I'm in my 30s now, so moving back in with my parents is a no-go. If my partner and I were in real trouble they'd have no qualms about taking us in, but save for dire circumstances—it would pretty much be a last resort.
That said, we live downtown Toronto and it's been on my mind for some time to try and move out of the city. I love the city, but I grew up in a small rural town. I miss the green space. I miss the autonomy. And while I'm not much of a socialite, I do miss knowing my neighbours.
The churn in my building and the amount I see any familiar faces makes forming any relationships rare.
I'd been looking for a remote work option for a while, but since my current workplace has moved remote for the time being it's been rejuvenating the idea of moving away again.
Sadly, I've virtually been priced out of my home town. You get more bang for your buck than in the city, but the base pricing is about the same.
I've been taking time scouring for a viable option that wouldn't end up costing more necessarily. It's fun to dream, but it would definitely be nice to find some more concrete options.
It definitely seems more talked about around here than it used to be. We know people who've already made the move—even people I never would have expected to leave city life behind. Their whole personalities seemed built around it, and next I hear they've moved several hours away to a rural area—not even just the 'burbs.
> Their whole personalities seemed built around it, and next I hear they've moved several hours away to a rural area—not even just the 'burbs.
This is a common sentiment that I personally share. I am lucky to live in a dense city neighborhood with an amazing sense of community - stoop gatherings for drinks 5 evenings a week and kids doing chalk art and bicycling around, local teenagers to help out with babysitting, but also neighbors helping me move appliances, and me helping them with repairs and upgrades on their homes. It's like Amish barn-raising in the city.
But I have to say, that if I didn't have this, and my choice were suburbia or a mountain town ... the mountains win hands down.
Oakland, CA. AKA "Hell" according to recent news. I should be clear that things are far from perfect here, but one of the things about a strong community is that it is most helpful precisely when things are not perfect.
If I had any advice, it would be to find a place with modest sized homes close to the street, and a mixture of generations and subgenerations, and a place that is not so poverty-stricken as to induce desperation in people, but not so wealthy that people don't really need each other's help.
What you describe sounds exactly like most neighborhoods in Boston. Well, not the couple affluent ones (those places suck), but all the others. Really enjoyed my time there.
That said, we live downtown Toronto and it's been on my mind for some time to try and move out of the city. I love the city, but I grew up in a small rural town. I miss the green space. I miss the autonomy. And while I'm not much of a socialite, I do miss knowing my neighbours.
The churn in my building and the amount I see any familiar faces makes forming any relationships rare.
I'd been looking for a remote work option for a while, but since my current workplace has moved remote for the time being it's been rejuvenating the idea of moving away again.
Sadly, I've virtually been priced out of my home town. You get more bang for your buck than in the city, but the base pricing is about the same.
I've been taking time scouring for a viable option that wouldn't end up costing more necessarily. It's fun to dream, but it would definitely be nice to find some more concrete options.
It definitely seems more talked about around here than it used to be. We know people who've already made the move—even people I never would have expected to leave city life behind. Their whole personalities seemed built around it, and next I hear they've moved several hours away to a rural area—not even just the 'burbs.