The outsider
Breathing smog costs extra? No, thanks.
I live in what many refer to as a “mid-size metro,” and I love it. Housing is reasonably priced, everyday parking is reasonably priced and it has all of the same “benefits” of living in a big city.
There are plenty of restaurants, bars, concert halls, parks and other general places for amusement. There are plenty of grocery stores, convenience stores, fancy new buildings and rundown old buildings. You can get installment loans for bad credit here just as easily as you can anywhere else.
So why does everyone I know want to move to the “big city”? And why are they so incredibly flabbergasted that I don’t want to do the same thing? Just for the record, I will state, once at for all, my case.
Thankfully, good things must come to an end
I recently took a trip to the “big city.” I had a fabulous time. I went for a wedding, and it was beautiful. I saw lots of old friends, went to lots of great places and generally had a wonderful time.
However, amid all the fun I was reminded why the “big city” is a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
You want me to pay what for parking?
Let’s start with the fact that bargain-basement parking is $6. Yes, I know, $6 is a great price for a parking spot downtown on a Saturday night. You know what’s a better price? Free.
That’s how much it costs to park downtown in my little mid-sized metro town. Sure, there are parking lots that charge money, but if you plan well and snag a spot on the street after 7 p.m., it’s free.
Sometimes bigger is just bigger
So, after emptying the contents of my wallet to pay for my parking spot and my friend’s parking spot, we started to walk. The $6 parking spot we found was a good 20 minute walk from our destination. I’m a big fan of a good walk, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a positive thing when it gets tacked on to a “night out on the town.”
So we walked to the club. The club demanded we pay a cover. We paid the cover. When we got in there, guess what people were doing? Drinking and dancing. There was no live music or show of any type. Just super loud speakers and opportunities to spend yet more money. I don’t know why in the “big city” it’s totally normal to charge people for the privilege of buying drinks, but I think it’s ridiculous.
In conclusion …
So, that’s pretty much the gist of my argument. Throw in the usual complaints about traffic and pollution and “big city” attitudes, and that pretty much covers it.
It’s true, these little issues I have with the big city are nothing that I couldn’t get over if I did live there. My point is, I’m perfectly happy where I am. I think the grass is greener on my own side of the fence. Or, to be more accurate, I think the grass is the exact same color on both sides of the fence, but the grass on the other side is more expensive.
So there you have it. That is why I don’t want to move to the “big city.” Now quit asking!
I hear ya, Liz. I am also from a ‘mid-size metro’ and I love it. Last year, I went on a business trip to New York City and despite the fun I was able to get out of it, I missed my little ol’ town not long after I got there. I enjoyed the sightseeing part and all, but it was just too busy for me. Drivers everywhere, including taxi drivers, public bus drivers and even cops drove like maniacs. People were either blind or just unable to make out crosswalk signs; it didn’t matter whether it said to walk or don’t walk. People would cross the streets with vehicles at speeds of up to 30-35 MPH in the downtown area. It was a bit too crazy for me and boy did I miss home.