What about living right in big cities do people think is easier? It’s nice to visit one occasionally but they are a nightmarish 24-hour din wrapped in inconvenience, stress, homeless encounters (in the US) and taking forever to get anywhere.
No fucking thanks.
It’s very different in Poland. I live well in the city limits of a city of over half a million and am fine with public transport (augmented by very augmented taxis).
Cars are much more impractical and have lots of headaches attached (from narrow crowded roads and unpleasant driver culture to scarcity of parking).
I really think US cities are kept purposely terrible to keep people in hunker-down mode.
I’m not sure how purposeful it is (though maybe), but indeed US cities are the worst by most most measures on public transit, ease of getting things done, and just how overall friendly they feel.
We create cities begrudgingly, and starve them of resources and beauty, and then laugh at anyone who says things could be better. Even though countries with fewer resources create superior examples in droves.
That “insisting something is impossible that is done nearly everywhere else” seems to be the American way of doing things.