Lights and gutters, people living on dreams and others out of hope. The city attracts so many types of people and concentrates them in a little bubble of concrete, glass, and steel. Having lived in the suburbs for most of my life, at 30 I chose to immerse myself in a new culture.
Talk about personal growth!
Having lived in the downtown core of Vancouver for 5 years, 3 1/2 without a car, I can now say that urban life is very fluid. The atmosphere changes from block to block, during a 10 minute walk you can witness people from such diverse backgrounds and social classes, all generally shuffling around doing the same things, looking for something to entertain themselves with. One minute you can walk by a crackhead in psychosis, head down, looking for any change dropped or a butt to smoke, next minute you’ll be passed by a hustling girl in yoga pants, her ass cheeks rhythmically bouncing and catching your eyes for a moment or three. Models walking little dogs, puddles of vomit, BMWs singing as they pass, shopping carts crashing on loose pavement.
It is a lot easier to find beauty and peace in chaos than to find ugliness in beauty and tranquility, the city breathes pollution of all sorts and exhales human experience.
jasonmbryan 