<p>I live in a small city and when my kids were in HS I didn't put 100 miles on my car in a week, let alone in a day driving kids to activities! I can walk to post office, shopping center, library, all my Dr's plus a major walk-in medical facility, good local public transportation and a neighborhood train station which links to a superb public transportation system which goes outside my city and links to international airports, etc. My neighborhood is very diverse both in terms of income (single family homes, upscale condo buildings, public housing) as well as other demographics. We have a huge and increasing immigrant pupulation which means lots of other diversity as well, including exotic shopping/eating options, interesting neighbors who bring a lot of energy and vitality to the area, etc. </p>
<p>I hope to retire to some place bucolic, but my kids got an education just walking to the library or dentist after school. I would not have wanted them to spend their childhoods strapped into a minivan.</p>
<p>My experience is like Blossom's. We drive under 5000 miles a year, and that includes vacations. For years and years we only had one car (with three drivers, we now have two). It is heavenly being able to walk everywhere, to the library, post office, bank. I do light grocery shopping on foot, several times a week, and always the farmer's market on foot. I see people, talk, schmooze. </p>
<p>We are walking distance to our schools and many activities, and I am also glad not to have spent the last 15 years driving my kids around. I have friends who have to drive everywhere, even for a bottle of milk or a stamp.</p>
<p>Plus, I love public transportation, and my kids have been on buses and subways for years.</p>
<p>Not small town, but it works for me.</p>
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[quote]
A good friend of mine grew up in northern New Hampshire. He attended a one room schoolhouse. The teacher identified him pretty quickly as a smart little boy and left him alone in the back of the class to read whatever he wanted.
He later attended Exeter on scholarship, Harvard, and became a Rhodes Scholar.
He feels his one room schoolhouse experience was by far the most important to his development, and is critical of conventional education.
[/quote]
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<p>My husband has said to me many times, when we were considering schools for our kids, that you can learn tons even if your school is a patch of grass under a palm tree somewhere in Africa. It is the teacher that makes a difference.</p>
<p>Blossom....many people would not want to live here! There are pros and cons of every situation and personal preferences. </p>
<p>Smiling...we don't have a mini van. Anyway, our times in the car actually were rather good (just a lot of time on the parent end). I can think of a college essay in which my D described transversing the state and changing from ski racer to All State musican enroute, which was very typical. Our car was a dressing room, study hall (laptops), sometimes restaurant (no fast food exists here, however....so we are talking good food, LOL), rehearsal space (I can't tell you of the song rehearsals with my D) and valuable parent-child conversation contact! Plus the scenery is grand and NO traffic. I never truly minded all the schlepping. We saw all of their events and many of their activities as we could not drop them off if it was far away. Parents all socialized at this time while the kids were in the activity, and this was also a social time for the kids in their activities as you don't play outside on the street with "neighbors" here. It is a big commitment for parents here but that is the lifestyle....parents here are at all these things as they have to take their kids. </p>
<p>Allmusic....food shopping is just five minutes away (a couple of miles) but I only shop once per week and always have. My rural town is a very atypical VT rural town in that we have many services that a regular town of this size would not have due to the type of population that lives here and the fact that it is a resort area and also many second home owners. Fine restaurants abound, for instance. However, I don't envy the families who drive up here every weekend from Boston or NY (or similar) to ski or to their vacation home, as for us, it is all out our door. </p>
<p>Here you go into town, everyone knows your face (sometimes I am not sure the names of who approaches me but they all know me because it is so small). We never deal with traffic, rarely with crime, and no hustle and bustle. There is also a very clear sense of community and involvement here. When my D had her accident, the whole town knew and we'd get calls and inquiries by everyone in the community in the aftermath. It just is that kind of place. </p>
<p>Different strokes. Also advantages and disadvantages of all situations.</p>
<p>SOOZIEVT - I have been reading your posts and have become just a bit homesick LOL - for my very small town in VT - where we lived for several years - my DS was born in VT - and it still holds a very special place in my heart. The one thing that I loved about living small town was that it helped us to become a part of a community - and wonderfully warm one - who helped and supported each other in many ways. It was a place I would still go back to - if I ever headed north again - because of that.</p>
<p>Yes there are disadvantages to being a small-towner - but there are also tremendous advantages as well - many of which you have already stated. We did go the big-town route for a while - out of necessity - and then by choice went back to a small-town home - a place where my kids could be kids and yet have the advantages of what was around us - much different from the big-town experience we have had.</p>
<p>We are at the other end of the New England map - also in a resort area - and when the season ends - and the population shrinks back to that small-town atmosphere - I just love it :)</p>
<p>JeepMom, I think I am in your area at the moment and it is the same idea. Very small town living is not for all people but I am glad our kids grew up in such an atmosphere. Every situation has its pros and cons. By the way, while my kids grew up in a rural area, one is currently in Paris and one in NYC and it couldn't be more different in terms of the environment in which they were raised. Each love it. But each also love back home for different reasons. My D who is in Manhattan and in love with it, texted me the other night here on my vacation in your neck of the woods/beach, and even though I know she loves being in the city a REAL LOT, she said she missed Vermont and she missed where I am at the moment on vacation where she has been many times in the past. I think where you likely live (guessing) and where I live, are very special places.</p>
<p>..........I think where you likely live (guessing) and where I live, are very special places.............</p>
<p>And I think I would agree Soozievt :D</p>