Some examples are:

Armagh: https://goo.gl/maps/gnZckZYLyNM4RKPW9

Monaghan: https://goo.gl/maps/zNMUUX8ZxpUP2Zj68

Kilkenny: https://goo.gl/maps/ySfKMs1JMSUjEzpW7

Donegal: https://goo.gl/maps/ieDPPYXdfmTijwR9A

Waterford: https://goo.gl/maps/M1p17z4Lfy6GxuHH9

Omagh: https://goo.gl/maps/BEQb7kaxEoqXEGb98

Galway: https://goo.gl/maps/mNK5oWGjmfsRffNg6

40 comments

  2. A Main Street with shops and such is very common in the US. So much so that the term “Main Street USA” is used to describe the typical stereotypical American.

    New England has a ton of small towns with a dense Main Street area surrounded by more rural areas.

    Here is [Congress Street in Portsmouth, NH](https://maps.app.goo.gl/nNzY4t5W6y5KPdtY6?g_st=ic)

    Here is [Congress Street in Portland, ME](https://maps.app.goo.gl/cHUGiiu7wWQ3tCbn8?g_st=ic)

    For smaller towns it looks more like this:

    [Maine St in Brunswick, ME](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3VKg1ZRf4NBoc3ac6?g_st=ic)

    [Central Ave in Dover, NH](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GAmUpEB1vZC12SqBA?g_st=ic)

    [Water St in Exeter, NH](https://maps.app.goo.gl/syjWQKdB4mAU9XUHA?g_st=ic)

    [Townsend Ave in Boothbay Harbor](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2zDK2QW7vDMbugHRA?g_st=ic)

    They have a different look and feel to European cities.

    Chicago has [The Magnificent Mile](https://maps.app.goo.gl/WTxbC4x7mBeeMrwn7?g_st=ic) but [somewhere like Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park seems more like your link](https://maps.app.goo.gl/QGuC9rPwVdD2dCag8?g_st=ic) (it’s also in Chicago).

  4. I’ll take an educated guess and say that most American towns probably have a main street or town square area, especially towns that existed before the proliferation of cars and suburbanization, but to what extent they still act as the cultural or commercial heart of the town varies.
    Here are some main street/downtown areas from some towns and cities of various sizes close to where I live.

    https://www.google.com/maps/@30.4853202,-90.9561873,3a,75y,238.92h,83.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5XUVzdLMsXcf_QRSw98klA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@30.5034306,-90.461234,3a,75y,27.29h,86.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sE19Yvr6fnGVvBGGnu_CEhg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@30.438628,-90.4421817,3a,75y,69.13h,78.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1strw-OFxPuYVdLv-YZd5HFw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

  5. yeah, a sort of downtown “Main Street” is pretty common for smaller towns. Here are a few from my area:

    Apex, NC: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7307407,-78.8516533,3a,73.6y,48.43h,84.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNaDuLr5QBExkrTIEEfomnA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    Henderson, NC: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3253528,-78.4055117,3a,75y,48.65h,92.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssxa9YhK5zffBwzOlHysESg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    Hillsborough, NC: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.075483,-79.0994523,3a,75y,328.14h,72.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sw51kAF_902fkGwwo82vSLg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

  6. Depends on the town location and age, along with geography.

    Main Streets are common. It may not be called that, but it’s the main thoroughfare.

    Central town squares are less common, but common enough. Some towns were formed differently, or the focus of the community shifted and took away focus from the historic center.

    And then there is the other extreme of Savannah, which is basically a town OF town squares.

  7. The very center of Philadelphia is occupied by the city hall, which is at the intersection of Broad and Market Streets. East on Market is the former Gallery, and Reading Terminal Market is north of that.

  8. Absolutely.

    That’s pretty typical for small towns in the US.

    Here’s the Main Streets of some towns in the area I grew up in, which aren’t that different:

    Stanford, KY: [https://www.google.com/maps/@37.52937,-84.6612948,3a,75y,247.78h,84.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sacVBWrJAiLNSiynrkxjefA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.52937,-84.6612948,3a,75y,247.78h,84.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sacVBWrJAiLNSiynrkxjefA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)

    Danville, KY: [https://www.google.com/maps/@37.645824,-84.7730463,3a,75y,266.87h,84.56t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJBLnd0OJJ4KpepfPWXmHqg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.645824,-84.7730463,3a,75y,266.87h,84.56t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJBLnd0OJJ4KpepfPWXmHqg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

    Richmond, KY: [https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7478442,-84.2953491,3a,75y,114.27h,84.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJozKmmrNALEG40BJkvFxbQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7478442,-84.2953491,3a,75y,114.27h,84.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJozKmmrNALEG40BJkvFxbQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

    Lancaster, KY: [https://www.google.com/maps/@37.6191273,-84.5786794,3a,75y,230.76h,83.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scYYkST2-QcC5ZDDCVbt6rA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.6191273,-84.5786794,3a,75y,230.76h,83.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scYYkST2-QcC5ZDDCVbt6rA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

  9. Sioux Falls

    [DT website](https://dtsf.com/)

    [DT pics](https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-google&q=sioux+falls+downtown&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjOoNWE9qf_AhWhMDQIHVokDx8Q0pQJegQIEhAB&biw=412&bih=784&dpr=2.63)

    [Falls Park ](https://www.google.com/search?q=sioux+falls+downtown+falls+park+&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj9ltaF9qf_AhUYNN4AHaB5BjMQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=sioux+falls+downtown+falls+park+&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzoFCAAQgAQ6BggAEAcQHjoGCAAQCBAeOgQIABAeOgYIABAFEB46BwgAEBgQgAQ6BQghEKsCOgUIABCiBFDMBlj7LWCuMmgAcAB4AIABwQGIAaYMkgEEMC4xMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=KqB7ZP3ZMpjo-LYPoPOZmAM&bih=784&biw=412&client=ms-android-google)

  10. We typically have a main street in most towns. Where I live now on the great plains, there aren’t any towns like that, though some of them are quite lovely. The typical example I see among the larger towns, especially the county seats is having a courthouse square. Seward NE ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward,_Nebraska#/media/File:Seward,_Nebraska_downtown_1.JPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward,_Nebraska#/media/File:Seward,_Nebraska_downtown_1.JPG)) is a good example as they have a decently active downtown, and their courthouse ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward_County,_Nebraska#/media/File:Seward_County,_Nebraska_courthouse_from_S_1.JPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward_County,_Nebraska#/media/File:Seward_County,_Nebraska_courthouse_from_S_1.JPG)) is quite nice. Some towns though don’t have as nice of a courthouse. My county I grew up in ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butler_County,_Nebraska#/media/File:Butler_County,_Nebraska_courthouse_from_E_2.JPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butler_County,_Nebraska#/media/File:Butler_County,_Nebraska_courthouse_from_E_2.JPG)) has a rather brutalist courthouse built in the 60s, so its not as picturesque, but we still have a square.

    Some other towns have nice little ones that don’t have a square, but are more like a main street like Wisner NE ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisner,_Nebraska#/media/File:Wisner,_Nebraska_NE_side_of_Avenue_E.JPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisner,_Nebraska#/media/File:Wisner,_Nebraska_NE_side_of_Avenue_E.JPG)), but many small ones are quite dumpy or not well cared for. My hometown in Nebraska is pretty typical of a lot of hamlets on the great plains ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno,_Nebraska#/media/File:Bruno,_Nebraska_downtown_7.jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno,_Nebraska#/media/File:Bruno,_Nebraska_downtown_7.jpg)) and in fact, the big red building on the left has been torn down and half the street is just the storefronts. We also only have 90 or so people, so its not like there are any businesses or people to patronize them. We don’t even have a bar anymore.

    You do also still have some towns that look straight out of the wild west. Ericson NE to me looks like its more of a western town but its still very much like others on the Great Plains ([https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ericson,_Nebraska_downtown_4.JPG](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ericson,_Nebraska_downtown_4.JPG))

    ​

    So yes we do have main streets and in the midwest they look like a typical american town. The bigger ones obviously have more buildings and sometimes a tad taller but not too different.

  11. They vary quite a bit.

    [Concord Mass](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4598509,-71.3504122,3a,75y,94.57h,87.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2DE-YIMzl4VZg8OIig58nw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) – upscale Boston commuting town/farmy

    [Hudson Mass](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3911934,-71.5698937,3a,75y,69.06h,102.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sE5GqTckom-2FhEAwS0H-lQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)- kinda average town

    [Clinton Mass](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.418148,-71.6846056,3a,75y,189.4h,109.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9ohg-EnCYM1r2hYWsWb0tQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) – working class/immigrant town

    [Northampton, MA](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.318902,-72.6307058,3a,75y,231.85h,92.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSEkjOTxovxaUtTaURYlXRg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) Fun, artsy college town

    [Lawrence, MA](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7084903,-71.1604825,3a,75y,57.65h,84.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOygpARErSmIGnA53C3ze9g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) Poorest town in Mass

    [Petersham Ma](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4890169,-72.186134,3a,75y,208.66h,98.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6ratjqiMFP5XhRsTB8Ahmw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu), Regular country town

    [Newburyport Ma](https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8113889,-70.8696845,3a,75y,304.86h,89.59t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1smr7Mri3kIREZW1okxbQKow!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dmr7Mri3kIREZW1okxbQKow%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D242.05754%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) – fishing, beach town

  12. It varies by region. I think some smaller towns in New England look most similar to your examples though.

  14. The center of my town is where the county courthouse is and the city hall building. It is on the main street through town. The courthouse is surrounded by a big grassy area on all sides. It is not a park but is somewhat park like. There are some benches and a memorial statue on one side. It is where all the festivals and parades take place in town. It is kind of surrounded by the business district of town.

    In the city I grew up in at the center was a park with a big fountain. It was by the city government buildings.

  15. Southampton, NY
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/yXBc8HURyCJQjFce6

    Plant City, FL
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/4EAiEt52awpb6qoV8

    Marshalltown, IA
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/sgkJY414kEDCfCEV7

    Grand Junction, CO
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/84vauhszUjcGgdFQA

    Carlsbad, NM
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/ExTsxfXZ1UvbdccZ8

    Ripon, CA
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/i8djBuSfyCBc71ZW9

    So overall, American downtowns typically share a similar “look” and then have regional differences in the buildings themselves. Nicest downtowns are typically in New England, and worst are typically in the Midwest or Rockies.

  17. In Morristown NJ (an old town by American standards circa 1720), we have a village green:

    [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morristown+Green/@40.7969973,-74.4809838,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPtaUPcrSy7gSfjgHu-NDbINBzR7TYlzytnZ4it!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPtaUPcrSy7gSfjgHu-NDbINBzR7TYlzytnZ4it%3Dw114-h86-k-no!7i4608!8i3456!4m7!3m6!1s0x89c3a6bc8eb7742b:0xa16e5e0657812d7f!8m2!3d40.7969973!4d-74.4809838!10e5!16s%2Fm%2F0ddb9mx?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morristown+Green/@40.7969973,-74.4809838,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPtaUPcrSy7gSfjgHu-NDbINBzR7TYlzytnZ4it!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPtaUPcrSy7gSfjgHu-NDbINBzR7TYlzytnZ4it%3Dw114-h86-k-no!7i4608!8i3456!4m7!3m6!1s0x89c3a6bc8eb7742b:0xa16e5e0657812d7f!8m2!3d40.7969973!4d-74.4809838!10e5!16s%2Fm%2F0ddb9mx?entry=ttu)

    The churches on The Morristown Green proper are all Protestant (Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal/Anglican). The Catholic church is located a few streets over from the Green. Not surprising since most of the original colonial settlers were from England; later waves of immigration saw the Catholics arrive.

  18. Yes and no. My city’s “downtown” is a lot like those but more open for cars. A lot of small towns will have a main street with a similar vibe. In the suburbs and exurbs things don’t look like that since they’re mostly all brand new construction.

  19. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico I was at an awesome Palm tree lined local beach. I struck up a Convo with a local and she said ” oh, I’m sure you don’t have anything like this where you live “. Well, I laughed and said I live in Massachusetts and I live a mile from an awesome little surfer beach where it’s busy year round, even winter with wind surfers..,ahem…but no palm trees. So we’re all more similar than ya think

  20. Before the dual carriageway between Dublin and Dundalk, I always found it fascinating (albeit a bit quaint) to see the traffic calming zones in the towns along the way to my mom’s hometown.

    Thirty years later, attempts to implement lane reductions and traffic calming through the Main St portion of my Boston neighborhood are met with a hysterical antipathy that (literally) likens the changes to a communist plot. This is despite several pedestrian fatalities, children struck by vehicles, and countless near-misses.

  22. There are a few towns in my area that aren’t much more than a bunch of houses and a post office with an occasional business or two scattered throughout the area, but most of the bigger towns will have something like this:

    https://www.google.com/maps/@40.862067,-76.7945284,3a,75y,100.22h,82.41t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_k1ITInZD_fdBd5dbDZ2TQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9627015,-76.8878099,3a,75y,45.64h,80.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1si1X1tF8Faec9VS3t77nZrw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7995707,-76.8619352,3a,75y,191.08h,81.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCJRu_GqiXi7PGCsCL9rXnw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0026248,-76.4578702,3a,75y,241.08h,88.7t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIlpNtgfvUSDR5VdQYshifw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9642045,-76.6162974,3a,75y,175.63h,78.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr6pBFk6-WNSgmf89FzHGLg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7920118,-76.5543955,3a,75y,253.73h,82.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVOB8thaPX2S-4xNSB5FZtw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

  23. I live in a town over a hundred years old and have a “historic downtown” area that has a bunch of stores and buildings capped at 2 to 3 floors high (with a couple exceptions). All the neighboring towns do too. Except the towns founded in the past 30 years. They all have a central commercial area, but in those instances, they are just a major road with major stores.

    By that I mean downtown my town is a bunch of local businesses. Downtown neighbor town has a Costco and Wal-Mart downtown (amongst others).

  25. My city doesn’t. It used to, but then in the 80s the city pissed off all the businesses, and they moved to outside city limits. Downtown basically has nothing now except for a few restaurants and bars, city hall, the ferry terminal, and the shipyard.

  26. Most US towns have a somewhat walkable downtown with a main street with a lot of car dependent development around it. I live in Crossville Tennessee and here is our Main street:

    https://maps.app.goo.gl/ErmYAcM445ku31Nz7

    Meanwhile you go a little further north toward I40 on the same road and this is what it looks like:

    https://maps.app.goo.gl/bvvjFfQMBuQeeuPd8

    Also we have a Bucees in this town. I don’t think Europeans have seen anything like it so I’ll include it:

    https://maps.app.goo.gl/gU1711uBciVtTz4v7

  27. There are more “main streets” than town centers, but for the majority of the US, the “center” usually looks something like [this](https://maps.app.goo.gl/eznpVS9CT9JTZYp39). We have shopping/business centers. I think malls used to serve this purpose, but they’re slowly dying out. So now places like [this](https://maps.app.goo.gl/uqvQmXpcey2VMqsC6) are taking their place.

    But like I said, we do have [main streets](https://maps.app.goo.gl/DtpBotnBss7NVotPA) in smaller towns and in [neighborhoods](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2CrnTynCsoE5mfvF9) of larger cities.

  28. In my experience on the west coast, we don’t usually have town squares the same way, not in small cities at least, but most cities have a main street that’s fairly densely packed with businesses similar to what you showed.

  29. Main Streets seem to be making a comeback after being boarded up vacant in many communities for decades.

  30. I live in Michigan and most of suburbia (where the most population is) doesn’t look a thing like this, it’s all houses and strip-malls and indistinct corporate buildings. Our rural towns have little centers like this, except they’re largely hollowed out and borderline decrepit from economic inactivity.

  31. As many as pointed out, it really depends on the region we are talking about.

    In Santa Fe, the main plaza dates back to the 17th century with the conquistadors and has Spanish influence.

    ( [Santa Fe Plaza](https://travel.usnews.com/images/TOURISM_Santa_FePlaza-buildings-shopping-nature-sidewalk-trees.jpg) )

    Then, you have more mid-western small town single road style, that became a benchmark for how main street Disney was created:

    ([Fort Collins, CO](https://365traveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Old-Town-Fort-Collins.jpeg))

    Then, other cities have kind of taken a park/community space route:

    ([Flagstaff, AZ](https://www.flagstaff365.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/www.flagstaff365.com/images/2017/07/heritage-square.jpg))

  32. America isn’t a single country it’s 50. Some states have this, some don’t.

  33. In the city I live in we have a center market with restaurants, small shops, and a massage parlor. The market itself used to sell slaves before the American civil war.

  36. We do have main squares and those places are a major draw, but if in Ireland those downtowns make up 5% of the land area, it’s probably .05% for us. Most of our commercial areas look like this:

    [Lincolnia, VA](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8182416,-77.1429279,3a,75y,358.29h,81.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scu7IRUBxuxJ9AJBcAF6Grg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)

    [Christiansburg, VA](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.1663109,-80.4225683,3a,75y,355.07h,68.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s03aaeyMcWSN0ZZl1oXCfXQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)

  37. It’s a pretty basic component for a town. [Eufaula](https://www.google.com/maps/@31.8930303,-85.1438264,3a,75y,275.56h,84.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY9H1ahVW44aaPRxUbsE4ig!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Andalusia](https://www.google.com/maps/@31.3077419,-86.4824696,3a,75y,358.59h,79.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sM8jxK2mhaAPCunedn1X5hw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Demopolis](https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5173269,-87.8380018,3a,75y,40.66h,93.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz5E2OAAe9LIgGFxUQRKFeQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Monroeville](https://www.google.com/maps/@31.5266901,-87.3248471,3a,75y,8.36h,85.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6dRfvFS5I7DhGGqMtOrUYQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Talladega](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4355209,-86.1023394,3a,75y,223.9h,86.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spUgaUFoSC3yOzd3en8q0fw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Marion](https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6324247,-87.3190989,3a,75y,29.46h,81.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEOShtyPiwYgI9nTU5HNJOQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Jasper](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8322306,-87.2774604,3a,75y,74.84h,82.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZklT4fFqhDVeLvkmmZgrKA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Sylacauga](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.1702575,-86.2507281,3a,75y,341.06h,90.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0dyVDSuqQYVVMabyKzGOrg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Alex City](https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9450168,-85.9532959,3a,75y,139.56h,83.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUVIVspD6ZWcobpvtnIauqw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Russellville](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.5050864,-87.7302942,3a,75y,19.32h,82.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLry7rDXVDQ8Ztgz9ZjynfQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Fort Payne](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.4410919,-85.7225048,3a,75y,25.42h,89.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIX3KiUe_T-F5azMg6vzJgw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Fairhope](https://www.google.com/maps/@30.523036,-87.9032467,3a,75y,253.14h,84.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suSzL_kxgrHI4w_7HyhLKRw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Tuscumbia](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7323974,-87.7034515,3a,75y,214.28h,94.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCcADjohdbtTn1l5jBTCzsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Clanton](https://www.google.com/maps/@32.8391716,-86.6311248,3a,75y,78.43h,79.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sawtTnObMhNVoMsq29PM_AA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Athens](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8033033,-86.9708267,3a,75y,245.63h,96.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szBWIY8fCzT-gVYaz14-gfA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Guntersville](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3593996,-86.2936003,3a,75y,184.17h,91.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sslEZL4glzRgm68WCo_ijjQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Arab](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.317065,-86.4957667,3a,75y,355.82h,90.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFxAChjWDvG__jNLN_SYk7w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Anniston](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6584122,-85.8297177,3a,75y,199.52h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sphzpj2EQKh9CmMPyZwMEAg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Gadsden](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0143053,-86.0062186,3a,75y,115.3h,88.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1su66h_ftWLBUa5K9Pfifk1w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Leeds](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5439846,-86.5427909,3a,75y,117.16h,88.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLQvryBk4fPZBDaicQB6kCA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [Wetumpka](https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5376682,-86.2046108,3a,75y,357.15h,88.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sg2xSV4s2XZnkYGJrqdprpw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), etc (some of these towns aren’t doing too well…). To have one, a place would pretty much have to have been set up as a suburb, but even then, that’s not always the case ([Mountain Brook](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4835603,-86.7732448,3a,75y,335.26h,86.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saVb-IQOgvtUwJVWfdesdTQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu) or [Homewood](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4797479,-86.7917209,3a,75y,344.78h,92.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbZjBvzvs3qQ7FFUVP7XJ1Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu)).

    When people say the US is car centric, it doesn’t mean you have to use a car to even be able to access every single service, but rather that things are spread out without good public transit making people have to drive between the different areas (and infrastructure is thus set up to enable driving between general areas). Once you’re in an area, you can generally walk to access anything in that area. Even places with drive throughs usually have a regular entrance. It’s just that that spot won’t necessarily have everything you want.

    Take Birmingham, Alabama, for example. It’s one of the most car-centric 1 mill + metros in the US, but here’s a how it looks at ground level: [1](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5141226,-86.8046465,3a,75y,48.88h,94.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siEwCDa3eAWxJPOa24huI1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [2](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5160237,-86.8048714,3a,75y,247.36h,94.88t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stdq2edLgCUy8tYMqv4JNgw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [3](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5163365,-86.8068172,3a,75y,228.69h,92.59t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAuOYWOzl6hixMCODczlIcQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [4](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5094906,-86.806238,3a,75y,306.75h,91.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sneVIJOcyxRmXhKol3rSMnQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [5](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5100255,-86.8026122,3a,75y,237.33h,84.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1gd4aLFSbrpjhATyPMZKXA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [6](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5088449,-86.8000811,3a,75y,244.25h,77.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFKn8y1cHbBU_PNjJHZTpNQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [7](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5069294,-86.7977083,3a,75y,229.18h,80.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sX7COoBs0VsH5emVYyTus9Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu), [8](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.500597,-86.7962753,3a,75y,280.16h,90.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss-_x25QBPFhf157tt4iFGw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu)

    What makes Birmingham car centric is that the area has a large footprint without great public transit covering the large distance, and that there are major [bottlenecks](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4972553,-86.7895093,3a,75y,130.94h,76.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFiuLm4n2MfTsQU1oiDJIvw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu) that pretty much require a car to get through, since there aren’t efficient alternative non-car routes (Oddly enough, other than I-65, major highways going through downtown aren’t that big an issue. The city’s used them to create [shaded areas](https://www.google.com/maps/place/City+Walk+Birmingham/@33.5243373,-86.8085085,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPJbG4CID2XfcNCiUGHii87PdB05RLc819bfZzG!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPJbG4CID2XfcNCiUGHii87PdB05RLc819bfZzG%3Dw203-h114-k-no!7i4032!8i2268!4m9!3m8!1s0x88891b92e7503c53:0x125f46484e1871d1!8m2!3d33.5244274!4d-86.8085695!10e5!14m1!1BCgIgAQ!16s%2Fg%2F11t5_8m81n!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu) and worked to reconnect disconnected neighborhoods. [Railroads](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rainbow+LED+Tunnel/@33.5091443,-86.8131113,3a,80.8y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPj9OI0lrQUl5oxJWAci4tWo2ijQxKE4q4-EZz4!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPj9OI0lrQUl5oxJWAci4tWo2ijQxKE4q4-EZz4%3Dw86-h86-k-no!7i1080!8i1080!4m7!3m6!1s0x88891bf2b68ef13f:0x396271256cf28edb!8m2!3d33.5091669!4d-86.8130623!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11cm8hjm4r!5m1!1e4?hl=en&entry=ttu) are actually a pretty big issue). As such, the suburbs relatively don’t try as much to enable walking to downtown; though there’s some decent effort for walkability within certain suburbs.

  39. This is the train station where we take the train to New York: [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7162541,-74.3578976,3a,75y,22.68h,82.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sExQBbZOahT6R6YMOlg5rbQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7162541,-74.3578976,3a,75y,22.68h,82.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sExQBbZOahT6R6YMOlg5rbQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)

    Then we take the same train back and sleep. The town center itself is nice but you get to see it two days a week at best.

  40. In my small, rural hometown we didn’t have anything I would call a central square. We had a few parks, but only one was actually nice, and that’s where every city event was held. I live in a slightly bigger tourist town now. They have a shopping district with a central square.

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