We used to live in a big house on 10 1/2 wooded acres in a rural area and it was great as a retreat when we were younger and working, but when we retired we decided we needed a complete change. Trust me looking at the woods and wildlife is wonderful but 24/7 it gets lonely and not to mention the work of a big house and property. Not good for aging.
That's sort of my situation right now. I'm on 6 1/2 acres. I'd say maybe 1/3 of it is wooded. For the time being, I do like the seclusion. However, I'm only 52, and I do wonder, sometimes, what it will be like, as I get older.
It's actually not TOO much work, at the time being. The house dates to 1968, but had a major renovation in 2008. Basically they built a new house on top of the old foundation. The driveway splits the property roughly down the middle, and when I cut the grass, I do one side one day, and the other side on another day, so I don't feel too overwhelmed. It usually takes maybe 1.5-2 hours per side, depending on how much I let the grass grow between cuttings.
It's actually less work than my old house, which was on 4 1/2 acres, but mostly wooded. I could cut that entire yard in maybe 75-90 minutes. But the house dated to 1916, and was constantly needing something. And the way it was landscaped was pretty high-maintenance.
But, I can see a time when this place, perhaps, gets to be too much. There's also really not very much within walking distance, and the roads are narrow, with no sidewalk and even no shoulder in many cases, so it's not all that safe. About a mile from me, there's a liquor store that also sells milk, bread and other basics. Next door to it is a carry-out/delivery place called Milano Pizza. They also sell subs and such. They're a bit pricey, but pretty good. Next door to that, there's a tiny little plaza that has a tree service, an "Illuminate" salon, a Bean Rush Cafe, a martial arts studio, and a fitness center. And a Berman Cleaners across the street.
So, basically, not much. There's also a small local park. It's about a half-mile if you drive it, but I can walk through the woods in my back yard and hop the fence if I really want to. It's on the back side of a hill though, so it's easier to hop over, than to climb back! It has maybe 3/4 of a mile of walking trails, a tennis court, basketball court, playground, and some fields where you can play baseball, soccer, football, etc.
But, as rural as it sounds, Annapolis is only about 10 minutes away. And I can be in DC or Baltimore in under 30, depending on traffic.
For the time being, I think the only thing I'd really want added to the neighborhood is sidewalks or at least shoulders on the road, to make it more walk-friendly. It probably wouldn't make me any more likely to patronize the local businesses, though. I buy most of my booze in bulk at a discount liquor store, although I do stop in the local one on occasion if I just need something quick. I rarely eat out, so I probably wouldn't go to that pizza place. The only reason I know they have good subs is my uncle stops off there sometimes and surprises me with food. And I tend not to buy clothes that are nice enough to need a dry cleaner! But, it would be nice to be able to just get out and walk around the neighborhood.