Thread 938393085

I've been feeling very frustrated for the past couple of years and I continue to not know what to do about it.
Basically, I'd unironically love to have more random encounters or chances to interact with people in real life.
I moved to a city (pic semi related?) in hopes that I'd be able to just go outside and talk to more people, or see things happen, or at the very least do some basic people watching.
But literally none of that happens. I'll go out for walks and barely ever see anyone. I'll go to parks and they'll mostly be empty. Every year it feels like more storefronts close up. I live in a place where Rite Aid was pretty popular, and now that they're all gone, there are a ton of empty lots or boarded up first floors. These places aren't getting permits pulled for replacements or anything.
And I guess this post is mostly just me venting my frustration. I want to be around humans and be able to go outside and do things and have experiences. This feels increasingly impossible to do in America. Like, should I just take the leap of faith and move to fucking NYC? Should I leave the country altogether?
Where is everybody?

>>938393085 (OP)
People go out less than in previous decades. There are fewer "Third places" than before since Covid forced many to shut down and people got more used to staying inside. Try going to a club, chat with people at bars, that sort of thing. It's deader than before but people still show up.

>>938393085 (OP)
Covid lockdowns absolutely destroyed socializing and fucked up so much

>>938393361
I've noticed that so hard. Not in like a "oh are you nooticing huh?" meme way, but in a genuine observation of how people just don't exist outside anymore.
Here's another pic related. Empty bus stop, no benches, no places to sit, just some cars in front of a grocery store in a semi-dense area. Obviously this is google maps, but going there in reality shows functionally the same thing.
>>938393544
Covid blew up each of the four bars I'd frequent. I'm not a heavy drinker, but chilling on a Friday night and having two glasses was nice. They're gone now, and nothing has replaced them haha.

>>938393714
Exactly, I’m not a big drinker either. But there was social hole in the wall places that people my age always would frequent. Play darts, billiards, card games. Just a local watering hole, but yeah Covid lockdowns wiped it out. Nothing replaced it, it’s very sad. To me that was the point of Covid lockdowns. To destroy sense of community and socializing with your neighbors. I’m in a state that had really really severe COVID lockdowns and intense rules. Like cops would follow you and approach you if you simply were just outside going on a walk in 2020-2022

>>938393361
There are many 6th places and turd places though

>>938393085 (OP)
Go to reddit, normie retard.
>I moved in a city bc i wanted more people contact pls help
Wtf happend to this website?

>>938393805
I live in Pennsylvania and we technically had lockdowns but the state is pretty bipolar so if you wanted to do shit, you could, provided you found places that were open.
But I think the reason stuff still closed permanently was that enough people obeyed the lockdowns so traffic was permanently affected. And also, our population has always sucked because Pennsylvania. People moved out. I've been considering it too, but it'd have to be for a real different place, not just a state that's effectively PA 2.0.

>>938393085 (OP)
That's weird, honestly, I live in a low density suburb and I can't go outside without running into neighbors.

>>938393714
I work downtown in a big city, but all the more niche clubs closed down. The few that remain are harder to get to as well. Another thing I noticed scene's older than it used to be. It feels like people in their early 20s just don't go out. Without new blood, the clubs will die out.

>>938393085 (OP)
zoning is planned to encourage car dependence. and no i am not against cars, i`m not one of those guys, but its a fact. they want us atomized and alone so we are susceptible to propaganda and unable to organize grassroots resistance through local connections.

so the oppressive zoning prevents any local third spaces from emerging. a third space is a place outside of work and home where you spend time. a local third space like a cafe or pub is where you would see the same people everytime you went and they would all be neighbours you recognize so you would talk to each other and make friends and even meet women as humans have done for millenia. instead they have residential and commercial zones strictly divided so everyone has to get in their car for a 20 minute at least drive to be surrounded by other strangers who drove to that strip mall or whatever from all over and nobody recognizes each other because they`re not locals so nobody talks to each other or makes friends.

they blame the car but its not the car, its zoning, cars make it possible but we could have cars and decent less strict zoning to allow local third spaces at the same time.

theres another zoning rule where every business needs to have a fuckload of parking. making it impossible to setup a small local business designed to serve locals who walk there and dont need to park.

>>938394107
so yeah basically the people are there but they`re all in their cars, at work, or at home. and the few times they go out its a big hassle they have to drive to so they`re not just walking around.

>>938394069
Downtown now seems to be big chains and overpriced "gastropubs" that cater to office workers who can afford a $25 burger for lunch.
It's a complete ghost town after about 6pm.
Very surreal experience, but also kind of fun to walk around in if you're in a particular mood.

>>938393900
That's terrible advice.
This site is still 4chan, /b/ has gone to shit, OP should be asking this on /r9k/

>>938394107
Love me big roads with pointless buildings on da side.
>>938394259
>/r9k/
Nobody needs to go there tbh.

jfc so much whining about lockdowns and feeling entitled to be a special snowlake

>omg i cant meet people how unfair to me the protagonist of this universe

shut the fuck up, go pick up a hobby and meet people like a normal person instead of complaining and waiting for handouts

>>938393085 (OP)

You'll love Hong Kong, places like Wan Chai & North Point are full of people who randomly talk to you if your on your own & always glad to help the hotels are cheap as chips too, I was walking through Aberdeen near Tin Wan with my phrasebook & map trying to find a Beatles themed pub a few gang members gave me a lift in their yellow race car it was awesome, if your friendly like I am you'll get far over there, if your lucky you'll get a free tattoo like I did, I got a dragon which is my chinese zodiac sign

>>938394298
>Nobody needs to go there tbh.
The irony of this statement isn't lost on me, OP.

>>938394393
Hong Kong does seem really cool and almost a complete opposite to places in America.

>>938394351
boomers and gen x pride themselves on never complaining. the world got worse and worse and they prided themselves on saying nothing. going out of their way to tune it out. we`re going with a different approach. we are going to whine, bitch, and complain until everyone is mad and aware of the problems and nobody is willing to cooperate with the bullshit anymore. go listen to some more nirvana or whatever depressing shit music makes you feel like a cool guy for not caring.

>>938394626
>we are going to whine, bitch, and complain until everyone is mad and aware of the problems and nobody is willing to cooperate with the bullshit anymore.
thats great. do it on the streets where people can actually see you.

>>938394675
nobody is on the streets to see it, that`s the whole point of the thread. more people are in this thread right now then there are people walking around downtown

>>938394718
motherfucker its barely 9am on a wednesday, you moved to podunk, MI and expect tons of people with free leisure time to be out and about and social

yes, you fucking should have moved to NYC or LA if you want that kind of social life

>>938394765
there is no social life even in big cities due to the zoning issues i explained here >>938394107

its amazing the people who go out of their way to complain about people complaining. its like they lack the self awareness to realize they`re complaining too. everything is an excuse from them not to complain about anything but they`re still responding to every complaint complaining that you shouldn`t complain.

>>938394813
again, wednesday 9am in podunk, ohio
guy expects flourishing social life

cant make that shit up

>>938394765
I'm posting from my cube in my office building near the interstate. Unfortunately not downtown. I used to work downtown, but the company relocated in 2022. The drive is a little nicer and the parking is free, but yeah it's emblematic of everything in this thread.

>>938394896
i`m not in your strawman podunk and this isnt about me personally. this is about wider trends

again, there is no social life even in big cities due to the zoning issues i explained here >>938394107 (You)

>>938394931
All that Covid and Zoning blame makes me think you're more of a /pol/ poster usually

>>938394896
But none of us are talking specifically about 9am on a Wednesday.
America is a very lonely and isolated and paranoid country.
I've traveled to multiple European countries, Mexico, and India, and there's undeniably a difference in how people exist and how life is structured.

>>938395023
North American zoning leading to suburban sprawling areas with nowhere to walk or cycle is a well established phenomenon tbf..

>>938395210
he`s not interested in being fair. he is attempting to localize the complaints into a specific person he can strawman and discredit instead of arguing the actual points i made. he`s mad about people noticing how shit everything is for some reason

>>938395210
Oh yeah no doubt about that, the whole concept of "you need a car for anything" in the US of A is awful. Suburban ghettos with nothing but streets and uniform rows of houses and yards, just awful all around.

Doesn't change the fact that the constant COVID COVID COVID from OP reeks of /pol/

>>938395259
also i never mentioned covid. he wants to wrap up every argument in this thread into a specific person he can discredit by personal attacks via an elaborate strawman about a /pol/ poster in podung he invented

>>938395276
you miss it don`t you, the masks, the power tripping, getting to rat your neighbour to the police because you caught him walking his dog.

see, two can play at the personalize and demonize game. i just choose not to because its fucking retarded and argument should be argued on its merits not on your fucking strawman game.

>>938395352
yeah there's the lil altrighter coming through, very nice

I believe you since there's more social isolation, internet consumption, food deliveries, etc. But I don't really notice this since I live in a nice area of San Diego. It's well developed with a population density of about 13k people per sq mile. Plus it's near the university, a top tier mall, trolley transit, and the weather is nice basically every day. Maybe it's more a problem of aging rust belt towns?

>>938395400
oh, there`s the little covid cuck soi boomer seething about people having legitimate complaints about the state of the world. the only complaints you`ll allow are about orange man, who you obsess over daily because you watch too much tv news.

do we have to keep playing this retarded strawman game or can we actually discuss the actual complaints and arguments itt?

the zoning is shit. simple as.

>>938393876
This. 99% of my friend circle met through the turd circuit, log conventions, fan clubs, etc. You just have to get out there and eat shit.

Go sign up with ICE if you want to meet people so badly.

>>938393932
How about Poopsylvania?

>>938393714
They all got HIV and AIDS

>>938395470
Do something about it, coward.

>>938395839
such as?

>>938395918
Maybe post a thread in /b/ about it? That surely will rattle society!

>>938395954
so you can`t come up with anything
you are just desperate to stop people complaining by complaining about people complaining. and you`re especially angry at me not because of my actual complaints but because you`ve created a strawman of me in your head about an altrighter from /pol/. buddy give it a rest, take meds

>>938395740
You ever take a nice shit in a Sheetz or Wawa?

>>938396105
None of that happened, what the fuck are you on about?

>>938396128
Yes. Made to order poopoo

Listen my dude, I just got here. All I see is logfag and some nazi bullshit, and now you accuse me of something or other. I don't know man, you seem kinda off today. Everything ok at home?

>>938396188
Both places keep their bathrooms surprisingly clean.
Like I can put in an order, go do my business, wash my hands, and not feel like a disgusting mutant after. That's nice.

>>938396234
what nazi bullshit? since when is complaining about a lack of third spaces due to oppressive car centric zoning leading to a decline in community a nazi thing? or is it the pointing out that due to covid more people are staying home and ordering in even after covid is over and many businesses closed down? is that nazi? because its true whether you say its nazi or not.
you seem off, are these nazis in the room with you right now? maybe i accused you of being some other retard because there are no trips and you were talking exactly like another retard i was responding to. fucking braindead

Times Square clipped from earthcam just now.
You gotta leave nowheresville.

>>938396360
sometimes i think of just going to a random club and randomly asking some chick to go to the backroom and fuck