I just had a conversation with my girlfriend similar to this topic last night. She lost her car during the flood a few months back, and she recently received money to buy a new one from her insurance company a couple weeks ago (it was delayed do to the insurance company being short-staffed while taking on a massive volume of accidents cl…
I just had a conversation with my girlfriend similar to this topic last night. She lost her car during the flood a few months back, and she recently received money to buy a new one from her insurance company a couple weeks ago (it was delayed do to the insurance company being short-staffed while taking on a massive volume of accidents claimed). But during this time, we were forced to share a car, which while she had it, forced me to be locked into whatever location I was before she left.
We discussed that if we lived in Malta or Italy, these situations would never happen. If she had the car, I could still stroll into town to a coffee shop and wander cobblestone streets. A fantasy of a lot of people I encounter is to spend time in another country for this reason alone, and because of the friendliness of its average citizen--which I argue the friendliness of them is because they are forced to socialize regularly by just walking outside rather than being able to isolate.
So the question is, why don't most people move out of the country if they fantasize about this?
Well for me, the obvious is friends and family. But the more foundational reason is I believe America is the best country in the world, because of the freedom of speech--something no other country has implented pridefully.
With this is mind, I would like to see communities in the style of other countries, and not to be confused with cities like New York but thriving small/medium towns, become more commonplace here while being built upon the values of what America was founded on.
And what's also odd, and perhaps I digress, but the small towns that do it well near me (such as New Hope, PA) get the reputation for being new age. It seems to have a peace sign in your window is too new age for older people. But I believe they put this there because thriving small towns that work harmoniously is a rarity. But it seems this outward friendliness is a deterrent for the more seasoned generation that like to isolate on the outskirts of towns. Although even I will admit, some shops in those areas definitely put out a witchcraft vibe.
It would be beautiful to see Euro-inspired towns with the foundation of America, and without the need to push the fact that it is unique, but rather it just is.
Yes to New York - that's fine, but Americans seem to have trouble understanding that "urban" doesn't have to mean "big city." That's what I don't get - we know that, because we all love these small towns and smaller cities, but the idea that we could live in them or build them again is not really considered.
I've seen the opposite of the "new age" thing - successful towns in Virginia, say, that think their success is due to family life, religion, patriotism, etc. Sure, but the land use and the urban form is really important - it even helps those other things! - and we just aren't used to thinking in those terms.
I just had a conversation with my girlfriend similar to this topic last night. She lost her car during the flood a few months back, and she recently received money to buy a new one from her insurance company a couple weeks ago (it was delayed do to the insurance company being short-staffed while taking on a massive volume of accidents claimed). But during this time, we were forced to share a car, which while she had it, forced me to be locked into whatever location I was before she left.
We discussed that if we lived in Malta or Italy, these situations would never happen. If she had the car, I could still stroll into town to a coffee shop and wander cobblestone streets. A fantasy of a lot of people I encounter is to spend time in another country for this reason alone, and because of the friendliness of its average citizen--which I argue the friendliness of them is because they are forced to socialize regularly by just walking outside rather than being able to isolate.
So the question is, why don't most people move out of the country if they fantasize about this?
Well for me, the obvious is friends and family. But the more foundational reason is I believe America is the best country in the world, because of the freedom of speech--something no other country has implented pridefully.
With this is mind, I would like to see communities in the style of other countries, and not to be confused with cities like New York but thriving small/medium towns, become more commonplace here while being built upon the values of what America was founded on.
And what's also odd, and perhaps I digress, but the small towns that do it well near me (such as New Hope, PA) get the reputation for being new age. It seems to have a peace sign in your window is too new age for older people. But I believe they put this there because thriving small towns that work harmoniously is a rarity. But it seems this outward friendliness is a deterrent for the more seasoned generation that like to isolate on the outskirts of towns. Although even I will admit, some shops in those areas definitely put out a witchcraft vibe.
It would be beautiful to see Euro-inspired towns with the foundation of America, and without the need to push the fact that it is unique, but rather it just is.
Yes to New York - that's fine, but Americans seem to have trouble understanding that "urban" doesn't have to mean "big city." That's what I don't get - we know that, because we all love these small towns and smaller cities, but the idea that we could live in them or build them again is not really considered.
I've seen the opposite of the "new age" thing - successful towns in Virginia, say, that think their success is due to family life, religion, patriotism, etc. Sure, but the land use and the urban form is really important - it even helps those other things! - and we just aren't used to thinking in those terms.