Deromanticizing Big City Living

People all across the globe dream of moving to a big city and striking gold. Songs like “Empire State of Mind” and “New York, New York” romanticize the lifestyle associated with big city living. But what is seldom talked about is the harsh realities people face every day while living in these skyscraper-filled towns.

Of course, there are cons that people are aware of before moving to a big city: the high cost of living, lack of space, parking issues, high crime rates, crowds and many more. However, people do not understand the magnitude of these problems — how hard it can be to live with them on a day-to-day basis. Plus, there are a plethora of other problems people do not even consider until it is too late.

Crowds are one of the biggest problems associated with big city living that people may not understand the degree to which it could affect them. Lines are everywhere! The grocery store, the gas station, the mall— they all have lines, no matter what. Moving to a big city means allocating one’s time to consider these lines. No longer can one make a “quick trip” to the grocery store, now one must consider how long the wait in line will be.

Another con of big city living that will force one to reallocate their time is the parking issue. Now, this may not be a problem in New York, but places like Los Angeles and Dallas are riddled with cars. One must be prepared to spend a significant amount of time looking for and paying for parking everywhere they go.

The most known con of big city living is the lack of space and high cost of living. People love to think they would be perfectly okay living in a shoebox apartment that they pay $1500 a month for. Until they actually do it. Now, it is possible to do this, but lots of people are not used to living in such a small space. It is hard to have a pet, hard to find places to store one’s things and hard to justify spending so much money on such a small apartment (most likely with no washer, dryer or sometimes even no oven).

Try falling asleep to the musical sounds of sirens and horns. It is not easy! The noise associated with big cities is another monster issue one will have to face — unless one lives on the 25th floor. It is common to live in a 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th-floor walkup (meaning there is no elevator, so one will have to walk up the stairs each time they arrive and depart). This means getting used to the constant sounds of cars passing by, instead of birds chirping.

One may be used to breathing fresh clean air and seeing a variety of nature every day — say goodbye to that! Big cities are filled with skyscrapers, garbage and pollution that could take a toll on one’s health. One must be prepared to change their lifestyle to accommodate this, or they may be sad and unhealthy in their new home.

ART DIRECTOR TARA ALDABAGH MODELS EVELYN MURRAY & VIRGINIA BOUTWELL

If an individual happens to struggle with anxiety, big city living can potentially make it worse. People who struggle with anxiety regarding crime and violence may find the high crime rates alarming and a trigger for their anxiety. People who struggle with anxiety regarding crowds and social situations may find the high population rates and dense concentration of people in one city to also be triggering.

In addition, although big cities are highly populated, they can feel extremely lonely. People who struggle with depression may find themselves feeling alone because they have no support system in place in their new city. It can be hard to form real friendships in a place where the population is so dense and where people are constantly on the go.

This has been quite a brutal analysis of big city living. However, there are cons associated with all types of living situations; these are just a few to note for big city living. It is important to not get caught up in the magic and realize that big cities are not a healthy living situation for everyone. Some individuals may find the pros of big cities outweigh the cons detailed above, and that is fantastic. But some should realize they listened to “New York, New York” a few too many times. In reality, it is all up to the person, and they should carefully analyze their personal routine to see if they are the best fit for big city living.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SALLY FINNIN WRITTEN BY MICHAELA HAGEL DESIGNER AUTUMN SOUCY