit

I grew up in a small rural town. I fucking hated it and it was full of the most miserable fucks I have ever come across. Got the fuck out of there as soon as I could.

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bubonichav@reddit

same in my very big town... aawful

maybe its just normal british people

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BaldyBaldyBouncer@reddit

The place I live in now is great. It's a city but not a large one. Lots of stuff to do, random art everywhere, interesting pubs, nightclubs, a theatre, interesting restaurants and street food, people from just about every ethnicity and background mixing together.

Where I grew up was all full of inbred weirdos who hated anything or anyone who couldn't trace their family three generations back to the town. It took my parents 10 years before they were "accepted" down the local and even then they were seen as outsiders. It's exactly the same now despite gentrification and many new build estates. Absolutely nothing ever happens there and the few pubs that remain just sell fish and chips and halves of lager to old ladies on bus trips. Absolute toilet of a place.

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JeannaValjeanna@reddit

which city, may I ask?

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Ecstatic_Ratio5997@reddit

Could be somewhere like Salisbury. Just guessing. Or Lichfield.

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BaldyBaldyBouncer@reddit

You'll probably be surprised to hear this but it's Milton Keynes.

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bubonichav@reddit

im in a city but not a large one too.... it may be the same place... s,a?

i thought it would be ok.. but i have to go, i hate it so much. most of the people here, are just wierd to me...

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jaarn@reddit

My wife and I live in a wooden cabin next to a canal. It's bliss. We're a 2 minute walk into a beautiful country park and 5 mins away from the nearest village. About 15 minutes walk into the town centre.

I'm very happy.

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vishbar@reddit

Suicide rates are consistently higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d87dec1d56337f06b11fe1/3_Health_and_Wellbeing_12_11_2024_0325vers.pdf#page24

However, rural residents tend to rate themselves higher in overall wellbeing.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d87dec1d56337f06b11fe1/3_Health_and_Wellbeing_12_11_2024_0325vers.pdf#page30

The differences don’t appear great, and I’m sure there are a huge number of confounding factors at play.

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WiseOwloftheWoodland@reddit

I have done both and I would say I am far happier in the country but then I am someone who loves to be out in nature. I live in a small community but I would say like anywhere the connectedness is only as good as the effort you put in to getting to know people and building trust and friendship. I like being able to go for walks in the woods in my lunch break and that my kids can play outside every day.

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4u2nv2019@reddit

Lived in London for 35 years. Moved to a village for last few years and wish I moved earlier!!!! Crime rate lower, cleaner air, no light pollution, friendlier people who actually love saying hello, good morning etc. 10minute drive to Tescos despite being further away then in London due to less traffic and faster roads!

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GentAdventurerUK@reddit

I live in South Surrey. It’s pretty rural. Other than the fact that it’s hard to get about other than using a car (my nearest train station is a 20 minute drive away), I absolutely love it.

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GlitteringVersion@reddit

I've lived in both - a major city and a more rural area, in the countryside. I am far happier in the latter. My quality of life is better overall, I'm more active, I feel safer and also, like I'm part of a community.

There was more to do in the city, but I didn't feel it was worth the trade off to stay there, especially when we planned on starting a family.

We're lucky in a sense that the nearest city is only 30 minutes away, so we still have the option of experiencing that side of things.

People here seem, on the most part, very happy. But minor things tend to cause a fair bit of frustration - parking, rudeness, not queuing properly. All things that wouldn't get a second glance in the city, where you can be more or less invisible if you want to be.

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Commercial_Chef_1569@reddit

I would ALMOST ALWAYS recommend urban city living if you're young, 20-40, that's when you have the energy to make the most of it and it will be fun! even if you're an introvert you can find fun less social things to do or explore in London.

However, with kids and say when you've done it all, getting tired and wanna slow down. Countryside living is great, but that point it depends on the person.

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andrew0256@reddit

I don't buy the argument that towns and cities are a living hell of antisocial behaviour, crime and pollution. Sure there are pockets of these but the same applies in the countryside. Every village has it's twats on unlicenced motor bikes, weed smokers and visiting tourists relieving residents of their high end motors. Public transport is often much worse and owning a car is a must just to get to places.

What is different is being able to see stars at night and be surrounded by wildlife. I would fix the first by turning off 90% of street lights and banning permanent flood lights.

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Puffin-flower@reddit

I love it, but I live very rurally. As in my nearest neighbours are two miles away. I don't consider living in a town living in the countryside. Nearest town is a 10 minute drive away, while the nearest city is a 25 minute drive away. For me this is perfect - peace and quiet, but everything you need within easy driving distance. I think providing you enjoy the outdoors, peace and solitude, but can drive and have the ability/means to get out and about it can be excellent way of life. However, it would be hell and very isolating if you couldn't drive, weren't employed etc.

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Scarred_fish@reddit

I never consider it "countryside" but I am rural, Shetland.

Always been happy here. Never lived in a house where doors were locked (no idea where our keys may be!), keys left in cars etc.

Kids just go out and play and get home before it's dark.

Lots of social stuff, especially in winter, always a case of deciding what to do as opposed to cities where there is racially nothing.

People rarely leave, people who move here (usually to raise kids, but also for work) invariably stay and family who visit end up moving here too.

Yeah. Definitely happier.

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otheroneop@reddit

Oh wow that's incredible. I can't imagine a life like that.

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TheHayvek@reddit

I get the impression that the island becomes your entire life.

A (Scottish) work colleagues mum lives on the Isle of Skye and the journey to go and see her sounded horrendous. I got the impression he did it 1-2 times a year tops as he could only really go up there for a week minimum.

Thing is London to Edinburgh/Glasgow was pretty straightforward. The majority of journey was from southern Scotland up north. And Isle of skye has a bridge. Shetland does not.

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thistooshallpass007@reddit

Sounds amazing. I wish I could move to a countryside but my family wants to stay in a city.

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Scarred_fish@reddit

Just try asking them why.

If it's possible to change (financially etc), the logic is undeniable.

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thistooshallpass007@reddit

Their church, friends etc is all in the city. They are old amd have lived here all their lives so now in their 70s, they won't move. Plus shopping GP, dentist etc is walking distance for them.

Driving is harder for them too.

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TheHayvek@reddit

The thing that i always struggle with when people talk about the countryside they're talking about very different set ups. We've got people talking about remote island life and others living in commuter towns just outside of major cities.

They're very, very different.

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gapgod2001@reddit

Stay away from the countryside, nothing to see here.

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AnonymousTimewaster@reddit

Depends what you want. I hated living in a village after growing up. I was desperate to feel the hustle and bustle of the city and escape the complete detachment and drudgery of rural life. Seeing the same people day in day out really gets to you when you're young and looking to make friends or experience new things.

I've somewhat had my fill of cities now though. I got sick of the constant noise eventually thanks to an Airbnb next door to me, and the lack of space because particularly acute living in a flat. Obviously no garden too for having family round or anything, although I loved having a balcony and miss it.

We bought a house within a 5 minute walk of our new high street though, with a 15 minute walk to a train station that takes only 20 minutes to get into Manchester/Liverpool. Plenty of bars and restaurants, closer to family and friends, the main thing I really miss is being able to walk to the cinema and the view we had of the city.

I do feel like we have the best of both worlds a bit though because I don't feel the need to drive everywhere, which was my biggest fear.

What i will say is though, the countryside is just horrifically more racist and bigoted generally. I really really hate that.

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TheHayvek@reddit

Yeah as one half of a mixed nationality marriage it's a major negative to us. I grew up in a small town and all of my friends and family have at some point made racist or anti foreigner/immigrant comment in front of my wife.

It's so everyday for them they don't even realise they're doing in front of immigrant wife.

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DarthRick3rd@reddit

Started off in a small town in North Yorkshire moved to London, now back in NY in a little village outside of York.

The culture shock was far greater moving back up to a village from London than originally moving down.

Neighbours being friendly beyond a simple hello took some getting used too.

I'm definitely not living as green as I thought I would be. My house has an oil tank and gets through it like there's no tomorrow.

Nearest town / shop is 10mins drive away. Which is fine to be honest.

Transport is good as I can get to London Kings X on the fast train in a couple of hours. Sometimes I have to pop back down for work. Back in my London days I'd had to travel the same amount of time if there'd been delays etc.

There's a lot of things I miss about London but as I've mentioned it's not that far away despite me being in the North. There's York, Leeds, Harrogate close by etc.

Many of those who live in my village have all lived in London too. Some still have homes there. So there's almost an expats feeling to the place.

I'm technically I'm the middle of nowhere but at the same time only a stone's throw away from civilization. For me it's a perfect recipe.

Perhaps my happiness in my current situation comes easier due to my age and outlook. I'm mid thrites, already had connections in my current area and willing to travel.

The willingness to travel comes from living in London, at times I'd find myself having to travel way over an hour for work or to socialise. So travelling 10/20/30mins at the moment really doesn't bother me.

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thistooshallpass007@reddit

I think they are. Everytime I've been in the countryside, people seem kind and say good morning or are polite and friendly.

You go to London and everyone looks like they want to kill someone. 😆

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Krismusic1@reddit

Because London is so densely populated, we go around in our own heads. Because there is so little physical space we create mental space by basically keeping ourselves to ourselves. Anyone needs help though, they will usually receive it freely given. We care about each other, we just don't show it. Well that's my theory, having lived in London for fifty years.

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thistooshallpass007@reddit

This is good to know. Thank you.

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Kitchen-Iron-3689@reddit

People here in the countryside are also rude, entitled and think they own the place. I moved into a new build in the countryside and the people who brought their houses are lovely keep themselves to themselves, but people like me in rented… I’ve had so much trouble from my neighbors making false reports to try and get me evicted. I also hate walking my dog because she is reactive and there’s so many dog walkers that just think they own the place and nobody should be allowed to roam free as they please, “don’t walk here, don’t walk there, keep your dog on a leash, pick up your leaves, open your blinds” FOFF!!!! Haha sick of them I am.

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Imfamous_Wolf7695@reddit

I prefer cities to the country. It's way too quiet out there in the wild. It makes my tinnitus become way harder to filter out. Plus I've needed emergency medical treatment a few times and wonder if I'd still be alive now if the ambulance needed to get to me in the middle of nowhere.

Plus I like it being a 5 minute walk to the nearest shops, train station, dentist, etc.

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Tiger_Tail77@reddit

I grew up in Cornwall.

There were benefits and drawbacks to living in the countryside and I'm not sure if I'd go back. I certainly felt safer than I currently do in London, but I also remember missing out on so much life experience because it was impossible to get anywhere.

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HT2_i0@reddit

Live on the boundary of a rainforest in Palawan. Water buffalo, roosters, dogs and chickens everywhere. Love it.

Quite different to Lincoln.

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franki-pinks@reddit

I’m 41 and for the first 30 years of my life I lived in one of the worst council estates in Nottingham and then moved out to a village with only 12 houses.

It’s like night and day in terms of quality of life and quietness and relaxing etc. it actually took me a while to get used to the silence after around 7pm. There’s obvious things that are different like if we run out of milk it’s a 20 minute round trip to the nearest shop, any sort of night out costs an extraordinary amount of money to get home from, no pub or restaurant within walking distance.

There’s no local drama which I weirdly missed and that’s why I’m still on the spotted group of my old estate on Facebook lol.

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eoropie15@reddit

I think so! But you can tell when someone shouldn't live in the countyside. A neighbour a few years ago spent all get time complaining about how little there was to do, everything was rubbish, it was too muddy (!). But never made any effort to join in the community. Also we have SO MUCH going on in our area. Award winning restaurants and foodie experiences. A great leisure centre - OK it's not all mod cons but it's clean and friendly and got all the basics - and we're an hour's drive from two big cities. And the sheer variety of walking, lochs, outdoor pursuits! So yes. I think many people are happier living in the countryside but with the caveat that you have to be willing to make some effort.

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CrimpsShootsandRuns@reddit

It's individual. I've lived in the city and the countryside. Liked both in their own ways, but rural is where my heart is. My kids go to a lovely local school, people greet you when you're walking the dog or to the local shop (cliche, I know) and there's just a nice community aspect to everything.

That being said, there is fuck all to do, public transport may as well not exist, and going to anything like a gig, the football, a museum, a zoo etc is either a full day affair or necessitates a night away.

My eventual goal is to live within an hour's drive of a major city but still rural, to reap the benefits of both.

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Any_Preference_4147@reddit

I live semi-rural, the nearest town is a 20 minute drive.

The scenery, people, pace of life, lack of sky pollution and air quality are reasons why I'll never leave. Where I live is visually stunning, and the nature/walks right on the doorstep are amazing.

But you definitely comprise on a lot. Public transport is woeful, there's nothing open past 9pm and everything is closed on Sundays. I have exactly 2 options on JustEat and Uber just doesn't exist here.

I love it though!

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Ecstatic_Ratio5997@reddit

I’m currently in a rural part of Dorset. I live a 10 minute drive from the nearest train station.

If you don’t have a car, your options are to walk a hour over bridleways, tracks and paths to reach the station, the buses that come once every two hours and finish at 5pm and not operating on Sundays or get a taxi for a hefty sum.

Taxis usually have to be pre booked. If you want one on the day, and you phone up last minute, you might be waiting a hour or so.

There is no Uber Eats, no Uber and no Deliveroo options.

Nearest city is Salisbury which is 35 minutes by train and that has uber eats Deliveroo etc.

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Interesting-Win-3220@reddit

One thing I've noticed is people often seem to have a stronger sense of community in rural areas compared to cities, despite living apart. You definitely don't get that naturally in many UK cities, you have to put in a real effort to be social.

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Elastichedgehog@reddit

I grew up in South West Wales. You're thinking of wealthy English countryside villages with footpaths full of visitors on sunny summer days, but the reality is many rural towns are pretty impoverished.

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alphahydra@reddit

Same in Scotland. There are stunning seaside and mountain villages, and there are villages that are essentially run down council estates plopped in the middle of a moor miles from anything but a long-closed coal mine or textile mill, usually having very similar problems to those of an inner city estate, with none of the upsides.

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The-Ghost-84@reddit

I spoke to a farmer once about his daily life. I am a city person. I bet we almost live in two different worlds even though we are not that far apart physically.

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SwanExternal4025@reddit

Coming from someone living in a rural village I find it a bit depressing, poor transport connections and limited amenities. You do get peace and quiet and nice woodlands walks and trails with polite folk. There are also nosy villagers wanting to know everyone else’s business.

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benketeke@reddit

Life just feels slower and a bit ordinary . Could make you happy, could make you sad.

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Xcalipurr@reddit

Probably, the most miserable people I have met live in London. Its so difficult to see someone smile. Recently went to couple of small villages and made me feel its not all gloom and doom, despite the weather

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_a_m_s_m@reddit

Interesting video on urban noise.

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a_boo@reddit

Cities are great till your thirties. After that you’re better off in the countryside if you can make it work.

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bubonichav@reddit

i never did the city thing and now im 33. it's awful

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Numerous_Ice_2188@reddit

I’m in the US but after moving from a smaller city, I can honestly say I’m happier out here. I’ve moved around my whole life so I don’t really have a sense of community to start with. We have a large family (6 kids, 8 grandchildren) and we bought 40 acres about an hour south of a large city. I work from home and really get to choose when I want to interact with people outside of family. We have chickens, cows and sheep and neighbors that are not too close but we know who they are. We’ve helped each other mend fences or let them know if a cow is out but not really cookouts and such. I have come to prefer being surrounded by animals than strangers! That being said, the US can be dangerous even in small towns and good neighborhoods. I feel safe and fulfilled building a small farm and orchard for my grandbabies.

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ShufflingToGlory@reddit

Market town gets the best of both worlds (to an extent). Bonus points and bonus mortgage payments if it's just outside a desirable city.

Unfortunately they can be quite expensive places to live. Still a few unspoilt affordable gems around I'm sure, particularly outside of the traditionally expensive bits of England.

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therealstealthydan@reddit

I recently moved to the country, however hit a sweet spot for us as it’s close enough to the outskirts of a town that I can walk to a pub and drive to a petrol station co-op in less than 5 minutes.

I love it and wouldn’t go back, I have lots of space, it’s quiet, peaceful. The two neighbours I can see are friendly and everything seems so much more chilled out here. I don’t really go to the town at all.

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fleetwood_mag@reddit

I don’t think I could quantify your question but when I, rarely, drive through an urban landscape I feel quite depressed. The countryside is just so much prettier. I understand the convenience of a city, I just couldn’t live there anymore.

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alexmate84@reddit

I grew up in the countryside. I didn't really appreciate it at the time as a jaded young person. I miss it now though. The pace is slower, the community is often tighter knit, people are often more supporting of local businesses.

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scrotalsac69@reddit

It is because everyone has guns in the countryside

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Odd_Scar836@reddit

Why is no one getting the HotFuzz reference?

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happybaby00@reddit

do they? Thought it was just a few large farmers tbh

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CriticalCentimeter@reddit

I've lived in the countryside for most of my 50 odd years and I've only ever seen a gun on tv

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scrotalsac69@reddit

And their mums

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ambergriswoldo@reddit

I lived in busy city 15 years, moved somewhere totally rural a few years ago - lots of pros and cons:

more affordable rent wise more green spaces - I’m pretty much surrounded by fields and woodland
more free street parking quieter *less traffic

Downsides (for me at least):

*roads and travel are impacted far quicker by bad weather. In the city if a tree came down it was cleared very quickly / if it was forecast to be icy the roads would be gritted - that doesn’t happen here and there have been times I’ve not been able to leave the house for a good few days because the roads are impossible

*powercuts - I had maybe 2 powercuts in the 15 years I lived in the city. If there’s a storm or fault here the power is off and often not fixed again for over a day

*socialising - I do miss those short walks to meet friends at a bar or a quick bus ride / cheap uber for an evening out. If I want to go out for the evening here it’s £30 each way.

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FletchLives99@reddit

Not if they're teenagers...

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smeechdogs@reddit

I like city living and the countryside but there are miserable bastards all over. Just find the right people in either the city or the countryside and life will be sweet.

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poptimist185@reddit

I didn’t dislike moving the countryside, but an abiding memory is spending a lot of time driving.

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xxx654@reddit

Different strokes for different folks. I enjoy the countryside and being with nature but I have also found it to be sometimes oppressive in the past, I enjoy city life for the most part. Easy access to culture is a big draw for me. Gigs, exhibitions, events all within walking distance or an easy public transport journey away is very attractive to me.

I say that as someone in my mid 40s.

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Odd_Scar836@reddit

Can’t think of anything worse than living in a city tbh

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CriticalCentimeter@reddit

Me either. Infact, I detest having to go into the city for even an hour nowadays.

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

How different we all are. You’d have to pay me a lot to live in the country.

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Maisy20207@reddit

I’ve moved from a big city all the way to rural south west . The jury is still out! I would say both have advantages and disadvantages. Just depends on where you are committed to making it work for you.

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thegreyman1986@reddit

To some extent yes, but the I think studies have shown people to be happier who live by the sea, I think? Or was it who have a view of water? … it might have been have a view of water now I think of it, like the sea of course, but also rivers & lakes having some kind of calming effect or something

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WowzersTrousers0@reddit

I certainly think there's a correlation between happiness and lower population density. But there are too many other factors involved to make grand statements about City vs Countryside happiness.

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MDFHASDIED@reddit

My town is pretty rural and it used to be REALLY bad crime wise, I think the location made it like a drug hub to the entire country. It's not so bad these days but you still hear of the odd stabbing.

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camboot@reddit

I work for a health and wellbeing charity in a rural area. The issues we deal with tend to be loneliness, lack of transport, limited services. But far less of the more serious issues such as homelessness, extreme poverty, crime etc. People get worked up about dog poo and potholes but I find that's a sign that life is generally good.

From a personal perspective growing up urban I'm always blown away by how friendly people are and find the people I mix with are far more diverse (in terms of age and background) than when I lived in the city. In a rural area you can feel the edges of your community and I like that.

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