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Jane Manthorpe's avatar

I have always lived in small towns. I come from the UK and lived in small villages and small towns all my life where you can't do anything without anyone else knowing about it.

This can be good and it can be bad thing, depending on what you do and did. You either become a local celebrity or the local rebel where everyone wants you out.

Living in small villages and towns there are certain ways to live, and if you don't fit in, you are cast as an outsider or weirdo. And that also includes setting up business. If the business fits in the culture all good, if not you will get negative feedback and resistance.

That said, I agree small towns and villages are great to reinvent yourself, start again and be recognised for your talents and skills.

As a nomadic pet sitter, I travel all over New Zealand where there are no big towns other than Auckland (the most populated around 1.48 million and Christchurch around 380,000), which is small compared to say New York. I experience different small town/ village vibes in each one I visit and each town has its own uniqueness which can be a good feel or bad feel.

So, saying all this, I think it depends on the culture, the country and the vibe of the town, if you can be successfully change anything. I have recently seen this in motion. A local resident wanting to setup a business building a few new but different style eco houses that are powered off the land. He met great resistance and his project to date is in the air if it will go ahead. God knows why, I think its a great project and environmentally supportive.

But that's a big project so I guess, like you say Ash, if it were a wee small project like flower displays and beautification, then it there is less resistance and great support

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Andee Scarantino's avatar

“I’d argue that the same anonymity that insulates you now, will also eventually drown you.

Winning requires witness.”

👏🏻

Not only is this brilliant, but as a 16-year New Yorker I can verify its truth. It’s easier to hide in plain sight here than anywhere else.

I will say that there *is* community here (unlike your “Amber” west village experience,) but you gotta put in ten plus years before you truly get to have it.

The cities are good for the energy.

I wouldn’t change how I’ve done things, but they’re not sustainable for my soul. You gotta close off a lot just to survive them.

I think we all get a little pocket of the world to make better, and I believe we connect to that only when we pause long enough to see what’s right here ✨

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