This is part of an ongoing series on happiness. I’m going to continue sharing everyday moments, experiences, and activities where I feel most happy. Since I believe the pursuit of happiness is something that binds humanity, and since one of the major reasons to attain financial freedom in the first place is to improve one’s happiness, I find it important to share aspects of my life where I feel like the pursuit of happiness is most successful. I hope to show through these regular insights that not only does it not take much (or any) money to improve one’s happiness but also that financial freedom provides additional opportunities (via more time) to boost happiness.
The tale of two childhoods.
That’s me.
I spent the first 11 years of my childhood in a rough neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. (Interesting fact: I grew up about five miles away from where Eminem did.)
I was then adopted, and spent the remainder of my youth in a village far west of Detroit – a village with a population of about 500 people.
So I’ve experienced both sides of the coin. That kind of juxtaposition is tough to beat. And I now live in a small-ish city, here in Sarasota. Having had a chance to dip my toes in many different pools, I know which one feels most comfortable to me.
While I hold no love for Detroit specifically, I strongly prefer urbanity in general.
There’s just something about the dynamic energy of a city that’s difficult to put into words.
It’s electric. It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating.
The impetus for this article is a recent trip to Chicago, where Claudia and I recently spent a weekend to celebrate seven years together. Although it was always on my mind to pay homage to urbanity and express how it makes me feel, this recent trip really motivated me to pen this.
Chicago was intense… and incredible.
We were up there for a variety of reasons (besides our anniversary). She has a very good friend she hasn’t seen in years who owns a high-end restaurant in the city. I have a sister I haven’t seen in a couple years that lives a few hours away. And Claudia’s never been there before but wanted to see the city.
Moreover, I had a deep fascination with Chicago as a child. Growing up poor in Detroit, I always saw Chicago as this beacon of hope and success in the Midwest. It was like what Detroit could have been in some alternate universe. I always imagined going there as a successful adult.
Well, here I am.
It didn’t disappoint.
We stayed in the West Loop, which allowed easy access to the core of the city by public transportation. Since I love public transportation, this was great.
We used the Blue Line train to get to and from the airport. And we used buses and our own feet to get around most of the rest of the time. (We walked 10 miles on the Saturday we were there, for instance.)
How fantastic it is to not have to rely on a car to get everywhere. It’s just one less thing to need in life. One less thing to have to rely on. The less you rely on, the more free you are.
I’ve been using public transportation for years here in Sarasota. But it’s a small city, and so its public transportation can’t compare to that of Chicago’s. It’s apples and oranges. Nonetheless, I still get around okay.
Although some people might find urban living and frugality as opposing lifestyles, I disagree. I find urbanity to be perfectly in harmony with and complementary to the concept of living below your means and achieving financial freedom early in life.
First, just walking around and taking in the city’s sights is completely free, not to mention beneficial to one’s health. I’m not sure you can really place a price tag on vibrancy, yet it costs nothing (assuming you’re already in a city).
We saw Millennium Park. Grant Park. The lakefront. The Chicago River. Street scenes. Amazing architecture everywhere. The hustle and bustle of people moving to and fro. Horns honking. People talking. Life was in the air.
And that’s just Chicago. Most major US cities have their respective urban offerings.
To me, being surrounded by beautiful architecture is like walking around a museum. Except it’s a fantastic museum… and it’s completely free.
Willis Tower. Tribune Tower. John Hancock Center. Aon Center. Aqua. You get the picture for Chicago. And I could paint a picture like this for many other larger cities across the country.
Knowing what humanity is capable of inspires me. I stand there in awe.
And the parks. Oh, the parks. They’re free? You’re kidding me? I can enjoy world-class parks and art for free? I don’t have to pay? Experiencing something like Cloud Gate costs me nothing? I almost feel guilty.
Meanwhile, the sharing/gig economy is most noticeable in a large urban environment. This changes one’s cost structure quite a bit from just the assumed sticker price.
Public transportation. Roommate availability. Car sharing. So on and so forth.
And this isn’t even to mention the additional opportunities for income. It’s not just that high-quality and high-paying jobs tend to be centered in and around cities, but you’re also more free to participate in the sharing/gig economy (like, say, becoming an Uber driver).
But I’d prefer urban density and vibrancy to suburbia or rural living even if it ended up costing more. It’s a lifestyle call. It’s about personal happiness. Those who think life is simply about maximizing dollars are really missing out, in my view. The money is, after all, simply a means to an end. And so you really couldn’t pay me enough to live in a rural environment, or suburbia.
The feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself is wonderful. It costs nothing but, for me, provides so much value.
I also appreciate all those that came before me. The diverse mix of old and new that one can find in a city is wonderful. It reminds me that so many great people have existed before me, making their indelible mark on the world. And I can see that there are so many people around me that enjoy continuing that legacy of human triumph.
Oh, and as a night owl, I also like knowing I can do anything or get anything at pretty much any time of day or night.
A late-night stroll, with the moon and city lights illuminating your walk? A great burger at midnight? Or maybe I want to jog to the 24-hour gym to get in a workout well after the sun has retreated for the day. Perhaps I don’t do any of this. Just knowing I can is neat, though.
In addition, I’m an introvert. As an INTJ personality, I can sometimes be guilty of spending too much time in my own head, fascinated (and overwhelmed) by ideas and concepts.
But urbanity forces me out of my comfort zone. It challenges me. And I like that.
Lastly, I think urban living is just plain more sustainable in regards to the future of humanity. I think we need to build up rather than out over the long haul.
Now, there’s no one-size-fits-all lifestyle or location. Life would be boring if it were like that. And I’m in no way attempting to convince anyone of anything with this article. I’m only sharing a personal aspect of my life in terms of what makes me happy and how financial freedom impacts that.
Some people like small towns. Others prefer suburbs. I enjoy dense cities with beautiful architecture, plentiful parks, robust public transportation, delicious food, diversified culture, and amenities. To each their own. But financial freedom can allow you the flexibility to live where you want, with less (or no) regard for money.
And financial freedom is fantastic in that it allows you to actually enjoy your surroundings.
Too often, too many people are just rushing from place to place in their lives.
Get in the car. Drive to work. Go to the grocery store. Hit the gym. Go home.
And when you’re living like that, a large urban area can be a bummer. You’re competing against a lot of other people doing the same exact things, generally around the same exact times. So you’re running into traffic and crowds.
But when you’re able to slow down and actually enjoy the culture and amenities, urbanity takes on a whole new meaning.
That brings me to my next point.
It’s an interesting thing. It’s only been somewhat recently that I’ve developed a real passion for urbanity. I’ve spent countless hours researching cities, urban planning, walkability, public transportation, etc.
Would I have ever developed this passion if I were still so busy working for most of my waking hours? My guess is no. I actually wouldn’t even be the person I am today had I never started down the path to financial freedom. It’s crazy to ponder that: I wouldn’t be me.
And that’s one more great thing about financial freedom. You’re allowed the time to really craft yourself and your lifestyle, to a certain degree. You learn more about yourself. You develop new interests, passions, and hobbies. You become a better and more well-rounded version of yourself. You’re able to feel the joy of striving toward your potential, which is perhaps the ultimate barometer of happiness in life.
For me, a more urban environment makes me happy. And with all of the free sights and sounds, it doesn’t cost that much to maximize the experience. Financial freedom gives me the time and energy to really immerse myself in all of that, while simultaneously minimizing many of the drawbacks.
How about you? Does urbanity make you happy? Why or why not?
Thanks for reading.
Jason, I’m inclined to agree. If you stay away from the super expensive urban areas like Boston, NY, DC, and SF, you can come out ahead pretty easily I’d say. And even in the HCOL big cities, if that’s what you really want to do, a lot of people inevitably make it work in those places. My experience with urban environments is only through traveling. I’ve always lived in the suburbs. I look forward to hopefully living somewhere urban for a little while to see if it’s as appealing as a resident vs. as someone who is just passing through before going home, or on to the next place.
TJ,
Right. The value proposition for those really expensive cities like NYC and SF depends a lot on what you do for a living, just in terms of the financial aspect of it. If you’re working as a bond trader, well, that’s one thing. But if you’re a waiter, well, you’re probably going to be much better off (financially) somewhere else. But as you mention, there are a lot of people that make it work. I guess it’s all in what you want and what you’re willing to do to make it happen.
I have no regrets taking the path I took. And I wasn’t as infatuated with urban environments a few years back, as I noted. However, I can definitely foresee myself living in a bigger city down the road. Sarasota has a lot to offer, and I think it punches way above its weight, but my passion for urbanity grows by the day. It’s fun to see these changes take place in me. It’s just one more thing I love about this lifestyle.
You might like living in a larger city. Or maybe not. The nice thing about the United States is that we have so many different choices. We’re pretty unique in that regard. You can live in a big city or a tiny town; near the beach or near the desert; along the plains or at the base of a mountain. Pretty fun, right? We’re so fortunate.
Thanks for dropping by!
Best regards.
Yep, medium sized cities for me. I currently live in Sendai in Japan. Population 1.3 million but very walkable and cycleable, and not too crowded when you want to get a meal or go shopping (unlike Tokyo).
sandaiben,
Nice! That’s a pretty large city by our standards here in the US. That’s right about on par with San Diego, which is the eighth-largest city in the country. But I guess it’s hard to compare our cities to Japanese cities due our differences in density.
I don’t think I’d ever want to live in something as chaotic/big as Tokyo. It seems to me that livability concerns tend to pop up when you get that big. Something like Chicago (a little over 2.7 million people) is about as big as I’d go – and even that is pretty big.
You want to strike that balance between livability, culture, amenities, and cost. Sounds like you’re right there! 🙂
Best regards.
Jason,
Nice post. I can see you are a city dweller at heart. Chicago is bustling but for 4-5 months of the year it is pretty unbearable. In the summertime it transforms into a paradise by the lake with tons of young people and folks of all ages getting active along the lake paths.
In SE Asia there are mega cities which offer every type of services under the sun but are generally over crowded. I live in one of these cities and think I’m more of the small city type of person, 1-3 million is probably about right. However in my city I do keep to mostly within my own neighborhood and surrounding areas so that makes it more livable.
-Mike
Mike,
Indeed. Chicago is pretty miserable for about four months every year. I grew up right on the other side of the Lake. Interestingly enough, Chicago actually gets noticeably better weather (less snowfall, more sunshine) in the wintertime, due to the fact that Michigan gets a lot of lake effect snow and cloud cover. I always grew up thinking that Chicago was much more brutal in the winter, but it’s actually not. Of course, the rest of the year is fantastic. Always trade-offs.
Yeah, living in a megacity is definitely not for me. I like cities, but I think you have to make sure the quality of life and balance is still there. Otherwise, the drawbacks will simply outweigh the benefits, unless you’re just in it for the money or something. It wasn’t my intention to insinuate that urbanity is only present in humongous cities. There is great urbanity to be found in many cities around the world, even small cities. Bigger is not always better. In fact, more can often be less.
I wouldn’t really consider a city of 1-3 million as “small”, though. Splitting the difference puts you in a top-10 city here in the USA. I personally think some of the highest quality of life here in the US can actually be found in what I’d consider mid-sized cities of around 600k or so. But it’s hard to compare to SE Asia, as the density is just way different. The US is not dense at all.
Thanks for stopping by!
Best wishes.
I find that cities both energise and wear me out over time. Like you, I love cities and need the vibrancy that can only be found in cities, but every two years or so I need to get out of the city for 2-4 weeks to recharge the batteries and take a step back.
I can usually tell that I need some time off when I start complaining about parking or traffic.
I’m not certain I could live in a landlocked city. I’m only ever 15 minutes away from world class beaches, and the ocean has an incredibly soothing effect on me.
I noticed you said that you think the future is in “up, not out”. Is this an infrastructure thing? I’m personal finding more and more that some of the benefits of cities are being eroded by the internet (primarily availability of goods and services). If someone manages to crack the Hyperloop or something similar, I’ll certainly be moving away from cities, not towards them.
ADI,
I hear you there. Not sure if I could live in a city as intense as Chicago, but one great thing about financial freedom is that you don’t exactly need to get your boss’s approval for a two-week (or whatever) vacation to go somewhere else to recharge the batteries. 🙂
I did mean infrastructure in regards to building up rather than out. There’s a lot of material out there that discusses that (and it passes the test of common sense), but Jeanne Gang (a prominent and fantastic architect based out of Chicago) did a nice TED Talk on this subject a little while back:
I also agree with you in regards to the Internet leveling the playing field out a bit. In fact, one could technically avoid civilization altogether, if they play their cards right, and if they’re interested in doing so. You can make your money online, order your household goods and groceries, and even find potential mates via websites. So on and so forth. If you’re interested in just avoiding cities and people, the Internet has made that easier than ever. Hell, it’s not all that hard to not even go outside very much.
However, I prefer the urbanity, vibrancy, and energy of a city. It’s just a lifestyle call. For my own personal situation, living in a city would not really be a financial gift at all. I could make it a financial thing, but that’s not my aim. It’s just a lifestyle I prefer, largely for the reasons I laid out above. In fact, someone could offer me $10,000/month to live solely in a rural environment, and I’d pass it up. But to each their own. The US has so many different areas to live in, which is such a gift.
Thanks for sharing that!
Best regards.
Thanks for the youtube link. Incredibly interesting!
Jason,
Thanks for sharing this video. Chicago has really come a long way since I last checked it out some 17 years ago.
Mike
Jeanne Gang really has some great design ideas. I really liked watching this.
City boy here, born and raised. Just a week away from a city, any city, makes me feel like I am ‘vegetating’ in the wilderness. I hanker for urban cacophony- strange animal this TFR is.
TFR,
I guess we’re both strange animals, as I hanker for the same. 🙂
Cheers!
Great post Jason!
I grew up in the Suburbs and now live in the West end of Toronto, Canada. I’ve grown to enjoy living in the city and agree very much with this post. And just like you, I like being able to walk places instead of driving. It’s great that there’s always something to do in the city. I’m willing to sacrifice space and a car to live a more simple, healthier lifestyle. Really enjoyed your final point on financial freedom and crafting your own life. That’s what it’s all about. Thanks for the read!
Graham,
Thanks, man. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I’m with you all the way on being able to walk places. And when you look at population numbers and trends, it seems like that’s really how most people feel. It’s just an unfortunate situation where demand outstrips supply, leading to expensive housing in a lot of our quality cities. So you just have to be smart and flexible.
Best wishes!
I’d much rather live in the country on my own private piece of land. It makes me feel like I am living on my own piece of the world. I’d much rather see and listen to nature rather than the idiot in the civic and his fart-can exhaust. To each there own, indeed. If we were all the same, this world would be in chaos for recourses. If I had to live on top of or below someone, or right next to someone on a 1/4 acre lot, I think I would go crazy. When people are right on me, I feel like I own nothing. Peace and serenity is what I most value. If I want to work on my car on my property, I don’t want scary Mary next door giving me dirty looks or yapping at me.
paul,
Hey, that’s great, man. If you’re able to find what makes you happy, and then align your lifestyle with that, you’re in great shape. It’d be a shame to live in the country but prefer the city, or vice versa. That’d be terrible.
Personally, you couldn’t pay me enough to live way out in the middle of nowhere, but we’re so fortunate in this country to have those options. You can literally dream up just about any scenario and make it happen. Mountains? Coast? Country? City? Etc. It’s really great.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers.
Hey Justin big fan of the blog but I’m gonna have to disagree on this one. While I understand your points of the benefits, the Urban lifestyle is definitely not for me. Living in the NYC area I grew up in the suburbs and now work in the city. When I first started coming to NYC needless to say I experienced a massive culture shock. Now perhaps where you are in Florida it is not as bad as here but my experience of urban areas has always been awful. Filth, sketchy concrete area with no life or plants, (a 5000square foot park does not count IMO) wreaked with crime, poverty, homelessness. Everyday I cram into a filthy subway that reeks of human waste like a sardine with millions of people who do not care to assimilate to our nation and become American so much they don’t even speak the langauage. Who would ever want to live in a congested and dangerous place like that over peaceful serene blue skies and green grass, Property!!! And safety. Chuldren can walk around my neighborhood all hours of the night without fear yet there are places I work in urban areas I wouldn’t want to enter in broad daylight as a grown man. I loathe urban areas and actually look forward to when I will be able to move upstate and live on the outskirts of a major city in a rural area. There I will have all the Land, space, peace and quiet without noisy neighbors or landscaping leaf blowers (24hours a day everyday where I am). Sure it will be a bit further to the supermarket and things like that but totally worth it in my opinion to just be out in the middle of nowhere.
Brian,
Thanks for dropping by!
Urbanity definitely isn’t for everyone. And so the title of the post isn’t “Happiness Is: Urbanity For Everyone”. Each person has to figure out what works for them. The great thing about financial freedom, however, is that you’re more or less free to live on your terms, which includes your surroundings. It’s easier to live in either an urban environment or a rural environment without the normal constraints that most people have, since you can customize your life to your needs. Moreover, you can even do one for a few years, then the other for a few years. Bounce to and fro, if you so wish. You’re free to play by your own rules, to a degree. That’s really what it’s all about. 🙂
So for you, it might be “Happiness Is: Being In The Middle Of Nowhere”. In the end, it’s all about the little things. That’s really the point of this series. It’s about realizing that money and happiness do not operate at a constant 1:1 ratio, and many things that drive happiness cost nothing at all (especially once you’ve already “bought” your freedom).
I will quickly note, though, that most of your comment sounds exaggerated and not realistic, from my experience of urban areas. You mention NYC and a 5,000-square-foot park in the same comment, which is strange. Central Park alone is 778 acres, and that’s just one of their many parks. Most larger US cities are similar in that they have extensive park space. It’s one thing to dislike something; it’s another to heavily exaggerate. Hyperbole is unnecessary to point out that you prefer rural areas.
Cheers!
Hey Jase,
Can’t help but admit that when I heard about Eminem the “8 Mile” music started playing in my head.. You both escaped the “hood” eh?
Seriously though this series is cool, enjoying the undervalued stocks posts as well though although don’t wanna bombard with too many comments..
Having grown up on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia (not Nova Scotia if you didn’t know) I can say that while I love an urban metropolis, NYC as an example was too much for me, although great city with heaps to do.. I like having a decent sized (think about 200,000 odd people) with close access to a busy city..
You’ll have to check out Oz one day if you haven’t already, promise it’s not all that dangerous haha
Cheers and hope this series keeps on!
Jef,
You know, it’s funny. Eminem is obviously super famous for growing up in Detroit and turning into this worldwide phenomenon. But he actually grew up in a nicer area of Detroit than I did. Not trying to make it a competition, but my neck of the woods was pretty rough. Makes me appreciate all that I have that much more, as I’m pretty lucky that I’m even still alive.
NYC would be way, way too much for me, too. When I think of urbanity, it’s not necessarily something where bigger is better. You really want to be able to strike that balance between everything. Too many people seems to lower the overall quality of life while raising the price on a lot of things. Here in the USA, the best blend of urbanity and quality of life probably occurs in cities with populations of around 700,000 or so. Although, it’s really different here in the States compared to Australia when you’re talking about how our respective populations are laid out. You guys are mostly in a few big cities, whereas we’re pretty spread out. I wouldn’t mind seeing Melbourne. Seems like an incredible city.
Best regards!
Wow man you must’ve had a relatively tough area although it’s probably given you a lot of motivation to improve yourself
Admittedly I’m a bit biased although I’ve gotta say Sydney is the best city in Australia despite all those surveys saying Melb is the most livable city in the world, it’s too cold in winter for me 😉
If you ever head here (Sydney) hit me up I’d love to show you round, even buy you a beer or coffee!