Big city vs small town

[imflying]

I've pretty much lived in suburbs/smaller towns my whole life. Sometimes I think I want to live in a larger city, just because I've gotten pretty bored with the whole small town thing. What are some pros/cons? Did anyone go from a small town to large city for med school?

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[Electronegative]

I don't know about any pros, I don't go out much and never lived in smalll town, but one major con is depending on where you live the traffic is horrible. It takes me to get to school which is 20 minutes away more than an hour to get in mornings.

EN

 

[osumc2014]

I'd say go live in a big city if you never have, it will be much different than a small town, and you will never be bored, you can do pretty much whatever you fancy. The nightlife pretty much never stops...but just be careful, obviously not as safe as suburbs. Housing can be more expensive than living away from the city as well. Traffic can suck, but that's why you take public transportation! Personally, I lived in very large cities, abroad (6 mil ppl) and tiny suburbs, and enjoyed them both very much. I think you won't know which one you like till you tried both

 

[breakdanceboa]

i went from suburbs to a college near the city. it is not bad at all. nightlife, clubs/activities. I wanted to go out and explore new parts so I was happy with that change

 

[MidnightSun32]

I lived in a very small town that was closer to a somewhat larger city that had 300,000 people so I kind of had the best of both worlds. Then I took a job in Seattle. I actually really liked living there aside from the traffic. I ended up having to buy a car with an automatic transmission because I was sick of having a manual in the constant stop and go traffic. There is always a lot more to do in a bigger city as well. Larger cities tend to have more crime, but more jobs or a larger variety of people to meet.

I now live in a city that has a population of 2400 people. The biggest city that I am close to, which I go to school in, is two and a half hours a way and has a population of 64,000 people. The small town I live in is definitely annoying at times, but also so much fun. There's no Walmart or anything that seems to be open past 9 pm, but I can ride my four wheeler on all the streets throughout town. Also, the small town drama is ridiculous. I'm sure you are not really looking at a city quite this small though 🙂

 

[bold text]

I grew up in a small town and moved to a big city for college. I prefer the small town setting.

Small town:
Pros- quiet, safer, friendlier, cheaper
Cons- can be boring

Big City:
Pros- Restaurants, clubs, bars, museums, sports teams etc.
Cons- traffic, crime, dirty, expensive

 

[imflying]

Just wanted to add that I'm already in undergrad (college town) and applying to med school right now.

 

[solicitous]

Big towns
Pros: You can walk to stores and you don't have to spend an hour driving to places.
Cons: Loud, never calm, people there always seem cranky, you don't know everyone there, you have to be quiet or your downstairs neighbor will report you to the apartment manager, crime is usually worse, you have to lock your car door, cost of living generally higher, traffic is generally terrible and people usually go slow while driving! And hardly any trees!

Small towns(about 1,000 people
Pros: You know almost everyone there, people seem happier and nicer, you get to see trees and natural grass, you don't have to care about the speed limit, you can be as loud as you want and no one will care, cost of living is lower, the chances of being able to raise a pet cow or pig increase drastically, and the air quality is probably better.
Con: Everyone knows you and what you do, it can be boring sometimes, and it takes forever to drive to a big town.

But I grew up in a small town with less than 900 people, so I'm biased.

 

[Just Joshin]

Big towns
Pros: You can walk to stores and you don't have to spend an hour driving to places.

That isn't necessarily true. It depends on what you're looking for. I'm in a big city now and it takes me about 45 minutes to get to nearest Wal-mart or Target. It takes me a half hour to get to the mall. If you're living in Manhattan and get all your groceries, prescriptions, and shopping done at mom and pop shops, then what you posted is true, but if you're living in a commuter city, it can take just as long to get places as it would if you were commuting from a small town. Even in L.A., the closest Wal-mart to me was close to an hour away.

Now suburbs, on the other hand, are great! Keep in mind that small town doesn't equal suburb. There are small towns that are 200 miles from anywhere and there are suburbs on the cusp of a big city. The latter is the best place to live -- you have all the big city offerings, but none of the headaches. Plus, retail shops tend to put their stores in the burbs rather than in the city proper so most things are close by.

 

[Bojangles85]

Or you could go to a big/small city for five years or so. Then switch. You'll experience both and decide afterwards.

 

[TFS]

that isn't necessarily true. It depends on what you're looking for. I'm in a big city now and it takes me about 45 minutes to get to nearest wal-mart or target. It takes me a half hour to get to the mall. If you're living in manhattan and get all your groceries, prescriptions, and shopping done at mom and pop shops, then what you posted is true, but if you're living in a commuter city, it can take just as long to get places as it would if you were commuting from a small town. Even in l.a., the closest wal-mart to me was close to an hour away.

Now suburbs, on the other hand, are great! Keep in mind that small town doesn't equal suburb. There are small towns that are 200 miles from anywhere and there are suburbs on the cusp of a big city. The latter is the best place to live -- you have all the big city offerings, but none of the headaches. Plus, retail shops tend to put their stores in the burbs rather than in the city proper so most things are close by.

+1

 

[JmanDO]

I've lived in the heart of NYC all my life, and don't want to leave. I find the sirens in the background soothing, and the people entertaining.

I'd hate living in suburbia.

 

[Evergrey]

Living in suburbia is hands down the most boring, soul-sucking existence ever. Everyone is spread out. People go out of their way to avoid social contact. I feel like living in the suburbs are for people who have small comfort zones and don't like to be pushed out of them. HUGE stereotype I know, but I have lived in suburbs my whole life and it kills me. Cities are the best place to experience culture and diversity.

 

[imflying]

any drawbacks to living in a big city (for the first time) during med school?

 

[JmanDO]

Probably only cost of living, nothing will be comparatively cheaper than in suburbia.

 

[twocentnews]

Boston has one of the worst parking situations ever. Resident parking permit means you have to register your car here, hassle. If you do park on the street using the permit, cars literally park touching the front and rear of your car, good luck getting out of there. Parking in a garage means $100+ (and usually $200!) per month, and it doesn't feel safe, hassle.

I use the T to get around, which sucks often but it works alright. Overall though, moving from a small town to a big city has been a neat experience.

 

[DaisyBuchanan]

Clearly, not all big cities are created equal. Living in LA is very different from living in NYC. In LA, you begin to believe that a 40 minute commute to anything (good shopping, good restaurants) is completely acceptable, and a car is vital to one's existence. NYC's transportation is very different. The cultures of the two cities are very different too. Bottom line, I'd consider things about the cities besides the number of citizens.