Moving out of the city can feel like you’ve hit the brakes on your fun life—no more late-night ramen from that bustling corner spot, no more random street festivals popping up right outside your apartment. Instead, you might find yourself surrounded by quiet streets, friendly neighbors, and backyard barbecues. The trade is worth it for many who make the switch, but that doesn’t mean you should lose touch with the urban vibes you love. After all, if you ended up in the suburbs for a bigger house, a calmer environment, or better schools, there’s no rule that says you can’t still enjoy city culture.
Let's look at some practical ideas to help you keep your favorite urban experiences and keep your cultural cravings satisfied, without sacrificing the benefits of suburban living.
Finding Excuses to Venture Back
Staying connected to urban life means finding ways to incorporate regular trips into the city. That might mean scheduling monthly visits or random weekend excursions. If you work in the city, you’re already set—your daily commute keeps you in the urban loop. But if you have a home office or a job nearby in the suburbs, you might need extra motivation to hop on the train or brave traffic. Here are a few ways to stay connected:
Plan Meetups: Coordinate a weekly or monthly dinner with friends at a favorite restaurant. When you pencil in these dates and make it a part of your life, you’re less likely to bail at the last minute.
Cultural Memberships: If there’s a museum, gallery, or performance space you adore, a membership pass is a great reason to return. Some even offer discounted rates for families.
Watch for Events: Regularly check for seasonal festivities or special exhibits that give you a “now or never” reason to visit.
Why push yourself to drive back to the city or jump on a commuter rail when your suburban sofa is so comfortable? Because soaking in that city energy now and then can be invigorating. You’ll reconnect with the hustle-bustle, try that new and exciting restaurant, and remind yourself why you were drawn to city life in the first place. Then, at the end of the day, you can slip back to your quieter neighborhood and wake up to chirping birds instead of honking cars.
Embrace Hybrid Work Spaces
Working from home can be glorious in the suburbs. You don't have to commute anymore, and your office is probably overlooking a tranquil street or yard. Still, if you crave an urban pace once in a while, you might consider joining a shared workspace located in the city. Even if you only go in on Fridays, it’s a great way to keep professional connections and feel the pulse of the downtown environment.
There are other benefits that come with paying for a desk a few times a month. You might cross paths with professionals from different industries, trade a few business cards, or get inspired by a conversation at the water cooler. Plus, after a day of brainstorming in that co-working space, you can meet friends for a quick dinner before driving back to your suburban haven.
If a paid membership seems pricey, watch for day passes or promotional events. Some co-working spots host free community days, giving you a chance to drop in without committing to a long-term plan. You’d be surprised how these occasional visits can keep you from feeling cut off from the dynamic world you once experienced daily.
Cultivate City Vibes at Home
What if you don’t want to commute every week? Maybe your work is fully remote, your schedule is jam-packed with family activities, or your city is just far enough that spontaneous trips are too much of a headache. That’s when you bring the city to you. You don’t have to replicate the 24-hour noise or the neon lights. Instead, think about elements that you loved when you were living in the city.
Urban Design Touches: Incorporate modern furniture, bold art prints, or industrial lighting. Even a small exposed-brick accent wall (or a brick-pattern wallpaper) can conjure that downtown loft vibe.
Global Dishes: Craving the multitude of food choices you had on every street corner? Organize a weekly “restaurant night” at home. Pick a cuisine and invite friends over and make it a food event in your living room.
These details won’t replace an evening stroll through your old neighborhood, but they do keep some of that cultural essence that you miss.
Virtual Events and Online Communities
Let’s not downplay the power of modern technology. When you’re physically in suburbia, you can still be digitally downtown. Many urban events, from art gallery openings to public forums, have online components. That means you can join Zoom workshops or virtual town halls that keep you looped in on city happenings. It’s not quite the same as being there in person, but it’s still valuable. You’ll pick up on local issues, cultural shifts, and trends that matter in your old neighborhood.
You can also follow local influencers or city-based websites on social media. Social media can be a noisy place, but it’s also an instant channel for real-time updates. If a new coffee shop opens in your favorite district, you’ll see it on your feed and can plan a special trip to check it out. Meanwhile, online communities—such as a city-themed subreddit or a niche Facebook group—can become a great way to stay linked to city life.
Keep Your City Friendships Alive
Any big life change has a way of straining friendships. Maybe your old friends are used to texting you for last-minute drinks or casual meetups, and they assume you’re too far now. But distance shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. You can stay close with a little planning:
Host Gatherings: Invite your city friends to your new place. Show them your new favorite spots like the local brewery, or even a scenic hike if your suburb offers that. Once they see how cozy it is—and realize the drive isn’t that bad—they might visit more often.
Plan Weekend “Staycations”: Sometimes, the best approach is to fully immerse yourself in the city again for a night or two. Book a cheap hotel or crash at a friend’s place if they have a spare room. You’ll get that real city feel and can hang out late without worrying about the drive back.
Meet in the Middle: If direct trips to one another’s place are a hassle, find a midpoint. Pick a restaurant or park halfway between the city and your suburb for a meal or a drink.
Maintaining these friendships might require a little more foresight than a quick text at 7 p.m. on a weeknight, but it’s usually worth the effort. Real human connection can’t be replaced by social media, so do what you can to keep those friendships strong.
Attending Festivals and Seasonal Events
Cities are known for their high-energy festivals—events like food fairs, music concerts, and cultural parades. You don’t have to miss out just because you’re living a bit farther away. Make a calendar of the year’s major city events. Mark which ones you can realistically attend, whether it’s a holiday market in December or an outdoor jazz festival in the spring. This strategy not only helps you plan your schedule but also gives you reasons to look forward to venturing downtown.
Sometimes you’ll see suburbs hosting smaller versions of these events. Keep an eye on local news bulletins or community websites for upcoming celebrations, farmer’s markets, or arts expos. You never know when a pop-up market selling gourmet donuts or handmade candles might make an appearance a few blocks away. You won’t have to worry about parking nightmares or navigating city traffic, but you’ll still feel like you’re part of something vibrant.
City Hobbies, Suburban Twist
If you are the type who likes urban cycling, exploring art galleries, or trying new coffee shops, there are ways to adapt those habits to your new location. It’s true the suburbs might not have the same immediate variety, but that can spark your creativity:
Cycling Clubs: If you miss biking through city streets, you might join or start a suburban cycling group.
Art Circles: Miss strolling through galleries or open studios? See if there’s a local community center with art classes or workshops. And if there isn’t, consider hosting a casual “art night", inviting local artists or neighbors who share your passion.
Coffee Adventures: Suburban areas often have hidden gem cafes or bakeries that rival anything downtown. Turn your coffee runs into little expeditions, searching for the best latte in your region. You might find a place that roasts beans on-site or bakes fresh pastries from scratch. That feeling of discovery can be just as fun as stumbling on a new coffeehouse in the city.
City Life in the Suburbs
Not all suburbs look the same. Some are building walkable town centers, complete with restaurants, small shops, and shared green spaces. A few even have micro-breweries, artisan bakeries, or cultural venues that rival smaller city neighborhoods. Look for these pockets of urban living in your own region. You might find a street festival or a local band playing at a cafe a short drive from your front door.
Building a Network of City-Minded Neighbors
Chances are, you’re not the only one who once lived in a fun apartment downtown. Look for opportunities to get o know your neighbors. You might find a kindred spirit who also misses their old weekend brunch spot. Building these friendships can lead to group outings to new restaurants or concerts in the city.
Plus, forming deeper connections in your neighborhood can bridge the gap between your old city life and your new environment. You might still yearn for late-night takeout, but you’ll also appreciate the sense of belonging that forms when neighbors become friends.
Best of Both Worlds
It’s easy to fall into an either-or mindset: You’re suburban or you’re urban, and that’s that. But in reality, many folks straddle these lines comfortably, finding joy in both settings. Maybe you need the quiet afternoons and extra space for your growing family or your creative projects, but you still want the cultural energy that a city offers. By actively combining urban experiences into your suburban life, you can have the best of both worlds.
Conclusion
Staying connected to urban life while living in the suburbs isn’t just about resisting the label of a boring, quiet life. It’s about celebrating the reasons you moved and keeping the parts of your city experience that made you feel alive. Whether it’s through regular visits, artful home design, or active local communities, you can still maintain that connection to city life.
You might need to plan ahead or commute a bit, but it can be worth it. You’ll keep your cultural passions and preserve the relationships that matter. Meanwhile, you’ll also get to enjoy simpler mornings, less stress over parking, and maybe even a small garden patch to call your own.
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Michael Letendre
Michael Letendre is a writer for NewHomeSource and Builder Magazine.