City life

CITY LIFE

Advantages and disadvantages of living in cities

My personal attitude toward cities and living there

Every now and then we ask ourselves whether it's better to live in a city our in a countryside.

I haven't yet decided for myself whether I want to spend my whole life in a city or not. City life has its advantages and disadvantages.

First of all, it is easier to find work in the city than in the country, besides, salaries are much higher and one has a larger variety of jobs to pick from.

Moreover, cities are the centers of culture and social life. Living in a city one has all sorts of museums, music halls, theatres, exhibitions, movie theatres, pubs, restaurants and night clubs at their command. Therefore there are a lot more free time facilities than in rural areas.

Cities are also centers of education. Many young people move to cities because there are more opportunities for continuing their education there. Usually country's largest and best universities are located in big cities, as for example Sorbonne in Paris or Moscow State University in the capital of Russia.

Another advantage it better living conditions. In the city people live in more modern houses which need less work doing to them. That saves a great part of their time and effort.

Among the disadvantages there are crime, pollution, high prices, enormous traffic jams and overcrowded streets and subway and of course the threat of the present - terrorism.

From the point of view of ecology cities are not the best place to live in. Garbage and sewage are two major problems of cities as well as air and water pollution.

Besides it's not safe in terms of crime. For example, I wouldn't walk back home late in the evening alone in Moscow. It's dangerous I think. One can either get robbed of their purse, jewelry or mobile phone or even get raped, for example.

One has to watch out for pickpockets even in the daylight. You have to be very careful in crowded places as markets and underground for example. Once one of my friends was on the underground, it was a day time, and her cell phone was snatched right out of her hands just as the train was coming into the station and of course they got off straight away and she could do nothing about it. Moreover most of the thieves are carrying knives, which means if you resist you can get badly hurt.

People who get attacked by robbers more frequently are foreign tourists, I think. They are easy targets, they stand out in the crowd. Thieves know they are probably carrying money and documents and they don't speak the language and they are vulnerable therefore.

Thus, no matter whether one is a visitor or a citizen, they have to be sensible and keep their eyes open.

I moved from my small hometown to Moscow five years ago with the intention to enter a University and be able to get an interesting and well-paid job in the future. I have never regretted this decision. One simply has more opportunities living in such a city as Moscow. City life is very intense and interesting, there are so many events going on every day, exhibitions, premieres, competitions, shows, etc.

Personally I enjoy living in the city, mostly for the spare time facilities. I like to go out to the movies or a theatre with my friends. Together with my boyfriend I go to a nice restaurant once in a while. In the winter we love to go skating, my favorite skating rink is the indoor one in CSK. Outdoors I get chilly very fast, therefore I prefer staking indoors. Besides it's very convenient to stake in CSK for the rink is open till 6 o'clock in the morning and you don't have to worry about being late. Prices are very reasonable there as well.

And if you are tired of social life, it is a great pleasure just to walk along the ancient streets of Moscow, which have so much history behind them, and admire the architecture.

However, despite my great love towards Moscow, I love to come back to the small, quiet and green town of Puschino. I am very fond of the atmosphere of the rural life. When I get there it seems that time goes by slowly I don't have to hurry, I'm able to enjoy myself to the fullest, and it calms me down a lot.

Вор: mugger, robber, thieve, pickpocket

Questions

Which capital city would you most like to spend a weekend in?

- After I visited Paris last summer, I've been dreaming of spending at least a weekend in the capital city of Spain, Madrid. It's been my dream since I started studying Spanish four years ago. It would be really nice simply to feel the atmosphere of Spain. I think it must be different from that of other European countries and therefore I can't even imagine what it is like there. So the trip is definitely to bring surprises and fascinating impressions.

- I would definitely go to the most popular place in Madrid El museo del Prado, also I would visit La Plaza Mayor (the Major Square) and one of the palaces. Maybe I would try and go to see corrida, although I'm against cruel treatment of animals, but just once and just to get an impression of what it is in the real life, it would be ok. Besides, I would definitely experience Spanish night life, which I heard of so many times!

- No matter whether I'll be able to see a lot or not, It would be really nice to practice my Spanish, visit a totally new country and culture, and just get an impression of what Spain is like.

How would you describe the general atmosphere of the city?

- For me city is a large gathering of angry, tired, irritated people, it is stress, tension, traffic jams, self-concentration. One is always in a hurry and is late everywhere. One doesn't have time to do all they want to.

- On the other hand, it's the romance of old streets and gorgeous parks. It is the atmosphere of business and fullness of life. Living in a city one is in the centre of so many different events going on.

What precautions do you suggest we should take when walking home at night?

- I think we should have smb meet us at the underground station and accompany us home. It's more likely that one gets attacked walking alone than with smb else.

- It's also important not to walk late at night. Besides, we should avoid dark streets and parks and large gatherings of potentially aggressive people.

What do you think police could do to improve the situation?

- Police could put up close circuit TV cameras in public areas. Also, police patrol at night could help. It would be useful to have security guards on public transport. Street lightning all night would also work towards improving the situation.