lol^

lol^ :cool: ^

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Bridgeport, Connecticut
https://ak5.picdn.net/shutterstock/v...35/thumb/1.jpg
Population • Estimate (2018) 144,900
https://www.bestplaces.net/images/ci...dgeport_CT.gif

I know Detroit is not a small town and these kind of suburbs are probably not what mindfulness has in mind for this thread, but I find these kinds of drive-through clips (of which there are many on YouTube) strangely hypnotic:-



I think these are uniquely American scenes - nothing like them anywhere else in the world afaik, with the exception of Chernobyl perhaps. What's strange to me is that there is infrastructure, a variety of attractive house designs, and generously laid out streets that many countries can only dream of. And yet, where are the happy families living the American dream? In almost any other country, those suburbs would be packed with people.

It’s amazing all those beautiful homes abandoned.

If the people who lived there when it was vibrant could’ve seen that future surely they would’ve considered it an apocalypse. The fact that those areas haven’t surrendered back to plant life like Chernobyl has shows how incredibly devastating suburban monoculture really is to the environment.

Thats sad how abandoned them neighborhoods are :( My aunt buys of houses in Davenport area and fixes them up and sells. Shes done 3 houses now but thats just one person. Seems like them houses in the video are over with :o:

I bet if we had UBI of around $2500 monthly people who didn’t have to worry about income would eventually start making those houses habitable again. Especially if they made the zoning laws so you could run small businesses out of those houses and if they didn’t allow competition from large chains. Make the law so that if you fix a home up it’s yours but you can’t rent them out. The owners would have to actually live there in the community. Those houses are large enough to have front rooms that could serve as small grocery stores, cafes, clinics, pharmacies, small schools, funeral homes, law offices, bike shops, pubs, music venues, small gyms, barbers, tayloring and shoe repair, and whatever else people need. The potential to make it one of the most livable places in America is right there. It just needs to be removed from the shadow of the oligarchy that destroyed it by building an industry owned by very few people who could just pull it away without regard for the community. Even if those autoplants had been owned in a real cooperative employee owned business model instead of the top down corporate model this would have never happened.

Just give it a bit of time and nature will be back in full force I'm sure. I was watching a clip where the driver startled a couple of deer out from between the houses: I think that was Detroit too.

Good for your aunt helping to improve existing US housing stock Mindfulness, but as you say the suburbs in the clip look to be beyond redemption. TBH, I wouldn't like to live there: I guess there's some tipping point at which a neighbourhood looks too scary for anyone. :(

^ Agree with your whole post, but this bit especially. That's the historic way real, unplanned communities developed: the communities generated the businesses that served their own needs. Seemed to work ok for London, which has grown appreciably from it's pre-Roman beginnings.

And in Mexico you can operate almost any business by converting your front room. It gives life, convenience and variety to a neighbourhood, plus of course income to various families. Mexico also benefits from the eefective lack of regulation on health and safety laws, which means you can start up a business at low cost. In both UK and US, inspectors come round and insist on a zillion improvements that turn a start-up into a very costly gamble. Asbestos, lead, cockroaches? In a local Mexican shop that stuff is visibly dripping on you as you walk in, but that's how badass we are down here.

Methuen, Massachusetts. Linda and I both grew up here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuen,_Massachusetts

Town is 50 years older than the United States. That blew my mind as a kid.

Boise, Idaho
https://ls54l2hza1y3kgz1q15jx48p-wpe...80-934x621.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise,_Idaho
Population • Estimate (2018) 228,790
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise,_Idaho
http://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps/fr108.png

When did Montana annex Wyoming? What are these weird ****ing maps?

That is interesting how they do that, nice observation, I didnt even notice until you said something.

I've seen worse
https://i.imgur.com/zjHEud1.png

Omaha, Nebraska

https://images.fineartamerica.com/im...-bill-cobb.jpg
Population • Estimate (2018) 468,262
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha,_Nebraska
https://www.bestplaces.net/images/city/Omaha_NE.gif

^ lol That's a great map and something tells me that the cartographer came from a Mediterranean country. Well, that's why they called it Medi Tierra Sea of course; it was at the centre of the world. In it's day it was probably quite a useful map, the same way this one is:-

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...Kz6G-NwFS-GQ&s

New building going on 2nd street in that green field across the street from the art shop. risky location because there is clearly other options for building further east without flood risk. plus its 5 stories tall with retail on the first floor. with 60 units, where they all going to park?.. thats 60 more parking spots needed. wouldnt a 2-3 story garage be needed too?
https://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Do...560733071.html
wonder if they still building the one that is replacing the old hotel that ruhl and ruhl bought i think, or that building by the bus station :o:

This place looks amazing :love:

I see the bitter California/Nevada War leaves the border still in flux.

Can't believe that Trump let the creation of Wyomontana happen during his presidency. All that money spent on making new flags really inflated the national debt.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

https://fandf-si7mj9eju7kjbgtgaeu.ne...dar_Rapids.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Rapids,_Iowa
Population • Estimate (2018) 133,174
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a2/c7...ffda02bcca.png

Nebraska and Kansas have now merged to become Super Missouri.

Middletown, Connecticut
https://i.imgur.com/crw3yO8.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middletown,_Connecticut
Population • Estimate (2018) 46,146
https://img.bestplaces.net/images/ci...Middletown.png

thats cool elph :beer:

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Lincoln, Nebraska
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...78df.image.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln,_Nebraska
Population • Estimate (2018) 287,401
http://pix.epodunk.com/locatorMaps/ne/NE_27459.gif

Concord, New Hampshire

https://images.fineartamerica.com/im...cleaveland.jpg
Population • Estimate (2018) 43,412
http://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps/fr856.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concord,_New_Hampshire

https://boxden.com/smilies/k0bXTPJ.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOPUruubWOw

Starved Rock

This place gets really packed in the summer these days. I haven't been there in years, and the last time I was there was the morning after an all-night bike ride through the streets of Chicago with a couple friends. We're riding along Lake Shore Drive and one them gets the great idea to head out to Starved Rock. This was at about 4am. We arrived around 6am looking for bike trails and the first sign we see is a No Bikes sign. Then I got a flat on my POS Chevy Cavalier. I paid some dude for a spare (I didn't have one) and we went home.

The End.

All night bike rides through Chicago sound dangerous but fun at the same time :beer: that park has some nice photos too

Nah. Rush Street, LSD, Michigan Ave, and all the bars in between. Those area's are pretty safe. This was the early 90's when there wasn't as much gun violence, but they're still a ways away from the gang bull**** even today. I'd still take the same rides and feel ok with it.

According to wikipedia 1992 was the year with the most murders in Chicago.

There's certainly more media overage now. The data your referring to most likely doesn't account for the places I'm talking about either. Chicago's a big city. All you do is challenge things I say when we interact. Why is that?

Tough love.