Where Do You Want to Live?

The city one lives in affect many aspects of one’s live. Thus, where to live is a big decision. Big city offers more culture and entertainment than small town. However, small town is often cheaper and makes greater financial sense.

“It is more important to live in the city you like. I want to live in San Diego, so I move here and things eventually fall into places.” My college landlord told me.

He met his wife in Texas, whom is a native Texan, but he always wanted to live in SD. Accordingly, as soon as he finished his military duty, they moved to San Diego. They managed to buy a charming house and raised a family with just their teacher salaries. They seem quite happy.

On the other hand, with the housing market being sky high, many people are starting to look for more affordable cities to move to. In this blog entry, the author argues that by moving to a small town, one’s living of standard will improve since less money goes toward rent/mortgage; consequently, cheaper housing and lower expense also increase one’s options to pursue his passions.

In many ways, especially from financial standpoint, I agree with him that it is a smart move to relocate to cheaper housing areas. Living in Los Angeles means I have to live with many disadvantages that do not exist in small town USA, some of these includes sky high rent/mortgage, traffic, smog, pay premium for parking, etc. Nevertheless, I like living in Los Angeles and have no plan to move in the near future.

There are many great reasons for living in Los Angeles. Many cite beautiful weather, beaches, culture, food, and variety of activities as their top reasons. Since I am young, having all the above reasons definitely enhance my live. Most importantly, my (both immediate and extended) family is here. Although I am very independent and do not spend as much quality time with them as I should, I like the fact that I am near them.

Would you choose small town USA over big city?