Living near people or big separation

[shootingstar]

I like having it all

Oslo is probably a small town to most of you. The town itself is easily bikeable, and from most of the residential areas around Oslo you can also bike into town given just a little bit of oomph.

Surely, lph you don't think North America is full of urban megacities? I bet alot of Europeans and Asians perceive huge hunks of North America as the last stop (next to parts of Africa and central Australia) as having more protected large wild (and some dangerous) animals still running around. (That's reality..for Germans at least.)

Yup, I like having it all, the conveniences within a 15 min. or half hr. walk.

And I have for 3 major cities over 1 million. I grew up in a town at the time, when town was 30,000 and we lived downtown at that time too near bus stop. This is in southern Ontario...in 1960's to 1970's.

I actually don't like sleeping in country homes, that's pitch black. I have done so with friends who live in very rural areas. My partner also had a farm when I initially knew him.

Because I don't have children and have lived alone (without any dogs) at different times in life, I really don't want to sleep in a neighbourhood that is totally pitch black and isolated. I don't feel safe. Forget it.

Limewave, I've in lived in homes that have faced water body (creek in middle of downtown) or river just only a few blocks away or better a huge lake /ocean body just 5 kms. away or less. Living downtown or near a major shopping area in 3 big cities. So have been fortunate with parkland, etc. to give the pseudo country feel.

Of course all of this with bike routes running by home or less than .5 km. away.

[lph]

Surely, lph you don't think North America is full of urban megacities?

Not at all. But Norwegians tend to think of Oslo as The Big City. Most visitors don't
(eta: Jolt, I think the population listed includes suburbs and residential areas quite far away from the town centre, which is pretty compact. But I get your point )

Interesting that you mention feeling unsafe in the countryside at night, in the dark. I feel a lot more unsafe in an urban environment at night. Pitch black woods I feel very safe in.

[Jolt]

Interesting that you mention feeling unsafe in the countryside at night, in the dark. I feel a lot more unsafe in an urban environment at night. Pitch black woods I feel very safe in.

Same here...nobody is around in the middle of nowhere to cause any trouble! I've spent a couple of nights by myself camping (granted, both occasions were in campgrounds so it's not like there wasn't anybody nearby) and felt perfectly comfortable. I feel most unsafe in the middle of big crowds in the city, even during the day--there's the sense that if you needed to get out of a bad situation, it wouldn't be possible because there are a bunch of other (potentially panicked, violent or just clueless) people and no clear path of escape.

[Reesha]

I definitely miss the kind of darkness at night where you can't see your hand stretched out in front of you.

On the other hand, I miss the nights with piercingly bright starlight. I don't get either in St. Louis.

[shootingstar]

The only time I experienced pure night black and stars galore was on top of Mount Kea in Hawaii where there is an research observatory.

But we were outside to see th whole night sky canopy of stars and multiple constellations. It was truly amazing and riveting.

Who would ever have a sky like that often in a residential area?

I understand about feeling threatened in the city but the probability of something happening can be just as real as out on country road with no one to witness anything. In fact there have been several home invasions...in the suburbs for all these cities I've lived ..simply because the homes aren't close to one another and no one is around to hear/see anything during the work week, etc.

The phenomena of gated communities in the U.S. which is much more dominant compared to Canada, reflects that type of perception/reality.

It occurred to me, gated communities in Europe are probably...rare. Though one would have to research this...

[lph]

The only time I experienced pure night black and stars galore was on top of Mount Kea in Hawaii where there is an research observatory.

But we were outside to see th whole night sky canopy of stars and multiple constellations. It was truly amazing and riveting.

That really is an amazing sight One I sometimes see in the mountains in winter, but even there rarely.

[jessmarimba]

I'd like to clarify my answer. If I had my way, I'd live somewhere that if it snowed 2 feet, I could either walk (snowshoe?) or cross-country ski to where I wanted to go. So...remote but close enough to a cluster of important places, or near in to a smaller town. I'm imagining Telluride - without the tourists

I don't like people who drive in snow like it's nothing. I had three morons try to pull out in front of me this morning - fortunately they just spun their tires and no one actually made it, but you can't cut people off in this weather and expect them to be able to stop on a dime!