Hands down, Rural! I know that is not one of the choices, but you couldn't drag me to live in town for no love of money, Urban or Suburban.

Suburban for me. I am close to everything, shopping, doctors, hospital, entertainment, parks etc. If I would ever need to go into downtown Atlanta I would get on I75. Fight the traffic all the way who wants that. lol I have also lived in Houston and we also lived in the suburbs there too. I wouldn't want to live in the city but the suburbs are getting busier and busier. Mary

I live in an apartment in the suburbs. If I could afford it..I'd rather live in a high rise apt downtown. I can be happy in the burbs...couldn't handle the country at all. Well maybe if I had maids and farm hands lol

I have a house on the edge of town, on top of a steep hill, with open wooded acreage behind it. If I descend the hill 1.3 miles, then I'm smack dab in the middle of a busy little town. Two miles down the road and I'm at a major shopping center. Sort of the best of both worlds....

Suburbs for me. When I was in my 20s, I lived in San Francisco and it was fun at the time. I spent this weekend in Kansas City and had a great time but I was happy to get home to Iowa. I love living in a college town.

Urban. Nothing but urban and in historic homes. The bigger the city, the better!

I dust my car off on weekends for errand running and rely on public transit and my feet the rest of the time.

Suburban

I always wanted to live in the country, but not in Kansas, it's flat and windy with dirt blowing in the country. Now I would like the country in hilly area like Arkansas.

Suburban....all my life, although I have some of my fondest memories of weekends at my grandparents in south Philly.

emma Kansas sure isn't as flat a Illinois! we live in a urban area not exactly by choice but it was the most house we could afford in the school dist. we had told to get the kids into...and was very easy commute for dh to the offices he's worked at over the years...and now with mortgage is paid, we'll stay here as long as we're able....my fave home we'd had over the 45 years we been married was in Washington state...while a sub of sorts, we were on a tiny private drive of 3 homes...of course now the empty section that was, is a housing tract, so???

I would prefer rural, but do enjoy the amenities of suburbanite living. In our last rural home, we had only satellite internet and that won't work for me. I need either cable or fiber optic internet to be able to work from home.

Rural if I could live anywhere.

Suburban all the way-manicured lawns and all !

I like rural and up to a few years ago I'd have preferred to live rural, preferably in the woods on a lake, but as I get older and less mobile, the burbs are a definite advantage. Still would like to go to a small town that has some to many of the conveniences I like about suburban life. Urban is too crowded and hassle-filled for me. Not that I don't like the urban scene at all but waaaaaay to many disadvantages for me now. Nice place to visit but I've never wanted to live there. And still don't.

I lived in the country for 25 years, after growing up in small town Germany.... but now live in the city, and love it. I can get all around on my bike, groceries, movies, post office, Y and even work without using the car. Big bonus, in my opinion.

Moni

For me, its small town Urban with a larger city within 39 miles.

I have all the benefits of city living without the crowds, noise, and high taxes. I have city water an sewer, mid to high speed internet, 17 TV stations I can get by broadcast, a decent grocery store within 5 blocks, a larger grocery store 1 miles away, dentist and doctor offices within 3/4 mile, 3 filling stations within 1 mile, and 2 auto repair garages, village hall and library within 1/2 mile, There are 5 fast food places, 4 banks, and one stock broker within 1 mile. I addition to these, there is an assisted living facility and senior apartments. What's missing is entertainment establishments other than sport bars. If I have to, I can live quite well without moving my car as long as I can walk at least a mile. I also have police and fire protection including full time EMTs.

As I get older, having community services nearby gains importance, especially if it comes with a reasonable tax bill.

Suburban. Best of both city and country living. Real city less than an hour away, our "city" is about 15 minutes and country is less than 20 minutes. Know our neighbors, quiet safe streets and fenced yards for privacy. I like being able to go and find stores/eateries open 24/7. Love to visit small towns, wouldn't want to live there. The roll the sidewalks up so early would get to me. I also live close to several options for excellent medical care.

I live in a log home facing a brook on 25 acres. Our driveway is 1/2 mile long and our closest neighbors a bit more than that. I LOVE the quiet of the woods :) Closest city is a 45 minute drive & I am fine with that.

I live on two acres of pine trees at the edge of a small city. There are woods behind me but the city is coming this way fast. I have only to go two miles to find restaurants and shops of all kinds. Since nature and gardening (and reading) are my passions and since I grew up in a rural area, I would love to go back to rural living. Rural living would give me more space to pursue nature studies and the urge to grow and propagate plants.

I live on 6 acres of woods, a stream, and room for a great big garden and chickens. Rural, never again will I live in town. Lived there but did not like it or want it. I am not that far from small towns, hospital and such.

Sue in Central Indiana

DH and I are lifelong suburban Chicagoans. Neither of us has lived in a home or apartment where we couldn't step out the door into a yard. When DH retired, we no longer needed to live within an hour's commute of the city. Mall sprawl, road and air traffic and pollution were irritants.

We were then living 16 miles north of the city. I got in the car and drove north along Lake Michigan, stopping to listen for airplanes. Another 16 miles out I found quiet and a pretty, historic town -- still on a commuter rail line, 40 minutes from O'Hare, within easy reach of excellent medical facilities and social activities. We were unsuccessful in finding an existing "Small single-floor house with big rooms" in that town. We finally bought a teardown on a quiet lane, only three minutes from town, and we built exactly what we wanted. Our neighborhood feels more rural than suburban, with some historic homes on five-plus acres and none on less than one acre.

We enjoy thee seasons here and escape the worst of winter in a small condo on Maui.

I like suburban living for all it conveniences but love having two big cities nearby that offer a host of opportunities. I lived in downtown Boston for several years before I was married and visit my daughters in NYC often. I don't think I could handle rural living.

I could never do rural, but our county has grown so much in the 30 years we've lived here when we retire I would like to find a place that isn't as crowded and has less traffic. I think living in a big city is fun in terms of walking out your door to restaurants, shops, museums, etc....not so much for lugging home groceries, driving, parking. I'd certainly be more fit living in the city walking everywhere! I live in a regular neighborhood in suburbia, but have woods in our back so I get my nature fix. I think suburban living is easier and more convenient......stores,, restaurants, doctors, hospitals, etc within a 5-15 minute drive. I wouldn't want to live in the country where I would have to drive 1/2 hour or more for groceries and have to always plan my outings in advance to cut down on all the driving into town.

Grew up on a farm nearby, have lived on what was step-uncle's farm for 10 years, have a garden, landlord cuts grass, clears long lane (most of the time - had some fun being almost stuck ... and stuck to needing shovelling ... recently). I have as large a garden as I can handle (anything up to a mile and a half of row) ... which was something of a fiasco, last year.

Eight miles to a village, 15 - 20 miles to a city, and as I'm concerned about over-use of petroleum, I try to cut down on trips (and often coast to signal lights or downhill, unless another car is ready to crawl up my tailpipe) ... or claim to.

I figure that I can live here as long as I can drive ... 'cause hitch-hiking in a snowstorm in mid-Feb. isn't recommended.

ole joyfuelled ... did someone say that folks past 40 aren't supposed to shovel snow?

Small town, village, rural - no way Jose. I'd never even consider an "outlying" suburb.

For my taste, "urban" doesn't necessarily require high density. I grew up in a large city (LA) that's very urban but mostly not dense but for a few commercial centers. I live several hundred miles north of there now. I enjoy having access to good quality entertainment and cultural events, sporting events, restaurants, and (usually) competent service providers, most of which are rarely available in less populated areas. Also, areas with vibrant economies and job opportunities tend to attract people from diverse backgrounds who are better educated, more worldly, and consequently more interesting than one finds in small towns and rural areas. Those are the kind of people I prefer to spend time with. Sorry, no insult intended, that's just who I am.

More of our vacation trips are spent visiting cities than not.

I prefer living in the suburbs, but close to a big city.

I always lived in a small town growing up. When I got married we moved to the country. I hated it for many years. Now after living here for 45 years I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.. The only way I would ever move back in town is if something happened to my spouse.

When we were younger, we loved living in the rural/country area with lots of acreage. Now that we are older we are in the suburbs on only 1 acre. There is no way I could stand to live in the city. I'm still a country gal through and through and always will be.

I live in a rural area about 45 minutes from a very large city....Houston, Texas. I am off the "beaten path"...in an area that is off of main highways and across several bayous. I wouldn't live in the city for all the cows in Texas and I cringe at the idea of living in a subdivision. I don't have any close neighbors...can't see another house from where I live, although they aren't really that far away. If I need to go to the city, it isn't that far away. Between Houston and Galveston there are multiple smaller cities with many opportunities for shopping, whatever. The older I get the less I feel the need to interact with the more worldly, better educated and diverse populations. I am happy to be out here in the boondocks by myself.

Snidely -- So what's with all those crime novels set in LA? LOL Just fiction, eh?

chisue - help me, i don't understand your comment.

marilyn, you seem to know what makes you happy and you can accomplish that, that's all that matters.

But I have to say that there are many who have a different view. There's a growing trend of empty-nesters who choose to move to condos or high-rise urban apartments to end their years of home maintenance and to have more flexibility for travel. It's been a reverse exodus of sorts FROM the suburbs to center city locations where people find easier access to activities and services they want to enjoy in retirement. I know a number of people who have done this. Or, who have bought in-town apartments so that they can enjoy in-town activities without having to drive home immediately afterwards. The growth of retirement communities also speaks to many who want to interact with others in a more organized way. But it's not for everyone and, apparently, not for you.

Rural here, too. I find people interesting and friendly. I think one usually finds whatever one expects to find.

Rural for me.