Why doesn't Rarity move to Canterlot?

[Erugalathon 7]

So Rarity is one of my favorite characters, but there’s something about her that I just don’t get. Maybe it’s a plothole, I don’t know :/

 

Why does Rarity live in Ponyville? I find it hard to believe she hasn’t moved to Canterlot. She tells Twilight she’s always dreamed of living there, she loves the high life, and it would be great for her business. Most ponies in Ponyville don’t wear clothes unlike in Canterlot. I think it’s safe to assume that most of her clients are from out of town; many of them possibly from Canterlot. She would be so much more successful there. Yes, her friends and family all live in Ponyville, but it’s not like Canterlot is that far away. If I recall correctly, you can see it from Ponyville. It would be easy for her to visit Ponyville and vice versa.

[Retro*Derpy 3,115]

Its because she would rather stay and be with her friends than be by herself in her paradise (At least i believe this is the reason)

Edited August 20, 2012 by bobthecableman

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Well, now she probably doesn't want to abandon her friends. That's whats keeping her from going. If you remember the episode "Sweet and Elite" she didn't have time for anything so one can assume that she doesn't want to give up her friends.

[PegasisterTaco 318]

I guess it's because she doesn't want to risk loosing all her friends and family there. Yes, I know Canterlot isn't that far from Ponyville and that it's easy to go here and there. But remember the episode "Sweet and Elite?" Rarity became popular among the Canterlot city folk, right? But she still had her friends visit, right? It sort of ended up as a mess, right? She did end up staying loyal to her friends, right? It's sort of the same thing with this situation here.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

I think after spending quite a bit of time in Canterlot already, having had her projects being looked at by the great Canterlot nobles, it may be safe to assume that Rarity's dream of living in Canterlot has diminished quite a bit. We saw it in Sweet and Elite where you gain "respect" by being approved of higher-ranked Canterlot folk (in terms of status and all that), and it just seemed like Rarity's posh yet down-to-earth attitude didn't quite match Canterlot's standards, at least not the standards of nobility. It might be all right for her to live in Canterlot as a regular pony, seeing as how Twilight was raised there, but if one wanted to pursue a career in fashion in a town known for its regality and posh attitudes by the nobles, they would have to be just as posh, something that Rarity possesses, but ultimately the love for her friends and love for Ponyville itself is too much for her to move to Canterlot, even if it might be beneficial for her business - though, her business is already quite the success. You know what they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[OptimisticNeighsayer 471]

Two possible reasons:

 

1 (which I dub the "rational" reason): In the time following when she told Twilight how good Canterlot would be for her business, she realized (off-screen) how much more expensive it would be to set up shop there-- taxes, regualtions, etc. could all be more expensive in Canterlot than in Ponyville. Whatever transportation costs that must be given to ship new dresses to customers may pale in comparison.

2 (which I dub the "irrational" reason): Ponyville still has sentimental value for her, especially in regards to her friends.

[Batbrony 15,994]

Before meeting the rest of the Mane 6, Rarity probably didn't move to Canterlot because she didn't have the resources and capital to risk such a business move. The Carousel Boutique was still probably very young when Twilight moved to town, and since Rarity wasn't that well known, she simply couldn't make the move to Canterlot at that time. Now, after learning so much about the magic of friendship, both between her family and her friends, Rarity, although she might be able to financially make the move to Canterlot, I'm guessing simply doesn't want to move away from her family and friends because she cares so much about them. Cause she's awesome that way.

 

[PonIII 2]

It's unneeded. Remember MLP is, at heart, a kids show. Therefore it doesnt need development or even rationality. If it is more necessary for her to live in Ponyville to keep the entertain value, then thats simply what must be done.

[Hawk 100]

I pretty much agree with everyone else here. I doubt Rarity would, at this point, leave Ponyville and live in Canterlot. Her shop seems to be doing pretty well in Ponyville. Not only that but her friends and family are there. No sense moving if she can both make a profit and be near all the ponies who matter in her life. Since she has celebrities like Sapphire Shores coming into her boutique she may not even need to move. Why go to the capital when all the big customers are willing to go to you?

[Erugalathon 7]

Why go to the capital when all the big customers are willing to go to you?

I guess I'll go with this. I don't think we're really giving any indication that Rarity's business does exceptionally well financially, but we also aren't giving any indication that she doesn't do very well. We do know that her business is respected enough to where 'important' ponies will take the time to go to Ponyville so maybe that's enough. And maybe she's at her limit now with her workload. She does make custom outfits and that takes time. Maybe she just doesn't have the time to take on anymore customers. Granted I'm sure she could try to move to Canterlot for more potential clients and expand her business by hireing additional workers to deal with the work load. But that may require her to sacrifice creation time for more managerial duties, something our artistic Rarity may not be so keen on doing. So unless she chose to expand her business she might not be able to be more successful even if she did move to Canterlot.

 

Then as everyone has mentioned there are her friends. I know I wouldn't mind moving a few hours away from my friends for a job opportunity especially if it meant following my dreams. Its not like I'd be abandoning them. I can still see them all the time. But in Rarity's case, I suppose career wise she is already living her dream. If you can live your dream and be within walking distance of your friends and family that's even better. Yes she loves the culture of Canterlot, but it's easy for her to visit it every now and then. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if she has gone to visit Fancy Pants several times since the Sweet and Elite episode. Living near your friends and periodically visiting the city you have a passion for seems better then living in the city you have a passion for and periodically visiting your friends.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Erugalathon

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

everyone else said it all. she doesnt want to abandon her friends (i mean, it would be awesome to live a place, but it would also be burden to have to travel every day just to see your friends)

[Motion Spark 7,807]

It's unneeded. Remember MLP is, at heart, a kids show. Therefore it doesnt need development or even rationality. If it is more necessary for her to live in Ponyville to keep the entertain value, then thats simply what must be done.

 

you hit the nail in that one. This is a kids show, and we have to get used to the idea of the show not being too deep or complex. We adults tend to analize everything, and when we do, we discover a lot of plotholes and logical mistakes in the storyline, me included. That question may never have an answer, but I think in "Sweet and Elite" is the possible answer, she loves her friends so much, that she wouldn't leave them.

[TheFabulousPony 102]

I thought it was obvious as to why she wouldn't.... So she can stay with her friends, not have to make the trip to PonyVille to see them. Plus the high society ponys would eventually ridicule her and think she is a simple country pony for having them as friends etc.

[Psychotic Bovine 5]

I would assume the reason she originaly lived in Ponyville is because she was an up and coming fashion designer. Trying to sell her outfits in Canterlot would've been too hard for someone with little experience at the time she started.

 

Now that she has friends in Ponyville, it'd be too hard to travel back and forth. Yes, Canterlot is visible from Ponyville, but I'm guessing that doesn't mean it's a walk down the street, considering they had to take a train in A Canterlot Royal Wedding and Hearthswarming Eve.

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

Well Canterlot is a big city, the only reason Twilight lived there was because she was the Princess star student, and she was provided a place to live in, only for her studies, Rarity would come from a small town, from where she was raised from, and move to a different atmosphere where ponies only care for those with superior statuses, such as Fancypants, it was hard enough for her to make a proper impression at first, as you could tell from the first 2 ponies she encountered, and it wasn't until she was approved worthy as a Canterlot pony when she woo'd the ponies, thanks to Fancypants. Without his help, she'd remain as an unknown designer who'd never be able to maintain a shop in Canterlot, not to mention the City itself is pretty well-built, adding space for her boutique would be far more than what she could ever afford, and it'd take her years to make any sort of profit.

 

....and she also loves her friends :3

[I used to be a stranger 7,989]

It could be explained in a practical way.

 

To buy an average size residence for one person, one guest, a workspace and a storefront in Kelowna, British Columbia would probably cost about $400,000. The same sort of place in Vancouver, British Columbia would be about $1,500,000- almost four times the price.

 

The cost of living in Canterlot might be the reason why she can't- not that she couldn't maintain the expense, but she chooses not to.

[SugarSprinkledFox 69]

She always dreamed of living their, yes, but I think that changed in the episode when she was invited their by the princess (I forgot the name). She stated it was her dream, but afterwords she decided to stay in pony-ville with her friends.

[Klinterson 8]

Well, I don't really think she can afford to set up shop in Canterlot. All the bits needed to pay taxes and the such, would most probably be more than it is in the small town of Ponyville, (As it is in the real world). She also has quite a number of friends from Ponyville. I don't see why she would sever connection with them (Except for Twilight who would probably visit Canterlot, being the princess's protégée ) to move to Canter, full of some pretty stuck up ponies.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,285]

Rarity can't move to Canterlot. There's a very simple reason. Prince BlueBlood has a restraining order out on her and she can't come within 10 miles of him! The only reason she was able to stay at the palace in "Sweet and Elite" was because he was out of town for a few days. Edited August 22, 2012 by cuteycindyhoney

[Stalliongrad 982]

I see alot of Coco Chanel in Rarity. Coco Chanel was born peasant farm girl and she always aspired to live the high life and she started to after she became a seamstress. It adds to her story, small town girl from Ponyville dreaming of life in Canterlot. I would imagine that her friends keep her from leaving too.

[ponyvangelist 732]

A Fashionable Lesson In Friendship

 

We might very well see Rarity move to Canterlot in a future episode. She does, after all, have quite a few connections there now. If nothing else, with just a short letter from Twilight, Princess Celestia would undoubtedly be happy to help her get set up with a shop and everything.

 

And so Rarity may indeed realize her dream of moving to Canterlot. And miss her friends so much that she ends up hating it and moving back to Ponyville.

 

It may be a little too close to the plot of Sweet and Elite, and perhaps Applejack's cutie mark story, but it would be a good episode.

[Wubsie 1,123]

Well she already has her home there in Ponyville and everything.

She can't just start over.

Besides an episode explained why she can't stay in Canterlot.

Those people expect too much from Rarity.

Besides she would have to explain over and over that she comes from Ponyville and some of her friends from there will bring down her rep.

If I was Rarity I would just stay in Ponyville.

[spaghettinoodles 298]

I agree with everyone else, she hasn't moved to Canterlot because she loves her friends too much. It's the same with Rainbow Dash. She would move to Cloudsdale and join the Wonderbolts, but she cares about her friends more than joining that group.

[BlimpAtomic 16]

Rarity would much rather be with her friends in Ponyville than up in Canterlot. I suppose that's the only good reason I could think of.

[Erugalathon 7]

A Fashionable Lesson In Friendship

 

We might very well see Rarity move to Canterlot in a future episode. She does, after all, have quite a few connections there now. If nothing else, with just a short letter from Twilight, Princess Celestia would undoubtedly be happy to help her get set up with a shop and everything.

 

And so Rarity may indeed realize her dream of moving to Canterlot. And miss her friends so much that she ends up hating it and moving back to Ponyville.

 

It may be a little too close to the plot of Sweet and Elite, and perhaps Applejack's cutie mark story, but it would be a good episode.

 

Your right! We might never see something like that because of similarities to other episodes, but that could be a good plot

.

*hears distant snickering*

 

No, not that kind of plot!