City vs Country: The Great Debate

The majority of people can remember the time they first heard the tale of “The Town Mouse and the City Mouse,” but nowadays, the paradigms once expressed by the revered Aesop may not reflect the advancements made by society, which have changed lifestyles in both the cities, and the rural country areas. While there are many advocates on both ends of the spectrum, a clear consensus has never truly been reached. While the city is clearly favorable in terms of ease of access, city life triumphs when it comes to costs of living; however, country life cannot provide the diverse experiences city life may, though at the expense of environmental factors.

Availability of resources, be it healthcare, education, or things as simple as groceries, is definitely much more streamlined in the city than in the country. Rural areas may require a person driving miles just to reach their closest neighbor, whereas in a city, there is often a surplus of people located a few steps away. Additionally, in a country, healthcare and emergency medical services may be difficult to come by, if dispersed sparsely throughout the country, while hospitals are easily accessible from most areas of a city. Furthermore, education in cities trumps any potential excellence a homeschooling program can breed. City schools are greatly regulated, and provide a comprehensive education. Then comes the matter of day-to-day commodities, such a gasoline to fuel a car or groceries from the supermarket. In a city, there is usually a convenience store within walking distance, and restaurants close by. In comparison, in the country, it may take an excessive length of time just to find the nearest gas station, and dining out at a restaurant faraway can be almost considered a road t...

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...to grow up in. The air is free of potentially carcinogenic substances and smog, while the produce is more likely to be organic and free of harmful pesticides. Country lifestyles are more in touch with nature and farming as well. This means there is a lower occurrence of allergies, and a safer, cleaner environment. Country places are much safer, and there is more privacy in general, though this may be contested.

All in all, both the city lifestyle and the country lifestyle have their respective perspectives, each with their own positive and detrimental factors. While the city life involves easier accessibility to essential services and an appealing range of experiences, the country life is much less expensive and naturally a better environment. All in all, the tale of “The Town Mouse and the City Mouse” provides only one side of a story that has no clear consensus.