As we sat out on our balcony the other night having dinner, I realized that I've always lived in a place with a continuous soundtrack of city noise. The sounds of buses lumbering down the street. The ding-ding of the light rail as it goes through an intersection. The sirens of firetrucks and police cars rushing somewhere. Often when friends come to our loft in SLC or to our apartment in Boston they ask if we find the street noise bothersome. Most of the time, I find them comforting.
Those city noises have become so much a part of my everyday background that if they were gone, I bet I'd miss them. In fact, when we travel to my in-laws house in rural Alberta, I'm often shocked by just how quiet it is out there. The sounds of birds chirping and the occasional passing of a gravel truck are about as loud as it gets.
I do love the quiet that mountains and canyons and forrests provide, though, and with moving back to Utah, those things are in abundance not far from our front door. But as for the everyday, I'll take city living for sure.
City or country living? I definitely appreciate both lifestyles but I love the convenience of being able to leave my car behind and walk to the grocery store or to dinner or to grab drinks with friends. And the people-watching from our balcony is some of the best in town, I bet!
Wow, that's a beautiful view you have of the mountains. I love city living for sure, even though I've never really lived in the center of town. I always tell my husband that my dream would be to live in either downtown Denver or NYC. I think I would love all the hustle and bustle of living in the epi-center. However, my husband would love to move so far out of civilization that it would take days to get bak. So we compromise and live in suburbia.
ReplyDeleteNice view! For me it's resort or college town :) that's how I grew up and it's this odd hybrid of natural beauty and fresh air with the culture of museums and trendy restaurants and shops. I miss it! Cambridge was fun, but I got sick of the street trash and lack of space (if my budget was unlimited there are many houses right in Cambridge where I'd be really happy though!). Belmont/ Cambridge/ Watertown border (where we are now) is a little less tight, less trash, and so even though there's also much less that's walkable, I'm happier.
ReplyDeleteSo excited for you guys, I can't believe you're moving so soon!
I am kind of a city girl. While I need quite to sleep, and don't like to be close to noisy neighbors, I love being near shopping and restaurants that I can walk to.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, we would have a house in the middle of nowhere, and another in a city (Boston, Denver, San Francisco if money is no object!)
Growing up on a farm, I always wanted to live in the city. It's like the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I do enjoy visiting my sister (lives in rural Cache County), but then think of all the hard work it is to keep a ranch-farm in good working order, and am glad I only have to deal with my small home and yard.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned... have a bit of both if you can afford it. xo
City girl for sure! Great pics of downtown at night!
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures in this post so much! I first saw them when Devon and I were hanging in our hotel room in Seattle and had to call him over to see them - these photos are gorgeous and totally give Salt Lake that "whoa, it's like it's a real city!" vibe!
ReplyDeleteI love visiting the country, but I prefer city life by far. My family is all from a super tiny town in South Carolina and it was always fun going to my grandma's to play in the fields, pick blackberries, and cross the woods to see the neighbor's cows next door. That aside, nothing beats the energy, convenience, and variety of a city.