I actually grew up in Houston in the 80s/90s. Playing in the street was exactly like your experience and we roamed on our bikes very far. We also felt pretty sa

I actually grew up in Houston in the 80s/90s. Playing in the street was exactly like your experience and we roamed on our bikes very far. We also felt pretty safe as kids and had enough street smarts to avoid any issues that we did encounter. But that was mostly due to safety in numbers and why I'd be difficult to go back to those times; your kids would be the only ones outside and the cars might not slow down, they might be target by a pedo, etc. There's also tribal knowledge within a group of kids. When you're old enough to join the group, you learn from others how to safely cross a busy intersection, how to run when you encounter a deranged homeless person, how to help a friend that fell off their bike 5 miles from home without a phone in your pocket, etc. There's no support group to join so your kids would be figuring all that stuff out on their own.