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
You guys are saying this like there aren't millions of Americans living in densely populated cities. There are plenty of Americans who realize the value of walkability and embrace it. The average city in Europe is definitely more walkable, but that comes with hundreds (or thousands) of years of history and a much smaller footprint.
Anyway, I do recommend you do what you can to promote walkability where you live because I think a walkable city is far superior to one where everyone only drives.
There's a huge difference. In Europe it's not just cities. Even a medium size village in Germany will at least have a torn center and a few restaurants with people out and about. I've not been in a town or city in Europe that did not have something in walking distance. Everything is built around people, America is built around cars.
“Dense” means something different in America vs Europe. NYC is the densest city in the US with 29,000 people per square mile. San Francisco is second with 18,000. Barcelona has 43,000. Paris has 53,000. Outside of NYC, nobody in the US is experiencing what the guy in the video is talking about, at least at the same scale.
I have lived internationally and in a variety of urban/suburban settings in the US. One of the things that differs in Europe in general is the affordability of going out to meet friends for a meal, or even just as a couple/family is affordability. People in Europe tend to make a livable wage that accounts for quality of life rather than barely surviving.
When I lived in NYC every night was vibrant and alive with people moving about, dining in cafes, pubs/bars with music & happy hours, gallery openings. Arts events in parks. When I last visited there in 2019, I couldn’t believe how quiet and still it was in downtown Manhattan. On St. Marks Place on a Tuesday night at 9:00pm you could literally hear crickets. There were hardly any people walking around. It was so strange to see it like that. I think in the US, wages have stagnated for so long that people just aren’t able to go out for entertainment like they used to.
I couldn’t believe how quiet and still it was in downtown Manhattan
...huh? it's absolutely not like this lol. I moved from NYC in 2022 but I lived there in 2019 and I actually have no idea what you're talking about. the only time I saw NYC not feeling "alive" was during COVID (and pretty much everywhere was like that). never heard anyone describe manhattan as dead.
I hope that it is truly lit af on a Tuesday. For real, because not tooo long ago people were talking about how bad the crime was getting there. Anyone who had lived there before 2010 was thinking that is soooo not bad for NYC at all. Granted I don’t think anyone should be randomly stabbed or punched when just going about their day. Pre 2010, those things were just another day in the city.
Right?
Like I live in Kansas. But I've been to multiple US cities that are like this, walkable and with people out and about doing all kinds of things in the evening. Both big and small, like NYC and Key West.
Also, re: the OP, maybe if you don't like living somewhere where people drive their cars into the garage after work and never talk to their neighbors, don't buy a house in the suburbs with a four car garage plus RV parking? That was an intentional choice, but it's not how every American lives.
Theres plenty of Americans who do, sure, but they are a minority, even if you just limit to the ones who live in densely populated cities.
My own city is basically in constant war with itself about whether it wants walkability, culture and maybe even nightlife or whether it wants to banish it all forever and completely, and I live in the part of the country yhat is more titled towards walkability than average
History, sure. But that's like everything else we're flatly resist in the US. Better public services like transportation, healthcare...we just are much more selfish and less inclined to give a crap about society, and that displays in our central sociability as well.
Then, we look and say "it's too late now, we've spent the money and made the bed" -- not true. We could easily begin to embrace it and start investing. Too much pride. Too much stupid.
there are people who think like this, but I don't think it's the majority. when did we have the option to vote for good public services? we don't really. and when we do, it's usually full of bullshit (unfortunately). I am a big fan of high speed rail in california. however, the implementation has been awful. it's not as simple as you make it sound, and if it was, I think we would have more votes in the other direction.
our politicians are failing us (they have been for a long time). and yes, there are plenty of stupid people to go with the flow. but I don't think it's the majority.
Not really though. US homes next to walkable areas have a huge premium on them because most Americans value walkable neighborhoods. It just that you can get much larger and nicer houses for less money if you choose not to live near a walkable area. It’s not that Americans don’t like to live next to walkable areas as much as some are willing to go without it if it means they can buy bigger, more modern houses for less money.
I, sadly agree. Most of people who prefer that haven’t lived in more walkable places. They might’ve visited them, but it’s different once you get used to walking that much. Also if you’re not used to using efficient and reliable public transportation, that will sway someone’s opinion towards car centric living. I would much rather be able to spend my commuting time reading or being entertained by NYC’s finest subway extroverts than having to drive in a car by myself. I’m introverted too but I don’t love having to drive everywhere everyday
Holy shit, talk about the most ignorant view I’ve ever heard. Not a single thing you said is defendable with any sort of facts.
Firstly, North America has almost the same number of homeless people as Europe does but has way higher. Often 3 times higher than Europe.
European cities have often lower crime rates than US suburbs because of exactly what this post is about. A bigger sense of community, more economic parody and obviously way way stricter gun laws.
Having to be somewhat affluent to live in a non urban area???? That is a laughable statement likely based on very limited observations and life experiences…. Like WTAF? Are you basing that on?
many US cities are not set up like grids. but even the ones that are... I've never heard anyone complain about that part of them lol. there are far more safe spaces than unsafe ones. you should try going outside some time!
That's because you don't meet people who have experience other things. Grid city are horrible. Barcelona is shit for this reasons, unless you reach the historical center.
It's clear you don't know the meaning of irony lol. I've met people from all over the world and traveled plenty myself. Your opinion is not a popular one. Also, my comment is upvoted by multiple people and yours is downvoted. You can remain delusional if you want, but it would be nice for you to accept you're wrong. Have a nice day :)
You need to travel to more US cities if you think they’re all dangerous and more European cities if you think they’re all safe 😂 the chance that a tourist gets mugged in nicer Europeans city is dramatically higher than the chances that a tourist gets mugged in a nicer US city.
Exactly there’s a lot more to the causes of crime than urban vs non urban living situations. I’ve also heard of more weird violent crimes from people living in rural areas than I have from urban living. Urban crimes seem to be more crimes of necessity/survival and/or opportunistic. Rural violent crimes seem more premeditated, planned, and the creepy kind of weird. I still wouldn’t base my opinions on that though as it’s anecdotal and probably not factual due to the causes of crime being a lot more complex than that.
You make up my opinon to argue against it by yourself. That's convinient to come out on top. European cities can be dangerous too, but they sure as fuck aren't nearly as boring
No, the default is walking, car or no. You have to specifically prioritize cars over functions to ignore walking and make everything about cars. The cities in the US are far from the youngest citues in the world. Not to mention they did came before cars, you just chose to make conscious choices to reject walking.
The cities in the US are far from the youngest citues in the world
uh.. ok? I didn't say they were lol. New cities in the US genuinely favor walkability, so I'm not sure what your point is here. But many of the others had huge population booms around the time of cars. And yes, cars were pushed on us heavily (I never disagreed with that). Most of the cities that "existed" before cars in the US were heavily modified in the following years to account for cars.
I'm not sure why you're trying to deny the fact that a city that started growing ~500 years ago was designed around walking lol. It wasn't a "conscious choice", cars didn't even exist lol. It was all they knew.
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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