View Full Version : City mouse or country mouse?
Miss Minimalist
3-22-11, 11:35am
I've been a city mouse all my life, and feel it suits my simple lifestyle well -- I love being near libraries, museums, shops, restaurants, etc., and being able to walk or take public transit everywhere I need to go.
Lately, however, I've been dreaming of the country life: having some outdoor space, a large garden, and closer access to hiking trails. Maybe it's spring fever, but I'm craving grass, flowers, and trees more than nightlife and people. I'd prefer to sip a glass of wine under the stars in my backyard than in a crowded bar.
I'm currently subletting, and will have to decide on my next move soon. Although the country life is calling to me, I'm afraid it'll add layers of complication to my life (like a car, for one).
I'd love to hear your opinions -- are you a city mouse or country mouse? Do you find one more conducive to simple living than the other?
I'm a suburb mouse. I can walk to unimproved forest trails in one direction and I'm a mile or so from a major hiking/biking trail in the other. Our library system is world class, and lot sizes around here are just right for gardening. We have decent public transit, but I admit there's not a lot of haute cuisine in my little town. Fortunately, a couple of cities are close at hand. If I had to choose between city and country I'd take city, but I'd miss the acres of raw nature that abound farther out. It's all in how you define simple living, and in my mind country living is pretty complicated.
Bastelmutti
3-22-11, 12:15pm
A city mouse who likes to visit the country.
It depends on your age and interests. I am a country mouse at present and love it but have to travel to see ballet, theatre etc. I am not a shopper so don't need a lot of stores but the option of transit would be lovely as would walking access to most amenities.
I am a country mouse. I have to drive to access any amenities. Please take into consideration that if you live in the country you will be driving alot.
Suburban mouse. I've done city and small town in years past. City was too noisy and crowded, small town, well, too small . Current burbs of big city with great shopping very close work great for me. There is also a lot of nature preserve land with trails that is close to me.
loosechickens
3-22-11, 1:30pm
One of the things we have absolutely loved BEST about our life as RVing nomads for nearly the past twenty years, is that we've been able to scratch both of those itches whenever desired.
Just as an example, in the past couple of months, we've spent time way out in the desert, without even cell phone service, miles and miles from a town (thank you, oh wonderful satellite internet connection, though), enjoying total quiet, birdwatching, walks, reading and virtually no stimulation from "civilization".......and now, we are parked just outside Tucson AZ, and enjoying everything that the city has to offer, from swimming at the Reid Park pool, museums, Barnes and Noble, Trader Joe's, music and other activities, eating out, etc.
And when we tire of that after a bit, will head down into the mountains of southern AZ for some more quiet time......
we've come to realize that we just need both in our lives.....the quiet and peacefulness of being out in the country, and the stimulation of the city, and by moving our house about, manage to have each until it palls and we began to long for the other, then the other until it palls and we begin to think of.......etc.etc.etc.
I'm a country mouse who lives in the city. It's a smallish city, though--maybe 30,000 people or so. Still too big for my liking! ;-)
I am currently a city mouse; I love the amenities and having everything close by.
That being said, my heart longs for the quiet and solitude away from city crowds, noise, technology and traffic. I guess we have a good thing though - a comfortable, older house with a large, private yard in the middle of the city (inner ring suburb). The thought of driving in freeway traffic everyday for work and errands gives me hives. If I worked from home and only had to come in every few weeks, I would definitely do country.
Was a city mouse and moved to the country. Much slower pace of life and am trying to become more self-reliant/self-sufficient. The bad thing is the distance to travel to stores or work. I try to combine all my errands while I work during the week. Even our "big" city is small -- I would need to travel 3 hours to big mega malls for shopping. Thank goodness I'm not a shopper.
Country mouse extreme.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TIQmXqrs8aI/AAAAAAAABR0/loKyC4ea5F8/s640/115-1543_IMG.JPG
I am a city mouse, but my city is small and includes a lot of open land for hiking as well as room to garden.
Also was a city mouse. Needed to be near a cafe and loved the street scene and the action and the availability of so many things. Had a great condo and a great life.
Suddenly made a change, moved to a small town on the coast, bought a house a block from the ocean and downsized everything. I would never go back to the city, but loved my time there.
It seams a seasonal thing.
we are virtually on an island and can only leave by plane or ferry so fairly isolated. But we have nearly everything we need and have a wonderful life.
I'm a resort mouse!
I really liked living in a 4 season ski resort town where the houses and cabins were fairly close together and within walking or biking distance of the town, lake, ski resorts, and all the cultural amenities of a bigger city (theatre, etc...) near by but outside of the town area was nothing but miles and miles of real wilderness. Because there were people on vacations and who owned second homes, you never felt the isolation you get living out in the country and there were many "city" ammenities like great restaurants, coffee houses, shops, art galleries, and a big city vibe but in a small, very localized area. I like that both the vistors and the locals were down to earth and very involved with the town. I liked that there were always new people coming and going. Added to the cultural mix and vibrancy of the town - always something going on. But yet, just a mile or less away was vast national forests and untouch wilderness.
Country (Lake) Mouse who loves extended visits to the City.
We lived in Tucson, near the center of town and the university, for a while, and I enjoyed being so close to so many things, but often felt like a caged city mouse. When we moved to MN, we settled in the suburbs, and it took quite a while to get used to this change... I felt cut off from civilization for several months - in part because everything was farther away, but also simply because I didn't know anyone here. Now we've been here a number of years and I generally like the suburbs. We don't drive as much as many people, despite DH's commute, and it's so much more quiet than the city, where fire engines, police sirens, traffic, etc were always around us. There are trees all around us, and it's not far to the woods - because of all the wetlands, there is a lot of undeveloped space around us. So although I can really appreciate the conveniences of a city - especially a walkable city, which Tucson really was not - I think my mental health requires the quiet and space of the country.
Loosechickens, if you're still in Tucson, I hope you've checked out the Blue Willow. We used to be able to walk there, and it was a fun place to meet friends.
I'm somewhere in between. I call it semi-rural. And I really like that - the best of both worlds. Close enough to partake of the things that a (smallish) city brings, yet rural enough that I can garden, not hear traffic, and have a nice view.
Definitely a country mouse. But it isn't always easy. There's equipment to keep up (chainsaw, mowers, weedwacker, generator, etc.), property to deal with (log jams, beavers, trees down, etc.). We probably easily spend at least $500/mo on gas, unfortunately. We have power outages. We have a 1/4 mile gravel drive that always needs repaired. We have a well, pressure tank, septic field. We have to have barriers on all the trees/bushes/flowers we don't want the deer/rabbits to eat. The garden is great, but we seldom win the weed wars.
Our lower 40 floods every year, causing erosion problems. Country living isn't always easy living. LOL....one person I know who lives out in the country said "Simple Living......I thought that meant living in a condo and eating out all the time." How true. Living in the country is hard and usually never simple. But it is soooooooo worth it. (At least to us).
I think the best thing would be to live next to a national/state forest where you could enjoy the area without having to take care of it.
The city can have its charms, but the country is where I always want to be. :)
jennipurrr
3-22-11, 4:26pm
I imagine I would like a true city, but when I go to visit urban areas I get really overwhelmed as far as my senses go. I lived in the country for two years and LOATHED it. It was very isolating, although definitely serene. I enjoy being able to pick up and do "something" - movie, library, event, etc when I want to. When I lived in the country we had to go 30 miles in one direction to have a dinner out...not my style.
So, I decided to take what I consider the best of both worlds and be a "college town" mouse. We have more interesting stuff come to town because of the University, and also people with more similar interests to mine, but I don't have congestion of a true city. Works for me!
treehugger
3-22-11, 6:42pm
I've been a suburban mouse all my life and long to some day live in a place where I can be car free and access groceries, library, work, etc. using public transit and walking. Being able to frequent museums and music events will just be the icing on the cake.
The company I work for just moved their Bellevue, WA office to downtown Seattle, so I'm one step closer!
By the way, I also definitely see the appeal of rural living. Whenever we spend the weekend somewhere in the country (recent stay in Angels Camp, CA), I find it very relaxing and pleasant. However, I don't like driving, so I know I would tire of long drives to go *anywhere*.
I had to post a photo to show how much like Bae my country home is too. This is one of 2 ferries that it takes to reach our town.http://lh5.ggpht.com/_tmAvf_uSjfo/S-rpU6h_gvI/AAAAAAAAAPc/0B3qQm4bGmw/IMG_2652.JPG
Oh wow Kally......I'm envious!
early morning
3-22-11, 10:55pm
Country old-house mouse. Currently live just past the outskirts of a tiny town (500 or so). We do drive a LOT. Or I do, anyway. I've never lived less than 15 miles from work. We aren't in the boonies, it's only 7 miles to the closest real town (about 20K and shrinking...). We are too close to other people, though. Not my idea of a perfect location but I can deal. It's a fairly rural, farm district, and quietly pretty.
I would advice you to go on a small vacation to some small bed and breakfast or somewhere where you can just sit around the countryside. Like go near some water out that way or just some open space.
I bet after you are there for a good few days, you will be crying for the city life.
It is all really just a matter of balance. Every space has its pros and cons. You should strive to experience it all.
But I'd just visit it as a vacation before going all out.
iris lily
3-23-11, 12:12am
Defiantely city mouse here. There are only 2 things that tempt me to have a country place, and one of them was shown in this thread in a photo: miniature goats! Luv them goats! The other is a big field of rich black Iowa soil, egad the liles I could grow in that.
But I refuse to drive drive drive any time I want to do something. I refuse. I spent too many years of my childhood itching to get out of the deadly suburb I lived in, itching to get to a city, itching to have architecture and pavement and city life around me.
know what we did? we sold our condo and then went housesitting for 16 months to all the towns we were interested in. We went to 13 different homes and tried them all out. It worked out very well.
Wildflower
3-23-11, 4:20am
I'm in between being a city or a country mouse. I live in a semi-rural area, but am quite close to the city. Works for me! :cool:
Global warming gets in my way of being my favorite thing: city or country mouse with close proximity to the other. I like to be IN the country, not just see the mountains from the city, but be in them. But I like the vegetable shopping opportunities in the city--due to disability I can no longer make a garden in the mountains, plus the soil and pests there are so problematic that not enough was growing.
Incredible pics Bae and Kally! Love 'em! I'm both in a lot of ways. Deep down I'd love a private country place but yet there's a side of me that calls out for the city. Not the hustle and bustle related to city living, just the lights and the interest and the change.
I was just having a laugh over the thought of this, I think you could label me as being the mouse that someone caught in their home and took just far enough away to release. Out far enough to be away from the businesses of city life, close enough to town to still be within minutes of visiting. I'm a half & half mouse! :)
Mountain mouse here. I love the isolation living in a remote area, thrive on nature, enjoy the company of critters. I dread to have to head into the city for doctor visits, etc. There is a small town 10 miles from us for shopping and a few restautrants. That's all I need.
Just spent 3 days in Portland, OR visiting my nephew. My sister and brother-in-law flew in from Spokane too. I LOVE Portland. I could live there in a heartbeat, but can't leave family in SoCal. Everything within walking distance, great public transportation, coffee shops, tea clubs, great dining, universiies. And it's liberal enough for me. Great place!
Polliwog, have you seen the new tv show "Portlandia"? It's a riot! :)
I was just having a laugh over the thought of this, I think you could label me as being the mouse that someone caught in their home and took just far enough away to release. Out far enough to be away from the businesses of city life, close enough to town to still be within minutes of visiting. I'm a half & half mouse! :)
Perfect! I'm a catch-and-release mouse, too!
Blackdog Lin
3-27-11, 7:32pm
Country mouse here, since the age of 5 (goodness, almost 50 years ago!); and to the point that I simply cannot contemplate functioning in a city environment. The traffic, the noise, the distractions, the hubbub, the sheer bulk of humanity.....umm, no. I'll die uncultured and happy with being so.
I was exposed to city living as a child, staying with my father every summer in a Los Angeles suburb. While I adored being with him, Los Angeles FREAKED ME OUT. The people were different than me, they thought and did things so differently from us in Kansas, that I felt always awash in weirdness. I have memories of thinking "what in the world are they THINKING, doing this or that thisaway or thataway?" Daddy hoped I'd at least go to college out there, picked me out a lovely campus to tour in.....Santa Barbara, I think. And kept telling me "it was in the country". Well, no, sorry Daddy, it WAS lovely and in the woods but it was still in the city, one was still and always 3 minutes away from a freeway, and I don't fit in so sorry.....
I think I'm genetically or somehow otherwise disposed to only rural life.....
I've been a suburban mouse all my life and long to some day live in a place where I can be car free and access groceries, library, work, etc. using public transit and walking. Being able to frequent museums and music events will just be the icing on the cake.
The company I work for just moved their Bellevue, WA office to downtown Seattle, so I'm one step closer!
By the way, I also definitely see the appeal of rural living. Whenever we spend the weekend somewhere in the country (recent stay in Angels Camp, CA), I find it very relaxing and pleasant. However, I don't like driving, so I know I would tire of long drives to go *anywhere*.
We recently spent a month in Angels Camp to get below the snowline. We rented a place in Greenhorn Creek. It is about a 45 min drive from our place in the Sierras.
I've been working on arranging things to live a 'snowbird' lifestyle --- i.e. summer in the north and winter in the south. Something I've realized recently is that this will also give me an opportunity to embrace both 'city' and 'country' aspects of my personality. I'm thinking I'll live somewhere rural in the summer, and urban in the winter.
Country mouse! Lucky to have a job in my small town about 5 minutes drive (20 minute walk in good weather). We have a garden, a really good farmer's market with lots of local farms and the big city is 20-25 minutes dive away.
treehugger
3-28-11, 12:28pm
We recently spent a month in Angels Camp to get below the snowline. We rented a place in Greenhorn Creek. It is about a 45 min drive from our place in the Sierras.
When going to Angels Camp and Sonora for the weekend, we always stay in a friend's timeshare right at Greenhorn Creek. Lovely area. I hope you enjoyed your month below the snowline. They do get snow in Angels Camp occasionally.
More city-mouse than country-mouse, surprisingly. I love the quiet of the country, but I get oddly claustrophobic (not sure if that's the right word--seems counterintuitive, but the same type of anxiety applies) if I have to depend on a car to get to basic services.
That's why I LOOOVVVVEE the little temporary town I'm living in because it's in a quaint little spot on the beach, but you can walk to absolutely everything you need, including a train into NYC. That's perfect for me.
Polliwog, have you seen the new tv show "Portlandia"? It's a riot! :)
No, but I will look for it. Thank you.
Thought we could use a reference for the original story:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0112.html
One of my favorite illustrators, Jan Brett, did an outstanding job on the children's book Town Mouse, Country Mouse. I recommend it.
Mid-size city mouse. I refuse to live somewhere that requires me to drive to go anywhere. Since I gave up my car, that's not even possible, but even before that I found that way of life sad. I don't like the idea that someone else can look at my house and say, "Oh, her car is there, she must be home." Like my car is a part of me or something.
Living in a medium-sized (not huge) city rocks - we have access to all kinds of services and things to do, good grocery stores, concerts, and good transport. We also live very close to walking and ski trails. Love it.
Grew up a country mouse...lived in the city very happily, but eventually moved back to the country...I can exist in either quite happily, but at the end of the day...country for me.
city mouse for sure. i love new york like no other place on earth!
but ... i think i could also be happy living, for instance, in the little town where my in-laws-to-be live, in the scottish borders. they are a 10 minute walk through a lovely park away from the high street where there's a pub, a grocery store, post office, gift shop, pharmacy, coffe shops, etc. and about an hour away from edinburgh for the big city fix. i really love how things are organized there into walkable villages with a good amount of space between them. it's kind of the best of both worlds.
where i live now is good in that it's cheap and close to family and not too far from anything else. but it's a seriously depressing neighborhood. the high street is all nail shops, payday lenders, and rent-to-own places. so there are places nearby where i can walk, but i rarely do, because i don't want to go to any of those places! so i end up driving everywhere. it's not too bad, but i spend more of my life than i would like sitting in traffic....
Miss Minimalist
4-12-11, 4:51pm
Thanks for all the wonderful replies! I'm still torn...subletting in the city right now, but my eye still on the country... I loved reading your different opinions, and will be taking all these pros and cons into consideration. I'll have to post an update when I'm finally settled. :)
poetry_writer
5-1-11, 10:12am
I am a country mouse who lives in the city. I had hoped to find a very small place in the country, but it hasnt happened ...so I'm planning to move to an apartment that has a lot of trees and places to walk around the grounds. I will be able to walk places and save on gas. Hope to have a tiny herb garden in the window of my tiny apartment and put some flowers by the front door and be able to walk to the nearby grocery store daily to buy a few fresh veggies....... Little things to make it feel more country to me.
here in downtown phoenix, there are beautiful trees and parks, and a twice weekly farmers market. it really does feel like a small country town, if you stay within the city and avoid driving. I love having the parks without doing any of the outside work.
I grew up in the suburbs and moved to the country five years ago. I've always loved the country and, as a horsewoman, have spent much of my time in rural parts of NJ (yes, there are still a few left!). My parents and I never got to really know a lot of our neighbors in the suburbs, but here in the country we live in a 55+ development and know just about everyone.
The country still thrills me all the time--the scenery, the quiet, the smells. Sure, we have to drive 15-20 minutes to a major supermarket, but we did that before in the suburbs and the stores were much closer, but in a more congested area.
Note to self: Don't give names to the beef cows and calves next door. Spiders are huge here. Crop fertilizer stinks. Don't look at roadkill. You live too far away for old friends to visit.
I feel a lot like you do, Miss Minimalist. I've always lived in cities, but as I get older and start to think of having a family, I'm more drawn towards living in a small town in the middle of the countryside, but not necessarily in isolated countryside - I need things within walking distance!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.