Big city, smallish town or isolated village?

Heineken

Hallo, Jan! Wilkommen. I lived in Vienna from 1963 to 1969 (my dad worked for IAEA on the Ringstrasse but was finally booted out by the Russians in a political struggle for his position). As far as I know, you are the only Viennese PO.com member.

I wonder if (other than the major landmarks) Vienna would be recognizable to me today.

Anyway, I voted remote village because I feel that is the setting in which people will be most forced to be prepared for self-sufficiency, and thus may actually achieve some measure of it when the deeper troubles begin. Also, I feel that it's safer away from the major population centers, which will have huge underclasses that are likely to become violent.

Also, I am a country boy by design. For me there is now no other way to live.
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canis_lupus

Small town / Isolated for me.

I will live where the food and firewood originate. Further, small town folks tend to be birds of the same feather.

I look at Chicago and ask myself how many of these folks are going to make it once the looting and burning phase of our decline is past and I just don't see how.

Revi · Fusion Joined: Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 3111 Location: Maine

I was just down near NYC. It looks like it's just fine. Meanwhile up here the economy is falling apart. We need to heat our houses and drive long distances to get things. People in my county make as much as people in Alabama. The heating season runs at least 6 months. People seem to be leaving. Wouldn't you? I think about it sometimes. If I didn't have a job here, I don't know if I'd hang out.

I think a smallish town is great if you have a pension or some kind of income. If you have to work for a living, it's a different story.
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Peepers · Heavy Crude Joined: Jan 01, 2005 Posts: 209

I think it depends on where the city is. If it's on a navigable waterway and has ready access to freshwater (think Great Lakes and Mississippi/Missouri/Ohio River watersheds!!!), then I think those cities might do well.

But if it's a landlocked city, has poor agricultural hinterlands and uses lots of energy and expense just to keep its residents from getting thirsty, then those cities don't have much of a chance.

Which cities thrived and grew before oil consumption started skyrocketing in the 1920s? The answers to that might be the places to start looking for the future.

I usually don't refer to Wikipedia, but the data for my city is correct so I assume the others are correct....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_cities_in_the_United_States_by_population_by_decade

gollum

I live in a town of 600, when our disabled daughter passed away we had more well wishers than we could handle, the whole community supported us. This community atmosphere is more valuable in the long run than a warehouse full of food and guns. We have cattle ranches near by, firewood close, some people still know how to garden, can etc. I feel on balance our chances of long term survival or relative prosperity are best here. Big cities are death traps and the grave yards of tomorrow. Think about it, the reason we know some civilizations collapsed is because we find their empty decayed cities.

Narz

I voted isolated village.

But that's in the future. For the next 5-years or so I'll likely live in or around New York City and will be happy with that.
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jivah · Coal Joined: Jul 03, 2004 Posts: 9 Location: London

AnIowan

I picked isolated village.

From where we live, we have at least two different self-sufficient organic farmers (one animals, the other produce), we live in a river valley ringed with trees, animals, and we have a small spring fed stream within a tenth of a mile.

For my money, rural areas will suffer short term as they adjust to the loss of materials, food, and so on because of the lack of transportation. However, long term, the sense of community and the ability to create new from old will create small burgs all over the country who are almost entirely self-sufficient.

davep

I chose isolated village.

People know how to fix things, and are generally manualy adept as well as being able to grow stuff.

And they're all armed to the hilt (yes, even here in Euro-weenie France).

Number one priority is don't piss off the neighbours.
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jivah · Coal Joined: Jul 03, 2004 Posts: 9 Location: London

vision-master