I think it's a personal thing.
It depends on your views on "live to work vs. work to live", how much you like to get out and about and enjoy the scenery etc.

Personally I enjoy my quiet little town in the lake district, and did eventually land an IT job just down the road (after working in another town for a while, but in this case it was only a 30 minute drive). Even though everyone says I could move to one of the cities and earn twice as much, I choose not to - I don't like crowds, yobs, noisy pubs, and I enjoy being able to drive as little as 10 minutes (ok, or up to 2 hours further afield) and stroll up a mountain or sit by a lake, and yes I actually do these things quite regularly.

To me it's near priceless, and although the night life is not to everyone's taste there is still an abundance of pubs in the town with good ale, and plenty of people to be friends with. (Though why people only believe a night has "life" if it's full of shouting, fighting, and music that you can't hold a conversation over is beyond me, but to each his own)

Do you actually like the place, or just acknowledge that it's 'nice' and might be somewhere you want to retire one day? (I think I'm old before my time really, I love quiet and scenic places and have already mentioned my view of what most people consider 'night life'). Do you actually get to see it, or is it a rare sight in between working, sleeping and being in the other town with your friends? If it's just basically a place to go to bed at night... well, once you're asleep a bed is a bed. Doesn't much matter what it looks like around it.

If it was utterly devoid of any decent community or pubs, yeah I'd consider moving. But I certainly wouldn't move from a place that I love just to be closer to the place where I earn a living - how depressing. I'm fortunate enough to have a job that I enjoy, to be fair, but that said I don't think I'd give up the area for it (just like I wouldn't give it up for an employer that pays better :P). Life beats Work, unless you're one of the fortunate few who really *loves* their job, and sees it as the great thing they enjoy in life.

If you have kids to support, of course, it's a whole different ball game involving making as much money as possible. Another reason not to contribute to the overcrowding of the planet :P
(Cloudane, Mon 2 Nov 2009, 20:24, 1 reply)

thanks
For your long reply.
I dont have any kids or a g/f. Im single.

I think its a case of "Nice place - poor community" vs "Crap place - good community" The place I live now has plenty of decent pubs and restaurants. Its realyl nice. But its more of a holiday area. There are locals, but I've never managed to mix with them. Simply because my friends and work collegues are down the coast nearer or in the rubbish town.

It is true that the nice place is just somewhere to go to bed. Sometimes I go for a nice walk round it and think "woah this place is lovely!" But its not very often, as im either at work or sat in my apartment chilling, or out with friends elsewhere.

I might give the rubbish town a go. I could always move back if I dont like it. :)
(Miggyman, Tue 3 Nov 2009, 14:59, closed)