I am one of a few Challenge Detroit fellows to have grown up in an apartment, and lived in a major city for my whole life. I grew up in Manhattan in New York City, spent a summer living in Berlin, and spent a few weeks in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. I have also been to many major U.S. cities and spent a lot of time in Chicago. From all of those experiences I have come up with my top five reasons to live in a city.
Top Five Reasons to live in a city:
- You’re Close Everything – Everything is usually centered around the city and usually downtown or in Europe the city center, and when you live in the city you’re that much closer usually within walking distance or nice bike ride. The denser the city, the closer everything becomes meaning you should be in walking distance from many stores and activities.
- Public Transportation– Okay, so this one isn’t that great in Detroit, but hey we’ve got the M-1 and some busses going for us….which is nice. Most other cities have an extensive public transportation system, which means you do not need to own a car or have to worry about driving home after a late night.
- Food– When you live in a big city, there are numerous food options especially many different types of ethnic foods. Many Places also tend to be open late and deliver, so that late night pizza is just a phone call away.
- Culture– When you live in the city, you’re in the cultural hub of your region. In cities you’re exposed to many different people that come from all different backgrounds and all walks of life. There’s plenty of art and entertainment that results from that, and when you live there, you’re a whole lot closer to it.
- There’s something for everyone– When you live around so many people, there are an unlimited amount of different interests. You’ll have no problem finding with similar interests or picking up a new hobby. Social sites like Meetup can help you find groups to suit your interests like the Detroit Drunken historical society, and the Detroit Standup paddleboard club just to name a couple.
There’s plenty of other good reasons to live in cities too, I am constantly out of my comfort zone, and have new experiences that make it worthwhile. Maybe one day I’ll wake up and want to move to the suburbs but until then I’ll be making the most of my city living.