City Mouse
Posted By Kristabella on January 10, 2012
I’m a city girl. I think I always have been. Even though I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, I’ve always been drawn to big cities.
When I moved back to Illinois in 2005, I made a promise to myself that I would live in the city. I didn’t care where I ended up working or where I had to commute to, I was going to have a city apartment in Chicago proper.
And I love it. I love the neighborhood I’m in. I love the public transit options. I love that I can walk to most anything. (I also love that I have an assigned parking space so I can drive to anything I want to as well. Don’t forget I am the Queen of Lazy.)
Tonight as I was walking home from the train after work, I was thinking to myself that I really needed to email my friends and make some plans for this upcoming weekend. Nothing extravagant, just something more than grocery shopping to force me out of the house and out of my pajamas.
As I made a mental note to send an email tomorrow, I was walking past a restaurant on Lincoln. I looked in the windows and saw my friend Melissa’s boyfriend Matt who was having dinner with Melissa. I went in to say hello and they invited me to join them. It was totally impromptu and I loved it. We had some wine, dinner, lots of laughs and it was a great time.
When I think about moving away from a big city, these are the things that I don’t think I can give up. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s so worth it.
So what about you, are you a country or a city mouse?
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City Mouse, all the way!!
Country mouse. Although, that may be because I’ve always lived right in downtown Toronto and I’m always wishing things were slower and cleaner; If I lived in the country, it might very well be the other way around.
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Hmmm…
I’m a suburb mouse who needs easy access to the city. I grew up in the midwest, right on the edge of town and love having green space all around. The laid back, less frenetic pace suits our life well. I love that it takes us no more than 20 minutes to get to where we need to go.
However, when I lived in the north shore suburbs for a year, I much preferred the time I spent in the city. The hustle and bustle, public transportation, people watching. I’m guessing some of that has to do with the North Shore-definitely a bit snobby and reclusive where I was. I did, however, learn to drive like a bad-a@@ during my city time. My BF at the time went to school on the South Side. Nothing like Friday rush hour traffic as initiation!
I think my husband and I are planning to visit Chi-Town in late spring as an after-tax season celebration. I’ll have to hit you up for some recommendations!
I have to admit I was a teeny bit jealous when I read that you just happened to meet up with some friends on your walk home. That kind of thing never happens here in the small town.
That said, I’m a city mouse living in the country (not country, country-more like small urban area).I love the feeling I get when I get to go to a big city for work. (Chicago and San Francisco in particular make me happy!)
Houston has to suffice for my city fixes most of the time, but it is too spread out and definitely doesn’t have the feel of a “city” since it doesn’t have mass transit or a downtown that’s worth walking around in.
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I don’t know. I really, really want to be a country mouse…but the cultural side of me doesn’t think I could ever go too too far off the beaten path, if that makes sense.
I’m very much a city mouse. The suburbs give me the hives.
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I am a city mouse. There is just so much to do here and so much to see. I think, even when we have kids, we are going to attempt to raise them downtown. Our parents and childhood friends all think we are insane, since we were both born and raised in the ‘burbs. I remember how exciting it was as a kid to come to the city; think of how great it will be to LIVE here! 🙂
I am a suburb mouse. I live in The Valley in LA and I love it. I have easy access to the city if and when I need it, I have all the restaurants, shopping areas, super markets, etc that I need nearby. I can walk to the supermarket if I want. Schools are walking distance as well.
Especially where I live – where I have the mountains right next to us, and you can pretend you are in the country and still be close to everything (snow, beach, desert)
I live in a city that is more the suburbs. I would love to live i a place where I could walk to the store, have accessible public transportation but love my garage.
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I’m a country mouse who was born and raised (and currently lives) in the suburbs of LA!
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I am neither — I much prefer small college town life.
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My Mom was born and raised in New York City. She moved to Smalltown Central Illinois when she married my Dad. We always went to New York City on vacation to visit family. So even though I grew up in a small town (4500 people), and then lived for quite a few years in another small town when married to my first husband (2500 people),, feel very comfortable in big cities.
Whenever I go back to NYC or make a trip up north to Chicago or south to St. Louis, I feel like I’m going back home…..Chicago sounds, smells, and just feels so much like NYC. And The Hill section of St. Louis (the Itaiian neighborhood) is almost identical to the neighborhoods my aunts, uncles and cousins live in NYC.
Even though Decatur is a relatively small city, it’s still got quite a bit of places to go to get what I need. I need those conveniences. If I ever had to move back and live in a small town, I would totally lose my mind!
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I always thought I was a city girl, born and bred on the mean streets of London.
However the older I get, the more I can see the appeal of living in the country.
I’m not ready quite yet, but one day, sooner then I think, I think I would like to live somewhere with rolling hills, and sheep.
But that’s all very easily done, within easy reach of London! We are a teeny tiny island!
I guess Country, but I’ve always wanted to be City. Maybe in another life. Because doing what you did – just walking and impromptu dinner? Total perfection to me.
city mouse, for sure. i mean technically i’m in VA, but i’m across the street from a metro stop (closer than most people IN the city!) so it counts. i need to be where there are Things Going On, all the time. whenever chris and i drive someplace through the country, we marvel at how beautiful it is out there…. and how horrible it would be for us to live there.
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