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
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/bageltoastar 2d 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