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> The natural world is mostly dead in them. I live in the Seattle metro(Tacoma) and can walk to a 900 acre old growth forest with 20 miles of trails, or quickl

by tjr225 5y ago

> The natural world is mostly dead in them. I live in the Seattle metro(Tacoma) and can walk to a 900 acre old growth forest with 20 miles of trails, or quickly drive to several beaches and watch for whales, seals, etc. Seattle and Portland, and likely many places on the West Coast have similar amenities- not to mention being surrounded by multiple national forests and national parks. I’m curious if the cities you abandoned work back east or European?

redisman 5y ago
Puget Sound area is kind of an exception. I would say most European, Asian, Midwest, East coast big cities I’ve been to have almost no nature within an hours drive. Maybe a few manicured parks
- jen20 5y ago
  Perhaps that’s true in some places of the places you list, but I can barely think of a European city that does _not_ have nature within an hour drive. Or, for that matter and east coast city. Even New York City has plenty of nature within an hour (the Ramapo mountains in one direction, plenty in most others too).
- PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago
  More counter-examples: Berlin: Grunewald, accessible by S-Bahn Philadelphia: Wissahickon Valley, actually inside the city, with 21 miles of single-track in a wild river valley. London: Epping Forest, accessible on the Underground; north Surrey hills, just under an hours drive. Montpelier (France): Verdon Gorge, about an hours drive, and lots of nice stuff before you get there. Chicago: yeah, ok. You got me.
betwixthewires 5y ago
I've been to that metro area, a long time ago. It is a beautiful place, in my opinion that region of the world is the most beautiful place on earth, and I've been to a few beautiful places worldwide. I have walked through an evergreen forest and seen whales spouting on the Puget sound all within a mile walk. If it weren't so damn expensive and urban in that area I'd live there in a heartbeat. I'm not entirely talking about reserved places like parks. Cities have those, they're nice. What I mean is, in your immediate environment, outside of your door, the ground is paved, sprayed for mosquitoes (and consequently every other arthropod) with neurotoxins, it is built entirely for humans and yet somehow not ergonomic. I live under a giant oak tree in an oak forest. There are multiple wild creatures living their lives within a 10 foot radius of where I'm sitting right now. I don't have to go to a designated outdoorsy place, it is my every day environment. That's something very valuable to me.

by tjr225 5y ago

redisman 5y ago

Puget Sound area is kind of an exception. I would say most European, Asian, Midwest, East coast big cities I’ve been to have almost no nature within an hours drive. Maybe a few manicured parks

jen20 5y ago
Perhaps that’s true in some places of the places you list, but I can barely think of a European city that does _not_ have nature within an hour drive. Or, for that matter and east coast city. Even New York City has plenty of nature within an hour (the Ramapo mountains in one direction, plenty in most others too).
PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago
More counter-examples: Berlin: Grunewald, accessible by S-Bahn Philadelphia: Wissahickon Valley, actually inside the city, with 21 miles of single-track in a wild river valley. London: Epping Forest, accessible on the Underground; north Surrey hills, just under an hours drive. Montpelier (France): Verdon Gorge, about an hours drive, and lots of nice stuff before you get there. Chicago: yeah, ok. You got me.

betwixthewires 5y ago

I've been to that metro area, a long time ago. It is a beautiful place, in my opinion that region of the world is the most beautiful place on earth, and I've been to a few beautiful places worldwide. I have walked through an evergreen forest and seen whales spouting on the Puget sound all within a mile walk. If it weren't so damn expensive and urban in that area I'd live there in a heartbeat. I'm not entirely talking about reserved places like parks. Cities have those, they're nice. What I mean is, in your immediate environment, outside of your door, the ground is paved, sprayed for mosquitoes (and consequently every other arthropod) with neurotoxins, it is built entirely for humans and yet somehow not ergonomic. I live under a giant oak tree in an oak forest. There are multiple wild creatures living their lives within a 10 foot radius of where I'm sitting right now. I don't have to go to a designated outdoorsy place, it is my every day environment. That's something very valuable to me.