For the last 15 years I’ve moved from the country, to the city, back to the country, and yes you guessed it, back to the city for the final time as I now am really starting to put down roots here. So as someone who has lived in both the country, and the city throughout different phases of my life, I’m extremely experienced. I’ve lived in MANY different environments, experienced different lifestyles and contributed to different communities throughout this 15 year timeframe, and at 36 years old I know what I like and what I don’t like about both the country and the city life.
This article will focus on city life. Throughout it, you’ll find 10 advantages of city life that I continue to experience over and over again, why they matter, and how city life offers many benefits and opportunities for its residents.
10 Advantages of City Life
- Food options
- Job opportunities
- Public transportation
- Social life
- Art and culture
- Urban planning
- Innovation
- Growth
- Convenience
- Energy
What Are The Advantages Of Living In The City?
Now lets dive deeper into the 10 advantages of city life.
Food Options
Living in a city means you have access to any type of food imaginable, and likely they all reside in walking or delivery distance. The food and cafe options are endless in a city allowing you to expand your cultural experiences and knowledge, you can also try food trends like giant pizza slices much quicker than in a smaller city. The food industry in cities is always evolving, expanding, and innovating. There are endless restaurants and dishes to try and fall in love with, which you can then bring into your own home when cooking meals for yourself or your family.
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Job Opportunities
This one is pretty obvious, but it wasn’t until I experienced it firsthand that I realized its importance. Small towns or cities simply don’t offer job opportunities outside of the minimum wage, customer service jobs available at chain businesses. This means, if you are the type of person who wants a career you will end up unfulfilled and bored in smaller cities, unless you open up your own business to fulfill the many needs a career offers like business development.
Public Transportation
I’ve had a car since I was 16 years old, and although I love nothing more than rolling down the windows, blasting the music, and driving alone to my destination, public transportation is a vital part of city life that I’ve come so accustom to it feels foreign to drive everywhere. Like, how do people drive to get ANYTHING they need? Public transportation is cheaper than gas, and faster than driving. I can get from one end of the city to the other quickly and don’t have to worry about anything happening to my car.
Social Life
This is a two parter. The first part I want to highlight is the social life that includes friends and the activities you are able to do together given the amenities available throughout the city. The second is the volume of people you’ll meet and form relationships with. Whether its a co-worker or a barista at your favourite cafe, the city is more densely populated therefore the ability to meet people is endless. People in cities are more likely to do things after work and on weekends, versus smaller cities where everything closes early and people tend to stay at home after 6pm (what is up with that?).
Art and Culture
Art and culture is important, especially if you want to develop as a person and enrich your life. You can always tell when someone is from a small city or the country based on a lot of factors but the one I’ve noticed is their lack of cultural knowledge. This might not be important to many, but for a lot, art and culture is a big part of how our lives are shaped. Art galleries are often free and parties and events are often hosted within them, full of like minded people wanting to expand their minds and lives.
Culture is a huge advantage! In big cities you will be among many different cultures, and experience the whole world in one neighbourhood. Knowing how other people live and what they can offer you is priceless.
Urban Planning
Another advantage of city life is infrastructure. Technology plays a big part in that, and cities who implement a smart way of living helps improve the experience of living in the city, For example, smart cities use data analysis to improve things like public transportation, education facilities available, parks and green spaces, roads, and allows people to stay connected more easily.
Innovation
Innovation might not be important to you at first, but think about it, a new store comes to market larger cities are more likely to open a location. New ideas and tests are always on the roadmap in cities, so things don’t ever feel stale, life moves forward and things actually improve. Living in the country felt like living in limbo for years and years, nothing ever changes and that feels like a slow demise.
Growth
Growth is referring to personal growth. I can’t tell you how much I’ve grown since living in the city. The experiences you go through, the things you learn, the opportunities available are endless. If you live in a small city, or the country its easy to stay in limbo and never grow, it often feels like growth just isn’t a thing for you or who you’re around. It’s so easy to not grow as a person when you’re not surrounded by inspiration and change. School and job opportunities are available in the city, and they eventually mean a higher salary as you move upward in your career, and promotion opportunities that smaller cities don’t have the room for.
Convenience
The one thing I couldn’t stand living in the country was the lack of convenience. If the weather was bad you’d have to wait to leave the house, if you wanted to bake or cook something and you were out of an ingredient you would have to drive to get it, if you wanted to go to a restaurant and bar and it happened to be closed when you got there you would have to re-plan and drive somewhere new rather than simply walking down the street. Convenience is huge for quality of life, and I personally LOVE that I can walk 5 minutes and get everything I need. You know what that means? Fresh fruits, veggies, bread and baked goods daily! That means when I have a cookie craving, I can satisfy it immediately. Accessibility is first and foremost in cities making it a huge advantage of city life.
Energy
Have you ever heard of the term sleepy city? Well, that’s my idea of a slow demise. Sure its nice to relax every once in awhile but the energy living in the city offers is unmatched. People are excited, energized, and DOING THINGS. Energy is HUGE when it comes to getting what we want out of life. Energy attracts you to the right people, people who are also feeling your energy. I can’t count the amount of times I went to an event when living in the country to be so disappointed by the lack of energy from the people and environment.
Living In A City Does Have Its Cons But Provides More Advantages
In conclusion, city life offers a unique blend of opportunities and challenges. While it may be fast-paced and crowded, cities provide endless possibilities for personal growth, career advancement, cultural enrichment, and social connections. The vibrant energy, diverse communities, and convenient amenities make cities an attractive choice for many individuals seeking a dynamic lifestyle. However, it is important to acknowledge the downsides such as pollution, high cost of living, and increased stress levels. Ultimately, whether or not city life is suitable depends on individual preferences and circumstances but with proper planning and a positive forward thinking mindset, you can navigate the urban landscape successfully while enjoying all that city life has to offer.
