Big Cities – Time to leave?

During the past decade or more, younger people have been flocking to the big city. They want the excitement of bars and clubs. High Tech companies pay good salaries and while most can not buy home they are satisfied.

Many are just out of Mon and Dads basement and the freedom of roaming the city with it’s great entertainment options is too inviting to pass up. Living in a very small apartment, sleeping on the couch and doubling upon are something young people can manage.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Mellennials have started to leave the big city. The high cost seems to be the primary reason but I suspect after the Coronavirus subsides some will leave because of crowding and other issues they have experienced during this time.

As we have found with the Covid-19 virus, there is a dark side to living so close together. Resources are scarce, food can be in short supply as we have seen and being stuck in a 300 sq ft box with two dogs can be difficult lis best.

Living in a big city does have its perks but this dark side will keep people thinking about their choices. When they check with people who live in the suburbs or more rural areas, they find that the stores were fairly well stocked and there were perhaps few if any lines.

Social distancing was easier to accomplish and perhaps the bigger benefit is that you could go outside without bumping into your neighbors. The chances of you contracting the virus seems at this writing to be lower outside of large cities than it does in them.

Look at New York. Packed with people and no where to escape. Even walking the dog comes with risks since so many are walking dogs or getting one to walk.

Young people may decide to stay when the virus passes but older people, those in their 40’s plus may want to reconsider where they want to live. As we get older the allure of clubs and exciting venues diminishes. So many people do not even consider why they are living in a very expensive place, the reasons faded years ago.

With the advent of the Covid-19 virus and the potential that there could be more even deadlier bugs in the future, perhaps we need to rethink packing people into big cities. Individuals should consider why the are stying.

I am not opposed to large cities, I think they are interesting places to visit. Before the virus, I may have wanted to live in one. There are few that I would choose because of my health and safety but none the less, perhaps there are some nice things to say about the environment.

After the Virus, any thoughts of living in a large city are gone from my head forever. Even some of the crowded suburbs are not suitable for prolonged health in such an environment. Just too many people wanting few goods and services. That’s not even looking at other reasons to flee the crowds.

The cost of living is highest in densely populated areas. If you can work from home or get a job in a less populated area why not. You may find that clean air is a good thing.

Case in point. I moved from Southern California which is largely overbuilt. Too much traffic (distances is measured in time not miles), pollution, everything is too expensive and taxes are always on the rise. I was told by many people who live there that food was scarce for a while. Rationing in many places.

I now live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where we did not run out of food. People were not fighting each other, we have no crowds and homes are not stacked on top of each other. Our beaches are so wide and long that most of the population can walk without contacting anyone else.

We have great medical care, several hospitals and the doctors are almost all educated in the U.S. I have no fear of not receiving the best medical care should I fall prey to the Virus.

This is not an article designed to have the entire population of New York or any large are to move out. Frankly, I like my area as it is, not crowded. it’s just that after a disaster such as this one, people will start to think about what is best for them. Without doubt there are many other thinking exactly what I an writing about here.

If your kids are living in the big city, you may want to convince them to get a job in a safer environment. While this plague hits older people rather than younger, the next one could be the opposite as has happened before.

Just something to consider while you are climbing the walls in your 300 square foot apartment with two dogs. By the way do you have windows?