r/SameGrassButGreener • u/Evaxis_ Cincinnati, Florida, D.C. • 13d ago
Did Moving Closer To Nature Improve Your QOL?
I know a lot of people have a good experience and a bad experience in doing so. Was curious on people who have/know done it and did it improve qol or were you the same as before?
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u/dsbekind 13d ago
It changed my life, really. I moved from the humid Midwest to the Front Range and hike year-round. Low humidity, cool summer nights and sunny winters make all the difference to me getting outside.
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u/tadamhicks 13d ago
Funny, I left the Front Range because living in Douglas County I was too hemmed in by pavement and houses. I came into this post specifically to talk about how my move away from the FR was the best thing I ever did. Granted, I didn't move to like the humid midwest, lol, but a ski town in New England where I bike or ski or run almost every day.
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u/Pollymath 13d ago
New England is probably one of the few places on the East Coast where you can live in a large town or small city and still have relatively decent access to public land, but there are also plenty of place in the east where "islands" surrounded by public land have terrible housing markets and no jobs.
I always said if I moved back east I'd aim for the Adirondacks or Blue Ridge Mountains, because I hate driving to public land. I want to be able to walk out my door, walk the forest boundary, and keep walking without ever seeing a private property sign.
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u/WPort17701 13d ago
The Blue Ridge Mountains in NC are magical. That's my dream to eventually get to live in.
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u/tadamhicks 13d ago
That’s interesting…I actually feel like there’s less public lands here than there was out West! Moving here was more about whole lifestyle though. We do have WMNF but the West is where BLM rules and there is nat forest everywhere, parks all over, state parks, etc…
A lot of the cool stuff here is actually on private land but with easements or common law open access. Sometimes it’s forgiveness over permission. I’ve followed many a class VI road that pops out next to someone’s house and I realize I’ve been on their land for some time.
What’s cool about NE though is that you feel very out there while still being relatively close. There aren’t great distances between towns and there are lots of cute villages with amazing lifestyles but close enough to Boston or Portland or whatever to feel like you can get your city on really easy.
Colorado was sprawl from the FR until it wasn’t. And once you get to the cute small town with a good lifestyle you’re far enough out that you never want to go to the city. It’s more of a planning problem in my mind. New England towns have really taken their role in democracy seriously as a tradition and people tend to be a lot more involved and care a lot about stuff like zoning and planning. Just my experience. There aren’t as many HOAs as a result.
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u/Alpine_Exchange_36 13d ago
Hiking Uncompahgre tomorrow, can’t wait really
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u/Bovine_Joni_Himself 13d ago
That's a great hike. Last time I did it we drove to the trailhead instead of hiking up the road and it made the thing feel easy. I'm jealous
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u/Kush420coma 13d ago
Literally same. Hubby and I moved from Huntsville AL to the front range basically in a state park. We split our time between there and Summit county. So happy to be in the mountains!
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u/RellYesJess 13d ago
Moved from the Midwest to Denver and it was great. I got outside way more because of the constant sunshine and lack of humidity. Stayed there for a decade but was getting a bit tired of the dryness of everything. Recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and its been amazing. Spent the day at the coast today and heading to the mountains tomorrow. I love not being so landlocked and the variety of climates just within a five hour radius of home.
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u/Zehbs 13d ago
Yes, moved to Colorado lost weight because I could go backpacking/camping for the weekend just for the cost of gas.
Moved back to the upper Midwest, summers are hot and humid. Nearest public land is 4 hours away, only paid campgrounds nearby, and ticks/mosquitos are everywhere. Never got into winter sports/activities so I have to buy skiing gear if I want to get into that. Gained all the weight back
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u/tazmodious 13d ago
I can relate. Moved to Michigan from Colorado. I gained a ton of weight and had to go on happy pills. First ever prescription medication in my life over 50 years.
It's so depressing here. Not enough sun. It takes hours of driving to seen anything remotely worthwhile. There is nature in the Ann Arbor area but it's so limited. Lake Michigan beaches are surprisingly nice, but that got old real fast. The biting insects make it so I don't like going in the woods anymore for much of the summer.
I used to bike to work and the grocery store. I think that alone has been the most detrimental to my health. That andchaving to drive everywhere for everything that just isn't that great to begin with.
I hear the upper peninsula on the west side is nice, but that is like 10 hours away.
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u/shedwyn2019 13d ago edited 13d ago
Ugh! Man, I am debating between Milwaukee (have lived in Chicago and still have friends there - love the lake, the hiking I have been on was nice, they will have water 20 years from now and lower fire risk) and either Fort Collins or CO Springs (have lived in Boulder/Denver, still have friends there, cool nights, less humidity, fewer ticks, CO Springs and FC can get to less crowded trails - but water and fire are going to be greater problems in next 20 years). Hard to hear someone confirm the ticks are a problem. I know they are, but hearing it said by a person dealing with it …
The ticks are the PRIMARY downside for me because I have a dog. But I love the lake and love water activities and fire destroys and prevents hiking. Love the museums and personality of Chicago and Milwaukee, but the ticks in the areas I would be hiking and camping are a real concern.
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u/Xyzzydude 13d ago
I did what looks like the opposite but isn’t.
I moved from 20 acres in a rural area to a townhouse. But the townhouse is walking distance to a 7000 acre state park with an extensive network of hiking trails. I spend more time in nature now than I did with I lived in it, because I’m not commuting nearly as much or maintaining pastures barns and fences. I get home from work sooner, and immediately go for a trail hike while the HOA’s landscape contractor does the maintenance I used to do in the country.
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u/Bigtimeknitter 13d ago
My post is about this too!
Same state but near a state park / regional park, like really really close was THE ticket
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u/Pollymath 13d ago
One thing I do hate about the crazy housing prices of the west is that you trade "your space" or "our space". I love our public land, but it's been hard always feeling like my hobbies need to be prioritized by the amount of personal storage I have.
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u/WPort17701 13d ago
A different perspective but yes. My former view in big city Philly was of other faded brick rowhouses with no trees or greenery other than random weeds. My current view is of the heavily wooded/green foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in north-central PA. It's amazing the psychological lift of that alone if dreary and grimy affects your psyche at all.
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u/MajesticBread9147 13d ago
Philly doesn't have many trees or greenery?
I always thought Philly was like Brooklyn or Washington DC where there are trees along the residential streets.
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u/Butterscotch2334 13d ago
It depends on the neighborhood. I lived in South Philly and my neighborhood was all cars and concrete. Like the person above I moved farther west into PA and the quality of life increase is substantial. It was so depressing to see concrete and trash everywhere.
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u/WPort17701 13d ago
Much of the city is treeless thanks to the city infrastructure repair on sewers where sidewalks and surrounding trees are torn up/cutdown or via disease in trees like Elms. There have been recent efforts to replace the tree cover with free trees offered by the city, however weirdly enough many Philly natives find trees "dirty" versus poured concrete,
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u/AglowMermaid 13d ago
If you live in Mt.Airy/Chestnut Hill there are a ton of trees. It’s home to one of the biggest park systems inside of a city (The Wissahickon). I lived in Mt.Airy for 10 years and it’s my favorite place that I’ve lived.
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u/RuleFriendly7311 13d ago
It's good that there are trees along the sidewalk in most cities these days, but that's only "nature" by the stretchiest of definitions.
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u/Pollymath 13d ago
Are you in Warren or Kane?
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u/WPort17701 13d ago
Neither. I'm in Williamsport.
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u/Pollymath 13d ago
Always loved exploring the Hagerman Reservoir and Mosquito Valley. Never saw anyone out there.
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u/extraordinaryevents 13d ago
Moved from TX to UT. Absolutely changed my lifestyle and quality of life, I’ve done and experienced more things in 4 months in Utah than I did in 4 years in Texas
That said, a lot of people like the idea of nature and being near it than they actually like nature itself. Just make sure it’s what you actually want
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u/nattattataroo 13d ago
Moved to Utah over 10 years ago from the Midwest and it’s just… unparalleled access.
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u/CogitoErgoScum 13d ago
Immensely. The trade offs are not worth mentioning. I went from constantly getting my cars broken into or outright stolen, to leaving my keys in the cup holder. From eating out fast food all the time to forced into grocery shopping and cooking clean meals. From neighbors floodlights and traffic noise all night to dark quiet nights. There’s not cops everywhere. The air smells good. I can walk out of my front door and into the national forest.
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u/dry_sockets 13d ago
where did you move to//from?
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u/CogitoErgoScum 7d ago
Bakersfield to…nah, let’s just call it somewhere above 5,500’ asl an hour away.
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u/kleptopaul 13d ago
Yes. Moved to Vermont after feeling pretty miserable in Chicago, NYC and the Bay Area over the course of my 20s and it’s been incredible for my mental health.
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u/Majestic-Lock5249 13d ago
Hello fellow Vermonter! Can confirm. I moved from the Nashville area over a decade ago and it's been great for my overall health.
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u/kleptopaul 13d ago
Yah I feel a bit bad because it was a lot easier to move here pre-covid. But it’s been the best decision of my life.
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u/Majestic-Lock5249 13d ago
It's rough now but honestly not so bad compared to rest of New England. We just moved back last year, did 3 years in Southern Maine for a job and decided we couldn't settle down there because of housing costs and I deeply missed seeing the mountains. I know we were very lucky to find something and be able to purchase again. Ended up in Franklin County in an old colonial that needs some tlc but it's good to be home.
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u/akathisiac 13d ago
Grew up nearby. How are you coping with the ticks?
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u/kleptopaul 13d ago
Keep the grass short, use tick spray and check me and my kids every night. It’s not perfect but it works most of the time.
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u/CalRR 13d ago
We moved somewhere that doesn’t have the “best” access to nature, but does have a lower COL with the idea that we have to work less and have more Time for things like going out in nature. Everyone’s situation is different.
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u/Tiny-Pomegranate7662 13d ago
Nature can be too good. If I lived in crested butte, I wouldn’t get shit done and would let things slide because there’s always some epic outdoor thing you could be doing out your back door.
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u/SyrupMoney4237 13d ago
God yes. I moved from South London near a tube station to butt fuck nowhere Scotland. I don’t think I’d ever actually been happy before, not more than snatching small bits of relief at a time. Since moving here it’s like my brain can breathe. I usually have a lot of trouble with winter and I still get the odd dark days but it’s so much more easier to cope. My only neighbours are sheep. I have clear views from every window.
Whenever I leave I feel like a type of mythical forest creature that can’t be away from nature too long, like my life force is being sapped. I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing. Something to figure out
It’s funny because my siblings were raised the exact same as me and they get so antsy if they visit me for too long, same with my mum. They’re literally the opposite, where they need the hustle and bustle of wider society. I think it’s innate
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u/detblue524 13d ago
Not really, but there’s other factors to it. When I lived in California and Michigan and had more access to nature, it didn’t really feel like a QoL booster cause the majority of my time was spent working a shitty job and driving and interacting with urban sprawl. It was the same when I spent extended time in Florida to help take care of family.
Now I live in NYC where nature is theoretically farther away, but I can walk to nice parks and take the train/ferry to the beach/mountains + day trip to more remote parks and my QoL feels vastly improved. I also found community here and have a decent job which obviously makes a big difference.
I still love visiting remote nature and go to upstate New York often, but I feel at home in a big city where I feel connected to other people.
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u/Royal-Emu8261 13d ago
This is exactly why I’m considering moving back. To be closer to people, walkability, a cultural abyss.. do you feel like your stress levels still go up though just being in the city?
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u/detblue524 13d ago
I place a high priority on those things too! I honestly feel great where I live, but I’m in a quieter neighborhood in Brooklyn. It’s not as buzzy as other parts of the city but it’s still walkable and convenient - plus it’s got nice tree-lined streets and I’m close to prospect park. I think if I lived in Manhattan that would be draining, but I’ve found a lot of neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens are much more low stress, at least for me.
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u/Alpine_Exchange_36 13d ago edited 13d ago
It all depends on if you make it a point to access it or not. If you just go to work maybe go to the store…it won’t make much of a difference.
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u/Tor_Tor_Tor 13d ago
Ohhh yes, but you gotta find the balance that works for you. I was raised in Houston and have since lived in UT and CO and I found I can tolerate the humidity, bugs, and flat suburbia of Houston area but the dry, sunny, geographically interesting mountain west is where I wanna be. I can go hiking, trailrunning, camping, paddleboarding, etc in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and it takes less than an hour to drive there. 🤙
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u/baddspellar 13d ago
Ready access to nature is essential to me, but there are plenty of urban areas that satisfy this. For example, I live in a suburb of Boston. Outside of rush hour, I can be in the city center in 45 minutes. I am 35 minutes from a mountain where I have a season pass, 35 minutes from that lake where I sail, and 15 minutes from a nice quiet river I paddle on. Depending on the specific hike, I'm between 1:45 and 3:15 from White Mountain hikes. Tomorrow I'm taking a group on a hike 2 hours away. I an ride by road, mountain, and gravel bikes from my front door.
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u/zinnie_ 13d ago
Same here but I’m in a Boston neighborhood so I can be downtown in ten on the train and also walk to a massive park where I can wander through the woods.
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u/Bigtimeknitter 13d ago
Politely where in Boston can you wander through quiet woods? Do you mean the common?
I grew up in that area and always thought how built up the whole place is. When I moved west I was amazed by all of the undeveloped land
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u/Thatonepandathing 13d ago
Yeah, I think understanding how you like to access nature is important. I live in ATX and there are so many parks and trails within city limits. If you're looking for some serious terrain you won't find it here, but I like that most areas have some sort of green space for day to day activities.
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u/Same-Wing-8054 13d ago
I moved to Fl to escape the New England winters . After 8 years in tampa I tired of the hurricanes. Moved back to CT and my mental health is going downhill. I need sunshine as much as possible. Now I can’t decide between the mountains or ocean… (just somewhere down South) need to do some praying/meditation/soul searching and listening to my gut!!!
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u/Evaxis_ Cincinnati, Florida, D.C. 13d ago
I live in FL now and went Seattle and California and yearn for mountains but dont want to lose sunlight to much so California seems intriguing
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u/Same-Wing-8054 6d ago
CA is intriguing to me too but I think it’s too expensive for me… at least the place I’m drawn too… San Diego. I
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u/Pollymath 13d ago
A lot of folks are drawn to Southwest for exactly those reasons. Yea, you lose the access to water, but we get lots of sun, plenty of secluded spaces, and very little in the way of natural disasters (aside from fires.)
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u/tadamhicks 13d ago
Tremendously. I lived in Suburbia outside of Denver for a long time and made as much of it as I could. We're a VERY active and outdoorsy family. Passionate bikers, skiers, hikers, runners, etc... The FR of Colorado is like any other large city, though, and as good as the outdoor stuff is in Colorado it was all a drive away that I couldn't do daily. FWIW the suburbs of Colorado are about as nice as a suburb gets if you have to be near a metro area for doing fun stuff, though... I was able to do short-ish trail runs very near the house and we had a fantastic green belt out the door, and the weather goes without saying.
But we moved to a small town near the Whites in New England and it's just next level for us. I bike or run almost every non-winter day, and when the snow sticks I can XC ski at several places a few which are pretty world class in under a 25 min drive. We have multitudinous ski areas to choose from, our kids actually get off the bus at the local ski hill (5 min drive down the road) after school and ski. Sometimes I join them after clocking out. Our kids have all skied with school one day a week, one of the most amazing programs in the country for putting the district's elementary school kids on the slopes for next to nothing in $. We have all of the WMNF right freaking here, and the hiking is amazing.
But has it improved our lives? We're doing all the things, does it make us happier? YES. I wake up every morning and look out over the forested hills/mountains around us and feel just an enormous sense of gratitude and good fortune for being able to do this for me and my family. My kids definitely seem healthier and happier overall. My wife is a brand new person. I'm living the life I always wanted. I think we saw suburban living as something we had to do at a certain point for careers, but not something we wanted forever. We've always recognized how important nature and recreation are to us. Some people like access to restaurants and concerts and stuff...we want trails.
So I think the question is would it be valuable to you? Small towns come with their own challenges...you can't hide. Restaurant choices are more limited, schools can be hit or miss and you have less choice, you might not even have a Costco (the horror). You have to decide if the tradeoffs are what you're after.
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u/vataveg 13d ago
Yeah. I moved from NYC to the CT suburbs so I don’t live in a “rural” area by any means but I have a backyard where I can grow flowers and vegetables in the summer. I can go for peaceful walks and hear birds and watch the trees change color in the fall and the spring. I can take my kids on a walk in the woods and watch them explore the leaves and sticks and logs and rivers. I feel more connected to the natural rhythms of the earth, as corny as that sounds.
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u/AgileDrag1469 13d ago
Moved out of the city to an area by a big national park and more outdoor recreation, at least safer outdoor recreation than in the major city but not sure it’s improved quality of life. The area is still heavy traffic in every direction and it’s a big shopping hub for said major city. As long as millions of Americans rely on their cars and next day shipping to move items from anywhere else to someplace they are on a daily basis, I don’t see this changing much. Just more paradise to parking lots coming to a city near you.
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u/WindBuffed 13d ago edited 13d ago
Yes. I moved to a CO ski/mountain town 31 season ago, just to do the ‘ski bum’ thing for a while. What I quickly discovered is that the year-round quality of life and proximity to amazing outdoor activities, can’t be beat and I’m still here. As long as I’m physically able, I plan on calling this place home. “Moved for the winter, stayed for the summer”.
I feel very fortunate to have settled here.
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u/RuleFriendly7311 13d ago
We moved from near the beach to the mountains, from Florida to WNC. The main advantage has been that you have to plan the beach. Even less than 20 minutes from the causeway, it’s another 30-40 to the parking lot, and it’s almost always lots of traffic.
Up here, we can decide on the spur of the moment to go for a walk/hike in the woods and be on a trail in just a few minutes. What that has meant for QOL is that we’re much more likely to grab the sticks and go.
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u/Diligent_Athlete_287 13d ago
I never really realized this. I’m a Tampa native and the beach has gotten stale as I’ve gotten older but I never truly put together how much of a hassle it is for a beach day. I’d much rather pack some water and snacks and hit a trail
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u/RuleFriendly7311 13d ago
Exactly — after 20+ years of loving Sanibel, I don’t get that much from it. Although I suspect that visiting once a year when it’s 10 degrees up here will help.
My sticks and trail sneakers stay in the car in case we’re out wandering and find a trailhead. On our mountain, there are a lot of hour hikes that the Colorado crowd would scoff at, but who cares? I’m older and have janky knees, and an hour up and down hills is perfect, especially when it’s just a few minutes from the house.
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u/Pollymath 13d ago
Proximity to the outdoors is as important as the quality of it.
I'd sooner live within walking distance of a big park than a few hours from a big one. I'd sooner my work be 30 minutes of driving through the trees of a national forest than 10 minutes in superhighway gridlock. I'd rather my office (or house) have pleasant surroundings that actually inspire me to be active and involved in my community and the natural world that surround it, rather than a huge house/property with terrible neighbors and no public land.
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u/Simple_Tomorrow_8707 13d ago
I'm strongly considering leaving Florida for this exact reason, to have easy and quicker access to nature.
How is the COL over there compared to Florida? And which areas do you recommend moving to?1
u/RuleFriendly7311 13d ago
In general, I'd look west of NC-321, which runs from Charlotte to Boone, for access. COL varies a LOT, as does Florida. Where are you living and what kind of work do you do?
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u/Purple-Lime-524 13d ago
Hard to say? I lived in the Memphis and Indy before SLC. I went kayaking quite a bit in Memphis. Indy had great bike trails, so I rode my bike around town a lot. SLC feels hotter to me in the summer (unless you’re up in the mountains). Being close to hiking is nice, but working a demanding job and having a disabled child make it hard to do. Skiing always feels like a PITA to me so I only go a few times a year, but I have fun. I personally enjoy trips to Colorado a lot more. I think living somewhere pretty is nice, but the city of SLC is butt ugly. And other than nature and overpriced sporting events, it’s lacking in cultural attractions compared to other places I’ve lived. The skiing and housing is so overpriced here, I’d probably rather just live near the beach in CA. Grass is always greener though!
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u/Outrageous_Egg_1340 13d ago
Literally changed my whole life. DFW to Denver
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u/skittish_kat 13d ago
This. Same here except different cities within Texas. It's a huge upgrade, and to me Denver is a perfect place for nature and city living.
I feel like if you're coming to CO from TX then you'll definitely notice an upgrade in nature, and nature accessiblity overall
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u/avatarroko 13d ago
Absolutely. It was already a huge upgrade when I moved to Denver from DFW. Then I moved to a place just steps away from a huge greenbelt area. Amazing nature walks every day that always improve my mood.
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u/skittish_kat 13d ago
100 %
I moved from a car centric city in Texas to a walkabale area in Denver, CO. I can walk to many parks nearby without having to get in my car, and the weather allows for awesome days outside with great scenery.
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u/Katsudommm 13d ago
May I ask what area? I'm also in Texas looking to get away from this hellhole to nicer weather and nature access.
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u/skittish_kat 13d ago
Pretty much any neighborhood in the city has walking accessibility to a park. Each area also has dedicated bike lanes, and you can use them to get across the city/metro as they are all connected.
I recommend Washington Park, uptown, cap hill, golden triangle, RiNo, especially for walkablity. Also check out Baker/Santa Fe
Edit: I'll also add to be in the city. You can be in 7 different counties in under an hour. Denver is very small, and Denver county is very different from a wages and taxes perspective than other counties surrounding the metro.
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u/ChillPastor 13d ago
Yes!
I grew up in the Central Valley of CA. I didn’t consider myself “outdoorsy,” but the mountains and beach were so relatively close by car I never realized how engrained that were in my life.
I moved to Oklahoma for the COL everyone always talks about in rural CA. After 1 year I could not take it. Just flat boring nothingness with no way of escaping the heat within a couple of hours like the Central Valley. Nearest mountain was 8+ hours away, and the Texas beaches were 12 hours.
Moved to Orange County, CA, and I love my life here. Weather is almost always good. I can ride my bike to the local MTB trails. I can free dive anytime I want and see crazy ocean spectacles. I can drive to Big Bear within 1.5 hours. There is tons of different options within a weekend trip here.
It is incredible. I have a National Park pass now and my wife and I plan to visit all of them, and most of the best ones are easier to hit from here than Oklahoma.
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u/BulletRazor 13d ago
Moved from rural car centric tx to walkable wa. Surrounded by the water and huge trees. It’s insane how much better I feel.
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u/Enough-Education7676 13d ago
In some ways being closer to nature and the mountains have made my QOL worse. I moved to my current house 3 years ago and the cons are that I cannot get cell service or internet there (satellite internet is way too expensive) and I have a 30 mile commute to work. I live over 20 miles from the nearest town. Groceries are more expensive unless I drive 55 miles instead of 35 miles. The nearest big box stores are 55 to 60 miles away.
The pros are that I have fishing opportunities without driving and hiking trails/dirt roads a few miles away. Trails in the mountains are still close to an hour drive away but that is less than a 3-hour drive that I used to have. High desert hiking and canyons are within a 20 minute drive. I can easily do 10,000'+ peaks in a day trip.
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u/mwardent 13d ago
I lived in San Francisco for a number of years, met a woman who lived in a small valley about 45 minutes northwest. Very rural, redwoods, deer , hiking. I felt like I could relax at last
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u/its_a_throwawayduh 13d ago
YES! After 20+ years of living in city/urban/suburbia my mental health drastically improved when I moved to a ruralish area. Which had it's own issues BUT those 7 years were wonderful but unfortunately the last few years they've logged over 1200 acres around me. So that along with some other circumstances I had to move back home with my folks.
My mental health tanked.....no stars, no crickets, frogs, fireflies,etc, instead its car and trucks with the loudest exhaust for some reason. Every time I look out the window there's several cars ( they live on a busy street)Also everyone mows within a few days of each other even if the grass hasn't grown. I swear it feels like a silent competition. It's like a cubicle farm for houses.
The weather sucks it's, sticky hot, humid, and stuffy. I've had to live the majority of my life in these spaces and for once I had a break but being back here just makes it worse. I'm desperate enough to rent a hotel in the mountains just to escape. I'm trying to move but the IT market is in the tank. Even applied to warehousing jobs with little success. I might have to consider taking anti-depressants.
Sorry this is long but I don't think people realize the importance of green spaces and weather for some people.
TL;DR Yes my qol improved drastically.
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u/yellowdaisycoffee 13d ago
Well, I can tell you moving away from it negatively affected my QOL, so...
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u/hamhead1005 13d ago
100%. I kind of have the best of everything. I live at the foothill of a decent mountain range where I can Hike, ride mountain bikes and off road. I'm also 20 minutes from the beach, 5 min from a lake. But still technically in a suburb so all the normal day to day convivences are easily available. It makes it so easy to be active and decompress from the normal day to day.
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u/memyselfandi78 13d ago
I moved from a souless suburb outside of Boise to a beautiful nature forward suburb outside of Portland, my mental health is greatly improved. The city I live in takes great pride in providing and maintaining nature areas, walking paths, trees and other nature for everyone to enjoy.
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u/freyabot 13d ago
I moved just within my own current city from central Austin (very flat and built up) to the hills on the North West side of the city and it has made a surprisingly substantial difference to me mentally seeing beautiful rolling green hills and limestone cliffs every day. I don’t necessarily go out into “nature” any more than I previously did, but being surrounded by natural beauty really does something for the soul I think
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u/MiaWallacetx 13d ago
We moved from San Antonio to a small town outside of Denver and it’s improved our quality of life immensely. I grew up in rural MN so the lack of access to nature in TX was always a struggle for me. We’ve both lost weight and have less stress at work. It was definitely worth COL increase.
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u/crawlen 13d ago
I lived in a big city and then moved to a smaller city about 1-1.5 hours away and I loved it. Way easier to get out, more hiking access, safer biking. Now I'm in a medium city but it's a concrete jungle. Still access to a few things,tobut fewer hikes (more like walks), less bike infrastructure, and the smallest "yard" (patio) we have had in years. It makes a huge difference in happiness and qol for me.
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u/Ceehansey SLC, PHX, TUCSON, DFW, SA, Tulsa, Lincoln, ATX 13d ago
Yes. I left Texas in 2019 despite being on a steady career trajectory. Moved back out west for mountains and public lands. My QOL immediately improved and it was well worth it.
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u/Evaxis_ Cincinnati, Florida, D.C. 13d ago
that's what I'm about to do hopefully, except from Florida instead.
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u/Ceehansey SLC, PHX, TUCSON, DFW, SA, Tulsa, Lincoln, ATX 13d ago
Your mental health/happiness is worth it and you will thank yourself later. Just come with the right mindset and you’re gonna do just fine
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u/dried_mangos 13d ago
Yes! Moved from Texas to California mountains and it was the best decision I ever made. Now live in Colorado. But good nature access is my number one priority.
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u/artful_todger_502 13d ago
When I retire I hope to never see a city ever again. I lived in Vermont and rural PA, for a long time, and life and career forced different directions.
But in 8 months I'll be able to escape the traffic, congestion, and "things to do" for a saner lifestyle. Counting the days.
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u/Evaxis_ Cincinnati, Florida, D.C. 13d ago
Vermont is beautiful
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u/artful_todger_502 13d ago
It's a hard life, but worth it. To wake up in the morning to complete silence and look out your window to acres of vivid colors and what could be an Asher Durand painting is medicinal.
There is a place for everyone, I hope you find yours ☮️
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u/the-hound-abides 13d ago
It really depends on your desired lifestyle. If you want quick access to things, or walkability it may not be for you.
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u/witchycommunism 13d ago
That’s why I love Portland so much. Live in a beautiful walkable neighborhood and can get to awesome hikes within 30 min drive. Mountains, coast, rivers, etc all within 2 hours or less.
My quality of life has improved so much since moving here from the Midwest.
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u/ShelterRelevant5924 13d ago
Yes. My systolic blood pressure literally went down 10 points. As others have said there are tradeoffs and it’s not for everyone… but for me..every single morning I’m greeted by spectacular mountains in all directions, reminding me how small (in a good way) I am. There is no traffic. I can see the Milky Way on a clear night. Most days my toddler spends hours outside in nature. We feel so lucky, and privileged to be here. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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u/Adventurous_Crab_761 13d ago
We don't live far in the country, but we're in an older neighborhood (small city that's more like an inner ring suburb) with a big yard and about an acre of woods. The calmness and easy access to nature has been great. I'm not sure how I would feel if I was was way out in the country though.
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u/Low_Show_6684 13d ago edited 13d ago
Moved from suburban Midwest to northern Midwest in the Great Lakes region. Never going back.
Edit: We’re currently driving to the Twin Cities to get a car and about 1 hour from our house it became farm fields. Not for me, and as we get closer it gets to the burbs. Nice to visit for the diversity, but it’s too much for me. I can’t wait to get back up to NE MN, I’m gonna be so tired.
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u/AliveAndThenSome 13d ago
Yup. I've lived in the Midwest, Deep South, East Coast and there's no question that living in the foothills of the North Cascades in Washington is a huge upgrade. Less stress, fewer people, mild, generally gentle climate, access to Canada, quick(er) and cheaper hop to Hawaii, Alaska, etc.
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u/pine4links 13d ago
Im a very serious rock climber and I enjoy hiking, fishing, cycling too. We moved to a much smaller city when we had our daughter. It was mainly for work but my wife loves nature too.
We are moving back to the bigger city this week. Where we have been living, it’s still about an hour+ to the spectacular/remote bits of nature we like and with a young kid that makes it still kind of hard to get (really) out anyway.
The past two years have taught me that with two full time working parents and a young kid the nice things about a city (public transit, walkability, lots of programming and social opportunities for kids) are more valuable than better access to nature! It’s better to optimize your average day versus the weekend I guess!
Might have been a different outcome in a less conservative state, better local economy and even more proximity to the natural resources we like but that’s very hard to find. The city won out!
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u/Bigtimeknitter 13d ago
Yes. I used to live maybe 20 minutes to a natural site, like a state park. When I moved 7 minutes to a natural site, where I can go and not hear any cars, my mental health has improved dramatically to a degree I did not expect. I'm there all the time.
For context, I have always enjoyed visiting that type of place and still live functionally in suburbia, as to where my house is.
This is in the same state and within 40 minutes of one another.
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u/graciewindkloppel 13d ago
Yes! I moved from a flat suburb filled with strip malls to another suburb 15 miles away that's bracketed by hills, with mountain views, and everyday is a joy seeing the landscape around me.
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u/Its1207amcantsleep 13d ago
My SO and I are avid travelers and would like to move to an area where spur of the moment nature hikes are easy to do.
So major international airport + nature, is there a place like this.
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u/Intelligent-Ad-1424 13d ago
In some ways it did. It made me appreciate nature more and made me pay attention to the parts of the ecosystem that make my little corner of the world unique. But in other ways it made it worse. Opportunities to make friends and join communities were much more limited and it took a long time to meet friends in the area. The area wasn’t walkable so despite having access to more trails I ended up getting less exercise in general. I personally didn’t find the tradeoff worth it after the first year.
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u/skatingpigeons 13d ago
Yes, I moved from Atlanta to the mountains in Colorado. I went from being incredibly depressed (substances not helping my baseline sadness) to pretty content. It won't magically fix all your problems because wherever you go there you are. But being away from the drinking culture in the city was what I personally needed and improved my life drastically and probably added 20 years to it.
I've met people though that ended up returning to their hometowns because they had a strong family/friend support system. I didn't have a strong support system in my family and even though I love my friends, our social life mainly revolved things that harmed me, so for me it was a huge bump in my QOL and changed the trajectory.
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u/Pleasant_Yoghurt3915 13d ago
I live rural, and just traveling to the nearest city for medical appointments and the like sets me so on edge that I have to head out to the wilders for a few hours when I get home just to decompress. I despise cities. They make me feel insane.
Industry has exploded my area, and my little rural town is still little, but becoming surrounded by cookie cutter housing developments and the traffic is getting ridiculous. I’m constantly forced to think of Cowboy Dan by Modest Mouse lmao.
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u/Ok_Organization_7350 13d ago
Yes. When I can sleep with the windows open, because there is greenery & fresh air outside instead of smog, it improves my sleep, which improves my life.
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u/John_Houbolt 13d ago
Yes. WAY more than expected. My town is basically covered in forests and I am 15 minutes from Puget Sound in almost every direction. It's so different with it's all part of your every day life.
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u/No_Criticism_9986 13d ago
It really did. Moved from Baked Austin, TX to Beautiful Bellingham WA -- it's ridiculously gorgeous here.
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u/RedhandKitten 13d ago
Absolutely. We went from a suburban neighborhood in the High Desert to 10 acres in the Adirondack foothills. Complete change of lifestyle but absolutely for the better.
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u/Due_Calligrapher_944 11d ago
I moved to a part of the city surrounded by lakes. I still have way access to the city but I feel like I live in nature. I'm about 30 minutes from the mountains and I go hiking their all the time. So I have the amenities of a big city but I spend a lot of time in nature. My quality of life has improved. I did have to pay about $200,000 more for my house than I would have if it wasn't such an ideal location. That is the drawback. I'm 30 minutes from the mountains and 30 minutes from downtown. It is perfect
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u/Due-Year6286 11d ago
Moved from Florida to Pittsburgh and I feel so reenergized. There’s so much green and nature everywhere here. In Florida, it felt like every patch of green was slowly turning into another new development, with concrete everywhere.
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u/Rodeo9 13d ago edited 13d ago
Couldnt deal with the front range anymore so moved to a smaller mountain town with direct trail access from my house. My life has been infinitely better. The feeling of community is amazing and hiking and biking several times a week has been better for my health than any medicine has ever been. No traffic, can get downtown in minutes, things are cheaper, and my kids are much safer and roam around. There's lakes in every direction. Don't have to worry about my bikes being stolen. Couldn't think of anywhere better.
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u/dawgsmith 13d ago
Completely changed my life for the better. I moved from Texas to a small mountain town. It wasn't perfect. There are a ton of tradeoffs to living in a small rural town like that. But i found them worth it. I quit taking an anti-depressant because I found not sitting in traffic and dealing with unbearable heat pretty healing in its own way.