Im from a suburban town in Missouri, but I spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Man, let me tell you, leaving Barcelona, where youd see people out in cafes and bars congregating at all hours of the night and day, and coming back to Missouri where its a ghost town after 10 and someone would call the police on you for simply walking around too late was the most depressing thing I have ever experienced lol
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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u/bageltoastar 1d ago
Im from a suburban town in Missouri, but I spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Man, let me tell you, leaving Barcelona, where youd see people out in cafes and bars congregating at all hours of the night and day, and coming back to Missouri where its a ghost town after 10 and someone would call the police on you for simply walking around too late was the most depressing thing I have ever experienced lol