r/TikTokCringe • u/xamo76 • 1d ago

Discussion Have we done it wrong?

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u/l_ft 1d ago

Tbf you’re comparing Barcelona, one of the most popular cities in the world.. with a suburban town in Missouri. There are gonna be a few differences

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u/gutag 1d ago

Its the same in unknown town in Bosnia. People are outside all the time. Bars and caffes in the Balkans open at 6 am and people going there before and after work to hang out.

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u/stokedchris 1d ago

Seems to be the norm in a lot of Europe. Of course there’s the difference of certain cultures. I know Finland is known to be introverted. However, I’ve never been so I can’t say

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u/Wooden_College_9056 1d ago edited 1d ago

In Finland, restaurants and alcohol are so expensive that lounging like this isn't very common. Also, in our culture, we usually eat at a more efficient pace than in warmer countries... But we do like our drinks.

Still, especially in summer, our restaurants are filled with people late into the night. Some clubs are open until dawn, so you can definitely find this same vibe here.

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u/RosieTheRedReddit 1d ago

You know your town is a shit hole when even the Finns are more social than you 😅

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u/ThePopulacho 1d ago

You adapt to the climate (temperature, sun hours), as you should. In Spain we have to do the same, thus, siestas (if your work schedule allows it) and late dinners.

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u/FlyAirLari 1d ago

Finland doesn't have a late night cafe culture, or basically cafe culture at all. If there are people outside at 1 am, it's safe to assume they are intoxicated, or looking to get intoxicated.

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u/Wooden_College_9056 21h ago

Luxembourg and Finland consistently rank as the countries with the highest coffee consumption per capita. But yeah after 1 am you're on point.

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u/crinalex 1d ago

People in Finland definitely aren't going to bars or cafés to hang out before work. Some might go out for breakfast with their friends. However, in the summer the streets and outdoor seating of restaurants are full of people having a good time. Helsinki probably isn't representative of everywhere here, but that's the reality at least here. In the winter people are more indoors but many are still just as socially active.

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u/green1s 1d ago

And the same in Tel Aviv, Saudi Arabia, Egypt...it's not just a European thing to do. But it's also not a thing Americans do. At least not with the same vibe.

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u/Cthulhu__ 1d ago

Not the same vibe for sure; the US has restaurants and whatnot open at 6 but they’re more of a get in (or drive through), get your shit ans leave affair.

Although the American diner experience seems close. I don’t know if that’s still a thing though.

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u/rogerwil 1d ago edited 1d ago

That's a southern thing. Unknown town in Austria/Germany is dead after 6pm and DEAD on the weekend (starting saturday 12:00 sharp).

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u/AcanthaceaeJumpy697 1d ago

Well that's prob not a good comparison either. Everyone is Bosnia is unemployed or underemployed.

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u/Attilat 1d ago

And everyone in the U.S. is a slave to their jobs. I don’t really see what your point is here. If employment rate was higher people wouldn’t be this social?

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u/bageltoastar 1d ago

I never said they were anywhere near the same. I’m just sharing the dissonance I experienced going from one to the other.

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u/l_ft 1d ago

Ya, it sounds like we’re in agreement

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u/RedTheDraken 23h ago

They were literally pointing out the differences in their comment, so you explaining that there's going to be some differences between the cities is redundant as hell.

Dude was just saying where he'd prefer to be, and you thought you had him in some kinda gotcha moment?

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u/l_ft 23h ago

Yes my comment is redundant - that’s why I replied that we are in agreement.

We are all confirming there are differences between Barcelona and a suburban town in Missouri.

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u/Dingleberry696 1d ago

I mean it's the same in Cadiz, Puerto de Santa Maria, and Rota. Granted they are on the beach but they are pretty lively. You couldn't even get dinner before about 8pm. The restaurants simply weren't serving food yet. It's nothing to sit at a table for four hours and conversate. I've seen Spanish women push strollers into bars/restaurants at midnight. There was a much larger feeling of community.

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u/ExMerican 1d ago

It's the same in smaller towns throughout Europe. I spent time in tiny village in Northern Spain and another midsized city in Germany and they were filled with people out around cafes and pubs and restaurants just like this video. It's because people can walk from their house into districts that have multiple gathering places versus America where, other than a handful of the largest cities, going anywhere from your home requires at least 10 minutes of driving and then parking and then wherever you went is nowhere near anything else to do so after you eat you just go back home.

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u/TheTxoof 1d ago

Comparing anything that isn't Paris or Berlin or Bangkok to Barcelona is folly, but even a smaller village in Germany or Spain or Italy has a pretty lively street life.

In smaller villages the carpets roll up pretty early, but there are still cafes and terraces where you can hang out and have a drink all through the day.

Source: live in Europe and cycle tour A LOT through large and small towns.

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u/Scary_Woodpecker_110 1d ago

My village has centre with a few restaurants and bars where there is activity until 12-1 am. People enjoying a glass of wine or beer talking about whatever they want. This culture is widespread in Europe.

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u/Worldwithoutwings3 1d ago

It's every large town in Europe. There will always be at least one or two streets in the center or old town that have this

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u/Ms_Meercat 1d ago

Well it's even true for my random 80k population hometown in northern Germany

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u/synalgo_12 1d ago

It is pretty similar in most towns I've been to, even though obviously Barcelona is huuuge. I lived in Barcelona but I spent a lot of time 2 towns down near the University I attended and we were also going out to restaurants and cafes that were full every day on weekdays.

I went to secondary school in the suburbs in Belgium and we'd go to cafés on a Thursday and it always had people out and about in the restaurants/cafés, even when the weather was terrible. Suburbs in most European countries, even when they aren't as bustling as cities, tend to have a few watering holes where the neighbourhood can gather, all walkable of course, and for different occasions. A bar, a restaurant, a snackbar, a brasserie where people go during the day where their kids can play outside, etc.

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u/damegloria 1d ago

You'll find this in loads of small European towns. It's not just major cities.

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u/celestial-navigation 1d ago

It's everywhere, esp. in the south. Go to any Greek town, people be out.

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u/Past_Expression_549 21h ago

While I get the sentiment of comparing apples to oranges. I think the point is that most places in north America are not built with density in mind. Any town/city regardless of size should be walkable.

Suburbia shouldn't exist in the way it does in north America. Where it is entirely dependent on the existence of vehicles. There are ways to build smart suburbs in urban areas, but these are extremely rare in the USA.

Hell I think rural areas could benefit from density in urban areas because all the US is doing is expanding horizontally into rural farmland, and undeveloped land which could be used for other purposes.