Taking in Life Around Me....#Sundaystills....Theme: Urban Sights

This #sundaystills challenge is hosted by Terri from Second Wind Leisure. It's a great themed photography challenge that you'll enjoy. I love seeing the other participants interpretation of the theme each week...it causes me to think outside the box. I joined in hopes of it pushing me to get out and take more photos...I have to some degree, but I also like that Terri is okay with us finding photos in our archives, which is also a lot of fun. So check out my photos and then head over to Terri's page to participate or visit other's posts. There are some awesome contributors who always inspire me.

This weeks theme is Urban Sights. I was thinking about urban areas the other day and what constitutes as "urban". According to National Geographic, an urban area is the region surrounding a city. They are very developed with a density of human structures (houses, buildings, roads, bridges, railways). I will visit urban areas, but I'm not sure I could live in one. I love my small town living, even though at times, I'd like to live a bit closer to more options. We live in an ideal spot in that we can be to the city in 20-30 minutes, get our fill and go home. When I was small, we lived in Lorain, Ohio. A larger city where my parents grew up. We moved when I was in 4th grade and I've lived in small towns ever since...minus the two years I went to school in Portland.

"The city is a symphony of sounds, from the sirens, to the laughter to the footsteps of strangers" Unknown

I have been to Vegas twice. Once when my oldest was 16...I took her and a friend of hers. We enjoyed some shows and just walking around checking out the amazing hotel interiors.

It was quite an adventure navigating this busy strip...but I managed. 

"The energy of the city 

pulses with endless 

opportunities and infinite

possibilites"

Unknown

Seattle is another city that is interesting to navigate. I grew up 30 miles east of Seattle. I'm sure the commute between there and Seattle is much longer, but it used to be a fairly quick and easy drive. There are many hills in the city and when I was in HS I remember having to stop on one of these hills in my 1966 Ford Mustang that was a stick shift. Yikes. I mastered having one foot on gas, and one on brake..haha

The big wheel in Seattle is really cool in the middle of the city. Even though I'm afraid of heights, I went on it. The view was cool. 

A visit to Seattle isn't complete without a trip to the gum wall. Several years ago they pressure washed it off, but that didn't stop people. You can literally smell it as you get closer. 

In 2017 I visited NYC with my youngest daughter and her friend. What an adventure. We joked singing "just some small town girls..." cuz we had never navigated a city this big. But we survived with research, kind strangers and laughs...oh and a LOT of steps. We opted for walking and public transit. Our hotel was just a few blocks from Times Square. 

NYC from New Jersey.

Navigating subways is definitely a part of urban living. WOW..figuring out which train to take..that was an adventure. 

Nice thing about being in big cities, there are a lot of coffee options. Blue Bottle Coffee was on my daughters list to see. 

From the top of the Rockefeller Center the city looks overwhelming. We realized as we looked out, that we had barely even touched all there was to see and do in this vast city. I'm guessing you could live here and always see and learn something new. 

One thing I loved the most, was the old buildings tucked between newer buildings, especially old Churches. 

I will admit, I love the uniqueness that each city brings. I will walk around and enjoy it, but then I'm ready to head back to my life in a small town. 

Palm Springs/Palm Desert seems to be an urban center in the middle of the desert. We visited in 2018 when my hubby had a work trip. I don't really have a desire to go back. 

On our trip to the NE states, we stayed off the main roads/freeways most of the time, mostly seeing small towns and communities, but we did hit some bigger cities on the trip. Boston, Providence, RI to name a few. 

"The robin's presence in 

urban areas reminds us

that nature can thrive

even in the midst of concrete jungles."
Unknown

I know many people love living in big cities. It's where they thrive. It's also where many struggle to make it. I know in our area of the PNW it is so expensive to live. Affordable housing is a joke. Portland and Probably Seattle's homelessness is out of control. It is heartbreaking. 

Honolulu and Waikiki are urban centers yet within their midst are beaches with people sunbathing and enjoying water sports. That was a bit humorous to me. While I loved my visit here, since I'm not a big city gal, I'd have to opt for one of the small towns to live in or spend most of my time. I found the city not much different than what I'm used to at home. 

Bern, Switzerland while having that old world feel and look seems to be an urban area to me. Buildings are close together, buses move through the city and people bustle about.  

When we visited Basel, Switzerland, the traffic was so crazy. The city has grown, and yet the roads have remained narrow, small and difficult to handle the increased traffic. I couldn't find my photos of Basel. The above was of Bern. 

We've spent a lot of time in Portland and yet I couldn't find any pictures. I have found myself saying at times that it would be nice to live in a place where you could walk to the farmers market or the store to grab your groceries, or other things you need. There are a few communities in Oregon that are built around the concept of this..there are homes, apartments, townhomes built within an area of businesses that is accessible mostly by walking to them. I don't think I could do apartment living though. Maybe I could handle a townhouse, but I'd prefer a small home/cottage. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin