country bumpkins vs. city slickers

[XXXNoahXXX]

This is why Boston is the optimal city to live on the outskirts of.

Down the block I have a corner store, liquor store, laundry, pizza place, bar, and mexican place. We have a pool. If we bought a house, we'd have ample parking and a backyard. People have cookouts and get togethers and might even know their neighbors names. There are parks nearby, and the Mass Pike is 5 minutes away and you can be apple picking or skiing or doing any rural thing in less than 30 minutes. I can get to downtown Boston in 30 minutes by T or 15 minutes driving. Now obviously suburban != rural, but other than vast expanses of farm land and shootin coons in your backyard, I feel like it gives you the best of both worlds.

The more rural you want, just move a little further out, but I think living in the Brookline/Chestnut Hill/Newton area seems about perfect.