[anon1385]

Well my own personal perspective is that I'd like to live somewhere that I can do gardening, grow veg[1] and sometimes go for a walk and see some wildlife. I'd also like to live in a place where the average age isn't 40 years older than I am so that I could have some kind of social life without driving for miles (ideally I don't want to drive at all). Which is all very unrealistic, and I'll probably end up living in the middle of nowhere with no social life if I ever have enough money to afford a house.

I don't think it's good for the social makeup of small towns and villages. Healthy communities need people of all ages, not just retirees.

[1] this is kinda possible in a city, but usually costs a fortune. I used to live near allotments in Edinburgh but they were super expensive to rent.

[malyk]

This is possible in second tier cities in the states. My wife and I bought a house in oakland at the end of 2012 and do exactly what you say. We're building a permaculture garden in our yard (which is only 40'x50' in back, 50'x20' in front), we can bike to almost anything we need or want, public transit is good, and the area is filled with people in the 25-45 age range (I'm 35). We bought so it was pretty expensive up front (though our mortgage payment is only $1900 a month + $650 in taxes), but there are plenty of rental opportunities as well. Total commute time to my job in SF is 35 minutes (10 bike, 25 bart).

Most second tier cities aren't as close to a major city as oakland is to SF, but you can find what you are looking for if you are willing to live the slightly less cosmopolitan life of SF/LA/Chi/NYC/DC/etc.

Of course, I have no idea how this translate to the UK!

[pnathan]

That's essentially my situation as well (I live in the US). I'd like a few acres, live near a national forest, and work a tech job that isn't at the only company within the nearest 500 miles. :-S

[josephhardin]

Check out northern Colorado. Between Denver, Fort Collins, and Boulder there is a fair bit of tech, cost of living is decently low(outside of Boulder), and you can live right next to a national forest.

[saraid216]

This is harder now, but as cities develop, I think we'll see this become easier as open space is emphasized and communal gardens are popularized even more.