> there are a lot of places where a $2 coffee buys you an afternoon.

But there also isn't much reason to go there if nobody else does. A weird network-effect thing, right? Like, I didn't bother walking down to the local Chilean bakery that serves food because it's mostly empty most of the time, and there's only so much I can chat to the folks working there about as a stranger who lives down the street.

You used US dollars as your unit, but I don’t think there’s anywhere in the US where coffee cost $2 anymore

Granted I live in more expensive areas, but still

They're not, they're made, just look at all the open streets projects happening all over the world, and specially in Europe. You need people activelly building these third places for them to exist and for people to go there.

The US is building most of its new homes in anti-social car controlled environments, where you can't walk anywhere, everything has to be done by driving. Kids can't just roam the neighborhoods anymore and when they do people start asking if they should call the cops.

We are sick and it doesn't look like there is much thinking in how to fix it.