Posted on 08/27/2022 5:37:03 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
I’ve lived in Houston for most of my life, and there’s never been a time when I’ve reasonably been able to walk anywhere. Houston is practically the poster child for American urban sprawl — the landscape is dominated by spread-out neighborhoods with single-family homes and massive “stroads” (street-road hybrids with the worst aspects of both) lined with strip malls and expansive parking lots, connected by miles and miles of highways. It’s an environment designed to be solely traversed by car, not by foot.
That had a dramatic effect on the friends I could make, especially when I was younger and based in the city’s outer suburbs. Both of my parents worked, and without a car, if I missed my school bus home, I’d have to make the one-and-a-half-hour trek by foot under the hot Texas sun — forget easily going to the mall or the movies with my classmates.
College was eye-opening. I attended Texas A&M University, and spent most of my time in a denser, walkable campus environment that made it easy to meet and get to know people. I could start my day going to classes, then move to a dining hall, then the green space in front of my department building, and finally, the library — all without a car. It was easy to bump into friends, old and new, intentionally and by accident.
(Excerpt) Read more at vox.com ...
My wife is Chinese. We lived in HK for over 20 years. Plus Singapore, Wuhan and Guam.
Throughout history cities have always been a place where people lived in poverty crowded into slums. They had to in order to live, the poor didn’t have the resources to live in rural areas alone. The rich had country estates so they could escape from the noise, crime, and filth of the cities. The automobile changed that, now the middle class could get away from cities into a healthier environment offering a better life for their families. Leftists don’t like that, the middle class abandoning the cities means taking their money with them, money that leftist governments want in their pockets. That’s what’s behind the push to get rid of cars and force people into relying upon public transportation. Force the middle class back into cities where they can be controlled better along with their money.
At one point around 2019, I thought that I would be able to pull it off, though. Just move in close to my job (literally up the street from it in Silver Spring, MD) and live there and not worry about driving back and forth in the parking lots known as “freeways.” But, of course, by then, Montgomery County was run by a leftist named Marc Elrich, so no dice for that one.
Leftist ruin everything that they touch, including cities and public transit systems.
“Water seeks its own level.”
In nature things naturally seek balance and equilibrium. Conservative humans tend to do the same. Leftists however irrationally flirt with discord, disunity, and destruction.
The largest city I ever lived in was Seattle. I hated it. I was always on-guard and could never reach a state of relaxation. I also tried a rural area where it was ten miles from anywhere. I enjoyed some aspects of the seclusion but ultimately bought a home in a suburb where I was able to strike a balance.
Conservatives find things that work for them and recommend them to their friends. Leftists find things that reinforce their ideology and demand that everyone do things the same way.
BTW, Houston has so many walking trails that there is a website ranking the Top 67 of them.
The Borg would love this hive minded wimp. I absolutely love living rural and do not find it difficult to find and make friends. City rat maze living is not for me. Have at it 15 of 21.7
Ditto ........
This isn't the fifties anymore where kids play unsupervised and adults communicated and met for chitchat.
It's now every eye glued to a cellphone furiously thumbtyping and rarely looking up. The art of conversation died long ago.
Now with millions of poor streaming unchecked across the border, migrant and criminals alike make it where no one really wants to meet or talk to others outside the text button.
I live in a rural setting on 2 acres, not rich country squire as described, but in the 23 years I have lived here I know 3 neighboring property owners by name, but don't socialize with any of them. Closest residence to my property line is 300 feet away and a casual wave driving by each other on the dirt road is all the communication needed by anyone in my area.
It's peaceful, it's quiet, More than satisfied with the arrangement.
About once every six months or so in my case....more frequently occasional handwaves when passing by.
I like it that way.
I live in an area with virtually no public transit, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Nice summary.
“Leftist ruin everything that they touch, including cities and public transit systems.”
I live in California and can attest to this.
They want to tax and control everything, including your thoughts.
“Leftist ruin everything that they touch, including cities and public transit systems.”
I live in California and can attest to this.
They want to tax and control everything, including your thoughts.
College campuses are one of the most dangerous places in the US to be walking around, particularly if you are a woman and particularly at night.
Yes, they would love to turn American cities into Victorian Slums where the peasants live in filth, poverty, destitution and murder while they live in the Shires in their swanky manor houses.
Your etc should be highlighted to include
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Austin.
I’m actually jealous of you.
Maybe I should move back to the suburb of Hulbert,OK AKA “Lost City”, OK.
It’s a real place surounded by woods and lakes...
Agenda 21 ping
Thanks for the picture in #20. I was wondering what that guy was doing since “Big Bang Theory” went off the air.
We live about 9 miles from a small town and at 68, I am not walking that to do my shopping! Can’t afford an electric car and wouldn’t buy one if I could afford it! I’d hate to live in CA or any left wing state that are getting way out of hand with their tyranny about getting rid of gas powered vehicles and power tools.
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