City girl

I was brought up on the edge of a small town in Berkshire, but I’ve always been a city girl. I don’t think the world is divided into those who love cities and those who hate them. It’s divided into those of us who enjoy short periods in the country, but for whom cities are our lifeblood – and the rest. I just walk taller in the city.

The attraction of cities when you’re young is obvious. Things to do, people to meet, the anonymity which allows you to make mistakes without someone telling your parents (although by this definition Belfast is not a city), a sense of possibilities and of opportunities – along with the more scary options of loneliness and failure, of course: see Jonathan Raban’s Soft City.

As one gets older, the cultural aspects of city life begin to appeal rather more, along with the politics, the architecture and general ambience, and of course the shops. It’s also possible to start taking the city for granted. When in London, I got used to being able to catch world class art, music and theatre without making much of an effort. If there was a national political demonstration, I didn’t have to think about transport beyond hopping on the bus down to Trafalgar Square. And when I lived 15 minutes by Tube from Oxford Circus, my credit card got a lot more exercise than it does today.

But cities are great for older people too. In London, I always said I would retire to the Barbican and go to concerts in my slippers. For older people, cities offer convenience, good health care, public transport which means we can give up the car, and enough culture, education and politics to keep the brain alive. The trend of moving to a city apartment after the kids have left home is entirely positive, in my opinion.

Living in Belfast, a small city, is different again. There’s an element of sophistication, of course, but also a lack of diversity and not enough good theatre and art. Belfast is remaking itself in the post-Troubles (but not post-conflict) era, but hasn’t yet decided what kind of city it wants to be, and who it wants to be for. Our fragmented politics isn’t helping here.

So – favourite cities? London is growing on me again after eight years of living elsewhere. I’m becoming fonder of Dublin, Toronto and Glasgow on closer acquaintance. Chicago is a recent discovery and Venice is unique. I’ll be visiting Perth for the first time next month, along with returning to Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney by New Year. So at the moment I would say Chicago, Vancouver and Sydney are the favourites, in reverse order – but that may change!