Is it the skylines? Or those nights of never-ending fun? Is it the crowd around you wherever you go, or the myth that you can give up a job in the morning, and find another one by the afternoon? Do they really never sleep? How about eating in 5 different countries within 30 steps? Or do you only associate them with shopping?

Indeed, city life has always amazed and attracted a vast number of people, regardless of their age or gender. If you live in rural areas, you are very likely to pack your things one day, and set off to try your luck in a more metropolitan place. What is it, that makes people give up their peaceful detached house in a small town and cram their belongings into a 12th floor studio flat? Is it all sunshine and rainbows? What are the chances that you have to face the harsh realities of life after you have made the big move? Let’s examine the pros and cons of urban life one by one.

The advantages of living in a city

-first and foremost, cities are pretty big in size, so more people settle down there, which means more job possibilities are created there: they offer better opportunities to find a job, so maybe you can forget about unemployment for the rest of your life, and the other good news is you can find any types of jobs - you can improve your career

-in cities you can choose from all the possible educational facilities: you can find kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, higher education and countless other institutions and organisations where you can study

-in case you get ill, or there is an ambulance, you don’t have to worry: cities provide all kinds of healthcare facilities including doctor’s offices and hospitals



-how embarrassing it is, when you live in a small village and you realise that you ran out of oil for the big Sunday cooking, and all the shops are closed – this is not an issue for city-dwellers: you can find all the shopping facilities you can imagine (small groceries, supermarkets, shopping centres or shopping malls, boutiques and so on, and so forth, and many of these are open seven days a week)

-if you are looking for entertainment facilities, a whole new world opens up in a city: you can select from bars, discos, theaters, cinemas, concert halls and cafés when you are planning a night-out

-public transport can be very well-organized, so you can take buses, trams, the underground (the tube, subway, metro) or trolleys instead of driving or walking long distances – stops and stations are conveniently located close to most parts of cities

-you can devote more time to your hobbies, as cities provide the opportunity to try whatever you like: sports facilities, museums or even dance classes are just a few minutes away

-since there are more people in a city, you can make many new friends or even start a relationship very easily - you can boost your social life

-all types of services are available, including taxis, banks, travel agencies, etc.

After the sunny side of things, let check the disadvantages

-cities can be extremely noisy, which may wake you up very early and drive you insane throughout the day

-there can be heavy traffic jams during the morning and afternoon rush hours

-because of all the transport vehicles, the level of air pollution is very high, which has a very bad impact on your health and also can cause allergies

-streets, shops and the means of public transport can be overcrowded

-you have to be in a hurry to get to places, and as a result your life may turn very stressful, and stress can seriously damage your life: it weakens your immune system and also causes depression, insomnia, etc.

-because more people live in a city, there can be more criminals, including thieves, pickpockets, or even more serious ones - the crime rate can be much higher

-living in a flat can deprive you of many things you would love to do: having pets is very complicated in a flat, and also it is really difficult to have a garden where you can grow fruit and vegetables or raise animals

-apartments also mean that you have no or very limited privacy: you can overhear your neighbour and you can also be overheard (not to mention the situation when your life can totally be seen from the opposite block of flats)

-speaking of hobbies, you may get easily engaged in illegal activities such as gambling, and you can lose your money and your belongings

-if you're not that outgoing, you may end up lonely

-it's not that difficult to get into wrong network of friends - you might try drugs or other unlawful things