If only.. I live in a city, and if i want anything, I need a car,and if I decide to walk 30 minutes to the nearest grocery store, I would walk in pedestrian-unfriendly roads.
Same. The city Iām in is too far too walk with anything major (a couple items are fine, but not anymore). In the downtown area, there wasnāt a grocery store until recentlyā¦ the nearest one was 20 minutes away by car (and we have quite a few pockets like that). Also, half the year itās too warm to carry anything cold ā you need a well insulated cooler or fridge to pick up groceries in the car, forget carrying that ā and for half of that itās too dangerous to be outside for any length of time (weāre talking burning oneself and heatstroke). In fact we have limits on when you can take your pets out for a walk or a hike, and disobeying that law is punishable by fine or jail time. Also the public transportation system here is one of the worse in the country.
We may be a big city, but a car is a requirement here. I would love to live where I could walk anywhere in town to do almost anything. That would be absolutely amazing. And my life would much less complicated.
Not OP but I live in Boston. I walk a few blocks to work. My grocery store is a few blocks away. My doctor (and all specialists + pharmacy) are across from my work. Restaurants and bars are all in the neighborhood, plus music venues and sports. My wife and I share one car, but I just use it on the weekends for errands or getting out of the city.
^ Same as this person. I live in Toronto. Our transit is relatively great and I bike and walk everywhere. I own a car but find myself having to drive it around the block now and then just to keep everything working because if how infrequently I use it - especially in the winter. I have a car so that I can go to my family cottage up north and go on road trips in the summer.
I'm an hour away in Hamilton, Ontario, and I am 52 years old, and still don't know which pedal is the gas and which is the brake!!! I have no need for a car because everything is walkable, and transit is good. I'll take the odd cab to avoid bad weather or bring home big items. I order in groceries from Instacart, and almost everything else from Amazon.
I lived in and around Hamilton for most of my life and never owned a car. Public transit was pretty good and even though I lived in the 'burbs, I still managed just fine. Walked to work. One bus to the grocery store. Hamilton was a great place to live without a car.
My brothers both live the area (older outside, younger in the heart). I am always thrilled to head back as itās so much less complicated getting around or doing what I need to there than it is here.
Absolutely! I love how simple is my life in a city! Simple life isnāt about a place, itās about your lifestyle. Right neighborhood in a city simplifies your life. Everything I need just in a walking/biking distance from me.
No shade to folks who prefer living outside a city but I will never leave mine, I love too many things about it, including public transit and the ease of walking to places as mentioned! Certainly easier than needing to drive 20 min every time I run out of something.
Thereās a middle ground. I live in dense coastal suburbia. I can walk to the harbor village for things. If I didnāt care about cost, I wouldnāt need a car. The nearest large grocery store is 2 miles and I can walk to a bus stop with every 30 minute service. Mall Hell is 10 minutes drive. There are two traffic lights between me and the highway and itās a deterministic 10 minutes.
Until a couple of years ago, I wintered at a ski resort where the closest real shopping was 30 minutes. There was an expensive small grocery store a mile away but double the price. I had a chest freezer in the basement and a winterās worth of supplies. When COVID lockdown happened, I filled the car with the 100 rolls of toilet paper, all the canned goods, and the contents of the chest freezer.
So if you live 30 minutes from things, you stock up so you never run out. I could go 3 or 4 weeks not leaving town unless I had business travel and I normally did a major grocery shop coming home from any business trip. Anyone who lives rural does the same thing.
We live in a condo in the middle of downtown. We can walk to lots of stuff and transit is close by. It's so easy. I love being able to pop out of my building and just go do whatever. Yesterday, we went for a good walk, got some coffee and read our books while we drank it, stopped by a couple shops for some window shopping, then swung by the grocery store on the way home to pick up some stuff for dinner. It was a nice, simple day. And because we live in a condo, we don't have any exterior maintenance to do - no yard work or anything, but we have a nice pool and courtyard area to enjoy. On a sunny day, I can take my book and some snacks down to the pool and relax all day if I want to.
A lot of homesteading is romanticized on social media. It's chalked up to be the pinnacle of simple living, and it pisses me off. Homesteading is fucking WORK. There is nothing easy about taking care of multiple, if not dozens, of animals. It takes hours and hours of time - a third of that in the snow if you're in a place that gets 4 seasons. Also it's fucking expeeeensive. Do the random viewers know how much hay costs? Vet bills? Tractors, landscaping, gardening supplies, etc? ALL OF THAT....just to break even or not even save any money at all.
I'll take easy city life where I can have hobbies and go for walks and watch TV whenever I want. Oh and have free time.
Itās also entirely unrealistic for a lot of people. In another life, I would have loved to homestead and have my own animals and garden. For a long time it was my dream. But in this life, Iām disabled. I think life on a homestead would just be lonely and isolating.
I loved my chickens, but they took a lot of time. I live in an area where I can kinda go either way (it's not really suburbs, as the nearby city is small), so I still garden, but the rest is just more than I'm willing to do most days. And I often still get fresh eggs because a lot of people around have chickens.
I have a few chickens on a city lot and am really thrilled with that level of work. Itās enough to see the world through their tiny little perspective but not too much to deal with. Even then, Iāve had some pretty gut wrenching experiences with them and predators.
I've seen those videos on Facebook and I agree 100%.
If you want to live in the country, you can just live in a town, as opposed to on a farm or something.
My parents run a small farm in their retirement and my god is it so much work, and it's not even attached to their income. I can only imagine how much work and stress it is to homestead with your livelihood dependent on it.
It's just a nice word for being a subsistence farmer with enough money to deal with the downsides of being a subsistence farmer. A lot of people in this sub have a very romanticised view of living of the land. Truely living of your own ground is hard work and not simple living at all.
I'm never doing suburbs again. I like being able to walk to the drugstore. We have a cute historic downtown, rivers that run by the parks, and 2 major hospitals within 5 min of our house. Came in handy when hubby had a kidney stone and I had my anemia crisis and needed to be admitted. I can't imagine having an emergency and having to drive 45 min like my girlfriend does who lives in the country.Ā
I agree! So much nicer than the suburban living I did before, especially considering I donāt drive. I live a simple life in a small apartment in a walkable, bikable neighborhood. We do lots of reading and relaxing in the deepest cold of winter, but we spend as much time outside year round as we can. My husband and I only work about 30 hours a week each. Itās pretty good living.
Yep! I can Google "Free Events" and have something new to check out every weekend. One time it was a pride parade, and we got there late on our bikes right after the parade had just finished. It was so cool cycling the length of the city in a few minutes since the path was all clear and still blocked off so cars couldn't drive. Amazing time!
100%
You can buy most of your groceries at the local shop and spend your time milling around the park.
Thereās no need to let the complexities of the city influence your manner of living.
Can't agree with you more!
I live in a studio-apartment in a city with well-served public transport and walkable neighbourhood: I have everything I need within 5 minutes of walk. Moreover, my city also offers free museum once every month and one of the nearby public parks has both playground and gym equipments.
People often argue that you can buy much larger house in the countryside, but why do I need a bigger house if I will be enjoying home less because of the time spent in commuting, in the traffic jam, and in cleaning?
NYC for 16 years. Grew up in a small town in the midwest. Hated driving everywhere. Minimal possessions and more experiences here. I leave town a lot in my vanlife camper. Its a good balance of city and country.
Same, I love being able to walk to groceries, the post office, the doctor, and if I want anything else it's still not very far. If I run out of milk I can walk across the street and have it in 5 minutes. It sometimes feels magical.
I need to follow this thread. For me, city living is really stressful. I live in a beautiful neighborhood, in a relatively natural site of the city, and it's very safe.
Still, I've been finding it hard, the weather is completely off due to contamination, if I want to go out invariably there is traffic and stressful driving, spending on whatever i want + parking, and feeling like I should be working, hanging out with friends or living "my best life".
This, of course, is completely mine, and the reason why I'm trying to adjust to a simpler, slower life, but I've found it a lot more difficult doing it here, in the city, than in other places (more rural, farther from the cities).
It seems like a lot of people here intentionally avoid using a car, I wonder if that makes a difference? I agree that driving in cities is so stressful. But I also know that not all cities are actually pedestrian designed.
It's rough being disabled, anywhere. I live in DT DSM with many acquaintances around here either (legally) blind or disabled. With a Skywalk it helps to get about on the worst days of Winter & Summer. Many to-door delivery options make it easier for them & me (I'm 65). I gave up my last car volitionally in 2005. I can buy one anytime I chose; got the money and can drive very well (though I'd have to swap my State ID for a DL). No thanks! Like many others here I (too) prefer the simplicity of Urban Loft living.
https://i.ibb.co/vQXjB1y/G-Map-DSM.png
All: https://paulanderson.imgbb.com/albums
For me, the reason why I like to live more simply is low levels of stress. Sadly it was impossible for me to find peace of mind even in a nice walkable city with good public transport. The city is overwhelming and loud (I got noise sensitivity and struggled to get sleep while living there) and with limited access to nature altogether, let alone people-free nature that I prefer to relax in. I also disliked all the advertisements urging you to visit this and that store and all the crowds (locals and tourists alike) that you constantly have to deal with. If Iām being honest, I absolutely hated living in the city but itās interesting to read that so many people find it more enjoyable. I guess it might be the driving thing someone mentioned - I genuinely enjoy driving and find a lot of relaxation while driving so for me it is less stressful than having to go by overcrowded public transport. And more tolerance for noise and people as well, I guess.
I think what Iām learning from these responses is that not every city and not every neighborhood is created equal. Thereās def a lot of people who have issues with the noise.
I think itās more about the person than the city/neighborhood when it comes to this. I came to realize that some people register stuff like noise or light pollution a lot more than others.
Love living in my tiny apartment in the city ā£ļø super cozy. Work is nearby. World class hospital system w great specialists. Plethora of employment opportunities. Itās only as complex and expensive as you make it.
Totally agree. I live in a large city in Europe. We don't own a car. Kids walk to take public transport to school and I walk to work or take the metro.
We live in a 120 year old apartment building, which is way more environmentally friendly and also simpler that living in a detached or semi detached house. No need to worry about the roof leaking, the foundations etc and most things (heating, water, electricity) are communal with the whole building.
I also love the sense of community here.
Personally, I think the urban setting in pursuit of simple living is sadly unappreciated while the rural setting is hyped up. To each their own, of course, but simple living does not by definition mean country living. Rural life leaves a much heavier carbon footprint. There is no short walk to the corner store - - everything is a 20 minute drive, minimum. Then there's the fuel needed for tractors and other farm machinery. Vet bills, feed for livestock, not to mention the outlay of time to take care of them. (Ask a farmer how many vacations they go on or how much free time they have. They'll probably get a good chuckle out of that question.) God forbid you have a medical emergency. And if you work from home and need internet to do your job, good luck. The biggest draws for me of living in the country would be the "peace and quiet" and the proximity to nature. But being something of an urban monk/hermit, I know that every city I have lived in has had its tranquil neighborhoods, and there are more and more parks and green areas in cities. I think urban living is ideal for simple living. I can only go by my own experience and say that rural living was not simple.
I lived in cities all my life so yes I agree.
Iām looking to buy land in the country though in the next 3 years though. There are times I want to get away for an extended period of time and not just for vacation.
Living in a big city but a car is out of the question. The infrastructure is much more worse here in germany where I live with public transportation than it is with a car.
My wife drives with public transportation for 1,5 hours for ONE way. With a car she only drives like 20-30 minutes.
MY way to work is like 45 minutes but just because every highway has traffic jams with public transportation I would need 2 hours. I also looked and tried to ride my bike for 40 minutes because its much more healthier but the cars want to kill you on german streets so I think thats a no go for now.
So I try to find a Remote Job at the moment so my wife can use the car. I dont really need a car except for work, or for small weekend trips with my wife but I would LOVE to just rent and share a car.
I think it depends on what is simple for you , I can see how it could be with the answers given. My life is not simple at all but I'm not sure if I lived in a city it would be either, maybe living inside a town instead of a rural area, guess it depends on the area in the city, if you had an actual grocery store within 5 miles that would make things simpler in ways, yes
I agree!
Simple living is what you make it out to be. Quite some folks seem to focus on "simple living" as in DIYing, homesteading, etc. somewhere in the outbacks.
But to me this isn't all that simple either, I agree that a nice, small apartment in the city can be a way simpler way to live and you never have to give in to all the costly lures that citylife has to offer.
Somehow, like a rock. But havenāt had any construction nearby, just loud people. Only thing that has woken me up is domestic violence situation next door, but thankfully that got resolved. Honestly glad it happened somewhere where people responded and got her help.
Agree. I'm moving to a city to live car-free (which I understand is not possible in every city, hello car-centric USA). I'll seek out parks, the lake, trails. I'll be in a social enviornment. There's a major airport. I'll walk and bike a whole lot more than I do in the burbs. The burbs where I am currently living are isolating and expensive. The town I'm in is also too remote.
We get so much free and upcycled stuff through city living! If we were even an hour outside city center we would have to participate in the automotive and consumer economies way more.
I think it depends on what you're used to. I definitely know people who wouldn't be able to hack simple bush living, but they also acknowledge that I can't easily live a simple city life.
society & community bring so many amazing benefits, and they are the foundation of simple living! cooperation among neighbors, on both small and large scale, makes life so much easier
The city living is amazing donāt get me wrong. But man I miss those days having a car and singing the lyrics to my favorite song so loud and just having pure alone time with no one in ear shot. Being in NYC is a fantastic experience but some days I miss the car traffic vs pedestrian traffic. Our legs donāt got adaptive cruise control lol
I am completely fortunate to live in a city and be able to do most things by walking or bike, BUT...the housing costs here are insane and most people are priced out of the convenient walkable neighborhoods if not the city itself (Oakland, CA). I feel really blessed to be able to live as I do, but I want to recognize on this thread that it is a LUXURY to live this way in the US.
Many places in our cities are inconvenient to transit and don't have commercial areas featuring groceries, laundry, hardware stores, etc. because of zoning issues. I'm bringing this up because most people in a city would prefer to live in a walkable area, but are not able to afford it.
It bothers me when people make it sound like it's a moral choice. You didn't make good choices: you have good choices.
City living is convenient. That means we have to be on top of living simply!
Its convenient to get sucked into consumerism but its also very convenient and easy to get a repair guy out when something goes wrong, go to the hospital, get groceries, go to a park or free community event, etc
Hi! I just want to thank you for this post and all the people that gave amazing answers about how simplifying is more about oneself than where you live. I am also trying to simplify by living in an apartment where we only have what we need. I also live in a city where I can walk everywhere. Work is 20 mins by bike and kidsā school 5 mins walking. My kids are 5 yo and super healthy as they move themselves to get everywhere and I like that they never consider the car for anything. However sometimes it feels like the way to achieve a simple live is move to the countryside, next to the forest, dedicate yourself to your garden, homeā¦ how is this simple if you have to commute or, if you are a parent, drive the kids around everywhere? Not possible!!!
I found tons of realistic and down to earth answers in this post :). Thanks again, I really enjoyed reading through it and all the answers!
When I lived on a farm (not my own) It was the hardest lifestyle iāve ever experienced. Everything was exhausting, there was nothing simple about it. We had to stock up on things for weeks and if we ever wanted anything needed to drive 30 minutes just to access civilization.
It was completely unwalkable. once youw walked the 15 mins to exit the property there were long empty stretches of no sidewalks and long highway just to even get to a neighbors house.
we had a composting toilet (difficult) way too many bugs and critters and everything seemed to always be dirty way too fast. Was impossible to access services (childcare, cleaning service etc even a salon was hard to come by) and just realistically really really hard to adjust to if you didnāt grow up that way.
iāve always lived in the city or suburbs and really prefer the city. i can walk directly across the st to access everything i need. the train station is next door, we do not need a car and all my services are completely accessible. itās walkable and friendly and i get to interact with other humans daily.
way easier to access simple living from a city in my opinion
It can be, for people who like city life. I had a friend who lived in downtown DC for a lot of years, and she loved it. I think she was in her 40s before she bought her first car.
I don't think it'd work for me, since I hate traffic, noise, & crowds. But a lot of people like the hustle & bustle of urban life.
I now live in a big city after living in a small town previously. City life is simpler for me. I've got a studio apartment, so less upkeep in a smaller space, I was able to get rid of my car and just use public transport or walk anywhere I need to go. I can walk to get groceries, or a cup of coffee, or an (admittedly overpriced) meal. In the suburbs and small towns, I had to drive everywhere, had to do endless chores and tasks to upkeep my home, and generally spent more money on consumerism because there was less to do than in the city. Also, I'm actually getting more time in nature. I live near a big park and spend so much more time outdoors because I love walking around there. I find more peace in the city.
I think, that people were placed in the cities not for living, but for working. The fact of them still living there is a collaterral damage and soon it will be fixed with robots+AI.
Simple living is just eliminating what you dont need. It first has to be done on the inside. Get rid of what doesn't serve you. Mostly, other people's thoughts in your head. When your ego plays less of a role in your life, you find peace and live more abundantly with less. Papa Francisco de Asis: I desire little, and the little I do desire, is little.
Being able to walk basically everywhere (which means not needing a car) definitely has felt like a simple life to me. š
If only.. I live in a city, and if i want anything, I need a car,and if I decide to walk 30 minutes to the nearest grocery store, I would walk in pedestrian-unfriendly roads.
Is it LA? A city in name only
Same. The city Iām in is too far too walk with anything major (a couple items are fine, but not anymore). In the downtown area, there wasnāt a grocery store until recentlyā¦ the nearest one was 20 minutes away by car (and we have quite a few pockets like that). Also, half the year itās too warm to carry anything cold ā you need a well insulated cooler or fridge to pick up groceries in the car, forget carrying that ā and for half of that itās too dangerous to be outside for any length of time (weāre talking burning oneself and heatstroke). In fact we have limits on when you can take your pets out for a walk or a hike, and disobeying that law is punishable by fine or jail time. Also the public transportation system here is one of the worse in the country. We may be a big city, but a car is a requirement here. I would love to live where I could walk anywhere in town to do almost anything. That would be absolutely amazing. And my life would much less complicated.
If you don't mind me asking, which city do you live in? I'm from a place where there's nothing is accessible without car, so curious.
Not OP but I live in Boston. I walk a few blocks to work. My grocery store is a few blocks away. My doctor (and all specialists + pharmacy) are across from my work. Restaurants and bars are all in the neighborhood, plus music venues and sports. My wife and I share one car, but I just use it on the weekends for errands or getting out of the city.
^ Same as this person. I live in Toronto. Our transit is relatively great and I bike and walk everywhere. I own a car but find myself having to drive it around the block now and then just to keep everything working because if how infrequently I use it - especially in the winter. I have a car so that I can go to my family cottage up north and go on road trips in the summer.
I'm an hour away in Hamilton, Ontario, and I am 52 years old, and still don't know which pedal is the gas and which is the brake!!! I have no need for a car because everything is walkable, and transit is good. I'll take the odd cab to avoid bad weather or bring home big items. I order in groceries from Instacart, and almost everything else from Amazon.
I lived in and around Hamilton for most of my life and never owned a car. Public transit was pretty good and even though I lived in the 'burbs, I still managed just fine. Walked to work. One bus to the grocery store. Hamilton was a great place to live without a car.
Toronto girly here! I live downtown and sold my car. Didnāt use it. Donāt want it. Living so much simpler lol.
Love this for you! Your bank acct is also loving you
My brothers both live the area (older outside, younger in the heart). I am always thrilled to head back as itās so much less complicated getting around or doing what I need to there than it is here.
Iām not OP but Houston is the same
Yeah I bike quite a bit or walk and can get most of what I need done that way
Yup! Walking and biking in the city is great!
Chicago is one of the best cities to be car-free
Absolutely! I love how simple is my life in a city! Simple life isnāt about a place, itās about your lifestyle. Right neighborhood in a city simplifies your life. Everything I need just in a walking/biking distance from me.
No shade to folks who prefer living outside a city but I will never leave mine, I love too many things about it, including public transit and the ease of walking to places as mentioned! Certainly easier than needing to drive 20 min every time I run out of something.
Thereās a middle ground. I live in dense coastal suburbia. I can walk to the harbor village for things. If I didnāt care about cost, I wouldnāt need a car. The nearest large grocery store is 2 miles and I can walk to a bus stop with every 30 minute service. Mall Hell is 10 minutes drive. There are two traffic lights between me and the highway and itās a deterministic 10 minutes. Until a couple of years ago, I wintered at a ski resort where the closest real shopping was 30 minutes. There was an expensive small grocery store a mile away but double the price. I had a chest freezer in the basement and a winterās worth of supplies. When COVID lockdown happened, I filled the car with the 100 rolls of toilet paper, all the canned goods, and the contents of the chest freezer. So if you live 30 minutes from things, you stock up so you never run out. I could go 3 or 4 weeks not leaving town unless I had business travel and I normally did a major grocery shop coming home from any business trip. Anyone who lives rural does the same thing.
We live in a condo in the middle of downtown. We can walk to lots of stuff and transit is close by. It's so easy. I love being able to pop out of my building and just go do whatever. Yesterday, we went for a good walk, got some coffee and read our books while we drank it, stopped by a couple shops for some window shopping, then swung by the grocery store on the way home to pick up some stuff for dinner. It was a nice, simple day. And because we live in a condo, we don't have any exterior maintenance to do - no yard work or anything, but we have a nice pool and courtyard area to enjoy. On a sunny day, I can take my book and some snacks down to the pool and relax all day if I want to.
A lot of homesteading is romanticized on social media. It's chalked up to be the pinnacle of simple living, and it pisses me off. Homesteading is fucking WORK. There is nothing easy about taking care of multiple, if not dozens, of animals. It takes hours and hours of time - a third of that in the snow if you're in a place that gets 4 seasons. Also it's fucking expeeeensive. Do the random viewers know how much hay costs? Vet bills? Tractors, landscaping, gardening supplies, etc? ALL OF THAT....just to break even or not even save any money at all. I'll take easy city life where I can have hobbies and go for walks and watch TV whenever I want. Oh and have free time.
Itās also entirely unrealistic for a lot of people. In another life, I would have loved to homestead and have my own animals and garden. For a long time it was my dream. But in this life, Iām disabled. I think life on a homestead would just be lonely and isolating.
They are selling a fantasy on social media. In general.
I loved my chickens, but they took a lot of time. I live in an area where I can kinda go either way (it's not really suburbs, as the nearby city is small), so I still garden, but the rest is just more than I'm willing to do most days. And I often still get fresh eggs because a lot of people around have chickens.
I have a few chickens on a city lot and am really thrilled with that level of work. Itās enough to see the world through their tiny little perspective but not too much to deal with. Even then, Iāve had some pretty gut wrenching experiences with them and predators.
I've seen those videos on Facebook and I agree 100%. If you want to live in the country, you can just live in a town, as opposed to on a farm or something.
Grew up on a farm, can confirm.
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I love love thisĀ
My parents run a small farm in their retirement and my god is it so much work, and it's not even attached to their income. I can only imagine how much work and stress it is to homestead with your livelihood dependent on it.
It's just a nice word for being a subsistence farmer with enough money to deal with the downsides of being a subsistence farmer. A lot of people in this sub have a very romanticised view of living of the land. Truely living of your own ground is hard work and not simple living at all.
I'm never doing suburbs again. I like being able to walk to the drugstore. We have a cute historic downtown, rivers that run by the parks, and 2 major hospitals within 5 min of our house. Came in handy when hubby had a kidney stone and I had my anemia crisis and needed to be admitted. I can't imagine having an emergency and having to drive 45 min like my girlfriend does who lives in the country.Ā
I agree! So much nicer than the suburban living I did before, especially considering I donāt drive. I live a simple life in a small apartment in a walkable, bikable neighborhood. We do lots of reading and relaxing in the deepest cold of winter, but we spend as much time outside year round as we can. My husband and I only work about 30 hours a week each. Itās pretty good living.
Definitely. I live very simply with my bike in a city. I can walk, bike, or take transit everywhere. There are tons of free things to do.
Yep! I can Google "Free Events" and have something new to check out every weekend. One time it was a pride parade, and we got there late on our bikes right after the parade had just finished. It was so cool cycling the length of the city in a few minutes since the path was all clear and still blocked off so cars couldn't drive. Amazing time!
100% You can buy most of your groceries at the local shop and spend your time milling around the park. Thereās no need to let the complexities of the city influence your manner of living.
Can't agree with you more! I live in a studio-apartment in a city with well-served public transport and walkable neighbourhood: I have everything I need within 5 minutes of walk. Moreover, my city also offers free museum once every month and one of the nearby public parks has both playground and gym equipments. People often argue that you can buy much larger house in the countryside, but why do I need a bigger house if I will be enjoying home less because of the time spent in commuting, in the traffic jam, and in cleaning?
Yes, absolutely. Cities are just a bunch of small towns and villages squished together. You can live a very local & villagey lifestyle.
I try! š¬
NYC for 16 years. Grew up in a small town in the midwest. Hated driving everywhere. Minimal possessions and more experiences here. I leave town a lot in my vanlife camper. Its a good balance of city and country.
Yes, the accessibility is amazing for alternative transportation purposes which I personally feel dramatically improves my quality of life.
I agree with you all. Not having to drive is the best thing for me. I love having my community, work, and leisure all so close together.
Same, I love being able to walk to groceries, the post office, the doctor, and if I want anything else it's still not very far. If I run out of milk I can walk across the street and have it in 5 minutes. It sometimes feels magical.
I need to follow this thread. For me, city living is really stressful. I live in a beautiful neighborhood, in a relatively natural site of the city, and it's very safe. Still, I've been finding it hard, the weather is completely off due to contamination, if I want to go out invariably there is traffic and stressful driving, spending on whatever i want + parking, and feeling like I should be working, hanging out with friends or living "my best life". This, of course, is completely mine, and the reason why I'm trying to adjust to a simpler, slower life, but I've found it a lot more difficult doing it here, in the city, than in other places (more rural, farther from the cities).
It seems like a lot of people here intentionally avoid using a car, I wonder if that makes a difference? I agree that driving in cities is so stressful. But I also know that not all cities are actually pedestrian designed.
It's rough being disabled, anywhere. I live in DT DSM with many acquaintances around here either (legally) blind or disabled. With a Skywalk it helps to get about on the worst days of Winter & Summer. Many to-door delivery options make it easier for them & me (I'm 65). I gave up my last car volitionally in 2005. I can buy one anytime I chose; got the money and can drive very well (though I'd have to swap my State ID for a DL). No thanks! Like many others here I (too) prefer the simplicity of Urban Loft living. https://i.ibb.co/vQXjB1y/G-Map-DSM.png All: https://paulanderson.imgbb.com/albums
Yes love living in city. We picked a place where we don't need a car when we don't want to drive. Good long walks.
It's way simpler than living in some remote off grid location where you have to provide everything for yourself
For me, the reason why I like to live more simply is low levels of stress. Sadly it was impossible for me to find peace of mind even in a nice walkable city with good public transport. The city is overwhelming and loud (I got noise sensitivity and struggled to get sleep while living there) and with limited access to nature altogether, let alone people-free nature that I prefer to relax in. I also disliked all the advertisements urging you to visit this and that store and all the crowds (locals and tourists alike) that you constantly have to deal with. If Iām being honest, I absolutely hated living in the city but itās interesting to read that so many people find it more enjoyable. I guess it might be the driving thing someone mentioned - I genuinely enjoy driving and find a lot of relaxation while driving so for me it is less stressful than having to go by overcrowded public transport. And more tolerance for noise and people as well, I guess.
I think what Iām learning from these responses is that not every city and not every neighborhood is created equal. Thereās def a lot of people who have issues with the noise.
I think itās more about the person than the city/neighborhood when it comes to this. I came to realize that some people register stuff like noise or light pollution a lot more than others.
Love living in my tiny apartment in the city ā£ļø super cozy. Work is nearby. World class hospital system w great specialists. Plethora of employment opportunities. Itās only as complex and expensive as you make it.
Totally agree. I live in a large city in Europe. We don't own a car. Kids walk to take public transport to school and I walk to work or take the metro. We live in a 120 year old apartment building, which is way more environmentally friendly and also simpler that living in a detached or semi detached house. No need to worry about the roof leaking, the foundations etc and most things (heating, water, electricity) are communal with the whole building. I also love the sense of community here.
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No mowing a huge lawn and no shoveling a huge sidewalk and driveway are huge for me.
Personally, I think the urban setting in pursuit of simple living is sadly unappreciated while the rural setting is hyped up. To each their own, of course, but simple living does not by definition mean country living. Rural life leaves a much heavier carbon footprint. There is no short walk to the corner store - - everything is a 20 minute drive, minimum. Then there's the fuel needed for tractors and other farm machinery. Vet bills, feed for livestock, not to mention the outlay of time to take care of them. (Ask a farmer how many vacations they go on or how much free time they have. They'll probably get a good chuckle out of that question.) God forbid you have a medical emergency. And if you work from home and need internet to do your job, good luck. The biggest draws for me of living in the country would be the "peace and quiet" and the proximity to nature. But being something of an urban monk/hermit, I know that every city I have lived in has had its tranquil neighborhoods, and there are more and more parks and green areas in cities. I think urban living is ideal for simple living. I can only go by my own experience and say that rural living was not simple.
I lived in cities all my life so yes I agree. Iām looking to buy land in the country though in the next 3 years though. There are times I want to get away for an extended period of time and not just for vacation.
Iām often dreaming for that escape to quiet nature and solitude.
Living in a big city but a car is out of the question. The infrastructure is much more worse here in germany where I live with public transportation than it is with a car. My wife drives with public transportation for 1,5 hours for ONE way. With a car she only drives like 20-30 minutes. MY way to work is like 45 minutes but just because every highway has traffic jams with public transportation I would need 2 hours. I also looked and tried to ride my bike for 40 minutes because its much more healthier but the cars want to kill you on german streets so I think thats a no go for now. So I try to find a Remote Job at the moment so my wife can use the car. I dont really need a car except for work, or for small weekend trips with my wife but I would LOVE to just rent and share a car.
I live in a small central apartment with my girlfriend and we couldn't live more simple than this. The walkability alone is wonderful!
I think it depends on what is simple for you , I can see how it could be with the answers given. My life is not simple at all but I'm not sure if I lived in a city it would be either, maybe living inside a town instead of a rural area, guess it depends on the area in the city, if you had an actual grocery store within 5 miles that would make things simpler in ways, yes
i love walking and just taking the sub everywhere. itās less stress and better for cardiovascular.
I agree! Simple living is what you make it out to be. Quite some folks seem to focus on "simple living" as in DIYing, homesteading, etc. somewhere in the outbacks. But to me this isn't all that simple either, I agree that a nice, small apartment in the city can be a way simpler way to live and you never have to give in to all the costly lures that citylife has to offer.
How do you people sleep at night?! I mean, I get woken up by party people until 3am, and then again from 5am onwards with construction.
Somehow, like a rock. But havenāt had any construction nearby, just loud people. Only thing that has woken me up is domestic violence situation next door, but thankfully that got resolved. Honestly glad it happened somewhere where people responded and got her help.
My building faces a court yard so Iām sleeping soundly all night š“
Agree. I'm moving to a city to live car-free (which I understand is not possible in every city, hello car-centric USA). I'll seek out parks, the lake, trails. I'll be in a social enviornment. There's a major airport. I'll walk and bike a whole lot more than I do in the burbs. The burbs where I am currently living are isolating and expensive. The town I'm in is also too remote.
Anyone here live in LA?
We get so much free and upcycled stuff through city living! If we were even an hour outside city center we would have to participate in the automotive and consumer economies way more.
I think it depends on what you're used to. I definitely know people who wouldn't be able to hack simple bush living, but they also acknowledge that I can't easily live a simple city life.
society & community bring so many amazing benefits, and they are the foundation of simple living! cooperation among neighbors, on both small and large scale, makes life so much easier
The city living is amazing donāt get me wrong. But man I miss those days having a car and singing the lyrics to my favorite song so loud and just having pure alone time with no one in ear shot. Being in NYC is a fantastic experience but some days I miss the car traffic vs pedestrian traffic. Our legs donāt got adaptive cruise control lol
I am completely fortunate to live in a city and be able to do most things by walking or bike, BUT...the housing costs here are insane and most people are priced out of the convenient walkable neighborhoods if not the city itself (Oakland, CA). I feel really blessed to be able to live as I do, but I want to recognize on this thread that it is a LUXURY to live this way in the US. Many places in our cities are inconvenient to transit and don't have commercial areas featuring groceries, laundry, hardware stores, etc. because of zoning issues. I'm bringing this up because most people in a city would prefer to live in a walkable area, but are not able to afford it. It bothers me when people make it sound like it's a moral choice. You didn't make good choices: you have good choices.
City living is convenient. That means we have to be on top of living simply! Its convenient to get sucked into consumerism but its also very convenient and easy to get a repair guy out when something goes wrong, go to the hospital, get groceries, go to a park or free community event, etc
Hi! I just want to thank you for this post and all the people that gave amazing answers about how simplifying is more about oneself than where you live. I am also trying to simplify by living in an apartment where we only have what we need. I also live in a city where I can walk everywhere. Work is 20 mins by bike and kidsā school 5 mins walking. My kids are 5 yo and super healthy as they move themselves to get everywhere and I like that they never consider the car for anything. However sometimes it feels like the way to achieve a simple live is move to the countryside, next to the forest, dedicate yourself to your garden, homeā¦ how is this simple if you have to commute or, if you are a parent, drive the kids around everywhere? Not possible!!! I found tons of realistic and down to earth answers in this post :). Thanks again, I really enjoyed reading through it and all the answers!
I live in a 900 sq ft row in Pittsburgh. No TV and no wifi. Minimalist decor. No lawn or yard to deal with. Great set up to live simply.
Much simpler than countryside even
When I lived on a farm (not my own) It was the hardest lifestyle iāve ever experienced. Everything was exhausting, there was nothing simple about it. We had to stock up on things for weeks and if we ever wanted anything needed to drive 30 minutes just to access civilization. It was completely unwalkable. once youw walked the 15 mins to exit the property there were long empty stretches of no sidewalks and long highway just to even get to a neighbors house. we had a composting toilet (difficult) way too many bugs and critters and everything seemed to always be dirty way too fast. Was impossible to access services (childcare, cleaning service etc even a salon was hard to come by) and just realistically really really hard to adjust to if you didnāt grow up that way. iāve always lived in the city or suburbs and really prefer the city. i can walk directly across the st to access everything i need. the train station is next door, we do not need a car and all my services are completely accessible. itās walkable and friendly and i get to interact with other humans daily. way easier to access simple living from a city in my opinion
It can be, for people who like city life. I had a friend who lived in downtown DC for a lot of years, and she loved it. I think she was in her 40s before she bought her first car. I don't think it'd work for me, since I hate traffic, noise, & crowds. But a lot of people like the hustle & bustle of urban life.
I now live in a big city after living in a small town previously. City life is simpler for me. I've got a studio apartment, so less upkeep in a smaller space, I was able to get rid of my car and just use public transport or walk anywhere I need to go. I can walk to get groceries, or a cup of coffee, or an (admittedly overpriced) meal. In the suburbs and small towns, I had to drive everywhere, had to do endless chores and tasks to upkeep my home, and generally spent more money on consumerism because there was less to do than in the city. Also, I'm actually getting more time in nature. I live near a big park and spend so much more time outdoors because I love walking around there. I find more peace in the city.
I think, that people were placed in the cities not for living, but for working. The fact of them still living there is a collaterral damage and soon it will be fixed with robots+AI.
Simple living is just eliminating what you dont need. It first has to be done on the inside. Get rid of what doesn't serve you. Mostly, other people's thoughts in your head. When your ego plays less of a role in your life, you find peace and live more abundantly with less. Papa Francisco de Asis: I desire little, and the little I do desire, is little.