- in or towards the centre of a city, especially its main business area
- to go/work downtown
Collocations Town and countryTown and countryTowncompare midtown, town centre, uptownTopics Shoppingb2, Businessb2, Buildingsb2- live in a city/a town/an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/the suburbs/shanty towns/slums
- live (especially North American English) downtown/in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centre
- enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life
- cope with the stress/pressure of urban life
- get caught up in the rat race
- prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city
- be drawn by/resist the lure of the big city
- head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)
- enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife
- have/be close to all the amenities
- be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/a soulless urban sprawl
- use/travel by/rely on (British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportation
- put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams
- tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe traffic congestion
- be affected/choked/damaged by pollution
- live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks
- enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life
- enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors
- look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet
- need/want to get back/closer to nature
- be surrounded by open/unspoilt/picturesque countryside
- escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race
- seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance
- downshift to a less stressful life
- seek/start a new life in the country
- (British English, informal) up sticks/ (North American English, informal ) pull up stakes and move to/head for…
- create/build/foster a strong sense of community
- depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture
- live off/farm/work the land
- tackle/address the problem of rural unemployment
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
downtown