Because then, I lived in 2 different communities within the city limitations. I moved to a suburban area right outside the city limitations, in an apartment complex right on the bike path where I might ride into town to grab a beer or an ice cream cone.
In autumn of 2017, my spouse and I bought our first home in my small hometown-- a 50 minute drive to three significant cities (select which instructions you're in the state of mind to drive: north, south, or west), however certainly a rural area. We live "in town" now, but that isn't stating much.
THE PROS
One of my finest pals lives a block away, and there is an amazing homemade tough cider place that's run out of the basement of a family house, and there are a few terrific local shops and dining establishments. There were also a lot of tradeoffs included with choosing to move out of the city.
I'm going to start with the pros list, the terrific things about where we live and why we chose to move here. When I lived in the city in an extremely popular area, every time I walked my pet dog I would look up the information on any home I would see with a for sale indication out front. That's a substantial savings from a home loan in the city, and is substantially lower than our lease in the city or suburban areas.
Another pro is that we live closer to household. We live in the exact same town as my moms and dads, and are a brief drive from my in-laws and grandparents. This will really be beneficial when we start growing our household, and it has actually currently conserved us loan; our daddies and my grandpa are very handy and can fix or build almost anything we would need or want for your home. Our tub blocked recently and my dad was able to come over and fix it the same day. I already have other DIY strategies for constructing a deck and making some repair work to some things in the basement. We have far more outside space than we could have gotten in the city on our spending plan, including a big, fenced-in backyard. I matured in this town and it's a place where you feel like everybody understands everyone else, which can definitely make it feel really safe.
Creekin'
I grew up going "creekin,'" capturing amphibians, riding four wheelers, and having the day of rest school for the first day of open season. It was a truly fantastic youth.
THE CONS
There is certainly a cost to leaving here, too. For starters, it feels like everybody knows everybody else! And sometimes I simply want to go to the supermarket in my sweats for wine and cookie dough and not encounter among my former instructors or friends' parents, ya understand ?? Bear with me as I go through these cons; I'm not trying to grumble (much), however the truth is that there is a lot to consider when considering moving from a city you enjoy to a lower cost of living area in order to save loan.
Perhaps one of the most obvious failures of residing in a little, rural, low cost of living area is that it's far away from things. Many of my pals reside in or closer to the city, and it requires more planning and driving in order to see them. It's also even more from entertainment; there is a small selection of good restaurants close by. When I was in the city I could walk to numerous places and drive to a practically unlimited list of bars and dining establishments. Cincinnati is an extremely foodie-friendly city with a remarkable brewery scene. I have actually said this before and I'll say it permanently: food is life. Places in my little town likewise close earlier. Now, I'm not much of a celebration animal any longer, but if I want to be out later on than 11 p.m. there is truly only one option here. And it's excellent, however in some cases I wish to be out at a bar where I'm not visiting any of my former instructors, good friends' moms and dads, or anyone I went to high school with. When it pertains to getting house safely, Uber and Lyft aren't a thing here. You need to find a good old made designated chauffeur, or walk. (Once, my pal who lives a block away and I got a bit toasted at the local white wine shop and strolled two miles to get to the tough cider place. Thankfully we found a good friend from high school there with his parents, who offered us a ride back. Benefits and drawbacks of knowing individuals all over you go.) When I lived in the city, an Uber would be offered to select me up within minutes any time of day, and it was a low-cost ride anywhere, typically under $10.
Another challenge of living in this area is that nearby job prospects are slim. I currently work for the only major mental health service provider in the county. I really work one county over (my company is in two counties) and have a 30 minute commute. If I were to get a different job in my field, I would need to drive to among the significant cities, at least about 40 minutes each way. I'm utilized to these sort of drives, as I travelled 45 minutes to school throughout undergrad, but it does take a lot of gas and time in the car. There are less resources all around in my town. When I resided in the city, there were A LOT OF options for mental health tasks, in addition to other resources including numerous grocery options, yoga studios, pet shops, etc. And not to sound too petty here, however the grocery store in my town does not sell the good brand name of goat cheese that I like, and I have to drive thirty minutes to the nearest Kroger that does. THE MANKIND!
The people here, while I click like them, are extremely of one political persuasion. I loved living in a city filled with variety and with a range of political and social views. Let's simply state that the dominating political views in my town are not necessarily opinions that I usually concur with. One thing this town isn't lacking in though: churches. There is a church on every corner, on your way into town no matter which route you take, and quite much a stone's toss from any location you may take place to be standing in town. And they almost all hold similar views, missions, values, etc. The one church that differs in terms of social values is the Quaker church and there is actually a good Quaker population here (the local college is Quake). I have actually grown out of the church I matured in, and discovering another nearby that aligns with my own values and beliefs has proven to be an obstacle. We went to a terrific church in the city that I enjoyed, and finding something that compares is essential to me however it's something I'm still looking for.
While I love my house and there are a lot of things I like about my town, I do miss out on living in the city. I do not see myself living in this town forever, and right now moving back to the city is in the medium-term plan.