While I’m definitely a city girl at heart and love being in the center of all the action that comes with city life, I’ll be the first to admit that there are downfalls for living in such a populated area.
Note: If you’ve been debating moving to a city, don’t let these few factors deter you. Trust me, it was much harder for me to think of frustrations I’ve faced than all the great factors of city life (this article was originally going to be “Five Frustrations I’ve Faced…” but the most I could think of was 4)!
Here are the four frustrations I have faced while living in a city:
1. Rent Prices
What you're probably already aware of—living in a city is expensive. Although my current city—Richmond, the capital of Virginia—is no NYC, and I can find rent for decently under $1,000 a month, that doesn't mean rent is cheap, or that it’s a fabulous deal to live here.
After graduating from Virginia Tech where my rent never exceeded $600 a month, coming to Richmond was a bit of a shell shock. Looking through my options for apartments or a room in a house, I quickly came to the conclusion that I would not find a decent place for under that much I had been paying for rent in Blacksburg. (Keep in mind, this price usually did not include electric or utilities either, unlike my rent at Virginia Tech).
2. Cleanliness/City air
I’ve witnessed some shocking and disturbingly gross things in my walks down city streets. Aside from the trash scattered about and the exhaust-filled city air, I’ve definitely seen some dirtying of the city in action. Let’s just say it appeared that one man couldn’t locate a restroom in time—as seen during my walk to class one morning sophomore year. Yikes.
In addition to a trash ridden roadways and the less than cleanly activities of some of the residents here, the city air is also a frustration for me.
Moving to and from the city, and just being home in the suburbs of Northern Virginia for a stay at my parent's house, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin. This isn’t just me being over dramatic either. I’ve had numerous friends agree that the city air is anything but beneficial for their skin, and they tend to break out more in the city.
If you still think I’m being dramatic, let’s not even begin to discuss one of my friends who walks the city streets with his face tucked into his shirt at all times to avoid contamination. Yes, go ahead and laugh; I did too.
3. Parking/traffic/driving in general
Let it be known: I’m usually a pretty mellow person. Driving, however, can get me more heated than the exhaust pouring out of the cars flooding the busy streets. Oh yeah.
Parking is one issue overall that can outrage anyone, especially in a city. Check out my article "6 Things to Know When Moving to Richmond, VA” on the Whose Your Landlord blog to learn more about finding parking in the city. (Then, read more than just the “parking” section to hear more about some of the positives of living in a city, particularly Richmond).
Back to driving—it can be frustrating. Although most of the time I drive through the city I don’t have any problems, there have been instances that have smoke coming out of my ears.
It’s the situations and instances you face with people while in traffic that seems to dissolve my more-or-less mellow persona. For instance, while stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk crowded with several students walking, I got honked at by the driver behind me for yielding to those crossing. Not cool, mister, not cool!
4. Crime
Prime time crime—it’s sad stuff, and often happens in a city.
For me, thankfully, it’s been nothing major. Sure I’ve had my bike cut from the bike stand it was attached to with a lock outside my dorm and taken away by an anonymous thief in the middle of the night. I’ve also dealt with less determined thieves—those who simply take a tire or other parts of my bike, instead of dealing with stealing the whole thing.
Those crimes suck, but they are bearable. It’s important to stay aware of your surroundings in any area you live in, especially a city. I’ve heard scary stories from friends of muggers in sketchy areas at midnight. This is why I stick to the safety tips I was taught my freshman year at VCU in Richmond.
These safety tips include:
- Travel with groups of people, especially after dark.
- Carry pepper spray and keep it in hand when walking alone, instead of buried in a purse or your backpack, which you would then have to dig through to find it.
- Travel by car or the safety services provided by the school or city when possible.
- Stay alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. This means no headphones and music to distract you when walking home alone.
Additionally, I’ve been looking into taking a self-defense course, and I highly recommend anyone—especially those living in a city—do the same.
While there can be frustrating factors of city life, there will be drawbacks and negatives of any area in which you choose to reside.
That being said, let’s end on a positive note. Although there may be dirty streets and city air and high rent prices, those streets also house plenty of opportunities for you to explore. Art, music, festivals, job opportunities, and events for all—you name it, the city likely has plenty!
Crime isn’t positive in any light and it’s important to stay safe. However, being aware of the dangers of the city also makes you more thoughtful and grateful for the life and safety you are fortunate enough to have. Don’t hate, appreciate!
While the large masses of people that make up traffic in a city can be frustrating during peak hours and when you’re trying to find a decent place to park, that also means there are tons of people in your area that you can meet and befriend! I came back to city life looking to meet new people and open up new doorways, and boy have I!
What about you—where do you currently live, and what is your number one frustration for that area? How have you dealt with these factors? Let us know in the comments below!