I have been fortunate to visit several states within the U.S. I have come to the conlcusion that U.S. is almost like a continent, with each state being a different country. My experiences in major cities like New York City and San Francisco as well as states with strong country cultures like Texas and Oklahoma have allowed me to observe both similarities and differences between city and country life.
I have observed cities to be more culturally and ethnically diverse than country towns, and there are several logical explanations for this. First of all, cities tend to be bigger than country towns in terms of land area so they often have bigger and often more diverse populations. There are more economic opportunities in the cities as compared to country towns so the cities are more likely to attract people from other cities and states, even other countries.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Country and City Life in America".
There is more emphasis on traditional occupations in country towns as opposed to cities. Cities are more open to changes that often accompany innovation and economic developments. People in cities are more open to changing careers either due to economic reasons or to achieve higher levels of job fulfillment. I met so many people in New York City and San Francisco who were doing jobs I had never heard about before such as search engine marketing. Some of them had taken new jobs with lower pay levels simply because they hoped the new job would be more fun. In contrast, many people in country towns simply inherit the family business or follow their parents into traditional professions such as farming, running a family restaurant, or working at a local manufacturing facility.
The lifestyle and recreational activities also tend to appear more traditional in country towns as compared to cities. This includes the culture of food and music. There is no shortage of foreign cuisine in cities and it is usually hard to predict the menu of a particular restaurant if one has never been to it before. In contrast, menus at many restaurants in country towns are more predictable because they often include traditional American cuisine such as fried steaks, lamb chops, biscuits and gravy, and different types of barbeque meat. The music preferences also tend to be more diverse in cities as compared to country towns. The residents of country towns are known to have a particular taste for country music where as the more popular music genres in cities are rap, hip hop, pop, and electronic music.
The country towns appeal to those who prefer quiet environment and close community ties. The country towns are less densely populated than cities. In addition, real estate is often much more affordable in country towns as compared to cities so the residents can afford big homes on private lands that many residents in big cities can only dream about. The residents of country towns tend to be less mobile than those in big cities. Living in one place for a long time enables them to form close relationships with neighbors. In addition, residents in country towns also tend to be more religious than those in big cities, and religious places like churches play an important role in strengthening community ties.
City life and country life may have certain similarities but the number of differences seems to outnumber the similarities. Cities tend to be economically more prosperous and culturally more diverse than country towns. Cities also tend to be more open to change than country towns due to economic and social evolutions. Country towns are cheaper to live so they may allow the residents to enjoy more privacy and quieter lives than the residents of cities.
