Different ways of life

Okay I am a smalltown country Kentucky girl and I have never been in a city larger than Louisville, Ky and when there I was with a friend and we just visited some of the popular sites. And I have been on the very outskirts of Nashville. I wouldn't know how to ride on a subway or anything like that. Here in Kentucky or atleast my part we do our grocerie shopping and we buy enough for about a two week span with the exception of bread and milk and if you don't have chickens sometimes eggs but I have chickens. I am way out in the sticks so if I want to scream at the top of my lungs I can and noone will care, besides my dad that is he would probably order my straight jacket. I have a fenced in yard so I don't have to walk my dog or worry about pooper scoopers for her. I have friends who live in apartments but here for the most part the apartments have two maybe three floors, which is very rare, at max. They are normally pretty small but it varies. We don't really have to worry about parking that much like our grocery store has a huge parkinglot. But the disadvantages is the lack of musems and theaters and such as that. We have two bars here and they are very small and don't really offer much. We have to go either to the next county or next state to go to a club. And in Kentucky they have to close by midnight by law. The only thing open after midnight is the drive thru at mc donalds and walmart. Most of the restraunts here close at 8. I have rode on a bus but that was when I was in TN. And so what I am wondering is how our lives differ depending on where we live.
Do you go shopping once every two weeks or what?
What's it like to live in big high rises? And I have no idea what it must be like to buy condos. Because here that isn't possible and most people would buy a house or land or a trailor?
What's it like to ride on a subway, or anything like that?

a mess is what. i like living outside of the big towns, 30-hour drive is good for
me. I dont miss the trying to find a taxi, or waiting on the bus,

i hate the number of people.the traffic, the crime and how rude people are. once i married itta who is a city girl all the way, she loves the bright lights, the shopping, the food, the shopping, places to go, the shopping, oh yea, did i say she likes shopping? . man, people there live right on top of each other even those that have house.
I picked up a small house in bali, that i love but of course the lack of sounds and people around drives itta nuts.

It all comes down to what you get used to i guess. how i was raised in a big town.
i spent alot of time in just the type of place you are talking about. When i stayd with my grandmother druing summers we went to town like once a month(and town was like maybe 500 people)

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

Do you go shopping once every two weeks or what?
What's it like to live in big high rises? And I have no idea what it must be like to buy condos. Because here that isn't possible and most people would buy a house or land or a trailor?
What's it like to ride on a subway, or anything like that?

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I live in the city almost downtown Kansas City but in the crappier part of town. About 3 minutes from Downtown big skyscrapers and stuff.

I go grocery shopping usually once a week. But other shopping usually twice a week. Ive been going more lately looking at baby stuff.

People dont buy condos here either. K.C. is called by many people a big city with a small town heart. You can either rent houses, apartments, flats or townhouses. Or you can by any of the above. I dont know of any condos around here. BTW What are condos exactly?

Ive never rode on a subway. I lived in Chicago for a few months and St. Louis for a few months and living in Sky scrapers isnt fun. Though I did love being able to walk everywhere. That was so much better then driving a car or anything. Riding in a taxi was excitement enough for me.

Now I live in a house that I rent. Its not a good house but its cheap. Which is always good. It needs to be repainted on the inside badly and the bathroom needs fixed badly (no cieling and the wall in tthe tub is ripped out) but thats ok since it will be fixed (eventually) by my landlord.

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

Do you go shopping once every two weeks or what?

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I've been off work sick for more than 2 years and it's hard for me to get out so I was taking taxi cabs everywhere (really expensive!!!). Between taxi and delivery I was paying $22.00 each time I went shopping. So because of the expense and being on a fixed income I was doing my grocery shopping once a month until a few months ago when I asked my doctor about something called "handi transit". That's a door to door public transportation service for those who are not well enough to be able to manage getting to a bus stop to take a bus. It's the same price as bus fare, and I'm picked up by car or by van. Now I go shopping on a weekly basis, which is nicer

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

What's it like to live in big high rises?

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The city I live in has about 700,000 people which is considered a small city. Some of our cities have millions of people living in them.

I live in a high rise apartment building in the heart of downtown. My building sits on the bank of a river overlooking downtown. You can see an arial view at this link.

WAVES

In the winter when the river is frozen, it's groomed to have an ice skating path on it. complete with trees and benches. You can actually see the skating path on the frozen river in the night view images if you look at the area under the bridge.

In the summer large paddle wheel boats go down it for cruises, and other party boats. Here is a link to show you the paddle wheel boats.

PADDLE WHEEL BOATS

At night the view is very pretty with all of the city lights. Plus where I live depending on where they have fireworks displays, I can usually see them from my living room without moving from my computer. Here are some pictures of what I see when I look out my window at night. You can see the river walk lights just behind the trees going left to right under the bridge.





On the other side of the river is a walkway that goes for something like 25 or 30 miles. I think the plan is for 75 miles. Here are some images of that.

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

And I have no idea what it must be like to buy condos. Because here that isn't possible and most people would buy a house or land or a trailor?

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It really depends on the type of condo that you buy. There are several types.

You can buy a townhouse condo, which is a whole bunch of 2 story houses attached to each other. Or you can buy detached single family houses that are condos too.

Then there are the apartment type. Some buildings were not built to be condos but were converted to condos. Those aren't usually good to buy into because the walls are thin and it's just like living in an apartment. However, if you buy into a building that was built to be a condo, the walls are sound proof, so you aren't bothered by noisy neighbours.

You also want to be careful about the building you buy into. Some have rules that if you own the condo you have to live in it. Those are the best because your neighbours tend to be quieter and more responsible. Some buildings allow people to buy a condo and rent it out. Those aren't so great because it becomes just like living in an apartment where you have no control over the types of people who live around you.

Condos are great for those who have no time to do yard work and stuff. But the condo fees can be pretty costly sometimes because not only do you pay a mortgage, but you pay property taxes and the condo fee which is maintenance for the common areas (building, elevator, lobby, hallways, grounds etc). Some buildings include repairs in the condo fee, others don't and you become responsible for paying to have repairs done in your suite.

I don't own a condo. I just live in an apartment.

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

What's it like to ride on a subway, or anything like that?

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We don't have subways where I live. But I imagine it's the same as riding on a train, only less comfortable if what I see on TV is anything to judge from.

We have buses as our public transportation. The bus stops every 2 blocks, unless it's an express and then it stops at only certain predetermined stops on its route. How frequently the bus runs depends on the day, the route and time of day. Early morning and late afternoon there are more buses because of "rush hour", which is about 3 hours in the morning and about the same in the afternoon. Sundays and holidays there are less buses running and on some smaller routes, none at all.

If you get the chance you really should travel to a large city. I've lived in a small town of 10,000 people for a couple of years and I hated it. I love living in the city. So much to see and do and experience.

I think you would like the city if you ever visited one.

Living in a big city is awesome. Everything is at your fingertips, but you do have to be concerned more about safety. Obviously there is more crime in cities.

I am a city girl, I couldn't live in the country, I would be so bored I think..I like being able to get to any store in like 2 minutes.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

uy. There are several types. .

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Very nice pics.

Thanks The view was pretty much what sold me on renting this apartment. I'm surrounded by stupid one way streets which makes it troublesome to get around, but the view is worth the inconvenience. I just wish that I had a balcony so that I could sit outside in the summer.

I am not much of a city person I like the Country or small towns. Like the quite and comfy feel of small towns.

What a great thread, one of the things I really like about this site is the glimpses of other peoples lives, the things that they take as totally normal that are really strange to people living in another country. I'll come back later, when I have more time and tell you about my area.

i live in what I call rural suburbia In my city, population approx 30,000 or 35,000, it is very developed in the center of town with shopping and restaurants etc etc, but out the way I live, nothing but country. I live in a trailer park so I can't really scream without anyone hearing me but I can go out and look at the stars without very much light pollution. I don't grocery shop, this is sad but I hate doing dishes, and it is very hard to keep a dozen cats out of your food I eat at my mom's a lot but when I used to grocery shop I did it probably once a month, by the end of that month I was getting pretty creative with my combinations or whatever was left I like where I live mostly, not the city precisely, but the "rural suburbia" all the amenities I need, but without that big city feel

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

What's it like to ride on a subway, or anything like that?

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The subway. I live right outside Washington DC and ride the subway system in town for work everyday. At its best the subway here is awesome (off peak hours) It goes everywhere you want to go. They do a good job of keeping it clean and safe. However it is a bit pricey. I pay $7 a day to get to work and $4 to park. It is the way to go for tourist as driving in DC is a nightmare and it will take you to any monument or musuem you want to go. But for me, I am a little people phobic (I grew up in the country where my neighbors were cows) I have never gotten use to the masses of people. And masses do take the subway. I try to get to work early and leave a little early to avoid the worst of the crowds. Otherwise you are standing the entire 40 minute ride with someones armpit right by your face as you try to hold on. And if there is a problem and a train is late you are packed like sardines, literally. So it has good and bad points.

I don't live in the city proper but right outside in a little house by the Metro. My area is just teeming with monuments, musuems, theatre and shopping. Anything you can imagine is a short drive or subway trip away. I forget how that is a blessing as I really don't take advantage of all the DC metro area has to offer. And sometimes I long for the peace and tranquility of the country.

Tricia

I live in a city that has a population of less than 200 000. It's big in Finnish terms, the capital Helsinki with the surrouding area has about 1 million inhabitants.

I live right in the city center, about 200 meters from the main market place. The river is even closer, but I can't see it because of other buildings. I live in a rented apartment, 5th floor. It's suprizingly peaceful. The only disturbance is one of the more popular night clubs right across the street. On the other hand it's nice that all the interesting bars, clubs and restaurants are in my neighbourhood.

There are several parks, 2 minutes walk. The sea and the medieval castle are about 1/2 hours walk away. Less than 1/2 hours bus trip away you could see moose and other wildlife, even bears.

I shop nearly daily right next to my house. This city is big enough so you can get mostly everthing you want from the shops right next to my place, but small enough not to be overcrowded and polluted.

I don't drive and rarely have to use public transportation to get somewhere, since most of my work is very close nearby. I usually walk everywhere. We have clean and efficient busses. We don't have a subway, no need for it in a city this size. I've ridden subways in Helsinki, Stockholm and Rome, though. All were clean and nice.

I've lived in the suburbs and the country too. I think I could well be happy living in the middle of a forest again, but I kind of like how things are now.

Originally Posted by Anakat

What a great thread, one of the things I really like about this site is the glimpses of other peoples lives, the things that they take as totally normal that are really strange to people living in another country. I'll come back later, when I have more time and tell you about my area.

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Me too!

(Both parts)

Ryn, you live in Helsinki? I have family there. Can I come visit?

I live in a city the same size, about 200,000 metro and a million in the surrounding areas. I love it. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't drop everything and run to the store, go to the symphony or a play or a seminar. I do love the country too though, I just couldn't live there. That is why I go hiking often in state parks.

My in-laws are from very small towns, with only hundreds of people way out in the boondocks. Let me say this: city people definitely often have a different view of the world than people raised in the country... there are pluses and minuses to both ways of life, but I appreciate both.

Originally Posted by Godiva

Ryn, you live in Helsinki? I have family there. Can I come visit?

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No, I live in Turku, about 2 hours train ride west from Helsinki. You're welvome to visit anyway.

Are your family here locals or living in Finland for some other reason?

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Living in a big city is awesome. Everything is at your fingertips, but you do have to be concerned more about safety. Obviously there is more crime in cities.

I am a city girl, I couldn't live in the country, I would be so bored I think..I like being able to get to any store in like 2 minutes.

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Here we don't lock our doors at night, which I live futher out than some of the people here. My closest neighbors are two miles away in either direction. I leave my keys in my car all the time and I don't think I have ever thought twice about walking by myself at night except during hunting season and when the coyotes are howling too close for comfort and then most people normally carry a pistol with them when they go walking if they take their dogs so as to protect them if a coyote comes up and tries to get them.

Originally Posted by lovinmom828

I am not much of a city person I like the Country or small towns. Like the quite and comfy feel of small towns.

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I am the same way I don't think I could live anywhere but here I love it but I would like to visit the city but because its so laid back here my level of street smarts scare me. Because here we still trust most of our neighbors with the exception of a few on drugs. And we still wave and stop and talk when we meet and still shakes hands and mean it. I don't think I could give it up.

These are two pictures of what I see where I live. One is of my horses and one of the ponds out here. And the other is of the upper pasture.

I live in a little corner of my FIL farm (79 acres) in a small (28x44) dbl wide mobile home. I get visits from the cows and horses. My 2 Australian shepherds love all the room they have to run. It is 10 miles to the nearest gas station and about 25 miles to a decent grocery store. I usually shop once a week. I am home all the time now because of disabilities and I love it. It gives me the time to raise and rescue kittens. For about 10 years I drove a semi truck with my husband so I have seen all the lower 48 states and 3 Canadian provinces. I hate the big cities. I don't understand how people can live on top of each other, but then I hate crowds. I like the fact that I can sit on my front porch in my PJ's and no one would notice. I enjoy the silence and being able to see the stars at night!!
Living in the sticks is the life for me

How fascinating..............I love this idea too........

So heres what its like living in Spain.

Firsly Spain is split into 17 regions and theres a bit on the end called Portugal, which is a whole other country The 17 regions are all autonomous, and can pass their own laws. We have a central government in Madrid.

I live on what is called an "urbanisation" the Brits would call that an estate, not sure what Americans would call it. There are over 7,000 houses, but all spread out over a site about 5 miles square, with lots of garden areas dotted about, 2 golf courses, a hotel and spa complex, 2 small shopping centres, which include bars & restaurants.

I live about 20mins from the coast and a small fishing port with marina. We have access to 3 farmers type markets on different days. Valencia is 2 hours, Barcelona is 5 hrs by train and a popular tourist destination Benidorm is 1 and half hrs away.

All the action starts from about 11am onwards until the wee small hours.......the earliest you can eat in a Spanish restaurant is about 7pm and then the only other eaters are probably going to be Brits. The Spanish love to party.... ...and they are catching up since Franco died in 1975

Theres just lots to do in the great outdoors, and the place is over-flowing with history, The Moors, Romans, Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians etc...etc...

Food..... ....well I love Spanish food, but love the odd bacon butty now and then, which of course with the Great British Escape to Spain, I can easily get.
The area where I live is a big horticultural region, lots of tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, grapes, melons etc grow. There is an agreement, that once the crop has been harvested, locals can take any of the left-overs. Of course we also grow lots of lemons, oranges and pomegranates.

Bullfighting is still a big sport in the region where I live in. However it has been banned in Barcelona in 2004 which is now the 5th city to do so. Many of my Spanish friends love to attend a fight and will take children as young as 4 & 5.
I do not agree with bullfighting but I respect this countries cultures & traditions. The argument rages on - a bit like the Fox Hunting one that ensued in the UK recently. You know loss of jobs, traditions etc..etc... If there was a petition I would definately sign it.

Although Spain is in the European Union, many Brits emmigrating expect to be covered by laws in the UK, this is not that case. Yes there are some that are relevant to all the union countries but many forget what & why the EU was designed for.............well I wont bore you about that I think the EU is a whole new thread.

So for now heres some photos

The sea

my garden - or should I say my kitty-crews garden

When my grandfather bought this place about 1930, it was in the country. Mom and Dad bought it in 1955 and it was still country. Dad's co-workers thought he was crazy for moving out into the "sticks". But sometime in the early 1970s my area started its transformation into suburbia as the local metropolis grew. Good points are that services are more accessible - we have city water and fire hydrants. There is now a supermarket within 2 1/2 miles. Bad points include the real estate developers and the houses they are building. They are - IMO - too big and too expensive. The people don't commit to living in them for more than 2 - 3 years. And their crazy driving habits!!!!!!!!!!!! I also have stopped having outdoor cats because of the increased population.

Being close to the local metropolis (150,000 or so) allowed me to experience riding public transit and other "big city" features. I attended a University there. Since the parents worked in the city, they would shop once a week on the way home from work. No fighting the Saturday crowds at the closer market. Since my accident, I sometimes shop twice a week as I can only carry so much from the car into the house.

I'm also within a 2-4 hour drive of 3 major cities. I do like living here and don't think I could stand to live in closer quarters such as an apartment or neighborhoods where the houses are close enough that when you sneeze, your neighbor says "gesundheit!".