What size city do you live in?

[Ladybug]

We went to Boston today, and I never, ever thought I would say this, but I'm so thankful that we're not living in a metropolitan area now. It was insanity. People were literally crawling over each other at the children's museum. We left after an hour, a painfully long hour. Traffic sucked. Parking was legalized robbery, and everyone was annoyed. None of this ruffled my feathers before I had kids. Four kids. Now it stresses me out. I remember being so deeply disappointed when we took a job in a mid-sized city, and now I see that it's such a good fit for our family. Life is funny that way.

What size city do you live in? Are you happy with it? Do you envision a change in your future?

I live in a small town, 6000 people or so. S eventually wants to come back here to open a practice but honestly, I'm in need of living somewhere a bit bigger! Perhaps I should go with the three kiddos and give it a trial run before I make any decisions, I haven't really been out and about in a big city with the three of them!

[alison]

Ours is around 550,000. I love it, and wouldn't mind living in an even bigger city.

Traffic is do-able here, and we can walk or take the bus to wherever we need to go.

Plus... erhm... You won't really find a city native in busy/touristy places over the holidays.

[Ladybug]

Lol! So true. It was DH's idea.

[diggitydot]

I would like to live in a very small town that is within a doable distance from a very large city. We are not now in either and I hate it.

[alison]

It would be like trying to drive down N. Michigan to get to the Art Institute! You would have been able to stroll along pretty nicely from where you were living.

[rainbabies]

I live in a small town of about 3700. The county has about 38,000 people. The town I grew up in, at the time, had about 1500 people. I love small town living.
Where we're at, we're close to ladybug (45 min) and that's a 'big city'. We are about 3 hrs from Boston and NYC.

[BonBon]

I'm not sure what our population size is, not big by any means. I hear you completely on the crowds. With that many kids, it's crazy-making!! I bitched and moaned for years that we settled down here, but now that the kids are in school...I like it.

Diggity, that is the perfect plan. We're not close to a large city, but we're right by Ithaca (home to Cornell and Ithaca College) and there is loads of family-friendly stuff around here.

I foresee a move to the PNW when we retire.

[houseelf]

I had to look it up: Wikipedia says

The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area (aka Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area that includes counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The United States Census defines the metropolitan area as the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 2,009,632 (though a July 1, 2008 estimate placed the population at 2,155,137).[1]

I know that when I got off the plane at MSP to visit Kris this past fall, I was so nostalgic and contemplated returning until I felt the bat-shit crazy cold for that time of year and drove on the expressways! The first string historical suburb that we live in now is onlh about 3 square miles. It is a small town surrounded by the city. I've only been here a few months and I definitely know the regulars at the coffee shop and grocery store. Residents refer ti it Mayberry surrounded by Detroit. It is sort of the best of both worlds, IMHO.

[SoonerTexan]

The DFW area has 6.5 million and is the 4th largest metroplex in the US. In some ways, I love it--everything we could ever want. However, I spent a lot of my childhood years in Tulsa and college in OKC--I could really go for a city that size. I know I don't want to go any larger--NYC, Boston, etc. would be a nightmare for us.

[ides]

I live in a big city -8 to 12 million. I love the city but we will be moving to a smaller city for fellowship then post training. Financially it's the best choice for us. As well the crowds, expense, noise and just pitaness is getting to me. That said we hope to be in a 500k+ population. I feel kind of trapped in small towns & such.

[diggitydot]

BonBon - We'll be in WA in another couple weeks to visit family and scout out the next relocation. Seriously considering Leavenworth, voted as one of the most "Christmasy" places in the US.

Good grief, I'm freakin' homesick.

[MDPhDWife]

Our metro area is just under 900K in population and I think it's just the perfect size. I really wouldn't want to go much bigger than 2 million or any smaller than 500K so I guess that qualifies as a mid size city? I definitely prefer the suburbs to urban living though.

[Ladybug]

I love the inner nerd in you Kelly. I love that you looked it up, cut it and paste it. We should runaway together...to a mid-sized city of course, dahling.

I live 10 mins outside a town of 3400. And now I'm snowed in. Somebody come rescue me!!

Rush hour traffic in a city of 500,000 gives me road rage. Otherwise, being on the outskirts (20 mins from my favorite spots) of a city that size would be just about perfect for me.