参考阅读：

A city is a large and permanent human settlement. Cities generally have extensive systems for housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use, and communication.

Historically citydwellers have been a small proportion of humanity overall, but today, following two centuries of unprecedented and rapid urbanization, half of the world population is said to live in cities. Present-day cities usually form the core of larger metropolitan areas and urban areas, creating numerous commuters traveling towards city centers for employment, entertainment, and edification.

Following are just some of the benefits and resources:

Things are in walking distance.

There's always something going on.

City living is dynamic and you encounter a wider range of individuals from different backgrounds.

Transportation is made easy with various forms of public transit and many people ride bicycles to work.

City people seem to be more focused on health and fitness activities and perhaps that's because there are so many resources nearby, not to mention competition for mates. You might be surprised to see so many people jogging on the sidewalks each day.

Cities have parks that serve as a little oasis that gives you s feeling that you're getting away from the intensity. The parks are almost always full of interesting character from street performers to vendors of homemade goods.

You always have food choices with so many restaurants available, and there's generally cuisine from sroumd the world.

It's hard to run out of things to do with all the bookstores, museums and art galleries.

When you need to take care of business at local government offices, everything is usually in walking distance or facilitated by public trans.

Many cities are home to universities so students from around the world are ever present.

Because you have a high density of people living together, political rallies and parades are not uncommon.

Weekends are unusually packed with people. Every city has its party section that usually has numerous bars and clubs all within a few block radius. Sometimes things get s bitnout of hand and you might occasionally witness a drunken brawl.

Visitors often pour into the cities on weekends and it's very common to see them heading toward the local city sports stadiums, donning the colors and logos of their favorite team.

Some of the downsides to city living

Parking is always an issue and traffic is congested on the typical grid of one way streets.

There is a homeless problem in American cities that is sad and disturbing. They are nearly everywhere, from street corners to public restrooms and the parks. Among them are some people who are mentally ill and others are drug addicts and alcoholics. I've met a number of homeless people who didn't use drugs and seemed for all intents and purposes pretty normal, but down on their luck. I've heard some heartbreaking stories.

City apartment living isn't generally as spacious as a flat you'd find in the suburbs or rural areas. Real estate costs a lot more for what you get. Depending on the city you could end up in a very old 900 square foot apartment with a bathroom that feels like it would be more appropriate on an aircraft.

There's often a lot of construction going on in cities, so roads may be closed at night as construction workers dig up parts of the street

Cities like Manhatten can get a bit claustrophobic and even depressing from all the towers and highrises packed right next to one another. It's a world of cement and steel, and sometimes you can hardly see the sky.

Owning a car can cost a little more because the roads give it a beating. Cities generally have a lot of potholes and bumps, sometimes grounding out lower-sprung expensive cars.

Some parking spots will be prohibited on certain nights of the week due to street cleaning.

There's a higher incidence of crime in most cities and there are usually places one should never go.

The overall cost of living is higher in the city, but so too are the salaries.

Cities are relatively noisy. I find it comforting. You will hear trains and railroad crossing signals, ambulances, helicopter and jets if you are near a flight path.

Frequent Questions:

Do you like the city you live now?

Is there anything you dislike about it?

Would you say it has good facilities?

Would you say it’s a good place for children to live?

How is life different in cities compared to rural areas?

How do you think life in big cities could be made easier?

What do you think cities will be like in 50 years time?