Town vs Country Living - The Pros & Cons

I am was raised in the country, very rural area. When I was around 7 I was bitten by a neighbours sheepdog, while selling raffle tickets for some local charity with my older sister. It wasn't the done thing then to demand dogs get put down for biting, especially working dogs. Anyway, now I live in an urban area. When I go back home for weekends etc, I go out walking with Mum, and I am always a bit nervous of dogs. There are plenty of them around, not secured, but patrolling the road outside where they live. Some of them pass no heed, but some make me nervous, yipping and prancing round me, or even with their general friendly snuffling - the hair on the back of my neck is standing up, and I am literally hiding behind mum. The owners no doubt will say, "sure he won't go near you" and have a bit of a laugh about it. Doesn't make me any less nervous though. Having said that, I do miss living in the coutry and would like to move back there some day.
 
cremeegg I agree it most certainly is not nice to be bitten by a dog and also being kept awake at night by a dog barking is very annoying. As you say you have to live with these people and you sound like a very patient person. I have dogs myself and thankfully we don't live too near any neighbour and our dogs are usually very quiet by night but it is something I would be very conscious about that they don't upset or annoy any neighbour.

Roker yes it is difficult if you have dogs and have sheep nearby and I suppose its a dogs natural instinct to chase. Its sometimes when a couple of dogs get together the damage is done. Thankfully there are no sheep near me.
 

Geri I hope you get over your fear of dogs. I can imagine after being bitten the fear remains. People should not have a dog that is in danger of biting running freely. A nice dog can be so kind and such good company for any family.
 
Don't under estimate the intelligent of a dog, it's the language barrier that is the problem.
 

Geri, sorry to hear this happened to you. Unfortunately dog owners just don't seem to see it from the other side. Or to understand the extent to which being bitten can upset a person in the long term, after the actual injury has cleared up.

If the dog's owner had attacked and injured a 7 year old himself he would probably have gone to prison. When he lets his dog do the same thing, there are no consequences for him.
 
I live in a small isolated estate of about 40 houses in the country. My wife and I can't walk with our one year old near one end of the development because most of the time 5 or 6 dogs will surround us and bark. I swung a boot at one of them once when it got a bit too close to my daughter on her little bicycle for my liking. If you turn away they follow you to your own front door barking at you. One of the owners actually stood and watched her dog charge at me and my daughter one day. The dog warden has promised that he'll visit the estate this wednesday.

I will never own a dog simply because of my experiences in this estate.

And don't start me on the people, my wife would be better off telling people she's a murderer rather than tell them she's from Dublin. "Oh you're a Dub!" as if the place she's from somehow defines her as a person. And if I bring family members to the local pub they ask me why everyone is staring at them. I don't bother going anymore. We've lived there for 6 years now and it doesn't feel one bit like home.

Sick of it and I can't wait to move back to Dublin where people have some respect for their neighbours in my experience, and aren't ignorant and nosey.
 
Country for 120k

Have friends who are looking to move from apartment in citywest to country- well countryish- near dublin.

Anywhere any good for 120k- as they don't want a mortgage>? They would prefer a bungalow/ cottage as wife is wheelchair bound-
 
I lived on the outskirts of a town 'til I went to college.
Then lived in cities, most recently in an ex-council estate.
Now I live rural about 10 miles from the closest town.

When I lived in an urban environment, many facilities were nearby, e.g. a corner shop and public transport.
I was also close to good pubs and going to a play was a trip on a bus.

However, as I got older I went to the pub less, I stopped going to gigs, I rarely went to plays.

Also, I had a couple of break ins.

Being a terraced house, it was quiet small with a small garden. Dog faeces was common enough on the footpath, and occasionally human too. Oh, and the usual litter.

I lived in an ex-council estate for half a dozen years and know the names of the neighbours adjoining the house only. Overall the people were very insular and self centred. Community spirit was non existent.
Never once was a conversation cracked up out of the blue with one of the other neighbours.

I've fewer neighbours now, more spread out, know their names and have random conversations.
And no crime.

Privacy and space are huge advantages. And safety, absence of crime, absence of the threat of crime.

If I run out of milk, I do without. But this is no change than from when I was a two minute cycle from a shop (which was extended to five minutes due to the need to lock/unlock the bike). Easier do without and get it when passing.

Will be building a nice sized detached house soon on a few acres. No more ex-council estate hole for me.

Funnily enough, my broadband is better here in the countryside than it was in the city!



But having said that, five years ago I couldn't have imagined writing this or living this. A lot of it is down to personal maturity and preferences.
 
Oh yeah, and one other thing, it's difficult to fully enjoy the fantastic weather in a city. The heat is oppressive in a city and in the suburbs you have to share the neighbours' music. Or hop in a hot car to escape it.
In the countryside, oh it's sooooooo good.
 
Hi,

I grew up in the middle of town. Lived in various cities for a while. There is convenience to living in cities - you don't always need to own a car. Built a house in the country 23 years ago - town is 3 miles away. I love living in the country because less noise, more private, space for children/teenagers. For the moment it suits to live in the country and would not live in town but in another 15/20 years will probably downsize and move back to town for convenience.

Angela59
 
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