Big city livin'

mackeire

Everyone seems mad to live in or around the big shomke. The buzz of the city, the rush of the people, what ever you want, it's on your doorstep!! You're never too far from anything. It's great!!!

However, I grew up next to the city. Never had much desire to go in much tho. I could probably count on both hands and a few toes how many times I went into the city for a few pints and a night out, I always hated it.
It wasn't the junkies or anything like that that put me off, it was more the hassle and packed to capacity bars and queuing for ages for a drink and then waiting for ages again for a jo maxi home.

Anyway, I moved to a country town and I absolutely love it!!
The only queue at the bar is a fella in a green wooly jumper, wearing wellys and a bang of sileage off of him. But usually the barman knows that he's just ordering another pint of the shtout.
Same goes for every ordinary day stuff. Life is just so more relaxed now!
Accents are slightly different but I can live with that, boi.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

The Backwards Man

I love where I live

We don't make a party out of living
We like holding hands and pitching woo
We don't let our hair grow long and shaggy
Like the hippies out in San Francisco do

eet fuk

I just love Dublin is all. I love the whole country too, and I've had great times elsewhere - but there's nowhere else I'd rather be tbh.

Charlie19

Fast broadband speeds.
hospitals.
clean water.
A variety of restaurants to choose from.
take aways that deliver.
off licences that deliver.
a sewer system(I don't like the sound of a septic tank).

I like city life.

Saipanne

mackeire wrote: »

Everyone seems mad to live in or around the big shomke. The buzz of the city, the rush of the people, what ever you want, it's on your doorstep!! You're never too far from anything. It's great!!!

However, I grew up next to the city. Never had much desire to go in much tho. I could probably count on both hands and a few toes how many times I went into the city for a few pints and a night out, I always hated it.
It wasn't the junkies or anything like that that put me off, it was more the hassle and packed to capacity bars and queuing for ages for a drink and then waiting for ages again for a jo maxi home.

Anyway, I moved to a country town and I absolutely love it!!
The only queue at the bar is a fella in a green wooly jumper, wearing wellys and a bang of sileage off of him. But usually the barman knows that he's just ordering another pint of the shtout.
Same goes for every ordinary day stuff. Life is just so more relaxed now!
Accents are slightly different but I can live with that, boi.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

Because I earn a lot more money.

Jesus Wept

The majority of towns are horrible kips, the sound ones are sound though, found one I like. I quite near the city, can get in 10-15 mins off peek. The suburbs are the worst though, ones where it takes an hour off peek to get into town and a couple of hours on peek. Feckless holes to be spending your days in.

wyndham

Anonymity. Don't want inbred neighbours knowing and dissecting/judging your every move.

Red21

mackeire wrote: »

Anyway, what I'm getting at is why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

So you're asking how come there is stuff going on in my head that i cant figure out

DEFTLEFTHAND

We don't really have a big metropoilis in Ireland anyway. Dublin is the only real city, the likes of Cork and Limerick are large towns with housing estates surrounding them.

Del2005

mackeire wrote: »

Everyone seems mad to live in or around the big shomke. The buzz of the city, the rush of the people, what ever you want, it's on your doorstep!! You're never too far from anything. It's great!!!

However, I grew up next to the city. Never had much desire to go in much tho. I could probably count on both hands and a few toes how many times I went into the city for a few pints and a night out, I always hated it.
It wasn't the junkies or anything like that that put me off, it was more the hassle and packed to capacity bars and queuing for ages for a drink and then waiting for ages again for a jo maxi home.

Anyway, I moved to a country town and I absolutely love it!!
The only queue at the bar is a fella in a green wooly jumper, wearing wellys and a bang of sileage off of him. But usually the barman knows that he's just ordering another pint of the shtout.
Same goes for every ordinary day stuff. Life is just so more relaxed now!
Accents are slightly different but I can live with that, boi.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

You didn't even move to the countryside. You chickened out and moved into a town, which is just a small city, move to proper countryside and you'll find out why the young educated move to cities.

rainbow kirby

No interest in ever living in a small town (basically anywhere in Ireland except Dublin). Just doesn't appeal to me at all.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

mackeire wrote: »

Anyway, what I'm getting at is why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

You see, that's what's wrong with this thread straight away. You have made a huge assumption. And you have assumed incorrectly. "People" are not all obsessed with the city.

You might get a bit of city v rural bashing to keep you amused though.

Define city. Do you mean Dublin or any city or any large town? You're not in the countryside. You're in a town. Believe me - I'm in the countryside.

Me head hurts trying to decipher this.

kneemos

Vera Disgusting Penknife wrote: »

You see, that's what's wrong with this thread straight away. You have made a huge assumption. And you have assumed incorrectly. "People" are not all obsessed with the city.

You might get a bit of city v rural bashing to keep you amused though.

Define city. Do you mean Dublin or any city or any large town? You're not in the countryside. You're in a town. Believe me - I'm in the countryside.

Me head hurts trying to decipher this.

He's in a town in the countryside.

dissed doc

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

We don't really have a big metropoilis in Ireland anyway. Dublin is the only real city, the likes of Cork and Limerick are large towns with housing estates surrounding them.

Cork and Limerick are certainly cities, as is Galway. The size is also completely typical for cities in other comparably sized countries, like Norway, Switzerland, etc.,. Bergen is only 270k people. Bern, capital fo Switzerland has only 140k.

The endless anglophone wankathon to only view cities as London, New York or Sydney continues... unfortunately leading to the massive inferiority complex in Ireland.

If we could simply define a city in Ireland as a population over 50k, then it would be better. (Dublin based political parties avoid this, as it might stop the centralisation of the country around DUblin (ie.., gaping at London and wanting to copy it, at the expense of the rest of the country).

In fact, there is no good reason why Ireland needs a single government in Dublin. 26 counties can be 26 individual states, keep tax money (and the families and population) local.

Canis Lupus

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

We don't really have a big metropoilis in Ireland anyway. Dublin is the only real city, the likes of Cork and Limerick are large towns with housing estates surrounding them.

You forgot to include Dublin that bolded bit.

Menas

dissed doc wrote: »

26 counties can be 26 individual states, keep tax money (and the families and population) local.

What?!
Leitrim would last about 20 minutes if this were the case.

Mahogany Gaspipe

I'm from Galway and it is not a city. This became clear to me after I moved away from it to live Dublin.

Vojera

I'm from Donegal but I live in Dublin because that's where the work is. No snobbery about how great city living is, just a desire to earn my own keep and not waste away on the dole, which is what would happen if I was living at home.

dissed doc

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

I'm from Galway and it is not a city. This became clear to me after I moved away from it to live Dublin.

Well in that case Dublin is not a city until you move to Manchester. And Manchester is not a city until you move to London....and and..and..

Every city does not need to be indentical to another city, in size, population, politics, etc., . It can be completely different, completely tiny, but can still be a city....unless you have Anglophone-induced inferiority complex. You will become unhappy in Dublin and need a bigger fix on how you view cities, so Sydney, London, New York....

ANd just the same, Galway is also a city, as is Buffalo New York. And Canberra, population only 350k. It is a city, marginally bigger than Cork. I suppose when the world is black and white, you cannot see how ridiculous it is to few DUblin as the only "real" city, because it relies on comparisons, and of course then Dublin in comparison is tiny.

Mint Aero

If you mean Dublin by city then no. it's just full narrow minded parochial types trying to get above their station following fads already a year or two out of date.

They're some fantastic cities throughout the world which I would consider it a privilege to live and work in.

DivingDuck

mackeire wrote: »

why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

Because they have needs, values, and goals which differ from yours.

The countryside is not objectively better or worse; it's simply different. There are things which are easier when you live in the country, and things which are easier when you live in the city. People will want to live in whichever place the things which are important to them are easier.

For me, the city offers some things which the country cannot. These include:
- reliable(ish) and regular(ish) public transport ("ish" since it's still Ireland)
- a broad variety of options for work
- a broad variety of options for education
- a broad variety of options for shopping
- a variety of options for services (internet, phone, tv, etc.)
- anonymity and privacy

Basically, city living = choice + convenience. Not everyone will be willing to trade the comforts of country life (more space, slower pace of life, etc.) for those things, but I am, since the benefits of country life are things which don't appeal to me personally.

Different strokes, really.

Mahogany Gaspipe

dissed doc wrote: »

Well in that case Dublin is not a city until you move to Manchester. And Manchester is not a city until you move to London....and and..and..

Every city does not need to be indentical to another city, in size, population, politics, etc., . It can be completely different, completely tiny, but can still be a city....unless you have Anglophone-induced inferiority complex. You will become unhappy in Dublin and need a bigger fix on how you view cities, so Sydney, London, New York....

ANd just the same, Galway is also a city, as is Buffalo New York. And Canberra, population only 350k. It is a city, marginally bigger than Cork. I suppose when the world is black and white, you cannot see how ridiculous it is to few DUblin as the only "real" city, because it relies on comparisons, and of course then Dublin in comparison is tiny.

Yes obviously there are varying scales of size with cities; but there is a threshold separating cites from towns.

Galway is a big town with a sizable population living in it surrounding suburbs. I consider it to be a big, and important, provincial town. Clearly it is more like a big Castlebar/Silgo/Athlone; than a small Dublin.

I'd say the inferiority complex causes more towns to be called cities than vise versa.


Now, I'm off to Starbucks for a Frappuccino.

Menas

The official list of cities in the republic is:


Name Gained status Method of granting Jurisdiction granting Present
jurisdiction
Dublin 1172 royal charter Lordship of Ireland Republic of Ireland
Cork 1185 royal charter Lordship of Ireland Republic of Ireland
Limerick 1199 royal charter Lordship of Ireland Republic of Ireland
Waterford 1171 royal charter Lordship of Ireland Republic of Ireland
Kilkenny 1383 royal charter Lordship of Ireland Republic of Ireland
Galway 1985 Act of the Oireachtas Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland

DivingDuck

Dublin and is one of the last places in the country id want to live. Cork or Galway are as big a city that interests me but I will end up living back in the country sooner or later as that's where in grew up and it's the best.

Hate this rubbish claiming Galway is not a city also. Galway is a city just a smaller one than Dublin and Cork. Don't know why people want to put it down and relegate it to a town when it's clearly a city.

DivingDuck wrote: »

For me, the city offers some things which the country cannot. These include:
- reliable(ish) and regular(ish) public transport ("ish" since it's still Ireland)
- a broad variety of options for work
- a broad variety of options for education
- a broad variety of options for shopping
- a variety of options for services (internet, phone, tv, etc.)
- anonymity and privacy

Living in the country doesn't deny you any of them things (well bar public transport which is a crap way to travel anyway). You can avail of all of the above by commuting into or close to the city near where you live it's how most people in the country do things.

NicoleW85

Charlie19 wrote:

clean water.

We have that in Donegal yanno

SMJSF

I moved very close to the city when I was starting college living in Wicklow, and I loved it, then due to money situation, I moved back that way, but I missed the transport and the shops and having a cheap taxi fare after a night out!
Moved back and realised that the 18 year old me loved it, but the 20 year old me now hated it. The noise, the traffic, the crowds of people! When your an introvert, it's becomes your nightmare!!
I would be very happy living in the middle of nowhere now.

DivingDuck

Donald Early Spareribs wrote: »

Living in the country doesn't deny you any of them things (well bar public transport which is a crap way to travel anyway). You can avail of all of the above by commuting into or close to the city near where you live it's how most people in the country do things.

As I said, I am not declaring city living to be objectively better. I'm saying it offers more choice in a more convenient and immediate fashion, and there are facilities available in the cities which are not available in the country.

Rural Ireland has a documented and factual history of being slower to roll out services like broadband, and some services (like mains sewerage) will probably never be available to all people living in rural areas.

I don't know anywhere in the country that I could live and still reach Dublin city center within twenty minutes, by car or otherwise. Certainly people can commute, but the length and expense of that commute varies depending on your proximity to the city.

You can live in the country and avail of much what the city has to offer-- but not everything, and it will take longer to do it, require more planning, and will cost more. For some people, this is a fully acceptable trade, and for others it isn't.

If country living didn't deny you some of the things you get from city living, there would be no difference between them. They'd be the same, and then nobody could consider either one "better".

Charlie19

SMJSF wrote: »

I moved very close to the city when I was starting college living in Wicklow, and I loved it, then due to money situation, I moved back that way, but I missed the transport and the shops and having a cheap taxi fare after a night out!
Moved back and realised that the 18 year old me loved it, but the 20 year old me now hated it. The noise, the traffic, the crowds of people! When your an introvert, it's becomes your nightmare!!
I would be very happy living in the middle of nowhere now.

Maybe when you're 22, You might like it again.

Captain Chaos

Donald Early Spareribs wrote: »

Dublin and is one of the last places in the country id want to live. Cork or Galway are as big a city that interests me but I will end up living back in the country sooner or later as that's where in grew up and it's the best.

Hate this rubbish claiming Galway is not a city also. Galway is a city just a smaller one than Dublin and Cork. Don't know why people want to put it down and relegate it to a town when it's clearly a city.
.

The EU, of which we are members only recognise Dublin and Belfast as cities in mainland Ireland. The rest are towns of varying degrees.

Tallaght is big enough to be a city on it's own under the guise that Cork and Galway can be called a city and was denied city status and remains part of Dublin.

anncoates

Is it a law that you have to say things like schtout (even when you're writing it) because you live in the country?

mikom

anncoates wrote: »

Is it a law that you have to say things like schtout (even when you're writing it) because you live in the country?

Yesh.

anncoates

rainbow kirby wrote: »

No interest in ever living in a small town (basically anywhere in Ireland except Dublin). Just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Same.

I love the country and visit often but could never settle there. If I had to move against my will, it'd be in a large town, like Sligo or Ennis size.

That said, I prefer living in the suburbs of the city. I like the mixture of quiet but being able to get into the city easily.

anncoates

mikom wrote: »

Yesh.

That's more Sean Connery than culchie, to be fair.

cournioni

Dublin is hardly what you'd call "big city living" surely?

Menas

cournioni wrote: »

Dublin is hardly what you'd call "big city living" surely?

Its all relative to what you are used to!

_Kaiser_

I'm from Dublin and for a long time couldn't have seen myself living outside the city - I was living in Blanch at the time and worked 10 minutes up the road so no car needed. Had everything I needed locally (shopping centre, good pubs, decent takeaways etc) and was a main bus route and train line so the city centre was only 25/30 mins away. All my friends were local too so life was good

But then people started settling down and moving outside Dublin because of housing prices in the Good Times and I myself ended up changing jobs and moving to a mid-size town and found I loved it.. much quieter and nice surrounds, still had the decent pubs and shopping options, and had some friends who'd also moved out that way.

Eventually moved back to Dublin to another job and was even living in the oh-so-in-demand SCD/D18 area and to be honest I didn't rate it at all... endless overcrowded housing estates, expensive cost of living, feck all to do in the immediate area, and a car is pretty much essential if you value your time (one bus service running every 30 mins, unless you fancy a 20 minute walk first). I also found I missed the peace and quieter pace and that I rarely ventured into the city centre itself anymore, mainly because there was no reason/need to.

Moved yet again a few months back because of the crazy rent situation, but still working in Dublin as that is where most of the (IT) jobs are after all. Motorway is only 5 mins away and it takes me about 45 mins - 1 hour door to door which is nothing (you could spend twice that getting out of the city centre at rush hour). Have all the major shops 10 mins away, nice quiet small (6) apartment block at less than half the rent than I was paying in Dublin. TV and fibre broadband, good pubs/restaurants etc

Now I couldn't see myself moving back TBH

anncoates

By the way, pointing the blindingly obvious fact that Dublin is a small city compared to London or New York is tedious. It's the largest city in the country so therefore relevant to the OP.

Dirty Dingus McGee

I wouldn't like to live in a city unless I had a sh1t load of money and could afford a massive house.

Paying an amount of rent equal to a mortgage for a 3/4 bed roomed house in the country for a flat that wasn't much bigger than our kitchen/dining room wasn't really that appealing I'd rather face the 2 hour commute up and down each day than have to live in Dublin.

Nothing against Dublin but in some ways it is a complete sh1thole and a real embarassment in some ways to this country.

I work in Dublin and on the way on the bus along the quays it's unbelievably filthy looking for what is the main thoroughfare through the city.

You would think that the City Council would want to give as nice an impression of the city as possible and try have have it looking well.

The fact that the tolerate these druggies hanging around the city centre doesn't exactly give an altogether positive view of the city aswell.

Fr_Dougal

Kilkenny isn't a city.

Charlie19

Charlie19 wrote: »

Fast broadband speeds.
hospitals.
clean water.
A variety of restaurants to choose from.
take aways that deliver.
off licences that deliver.
a sewer system(I don't like the sound of a septic tank).

I like city life.

There is something other than Dublin and one-off houses ya know.

Charlie19

mackeire wrote: »

Anyway, what I'm getting at is why are people so obsessed with city living when life in the countryside is so much better?

Deleted User wrote: »

There is something other than Dublin and one-off houses ya know.

My post was mainly answering that question by Mackeire and everything I bullet pointed is my picture of what the countryside is.

Mechanical Clocktail

Mint Aero wrote: »

If you mean Dublin by city then no. it's just full narrow minded parochial types trying to get above their station following fads already a year or two out of date.

Spot the trendy hipster.

NicoleW85

Mechanical Clocktail wrote:

Spot the trendy hipster.

Suddenly craving a mint aero though

cournioni

Charlie19 wrote: »

Fast broadband speeds.
hospitals.
clean water.
A variety of restaurants to choose from.
take aways that deliver.
off licences that deliver.
a sewer system(I don't like the sound of a septic tank).

I like city life.

Funny, because you can get the majority of those things in my parents place in rural Cavan.

The only thing on that list that is any different is they have a septic tank, but I'm not sure why that is even an issue...

cloud493

Jaysus, I ain't going to no country town. Cities are the best.

Badly Drunk Boy

Charlie19 wrote: »

Fast broadband speeds.
hospitals.
clean water.
A variety of restaurants to choose from.
take aways that deliver.
off licences that deliver.
a sewer system(I don't like the sound of a septic tank).

I like city life.

You can get all that in most biggish towns around the country. Big gigs is the only thing that is I miss from where I live, but I'm only 30 miles from Dublin.

NicoleW85

I wouldn't mind living in dublin - I'm a fan of hustle & bustle, convenience of everything etc, but I could never ever justify paying the crazy rent that comes with it. Living in the middle of a rural donegal village, its by no means perfect, but life is relatively simple and considerably cheaper
It's a good job I love driving:D

con___manx1

The government is going to have to do something to spread the jobs out in the country. All the young people around Ireland are being forced to live in Dublin as that is where all the jobs are. Dublin economy is booming at the moment where as the rest of the country is still fecked. I could get a job in Dublin on more money than what I earn now but if I rented up there I would come out with less money.

Jamsiek

City living for me, more variety of shops, restaurants, bars, transport, entertainment, etc. I like visiting country areas and they can be a nice places to unwind in but I would just find it too limiting for me to live in full time personally.

John_Rambo

dissed doc wrote: »

In fact, there is no good reason why Ireland needs a single government in Dublin. 26 counties can be 26 individual states, keep tax money (and the families and population) local.

Silly post. You need to think outside the Pale! Most counties would die without the money that's pumped out of Dublin to support them and Dublin would prosper greatly if it kept it's cash. Not a win win situation.

Dublin rocks. No other part of the country can offer what it has.

NOS3

There is both advantages and disadvantages to living right in the city centre and living deep in the countryside. Living in the country, I would rather be close to a larger town,but near a major city. However, I do prefer country living sometimes. :P Ideally, I would be close to a large town, near enough a City, and be able to go to the countryside when I wanted too.