Small Town Versus City Debate

[Itsy Bitsy]

I've always wondered why people say that there is nothing to do in small towns.... so I want to know what people think you can do in a city that you can't do in a town. Aside from things like museums, aquariums, zoos, etc that you go to maybe once a year (and any small towner can drive a few hours on a weekend to do or even do while on *gasp* vacation), what do cities offer that towns don't? I'm genuinely curious...

[Dave]

I live in a small town and it beats any city all to hell any day of the week. It's quiet when I want it to be, I live 5 minutes from work (no time wasted commuting), I haven't locked my front door or my van in years, I know virtually everyone in town etc etc.

[yorkcountykid]

probably, many people would say the variety of stores to shop in and the variety of restaurants and clubs.

[Ojisan]

Small towns for me any day!

[Sharlee]

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.  I’ve lived in a few different cities varying in size from 150,000 – 500,000 and in a few small towns, one as small as 150.

Living in a small town means everyone knows everyone else’s business.  The postmaster (also the barber) in one of the towns I lived in used to tell other people what I’d received in the mail and there was no way to stop him ... it’s not against the law!

There are no options in terms of services ... only a few restaurants, one mechanic, one doctor if you’re lucky.   If your mechanic is on vacation, you can’t get your car fixed until he gets back.  If you have a disagreement with him over your bill, you may never get your car repaired again. 

I’m a former teacher and I spent some time teaching in small towns.  I found that my colleagues were often teachers who couldn’t get jobs in cities because just wouldn’t put in the effort to do their job properly.  With no options re. schools, if you have children, you’re stuck even if the teachers are horrible, there are no resources available for your child’s special needs or if your child is being bullied. 

You’ll have to travel to the nearest city to see live theatre or concerts or enjoy food from other cultures.  It’s unlikely that you’ll experience much multi-culturalism in a small town.  If you like to be able to choose from a variety of say, soy sauce, you’ll have to travel a long distance to a large grocery store.  Prices for groceries can be a bit high and it can be difficult to get some of the more exotic fruits and veggies.

Advantages:  What Dave said about security ... crime is waaaaaay down and if your house or car is broken into, it’s likely that it’s been witnessed by a dozen people.  In general, people will give you the shirt off your back and go way out of their way to help in an emergency.  You can afford a really nice house and a significant parcel of land to put it on.  Your fellow townies become your extended family, for better or worse.  The air is better, it’s generally quieter and you’ll find yourself appreciating the simpler things in life.

[yorkcountykid]

well said sharlee, also, there's not much to choose from in the dating scene.

[Itsy Bitsy]

^ hahaha, I figured that would come up eventually.

Thanks for the input guys. Could somebody elaborate on the differences in the available activities/ entertainment?

[yorkcountykid]

what exactly do you mean by 'elaborate'? you're not going to see the rolling stones in a small community centre and you might have trouble finding authentic sushi bars etc. however, you could go catch a trout and eat it raw with a brewski to wash it down. i have lived in small towns in camps set up right on the edge of the towns. it was the 75-100 guys in town that created most of the activity--many local pregnant girls and even some weddings and a full bar and restaurant every night.

[Itsy Bitsy]

^ well like I asked in the original post.... what exactly are people talking about when they say there is nothing to do in small towns in comparison to cities? What the hell do people do in cities? It looks to me like they just go clubbing, bar hopping, eating out, going to movie theatres, watching tv, playing video games... basically I'm trying to figure out what it is people mean when they say cities give them stimulation/ entertainment that small towns can not provide. The only thing to me it seems cities offer is more restaurant choices. Especially Vancouver... we are blessed with a plethora of ethnic food choices.

[yorkcountykid]

i see, well, i guess eye stimulation with the people, traffic, buildings and such attracts people. plus, if you need something, it is usually somewhere in town to be bought the same day. however, even vancouver is like a big town in that way. i had to wait for my mac to come from toronto as well as my new flooring. the closer you are to financial hubs, the quicker and better service you'll get in most cases. i guess it has a lot to do with what you do for a living too. pretty much, jobs are more plentiful for every type of work.

[yorkcountykid]

in fact, i'll bet work  and higher education are the main reasons people move to cities.

[Dave]

In the small town where I live there is an abundance of work. All that is necessary is a willingness to do it. I know an older woman who arrived here with her 17 year old son in midwinter and had a full time job the following day. In cities, even the smaller ones an individual can easily be lost in the shuffle and be overlooked. Here where I live I'm someone and what I do for a living really matters. People know me not just for who I am but for what I do. The equivelant job in a major city would never be noticed by anyone.

I've lived in major cities from coast to coast including Vancouver (twice) Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax (twice) and if given a choice I would choose a small town in a heartbeat.

[Dave]

^ well like I asked in the original post.... what exactly are people talking about when they say there is nothing to do in small towns in comparison to cities? What the hell do people do in cities? It looks to me like they just go clubbing, bar hopping, eating out, going to movie theatres, watching tv, playing video games... basically I'm trying to figure out what it is people mean when they say cities give them stimulation/ entertainment that small towns can not provide. The only thing to me it seems cities offer is more restaurant choices. Especially Vancouver... we are blessed with a plethora of ethnic food choices.

There is everything here in my small town that I need, It's just on a smaller scale than a major city. There is a litterary club, sports teams, several bars and restaurants, a computer users club, an unbelievably well stocked library (better than some in much larger towns), there is hunting and fishing a mile away, different womens organizations, a popular legion (my watering hole of choice), a poker club, an investors club and much more. I can take karate lessons if I choose, learn tennis, explore nature and go birdwatching and see the Northern Lights as no one has ever seen them before or ever will again. My adopted town, though small, is amazing.

[Sharlee]

^ well like I asked in the original post.... what exactly are people talking about when they say there is nothing to do in small towns in comparison to cities? What the hell do people do in cities? It looks to me like they just go clubbing, bar hopping, eating out, going to movie theatres, watching tv, playing video games... basically I'm trying to figure out what it is people mean when they say cities give them stimulation/ entertainment that small towns can not provide. The only thing to me it seems cities offer is more restaurant choices. Especially Vancouver... we are blessed with a plethora of ethnic food choices.

It all depends on how small the town is.  There may be a theatre, but it won't show the wide selection of films available in the city.  You'll have to travel to see major sporting events or concerts.  If you're into clubbing or bar hopping, your options will be somewhat limited as there will be only a few bars.

However, you'll have more events that involve the entire community and will likely be more family-oriented.

The small town life that Dave describes is a fairly large small town!  When you're dealing with 300 people or less, there won't be anywhere near this many activities available.  Mid-sized towns will have the best of both worlds.

[GuardianFlash]

I think I like small town.

[Sharlee]

There is everything here in my small town that I need, It's just on a smaller scale than a major city. There is a litterary club, sports teams, several bars and restaurants, a computer users club, an unbelievably well stocked library (better than some in much larger towns), there is hunting and fishing a mile away, different womens organizations, a popular legion (my watering hole of choice), a poker club, an investors club and much more. I can take karate lessons if I choose, learn tennis, explore nature and go birdwatching and see the Northern Lights as no one has ever seen them before or ever will again. My adopted town, though small, is amazing.

Dave, I have fond memories of the northern lights from when I lived 6 hrs. north of Edmonton.  Absolutely spectacular!!  When I lived there, we received a northern living allowance which if I remember correctly, was a tax break rather than a cheque.  Is that still available?

[Itsy Bitsy]

Hmm, from the sounds of it all the city activities that people might miss are things I have zero interest in... clubs, sporting events, etc. I can download movies and buy my books online. I'd prefer one local bar "where everybody knows your name" over bar hopping to random bars full of random idiots. I also think small towns give you easier access to outdoor activities that I would much prefer over trendy hang outs. The only thing I think I'd really miss is the food. Oh how I love my ethnic food.

I've been debating about moving to a small town for awhile now. Everytime I mention it I get people trying to talk me out of it by telling me how bored I'm going to be and how I'll be rushing back to the city in no time, but nobody cares to elaborate on what I will supposedly be missing. From the sounds of it, not much.

[Dave]

Hmm, from the sounds of it all the city activities that people might miss are things I have zero interest in... clubs, sporting events, etc. I can download movies and buy my books online. I'd prefer one local bar "where everybody knows your name" over bar hopping to random bars full of random idiots. I also think small towns give you easier access to outdoor activities that I would much prefer over trendy hang outs. The only thing I think I'd really miss is the food. Oh how I love my ethnic food.

I've been debating about moving to a small town for awhile now. Everytime I mention it I get people trying to talk me out of it by telling me how bored I'm going to be and how I'll be rushing back to the city in no time, but nobody cares to elaborate on what I will supposedly be missing. From the sounds of it, not much.

I really enjoy ethnic food too and there is nothing better than a really expensive dinner at The Keg. Life doesn't revolve around those things though but I go out of my way to enjoy them when I make my visits to the city. Nevertheless my town has everything that I need. Ethinic foods and The Keg are 'wants' and not 'needs.'

[Itsy Bitsy]

^ Agreed.

It might actually be good for me. I don't ever over-indulge with your standard western foods. It's only unique ethnic foods that I can't get enough of, so not having access to them every single day might help me get fitter and leaner. I would also appreciate it more when I am treating myself to ethnic food during vacations or city visits.

^ watch me talk myself into small town living. 

[yorkcountykid]

hey, i'm not against small towns. i was just trying to answer the question. the town i was born in (newmarket) in york county had a population of about 30-35 thousand back THEN. is that a small town?

[NSgirl]

I would like to try living in a small town.I have never done that before. I think I would enjoy it. However our work is here and knowing my husband he will work until the day he dies.

[Ojisan]

hey, i'm not against small towns. i was just trying to answer the question. the town i was born in (newmarket) in york county had a population of about 30-35 thousand back THEN. is that a small town?

In England, that's a large small sized  town. I guess small is something under 30,000

[Dave]

hey, i'm not against small towns. i was just trying to answer the question. the town i was born in (newmarket) in york county had a population of about 30-35 thousand back THEN. is that a small town?

Holy crap! To me a population of 30-35,000 is a gigantic metropolis. The town I live in right now has a population of about 900 during the winter. Population swells to about 1000 to 1100 in the summer with tourism etc.

[Sefardic-Male]

small town and suburbs is more boring

everybody likes the same things overtime you are going to get tired of the homogenized culture


libraries don't have a lot of things you can borrow especially when it comes to music CDs and movies from outside of Anglo-America and you cannot do interlibrary loans and audio and video materials.

here in Toronto  I just placed holds on 3 Japanese music CDs, 3 Cds by mylene farmer a french female singer, a book written by an Israeli Archeologist which proves that the Bible is wrong on historical events and legends, 5 CDs from DJ Tiesto a dutch trance DJ and also I am a member of the Japan foundation library in Toronto where i get music and movies from Japan and where ican get Jpanese books .  I would not be able to do all of that in a small town in the middle of nowhere  and I can also get music from around the world in the Toronto public library system


also in big cities like Toronto there are cultural centeres like the Japanese Canadian and the Chinese Canadian cultural centres

speaking of crime crime do exists in small towns unlike cities they are more covered up and lots of denials are common and recent examples is a recent of murders and criminal activities in eastern Ontario

[Itsy Bitsy]

Yeah that's huge. I was thinking more like 5,000 people.