Different ways of life

[jennyr]

I grew up and worked in London, with a spell in Washington DC, and studied in Leeds, so I was almost entirely a city person most of my life. I commuted on the underground, lived in the suburbs and the centre (though always with a garden) and although it was convenient for shops and events I hated the noise and people. I used to spend some holidays on farms and always wanted to live in the country. It is only in the last year though that I have realised my dream. My house and land are part of a small hamlet of eight houses, on a hillside about 3 miles from the nearest small town with shops, so one has to plan, especially if, like me now, you work from home. If I need a big supermarket I have to travel about 15 miles. In the winter the hill can get too icy to drive, though it hasn't happened yet to me, so everyone has large freezers. I love it here, the stars and the silence, and finding animal and bird tracks outside in the morning. I have twice seen a deer on the road into town and a huge owl roosts in my barn. But it would be no good for someone who was afraid of being alone or who needed to talk to people all the time. Now I get scared when I go back to London, just being in the crowds is frightening.

 

[fats mcgee]

Right after the Los Angelian is an Orange County-ian.

I grew up in Texas in a small town that is kind of a suburb of Dallas. It has about 14,000 people and my parents commute to Dallas. I liked where it was b/c it wasn't IN dallas, but it was easy to get there. So, we avoid the problems of a big city and have access to all of its amnenities.

Now I live smack in the middle of suburbia. I live in Orange County, CA. It's almost pointless to define what city you live in b/c they're all the same and they all touch. (IE: Across the street can be another city IE: Irvine/Tustin). It IS divided into "North County" and "South County" I live in South County and commute to the bottom of North County (Irvine). South County is more "chi-chi" and where you find Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Coto De Caza. I live in the poorer part of South County. (

)

Orange County is an strange place, really. You have all the conviences of a big city (there is everything I need here) but not a whole lot of the crowding or crime. Some parts of NoCo are more densely populated and more crime-ful, as they're older. They were the first recieving point of the "White Flight" from LA. People keep moving south now...

I could never live in LA. It think it's a hell hole full of broken dreams and busted lives and human despair. (Read City of Quartz by Mike Davis to learn the sad and disgusting history of LA) At the same time the plasticness of the Orange County bubble is.... difficult to deal with. Ideally, I like to live in a small town on the outskirts of a major city. Ideally, of course.

I live in an apartment. Housing in Orange County is absurdly expensive.

 

[icklemiss21]

Well I live in a city about half way between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as of last census the population was 151,000 but they think its around 170,000 now, spread over 73 sq miles or 187 sq km. We have no subway system, just a bus system with out 15 routes through the city and a train system called GO Transit which takes us to Toronto (from which we can get GO trains in other directions). Although it is a city itself, it is classed as part of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and so kinda suburbia also.

Our buses cost $2.50 to ride anywhere in the city and it costs me also $16 return to Toronto and $2.75 each way if I take the subway in Toronto.

House prices, although cheaper than Toronto, are still high here but we are very well located with major highways, a gorgeous view of the lake (as long as you face away from the Steel Factory based South West of here in Hamilton)

We have grocery stores including one major one open 24 hours and clubs and bars, although most people prefer to go to Toronto to go to a club.