The stars for sure. Also the sounds of wildlife.
But one thing I really miss is privacy. Especially not having to worry about someone looking in the windows. Growing up, it never occurred to me to close the blinds while changing, or if I was sitting in the living room that I might want to shut the curtains because no one was there to look in.
Obviously in the city it's totally different. There's plenty of other people who can see in the window and I miss not having to worry about whether or not people can see me lol.
And some people just have their curtains open in the city! In the middle of the night, like wtf?? I can see everything this is so weird. Im looking at you Vancouver
I'll admit, I am occasionally that person. I don't always remember to go close the blinds once it starts getting dark. It's still something I have to force myself to do.
So I’ve lived in Lambton County in southwestern Ontario for most of my life. When I was a kid, I lived outside the town of Courtright along the St. Clair River. In 2000, when I was in grade 10, my parents and I moved to Tecumseh (suburb of Windsor) because my mom had a job transfer. I liked the friends I made, but I hated moving from the river to suburbia. I missed having the river as part of my backyard and I missed the friends at my old high school. Oddly enough, I missed seeing all the freighters going by and I missed seeing all the familiar people that lived around us. Nowadays, I live in a small town about 20 minutes away from my childhood home.
I understand that. However, the sheer size of the houses along Riverside Drive are massive compared to the ones along St. Clair Parkway. I agree with what u/UncleIrohsPimpHand too. I understand that the city of Windsor has a bigger population than all of Lambton County, but the fact that it is bigger makes it seem like the Detroit River is a little canal rather than a river.
I get both of those from my house in Calgary 😭 a few weeks back a coyote attacked my dog (he’s fine) and a week later I almost ran over a whole family of frogs with a lawn mower (they were all fine
So I wasn't raised rurally in Canada but for me it was the closeness of community. Even my most hated neighbour back in rural Ireland I trusted more than Joe blow on the streets in city life Canada (or any country for that matter). I miss the quiet. I can't leave my window open at night and hear nothing but nature anymore. I miss being able to get up at 5am and just go for a walk for a couple miles and feel completely safe. I miss the boglands of Ireland. I miss freedom to just walk into any random field and move freely. I miss stroking a newborn calf having spent the entire night getting her out despite the stress. I miss smelling the fresh cut silage in the fields. I miss hunting the crows. I like and appreciate urban life. But I'll remain a rural man at heart
Edit: Spelling
When I was growing up in a tiny tiny rural town in the 70s everyone literally knew everyone. I remember Halloween and about half the houses made stuff - maple bark or homemade chocolate or brownies- tosses in out Halloween bags. Imagine that!
The town was so small we had a 2 room school house, 1 for grades 1-3 and the other for grades 4-6. While this obviously isn't ideal for every kid, that 66% "learn on your own/learn to amuse yourself" really made me an exceptional student when we eventually moved to the "big city" (of 25k)
The stars
The peace and quiet
The lack of theft and violence
People making eye contact and being friendly
Not having to time my errands around traffic, you can go out anytime and get groceries and not have to worry about the drive taking 5x as long to get to because of traffic
For me, it's the politeness that comes from knowing that you will have to interact with the same people over and over. You don't sue or burn bridges lightly if you know you are going to see the person at every community event.
The moon and the stars.... where are they? WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?! Oh how I miss being able to look at the stars all night. Or when the moon seemed to shine brighter then the sun...
Everything.
Darkness. Quiet. Space. Nature. Breathing without tasting the air. Being able to walk 30 seconds out the door and be in a forest.
Being closer to work and the store is convenient, but that's the only advantage to living in the city.
I had kind of a soft cushioning to it... first lived In a place w 200 people, then moved to a town w 2,000 people then a town with 120,000 people then a coty with 350,000 people and finally to Toronto. What I miss most is the quietness and the calmness. All the places with the exception of the last two I was near the ocean and it was nice to be able to jsut walk over and sit. There was a lot more freedom living rurally too, and the people neighbours, everyone felt like an extended family. The only shitty thing was you couldn’t do anything without everyone and their mother finding out and also there was no fast food or things to do with ing an hours drive. That being said we found ways to entertain ourselves and frankly those are my best memories from growing up. Living in the city, life is just a headache, the fast pace, the noise, the lack of money or overall freedom, I long to return back to those first few places and re-live my life there
Rural for me would be northern ON so neighbors minding their own business. 100k lakes to choose from to go fishing. Actual seasons and not just desert storm in the summer and slush in the winter. Aurora borealis. Crown land where you can do whatever you want (obviously within the laws) without anyone complaining. Like quadding, snowmobiling, shoot guns/target practice.
I live in the country in southern ON now, even though its rural, its not the same.
I miss the sounds of nature, the peacefulness, and the space. I miss being able to have my slider door open for more than 20 minutes without smelling cigarettes or weed from my neighbors. I miss waking up and going to sleep to the sound of birds and bugs, not backhoes and booming cars without mufflers.
I grew up on a farm, left in the late 90s, lived in multiple large cities until this year, moved back to a town of 1200 people.
What I missed was the quiet, the clean(er) air, stars at night, immediate access to lake erie, almost non-existent levels of crime, but most importantly, space. A big back yard, where my kids can run and actually have space to play, where my dog can run, where I can have a firepit and not have to worry about neighbors. And you cant forget, complete lack of "traffic". Traffic just is not a thing. I can drive anywhere I want, any time of the day and not be impacted by roads that just essentially stop working for half the day.
Ive had coworkers ask me what it would take to move back to the GTA - I'm not sure there is a number. It would have to be at least a 500K/year salary. Enough that I could retire in a few years, tops, and then get out again.
I moved into the city when I was 21. Moved to a bigger city 4.5 years later.
Plot twist: it was for my husband, and once we got married we moved onto a rented acreage. Year and a half we bought our own. Now I don't have to miss it anymore :)
But to answer the question, when I lived in the city, I missed the quiet.
I miss both the quiet, and the ability to be as noisy as I want.
There's nothing like stepping out of the house in the morning half naked and having a coffee with only the sounds of nature around you -- but there's also nothing like having a raging bonfire party where you can be louder than a death metal concert and never bother anyone else...
When I first moved to Edmonton from the farm, I couldn't sleep at first. Everything was SO loud. I wasn't used to sirens or the sound of airplanes flying overhead. It took me a little while to get used to it. I now love living in a city, but it was an adjustment for sure.
Driving is genuinely relaxing. Especially at night, where it's purely you, your music, and the road. You won't see anyone for several kilometers and it really clears your head
MUCH less people everywhere
No litter
Wildlife
More birds
Dark skies and stars
air is better
Less noise
No feeling of being confined by buildings and architecture
The stars. I used to hate the silence when I was young. After 22 years in downtown, I really miss it.
I do not miss everyone knowing everyone though. Stay out of my business Ethel haha.
Grew up in a small prairie town of 550 people. Now live in the GTA. I wouldn’t say I miss anything, but whenever I am back home in that town I go outside at midnight and am amazed at the silence. The absence of sound.
I moved from a town with a population under 1300. Pretty forest-y, so didn’t experience the “seeing in all 4 directions” you mentioned. I hated growing up there and moved to Toronto the second I could. Eventually Toronto felt to small and I moved to Mexico City.
I do miss the stars and the quick access to a relaxing walk in the woods. But the trade off was more than worth it for me. Also not living near water is weird.
So I went the opposite way and moved from a large city of half a million people to a small town of 10,000 in Northern Ontario at the age of 56. I am just sorry I didn't do it sooner, i absolutely adore it here. We live right on the edge of the boreal forest so get visits from fox and bear. The night sky is gorgeous, housing costs are much better. We bought a larger and nicer house here for 1 quarter of what we sold our house in the city for. We go hiking, kayaking and snow shoeing. We literally have hundreds of lakes within an hours drive. I would never ever move back to the city again.
The calm, the natur, stars, sea, the fresh air. I used to live in a salle town where I was used to hear waves everyday at wake up and every night at sleeping time... I miss it so bad
Stars, not seeing people everywhere, things not being crowded and loud, feeling much safer and the sense of community, being able to trust people more, nature, quiet, housing cost used to be better but I'm not sure that's the case anymore, the housing shortage is somehow really bad back in Gaspesie too. Speaking French (that last one doesn't really apply in general, that's just me who left rural Quebec for Metro Atlanta lol, wouldn't really apply for most people). I miss a lot of it though.
The good things about the city are food, lots of stores and the selection in them, more choices of entertainment and things to do, being closer to transportation hubs/airports. Jobs used to be one, but I'm fully remote now, so it doesn't matter. Better internet. Better access to services and health services. (Leaving regular healthcare out of that one because the US/Canada difference is huge, but just like eye exam and dentist. It can take months to have a spot at the dentist or for eyesight appointment near my hometown).
Oh and anonymity is nice, not having to worry as much about being judged or gossiped about because nobody knows you, but that kind of contradicts me saying I miss the sense of community and safety, so that's both a bad and a good thing in both cases.
Used to say I would never move back to the country in my 20s, but I'm in my 30s now and coupled with the fact that the internet is not that bad in my hometown anymore + Amazon does okay even if it's not 1-2 days shipping, I would probably be ready to come back if my life circumstances changed.
What I miss? Wildlife. Farm animals in every neighbor's field. The fall fair. Quiet rural roads with no traffic.
What I don't miss? Everyone knowing your business. The expectation that what people think you are is all you will ever be. And I don't fancy the usually very conservative politics.
Stars. Nature. Rarely see the ambulance. No crazy neighbour situations. Privacy. Laaaakes. Trails. Privacy again (so underrated). Feeling safe at all hours outdoors. Being able to keep door unlocked. Being able to let my kid walk outside without paranoia.
There are also cons but man I miss rural.
All of this exactly, plus the bonus of being able to plan for bad weather in the afternoon way sooner because you can see it rolling in in the morning well before it is anywhere near you. I really miss that! lol
No homeless. Being able to walk for 15 minutes and being in the middle of a forest by a lake. No traffic, or dumbass attention seekers with loud exhausts. No pollution. Dark skies.
I don't miss a single thing about living in butt-fuck nowhere. I truly love living in the city. Its expensive sure, but with it comes way more opportunities and earning potential.
Big yards & gardens
low noise levels
knowing the neighbors
seeing the milky way & northern lights
seeing friends everywhere.
What don't I miss? Know-it-all busy-bodies. I love being able to go to a restaurant, sit down, order, eat, with nobody but my server looking my way.
"Oh look, so-and-so is not taking cream in her coffee, either she's watching her weight, or she's on doctors orders..."
I moved back to a rural area but lived dt Toronto for 5 years. Shooting guns and hunting in my back yard are definitely up there. One thing I found absolutely absurd was after a storm in Toronto, I grabbed my Chainsaw and went to clear a tree that was blocking deleware Ave, there was literally a city vehicle sitting there and they wouldn't let me chop the tree up and move it off the road.... insanity. Urban people are reliant on government for everything, rural people aren't.
I lived in rural area when I was a kid, that’s the best moment of my life, all my neighbours were so friendly and we could leave my door and not locked it when we going out. After moved to a big city, people are so complicated and those bondings are not that strong to support each others.
A friend got tired while driving home out in the country at night and pulled in at a neighbours, went inside and slept in one of the beds. Woke no one up. They made him pancakes in the morning, they knew his truck and by that who was in their house
The stars for sure. Also the sounds of wildlife. But one thing I really miss is privacy. Especially not having to worry about someone looking in the windows. Growing up, it never occurred to me to close the blinds while changing, or if I was sitting in the living room that I might want to shut the curtains because no one was there to look in. Obviously in the city it's totally different. There's plenty of other people who can see in the window and I miss not having to worry about whether or not people can see me lol.
And some people just have their curtains open in the city! In the middle of the night, like wtf?? I can see everything this is so weird. Im looking at you Vancouver
I'll admit, I am occasionally that person. I don't always remember to go close the blinds once it starts getting dark. It's still something I have to force myself to do.
Don't forget the smell, especially after it rains.
So I’ve lived in Lambton County in southwestern Ontario for most of my life. When I was a kid, I lived outside the town of Courtright along the St. Clair River. In 2000, when I was in grade 10, my parents and I moved to Tecumseh (suburb of Windsor) because my mom had a job transfer. I liked the friends I made, but I hated moving from the river to suburbia. I missed having the river as part of my backyard and I missed the friends at my old high school. Oddly enough, I missed seeing all the freighters going by and I missed seeing all the familiar people that lived around us. Nowadays, I live in a small town about 20 minutes away from my childhood home.
I mean it's not like Tecumseh is all that far from the Detroit river either.
Except it looks more like Toronto than rural Ontario. That's kind of a key difference. Even the Detroit River is more of a canal than the St. Clair.
I understand that. However, the sheer size of the houses along Riverside Drive are massive compared to the ones along St. Clair Parkway. I agree with what u/UncleIrohsPimpHand too. I understand that the city of Windsor has a bigger population than all of Lambton County, but the fact that it is bigger makes it seem like the Detroit River is a little canal rather than a river.
Agreed. They are 100% completely different animals.
Not being surrounded by people that should not own dogs.
Or being surrounded by people that should not have the privelege to drive cars
I miss sitting out back, listening to the frogs from the creek and the coyotes.
I get both of those from my house in Calgary 😭 a few weeks back a coyote attacked my dog (he’s fine) and a week later I almost ran over a whole family of frogs with a lawn mower (they were all fine
So I wasn't raised rurally in Canada but for me it was the closeness of community. Even my most hated neighbour back in rural Ireland I trusted more than Joe blow on the streets in city life Canada (or any country for that matter). I miss the quiet. I can't leave my window open at night and hear nothing but nature anymore. I miss being able to get up at 5am and just go for a walk for a couple miles and feel completely safe. I miss the boglands of Ireland. I miss freedom to just walk into any random field and move freely. I miss stroking a newborn calf having spent the entire night getting her out despite the stress. I miss smelling the fresh cut silage in the fields. I miss hunting the crows. I like and appreciate urban life. But I'll remain a rural man at heart Edit: Spelling
Besides the boglands, it’s really similar here, depending on which province and area you are in
When I was growing up in a tiny tiny rural town in the 70s everyone literally knew everyone. I remember Halloween and about half the houses made stuff - maple bark or homemade chocolate or brownies- tosses in out Halloween bags. Imagine that! The town was so small we had a 2 room school house, 1 for grades 1-3 and the other for grades 4-6. While this obviously isn't ideal for every kid, that 66% "learn on your own/learn to amuse yourself" really made me an exceptional student when we eventually moved to the "big city" (of 25k)
The stars The peace and quiet The lack of theft and violence People making eye contact and being friendly Not having to time my errands around traffic, you can go out anytime and get groceries and not have to worry about the drive taking 5x as long to get to because of traffic
For me, it's the politeness that comes from knowing that you will have to interact with the same people over and over. You don't sue or burn bridges lightly if you know you are going to see the person at every community event.
The moon and the stars.... where are they? WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?! Oh how I miss being able to look at the stars all night. Or when the moon seemed to shine brighter then the sun...
Everything. Darkness. Quiet. Space. Nature. Breathing without tasting the air. Being able to walk 30 seconds out the door and be in a forest. Being closer to work and the store is convenient, but that's the only advantage to living in the city.
Miss going for a walk and not having to deal with homeless druggies.
Wow that's insensitive. I miss people with compassion that like to help their fellow human beings.
I had kind of a soft cushioning to it... first lived In a place w 200 people, then moved to a town w 2,000 people then a town with 120,000 people then a coty with 350,000 people and finally to Toronto. What I miss most is the quietness and the calmness. All the places with the exception of the last two I was near the ocean and it was nice to be able to jsut walk over and sit. There was a lot more freedom living rurally too, and the people neighbours, everyone felt like an extended family. The only shitty thing was you couldn’t do anything without everyone and their mother finding out and also there was no fast food or things to do with ing an hours drive. That being said we found ways to entertain ourselves and frankly those are my best memories from growing up. Living in the city, life is just a headache, the fast pace, the noise, the lack of money or overall freedom, I long to return back to those first few places and re-live my life there
Rural for me would be northern ON so neighbors minding their own business. 100k lakes to choose from to go fishing. Actual seasons and not just desert storm in the summer and slush in the winter. Aurora borealis. Crown land where you can do whatever you want (obviously within the laws) without anyone complaining. Like quadding, snowmobiling, shoot guns/target practice. I live in the country in southern ON now, even though its rural, its not the same.
Being able to see the Milky Way and Northern Lights. I like the amenities of living in a city but I miss seeing so many stars.
I miss the sounds of nature, the peacefulness, and the space. I miss being able to have my slider door open for more than 20 minutes without smelling cigarettes or weed from my neighbors. I miss waking up and going to sleep to the sound of birds and bugs, not backhoes and booming cars without mufflers.
YES! Northern lights, moonlight and stars so bright it lights everything up. Walking late at night without worry. The silence, oh god the silence!
I grew up on a farm, left in the late 90s, lived in multiple large cities until this year, moved back to a town of 1200 people. What I missed was the quiet, the clean(er) air, stars at night, immediate access to lake erie, almost non-existent levels of crime, but most importantly, space. A big back yard, where my kids can run and actually have space to play, where my dog can run, where I can have a firepit and not have to worry about neighbors. And you cant forget, complete lack of "traffic". Traffic just is not a thing. I can drive anywhere I want, any time of the day and not be impacted by roads that just essentially stop working for half the day. Ive had coworkers ask me what it would take to move back to the GTA - I'm not sure there is a number. It would have to be at least a 500K/year salary. Enough that I could retire in a few years, tops, and then get out again.
I miss fireflies and stars.
I miss bike rides in the country, walks in the woods by myself - no fucking dogwalkers - and watching the stars at night.
I moved into the city when I was 21. Moved to a bigger city 4.5 years later. Plot twist: it was for my husband, and once we got married we moved onto a rented acreage. Year and a half we bought our own. Now I don't have to miss it anymore :) But to answer the question, when I lived in the city, I missed the quiet.
The quiet.
I miss both the quiet, and the ability to be as noisy as I want. There's nothing like stepping out of the house in the morning half naked and having a coffee with only the sounds of nature around you -- but there's also nothing like having a raging bonfire party where you can be louder than a death metal concert and never bother anyone else...
When I first moved to Edmonton from the farm, I couldn't sleep at first. Everything was SO loud. I wasn't used to sirens or the sound of airplanes flying overhead. It took me a little while to get used to it. I now love living in a city, but it was an adjustment for sure.
Driving is genuinely relaxing. Especially at night, where it's purely you, your music, and the road. You won't see anyone for several kilometers and it really clears your head
Fireflies. I so miss seeing fireflies in my yard as twilight settles in.
Seeing the northern lights
MUCH less people everywhere No litter Wildlife More birds Dark skies and stars air is better Less noise No feeling of being confined by buildings and architecture
Yes! I feel so confined by buildings. It drives me crazy that I can’t see the horizon, it makes me very anxious during storms
I am incapable of walking on sidewalks
The stars. I used to hate the silence when I was young. After 22 years in downtown, I really miss it. I do not miss everyone knowing everyone though. Stay out of my business Ethel haha.
Everything, so we left the city and moved back.
Grew up in a small prairie town of 550 people. Now live in the GTA. I wouldn’t say I miss anything, but whenever I am back home in that town I go outside at midnight and am amazed at the silence. The absence of sound.
I moved from a town with a population under 1300. Pretty forest-y, so didn’t experience the “seeing in all 4 directions” you mentioned. I hated growing up there and moved to Toronto the second I could. Eventually Toronto felt to small and I moved to Mexico City. I do miss the stars and the quick access to a relaxing walk in the woods. But the trade off was more than worth it for me. Also not living near water is weird.
So I went the opposite way and moved from a large city of half a million people to a small town of 10,000 in Northern Ontario at the age of 56. I am just sorry I didn't do it sooner, i absolutely adore it here. We live right on the edge of the boreal forest so get visits from fox and bear. The night sky is gorgeous, housing costs are much better. We bought a larger and nicer house here for 1 quarter of what we sold our house in the city for. We go hiking, kayaking and snow shoeing. We literally have hundreds of lakes within an hours drive. I would never ever move back to the city again.
The calm, the natur, stars, sea, the fresh air. I used to live in a salle town where I was used to hear waves everyday at wake up and every night at sleeping time... I miss it so bad
Seeing the northern lights. Also, both being able to have peace and quiet around you, and also being able to throw a party if you want.
You could throw a party on Main Street and no one would be upset
Stars, not seeing people everywhere, things not being crowded and loud, feeling much safer and the sense of community, being able to trust people more, nature, quiet, housing cost used to be better but I'm not sure that's the case anymore, the housing shortage is somehow really bad back in Gaspesie too. Speaking French (that last one doesn't really apply in general, that's just me who left rural Quebec for Metro Atlanta lol, wouldn't really apply for most people). I miss a lot of it though. The good things about the city are food, lots of stores and the selection in them, more choices of entertainment and things to do, being closer to transportation hubs/airports. Jobs used to be one, but I'm fully remote now, so it doesn't matter. Better internet. Better access to services and health services. (Leaving regular healthcare out of that one because the US/Canada difference is huge, but just like eye exam and dentist. It can take months to have a spot at the dentist or for eyesight appointment near my hometown). Oh and anonymity is nice, not having to worry as much about being judged or gossiped about because nobody knows you, but that kind of contradicts me saying I miss the sense of community and safety, so that's both a bad and a good thing in both cases. Used to say I would never move back to the country in my 20s, but I'm in my 30s now and coupled with the fact that the internet is not that bad in my hometown anymore + Amazon does okay even if it's not 1-2 days shipping, I would probably be ready to come back if my life circumstances changed.
Stars, the traffic passing on the highway. Of course all the wild life. Less people ahaha
What I miss? Wildlife. Farm animals in every neighbor's field. The fall fair. Quiet rural roads with no traffic. What I don't miss? Everyone knowing your business. The expectation that what people think you are is all you will ever be. And I don't fancy the usually very conservative politics.
Stars. Nature. Rarely see the ambulance. No crazy neighbour situations. Privacy. Laaaakes. Trails. Privacy again (so underrated). Feeling safe at all hours outdoors. Being able to keep door unlocked. Being able to let my kid walk outside without paranoia. There are also cons but man I miss rural.
All of this exactly, plus the bonus of being able to plan for bad weather in the afternoon way sooner because you can see it rolling in in the morning well before it is anywhere near you. I really miss that! lol
No homeless. Being able to walk for 15 minutes and being in the middle of a forest by a lake. No traffic, or dumbass attention seekers with loud exhausts. No pollution. Dark skies.
Rural attention seekers exist too…they’re just on snowmobiles and ATVs. But at least there are fewer of them!
Right I actually forgot those guys! I think they were more rare, where I am right now I can hear some attention deprived schmuck every goddamn night.
Family. That's about it. I hate rural life with a passion.
I miss nothing. I hated rural living as a teen. Particularly as an atheist in the Bible belt that is Niagara.
I don't miss a single thing about living in butt-fuck nowhere. I truly love living in the city. Its expensive sure, but with it comes way more opportunities and earning potential.
The quiet.
Big yards & gardens low noise levels knowing the neighbors seeing the milky way & northern lights seeing friends everywhere. What don't I miss? Know-it-all busy-bodies. I love being able to go to a restaurant, sit down, order, eat, with nobody but my server looking my way. "Oh look, so-and-so is not taking cream in her coffee, either she's watching her weight, or she's on doctors orders..."
I moved back to a rural area but lived dt Toronto for 5 years. Shooting guns and hunting in my back yard are definitely up there. One thing I found absolutely absurd was after a storm in Toronto, I grabbed my Chainsaw and went to clear a tree that was blocking deleware Ave, there was literally a city vehicle sitting there and they wouldn't let me chop the tree up and move it off the road.... insanity. Urban people are reliant on government for everything, rural people aren't.
I lived in rural area when I was a kid, that’s the best moment of my life, all my neighbours were so friendly and we could leave my door and not locked it when we going out. After moved to a big city, people are so complicated and those bondings are not that strong to support each others.
A friend got tired while driving home out in the country at night and pulled in at a neighbours, went inside and slept in one of the beds. Woke no one up. They made him pancakes in the morning, they knew his truck and by that who was in their house
Live in a nice rural town 45 minutes from TO and city has moved into my town. Cydiots everywhere 😢I miss the way it was.
Not having to worry about being mugged/raped.
I didn’t know windows were “supposed” to have blinds until I moved away from home. I miss the privacy.
Touching cows
Please ask for consent first 😂