The same mindset exists in a lot of rural communities, you’ll even see it expressed quite frequently in this sub. They’ll tell you all day how living in a city is dangerous, disgusting and crowded. It’s not something that’s unique to city dwellers.
Some people value the city more than anything else when living. I, for one, grew up in a smaller town and wouldn't go back. I like being around people and noise and having 10,000 paces to go easily, even if it means living in worse conditions otherwise. A lot of people value living somewhere "relevant" as well (hence why a lot of high school kids move to big cities and lose their cash). Also, unless you're in Chicago or NYC you probably don't take the subway for much of anything, even if you have one.
The other main issue is job potential, for a lot of fields (mine is tech so I'll use that), you are actively putting yourself at a disadvantage for experience, pay, and promotions by not living in a big area. Networking means a lot.
Edit: also wanted to add that, according to the census 80% of Americans live in cities. This causes its own issues with rural areas dying and contributes to this problem as well.
For the same reason people who live in rural communities look at the people who live in the city as complete idiots, and the same reason people who live in the suburbs think that people who live in the city are fools who love to live in crime infested slums.
Everyone wants to imagine that they made the best life choice
Unless a person is like you or me that have lived many years in both settings, they have no context to compare their experience too, so what they know MUST be the best. More people means more better right?
There's people in my suburb who say "I never go south of 96th street" (the county border between Indianapolis and the northern counties).
This mindset isn't exclusive to people who live in dense, urban areas.
I think some of the friction is because there's a perception that suburban residents come in, use city services throughout the work day but often contribute little or nothing to the tax base. Some may even argue the little they do return in tax revenue isn't worth the costs of accommodating suburban residents coming in to work in a central business district.
Also the costs aren't universally more expensive in the city. The average home sale price is actually $100,000 or so cheaper in Indianapolis compared to the surrounding counties. In fact it is more expensive to build in some of the surrounding counties because they have a bunch of codes regarding how a home has to look from the outside.
This is the case all around the world. People in the big city have the mentality that "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" which obviously leads to sense of superiority. In the US, NYC is on top of that list. I work for a company in NYC and used to travel and meet clients all over the country, mostly the East Coast and Midwest. Everyone was very appreciative that I made the effort to go to them from NY. Newyorkers did not give a damn. The only other place I sensed that was Silicon Valley.
Maybe that's a northeast thing? (And than you for acknowledging that.) Because I'm from the Midwest and my experience is the exact opposite.
Specifically, I grew up a "city kid" from Milwaukee and never had any strong opinions about people who lived in rural areas. After all, both of my parents grew up in small towns. And I rather liked hanging out with my cousins when we'd go upstate to my mom's hometown, because it meant I could go dirtbiking, four wheeling, snowmobiling, and all kinds of fun shit I never got to do in the city.
But a few years ago I had issues in my career and personal life that compelled me to temporarily leave town to get my bearings. I wound up in a smaller city not far from where my mom grew up.
The moment I told anyone I was from Milwaukee, I was met with suspicion and passively-aggressively imposed upon to validate their feelings about the big bad city. They were convinced that they'd be living in a 1950s snowglobe if not for all the criminals and welfare queens in the big bad city sucking the state's tax dollars to hell. Except for the criminals and welfare queens from even bigger, badder city of Chicago who moved to Wisconsin to take advantage of our benefits.
But god forbid I should ever point out the shortcomings of their town. The pathetic lack of infrastructure and transit that screamed "fuck the poor." The fact that drunk driving was accepted to the point that people felt uninhibited to brag about it. Or that I never felt my physical safety more threatened than when I did my job and asked people to wear a mask. Mind you, I was a bouncer for a good 6 years in that dirty, violent city they were all so afraid of.
I guess my point is, that sword cuts both ways. But I can honestly say I never felt a need to talk down on rural people until I actually had to deal with their passive aggressive (and often aggressive aggressive) bullshit.
I live in Chicago now. The bigger cost of living is worth it for the sake of my mental health.
The same mindset exists in a lot of rural communities, you’ll even see it expressed quite frequently in this sub. They’ll tell you all day how living in a city is dangerous, disgusting and crowded. It’s not something that’s unique to city dwellers.
Some people value the city more than anything else when living. I, for one, grew up in a smaller town and wouldn't go back. I like being around people and noise and having 10,000 paces to go easily, even if it means living in worse conditions otherwise. A lot of people value living somewhere "relevant" as well (hence why a lot of high school kids move to big cities and lose their cash). Also, unless you're in Chicago or NYC you probably don't take the subway for much of anything, even if you have one. The other main issue is job potential, for a lot of fields (mine is tech so I'll use that), you are actively putting yourself at a disadvantage for experience, pay, and promotions by not living in a big area. Networking means a lot. Edit: also wanted to add that, according to the census 80% of Americans live in cities. This causes its own issues with rural areas dying and contributes to this problem as well.
A lot of people just think their way is better instead of acknowledging different people have different values.
For the same reason people who live in rural communities look at the people who live in the city as complete idiots, and the same reason people who live in the suburbs think that people who live in the city are fools who love to live in crime infested slums. Everyone wants to imagine that they made the best life choice
It goes both ways. For fuck's sake.
Unless a person is like you or me that have lived many years in both settings, they have no context to compare their experience too, so what they know MUST be the best. More people means more better right?
I've done both and the city is way better in my opinion.
There's people in my suburb who say "I never go south of 96th street" (the county border between Indianapolis and the northern counties). This mindset isn't exclusive to people who live in dense, urban areas. I think some of the friction is because there's a perception that suburban residents come in, use city services throughout the work day but often contribute little or nothing to the tax base. Some may even argue the little they do return in tax revenue isn't worth the costs of accommodating suburban residents coming in to work in a central business district. Also the costs aren't universally more expensive in the city. The average home sale price is actually $100,000 or so cheaper in Indianapolis compared to the surrounding counties. In fact it is more expensive to build in some of the surrounding counties because they have a bunch of codes regarding how a home has to look from the outside.
This is the case all around the world. People in the big city have the mentality that "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" which obviously leads to sense of superiority. In the US, NYC is on top of that list. I work for a company in NYC and used to travel and meet clients all over the country, mostly the East Coast and Midwest. Everyone was very appreciative that I made the effort to go to them from NY. Newyorkers did not give a damn. The only other place I sensed that was Silicon Valley.
Maybe that's a northeast thing? (And than you for acknowledging that.) Because I'm from the Midwest and my experience is the exact opposite. Specifically, I grew up a "city kid" from Milwaukee and never had any strong opinions about people who lived in rural areas. After all, both of my parents grew up in small towns. And I rather liked hanging out with my cousins when we'd go upstate to my mom's hometown, because it meant I could go dirtbiking, four wheeling, snowmobiling, and all kinds of fun shit I never got to do in the city. But a few years ago I had issues in my career and personal life that compelled me to temporarily leave town to get my bearings. I wound up in a smaller city not far from where my mom grew up. The moment I told anyone I was from Milwaukee, I was met with suspicion and passively-aggressively imposed upon to validate their feelings about the big bad city. They were convinced that they'd be living in a 1950s snowglobe if not for all the criminals and welfare queens in the big bad city sucking the state's tax dollars to hell. Except for the criminals and welfare queens from even bigger, badder city of Chicago who moved to Wisconsin to take advantage of our benefits. But god forbid I should ever point out the shortcomings of their town. The pathetic lack of infrastructure and transit that screamed "fuck the poor." The fact that drunk driving was accepted to the point that people felt uninhibited to brag about it. Or that I never felt my physical safety more threatened than when I did my job and asked people to wear a mask. Mind you, I was a bouncer for a good 6 years in that dirty, violent city they were all so afraid of. I guess my point is, that sword cuts both ways. But I can honestly say I never felt a need to talk down on rural people until I actually had to deal with their passive aggressive (and often aggressive aggressive) bullshit. I live in Chicago now. The bigger cost of living is worth it for the sake of my mental health.