I'm quite frankly surprised by the amount of hate I receive for this video. This is not how I perceived the people when I was in the country and it's unfortunate to see this side now. If you feel offended by my impressions of my first US trip and think I'm generalizing, please watch the entire video, especially the part at 10:30, where I clearly state that that's all it is....a first impression.
@PhilTV I wouldn't worry about the hate comments. I grew up on the opposite side of Manhattan in New Jersey & seeing the rest of the country when moving to Florida was a real eye opener for me too ! Most of your observations were spot on especially the "big trucks" & the "language" . Anyways I think you will like Florida ( a lot of Europeans do for some reason ) & don't miss Miami ! It's nothing like the South.
All is good, Phil. Don't take the comments on social media (including UA-cam) as being reflective of how people really feel. Comments on these sites always lean toward negative and confrontational. I watched your entire video and you said nothing wrong. Your observations, good and bad, are spot on.
Yeah, I would recommend traveling to other parts of the US. Every area, every state has it's own unique culture. Think of the US as like the EU where every state is a country. You really want your mind blown, go to Alaska.
@ I DONT COMMENT UNLESS YOUR DUMB, each American state is not like a separate country in Europe. I would say there is flyover country that one does not need to visit.
@@richiesd1 You must simply not go out and travel lmao, there are different vibes all around, along with plenty of different languages and culture all over. For example, in Wisconsin there’s a lot of bars, almost too many, while Michigan beside us is very peaceful with many activities to do, and then Minnesota, it’s very plain and not so fun. There are things like roundabouts that not people know of, along with normal things like grocery shopping, in the south they offer to help you with putting your bags in your car while here in the north that’s considered creepy, it’s all different, just like our accents, since I’m from Wisconsin I pronounce my A’s hard and find it funny when others from different parts of America come to Wisconsin and they pronounce things differently than I do.
@@Ace-xn5tu , I have been many places in USA. There is nothing mind blowing about the diversity of culture in USA. I have never heard any of my non-American friends say such thing about the USA.
Of course it is different. The SIZE of the USA is huge! Comparing the USA to a country in Europe is like comparing a watermelon to a grape! We have city life, NY,Boston,Chicago,etc. The North is different than the south.
And people that live in TV he rural areas . Say who needs city life . Small town life is relaxed and laid back. And country life takes a lot more self reliance.
We say we live in a certain city because most people who have no idea about the area will have no idea where we are talking about. For example, I lived a large portion of my early life in Carmel, Indiana. Almost no one outside of the middle of Indiana would know what that meant. Carmel is just North of Indianapolis, so I just started saying Indianapolis.
I think when you say “subdivision” you mean “suburb.” These are two different things. A subdivision is an area of land divided into plots for sale. A suburb is residential outlying district of a city. You are right, I say I grew up in LA, but I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles.
Yep. I say I live in Los Angeles but really I live in. Suburb of LA about 20 minutes outside of downtown Los Angeles. But we have everything we need close by large supermarkets. Fortunately for me there a lot of small ethnic markets and small bakeries within 5-10 minutes of my house I can walk or drive to. Here where I live we have excellent public transportation if you don’t have a car.
Exactly. I say I'm from Boston, but I'm actually 15 minutes outside of Boston. If I told people I live in Lynnfield, people would have no idea where I'm talking about (even people from Massachusetts don't know where Lynnfield is cause it's so small)
You are correct, we broadly identify instead with the culture of a particular area rather than where we actually live. For example, is the culture of Santa Monica really different to that of West LA? Instead we say I'm from LA or I'm from San Francisco then you'll have a better understanding.
Unless your address had the words Los Angeles CA on it, you did not grow up in LA. Idk why people who live 60 miles from the City of LA, say they “live in LA”
You went to the US expecting Europe. Why??? US likes cars instead of trains. We like personal space instead of living on top of each other. We like privacy instead of everyone being in our business. We like individuality instead of everyone adopting the same thing. If you don't like these things then just stay in Europe instead of complain.... And I lived in Italy for 2 years and driving in Naples is FAR FAR FAR FAR crazier than driving anywhere in the US. I have been on 6 lane highways in Naples that didn't even have lane lines! It was just a free for all!
You need to keep in mind your experience in America really depends what part of the country you're in. We're a few countries within a country because America is huge.
Actually if you wanna get a good taste of America, you need to visit as many National Parks and Forests as you can. The cities are nice, but our National Parks are second to none in the world. There's a bunch of cool ones in the Southwest, where a lot of Western movies were filmed. There's a big tour you can take on your own in a car called the Grand Circle that includes the Grand Canyon. Look that up and you will be amazed at what we have to offer in the States. It's stuff like that why most Americans never leave the country.
Especially if your experience is in New England. My first time in New England was 2 years ago. Now I'm not a stickler for things like speed limits, but when I was driving there it was 85-90mph in bumper to bumper traffic and signals were optional. I dunno what it's like all over the world, but in the Midwest and some other parts of the US, speed limits are often optional, as everybody knows it takes a long time to get places. In the city I live in (or thr suburb close to it), you have to know which streets/highways you can speed on and which you can't. Mostly in the US there are no speed cameras, so it's up to the police if they want to stop you or not. There are some roads into town where the speed limit is 30, but police won't stop you unless you go over 50. I got pulled over in a 35 because I was doing 54, but the cop gave me a warning and said he liked my car. In my experience, driving is way worse in urban areas. The farther out you get, the more understanding the police are and the more considerate drivers usually are. Of course, if you get too far out, watch out for farm equipment or Amish buggies in some places. Oh, and outside of big cities we hate cyclists. It's not personal. We just do.
Hey Phil, love your opinion on things, but I wish to clarify a few things. 1) Driving Infrastructure Yes, in some places it's pretty bad. But there's a reason for this. The weather. Because we have hot and cold extremes in the US, we get a lot of freezing and thawing cycles throughout the year and there's nothing harsher on road and bridge structures than that freeze-thaw cycle. We get potholes galore because of that. 2) Suburbs vs City Life Well, you're right, America doesn't have the same kind of city life that Europe has. Even in self-contained cities like New York. Our idea of entertainment is a bit different than Europe. There's too many to name here, so I'll just leave it vague. But piggybacking off of the driving thing, in America, we have a strong car culture, right? There are whole community groups that entertain themselves by having car (or truck) gatherings. From classics to modern exotics, and big 4-wheel drive truck and Jeep groups. Europe has their Raves, America loves its cars. But regarding suburbs, that's where most of the people who work.in the city live. Each suburb is usually self contained as well with shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. The cities are where the culture centers are. Museums and stuff like that.
You can't blame the weather on the bad roads... at least not completely. In the south the weather does not change temperature much or drastically but the roads are still shitty. If the roads are bad, and they always are, its probably more to do with mismanagement of tax money than with the weather.
The midwest has a lot of German immigrants, so there are many german breweries, restaurants, and festivals in the St Louis area. There are towns in Illinois with German names, like Millstadt, and Darmstadt which is where my family settled. Be sure to check it out.
I recently traveled to Wisconsin and found out it has an even larger German heritage, they serve smoked sausages and bratwursts everywhere and has great beer, and so many businesses and roads with German surnames..I had no idea!
So I'm Canadian but most of this rings true for us too, especially the driving/car culture. Though because we have 1/10 the population of the USA, I'd say our infrastructure is even worse haha If you don't live in a major city, you pretty much have to own a car. For me, the closest major city is about 1 hour 30 minutes by car, but if you take public transportation that trip turns into about a 6 hour journey, because you literally have to wait an hour between buses. And you can only take the train up until about 7:30am because they are 'commuter' trains and only run in one direction for certain times. Once you actually get to the city, there isn't even really a city centre, and again the public transportation system is... not great haha Any time I have friends or family visit from Europe they are amazed by how inconvenient it all is haha
hey, that's very interesting. Nice to hear from a canadian point of view. I would assume it's overall less stressful to drive around in Canada, though?!
@@potatophil8432 I'm from a rural part of the US. It's generally not stressful to drive around here. I try to avoid cities because people are always in a rush and inconsiderate while driving. It really depends on where you are how rude the other drivers are. Although, my husband, being a city person, finds driving in the rural area stressful and boring because there's lots of space between places. Lol. We have a trip planned for July and we'll be driving the whole way. It's going to be about 2000 miles round trip. I love the drive, my husband and kids do not. Should be interesting.
The Atlanta example was spot on. I live abt 45 mins outside of Atlanta and if I’m talking to someone who isn’t from Georgia, I just say I’m from Atlanta
Phil, please go to our beautiful national parks next time in the USA. Yellowstone, Glacier, Everglades, Yosemite or Badlands would be interesting to hear your opinions on our national parks. Also enjoy Deana’s American perspective on your impressions; she’s a joy and makes the trips fun for you both.
PhilTV Don’t worry about the negative comments; I’m American and I completely agree with your impressions! I wish our cities were more like Europe or Asia, with walkable streets, shops, plazas, etc. and more sense of vibrancy and community. Much of the country is pickup trucks and Walmarts, sadly. You should come visit my hometown of San Francisco. It’s far from perfect but in some ways it’s a mix between American and European styles. Many British and French have moved here!
When I was 17 we moved from Massachusetts to Florida. We stopped at a McDonald's in Georgia and I literally could not communicate with the clerk (we both spoke "english" only). I had to point to the buttons with the pictures of the food on them to get my order.
I totally get it, I went from Texas to Pennsylvania Dutch country and the only thing that I said for the first three months was What?"; for some reason awhile doesn't mean "in a little while later" it means "right now"; go figure. I shall never forget the first time my new supervisor said to me, "Make the light out awhile." That is when it dawned on me that the original German settlers broke the number one rule of translation and translated phrases word for word instead. In German one would say, "Machen die lichten aus" -literally make the light out. After 20 years every time someone says, "awhile" I still laugh.
I grew up in Southern California and went to graduate school at University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). I had no trouble with understanding the southern accent (besides finding it charming and lyrical). Maybe Northeastern accents and Southern accents don't mix well (think mini-Civil War). Lol. Go Rebs!!
The douchy driving is so true. I think the main reason so many drivers here try to stop other cars from merging is because of another douchy thing drivers do here...intentionally cut in line. Instead of merging when they're supposed to, they wait until the last second and try to cut in. We hate that and it instills this natural instinct in us to try and stop it whenever we can
Just a little correction from a fellow German: if you live in a big city in Europe it can also take you easily half an hour or hour to get to the city centre (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg). Let alone London: it typically takes an hour to get anywhere in London. Only difference is that you do it by public transport. And there are parts of the US that have quite good public transport: I saw more cycle racks on a Californian train from S.F. to Stanford than in any German or UK train. Washington / Arlington also has good public transport. But I have been told these places were rather exceptional in that sense. It just so happens that these were the places that I ended up visiting for work-related stuff. So I can proudly say that I managed to travel in the U.S without needing to rent a car.
Yes, some places have more public transportation than others. Portland, Oregon/Seattle, Washington/ Boston, Massachusetts/ Washington D.C./ Charleston and Savannah, Georgia/ New York City and Saratoga Springs, New York/ Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey/ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/ etc. There are many places with decent public transportation and some walk-ability. Overall though the USA definitely needs more public transportation, more walk-ability, more density, and less zoning laws, and no parking minimums. Walk-ability needs to be improved.
when you drive in US that is the time to jam out to good music or listen to talk radio. I couldn't drive without satellite radio. America is too big for public transportation. You wouldn't build a public tram to a town with 6 houses in it would you? We're all spread out. The city in Europe is where all the action takes place whereas in America the city is just a community center, a hub of population.
There are metropolitan areas, though, like Detroit, that needed public transit years ago (and used to have it...streetcars, interurbans, lots of buses) and opted for a car culture. Now some of them are trying to catch up. Phil, come to Chicago, definitely...much more of a city culture than many US cities. And extensive public transport. Not perfect, but we love it as far as it goes. I don't own a car, and I hope to stay that way.
I agree with almost all of this. I will say, ya'll in Europe are far crazier drivers than anyone in the US. Maybe Germany's different, but the roads and drivers in Paris, Rome, Barcelona are absolute chaos. People and their tiny scooters weaving in an out everywhere are far scarier than any giant pickup truck in the US.
yeah, the three cities you mentioned are definitely crazy traffic-wise! The southern countries are known for it. I guess the further you go up north, the better the driving. I haven't been but I would assume Scandinavia is super chill. :)
You’re not lying. I’m from metro Atlanta and I’ve been to all 3 European cities you named. My biggest memories of chaotic drivers was in Rome. As bad as the drivers are here, Atlanta has nothing on those drivers at all.
I love videos like these. I watch Joel & Lia as well. I like hearing how foreigners view our everyday life. Maybe after seeing how spread out we live you understand why we drive bigger cars. Lots of Europeans comments on our big cars but with long drives we like more comfortable vehicles to spread out in.
4:34 Japanese big cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka or Fukuoka are the opposite of American cities: Almost nothing can be reached by car because the streets are often so narrow You have everything reachable by foot Public transport brings you everywhere
A lot of the big cities in the United States are like that. It's almost pointless to have a car in Manhattan because even if you want to drive somewhere there is nowhere to park. Big cities usually have halfway decent public transportation but smaller cities are where you are forced to have a car... although with the emergence of Uber/Lyft that's becoming easier to get away with too.
@@PianistStefanBoetel Great choices, I lived in Philadelphia for several years and love it there. New York and Boston have decent public transportation, Philly really doesn't but you can walk just about everywhere depending on where you are staying.
People are even starting to use that expression north of the Mason-Dixon line! I live in Cincinnati and have heard it often here. Along with "Bless Your Heart." LOL
Y'all i use to a group of people in a room (like there is ten people in the room but im specifically talking about three) And you all y'all as in the whole room
Enjoyed your video. I am from Germany and my girlfriend is from the US, so we have been watching a bunch of videos like this and had some really nice discussion about the differences between the US and Germany. Since i am planning on moving to the US in the future, i will see if my experiences will be similar :D
As a guy in Virginia everyone I know uses them as trucks..If you live in LA what exactly do you do with a truck if you're not in construction?..there is plenty of places in America you need trucks...LA isn't one..
@@getoveritlaughing3509 Right? The one who actually used his was an editor who stayed in LA for the week to work, then went home to an area near Temecula where he had a ranch. But the others?? Nope! We all worked in entertainment.....BUT I can tell you, 4-5 of them now have cars or bought other cars. IDGI :)
@@hiko73 Musk should give one to someone who really uses a truck to see how it really does.. going up mountain roads cutting wood and using and abusing it like trucks get used..The way the batteries is blowing up in crashes is kinda scary to me..I still would like to know what the electric bills go up using the home chargers..
When he says subdivision, he means 'suburb'. Russian word is 'pri-gorod'. So yes people work in cities, but live in suburbs, and in expensive downtowns, or residential districts called neighborhoods. City centers are for office space, vertical malls, recreation areas, night clubs. Suburbs and neighborhoods are for living. American suburbia is a product of post-WWII development of American society.
As someone who speaks it I guess it doesn't bother me but I've learnt to "fix up" my accent when I need to speak to people outside of my circles. Although Im tired of being made fun of for it :c
I have a number of relatives that live in West Virginia and it always takes me about an hour or so of talking/listening to them for me to understand them properly. Their accent is quite a bit different from my boring Michigan one.
Depends on where you live in the US, the west coast and the south things are pretty mild. Get into the northern states and things become variable and can be quite extreme. Maybe check out "Lost in the Pond" a UA-cam website by a guy who immigrated to the US from England and ended up in the upper Midwest, states of Indiana and Illinois. He does some videos about the differences in weather between England and the US.
The Midwest can be nice...but very entertaining. For some, a week can consist of a sunny 80 degree day and end with a below 40 snow day. Might sound a bit extreme but it’s possible in many places. 🤗
Man, I'm from a "suburb" of Los Angeles (where disneyland is) and EVERYTHING you said is EXTREMELY TRUE. Our big cities, even Los Angeles, don't have much character. Our people are not connected as much and I think is resulting in our divide. Although I've heard it is much different in the rural areas of the U.S., especially the South. The cars part is funny. Yes, when you drive here if is a "ME FIRST" mentality that also drives our separation. Also, the transportation is just strange here. On one hand, our country is MUCH too large to have a sustainable country wide train system. Despite our 300M population, there wouldn't be a sizeable enough customer base for it to run properly. As for the cities, it was just poor planning. And you have to remember, many of the cities here FLOURISHED at the turn of the century when cars were being manufactured. This caused the cities to be BUILT ARPUND THE AUTOMOBILE, Los Angeles is the most extreme case of this. Look up the history of it, it's very interesting and will explain why Los Angeles is sooo spread out. But overall, awesome video! But please try to visit as many different states/communities as you can. They are all vastly different
What you have to realise is Germany is the size as the state of Montana. The distances are greater especially the more West you go, so cars/trucks are needed. Unless you live in the city center which is real expensive, you have to drive everywhere.
living in south Africa my whole life having grown up with American television and all that you hear about it, I have always wanted to go over and see it for myself. thanks for sharing such an amazing insight into the country.
I enjoy the insight too and I've live in the United States my whole life. It's such a big country with so many different cultures and styles blended in that you can travel within the United States and feel like you are visiting many different places. Your experiences will vary greatly depending on where you choose to go.
Welcome, but just a heads-up - there are many places (or entire cities) that are just as dangerous as the worst in South Africa, + guns. Get as much info as possible about places you want to visit if you come over. But that being said, most Americans would be happy to show you around to places we love. South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and I hope I can explore it someday as I've learned much about it.
Phil, I live in the suburbs that is about a 50 minute drive outside New York city . You're right, you do need a car as mass transit is horrible unless you're in a big city like Manhattan, Chicago, or Los Angeles's to name a few. Great video.
Funny you mentioned Atlanta. Any time someone asks me where I am from, I always say "Atlanta." Most of the time, people are going to say "what part?" "Duluth." I think it's probably like that for most across the U.S like you said.
American here. There are many cities in the USA (mostly on the east coast) which do have a city-centered life besides NYC. It has been making a big comeback in many cities and particularly here in Miami where many Germans come to play in our sun.
6:28 as a motorcyclist, with nothing but paying attention, to do. I can tell you this is starting to scare me the most. EVERYONE uses their phones whole driving.
Some spot on observations! Glad to see you are getting around and seeing more of the USA than many Americans do! Many towns in the northeast (especially New England) have very walkable towns. South and west, not so much.
You got the subdivisions right. We used to call then "bedroom communities". The US is getting more European with so-called "Mixed Use Developments" where you live, shop, work, and get entertained in the same square mile. This cut downs on pollution and commute times. Still these residents will be tempted to go "off campus" and explore new stores.
I think I'd say "suburb" (Vorort?) instead of "subdivision." A suburb is usually filled with subdivisions. A developer comes in and builds roads and houses in one part of the suburb, and that's a subdivision.
Europe is compact, with cities having evolved long before America was around, and each country occupies a small land area compared with the U.S. America was settled from East to West in patterns, with population density concentrated in the East and Midwest. Each city has its distinct neighborhoods, which are like villages in a city, and the subdivisions you are referring to are actually the suburbs. As far as tinted windows are concerned, hardly anyone has them. By the way, I've been to Frankfurt and Berlin and found Germany to be a nice place.
Lol “worse” is just in reference of your perspective. We love our cars. We would argue that it’s better because we don’t have to worry about bus or train schedules, and we appreciate the privacy of traveling in our own spaces (our vehicles). Public transportation just isn’t that popular here. It’s not something we aspire to make as prominent as it is in Europe. And we don’t really appreciate people staring at us inside our cars. It’s like an invasion of our privacy. If you want to see people then you can just go to a public space, but other people’s vehicles are not a public place. And regional dialect and accents change depending on where you go. Think about it, Montana alone is bigger than Germany and you said that people have different accents in just that smaller region.
I just retired after working 43 years and I drove to work everyday of my working life. I do not even know what the inside of our city’s bus looks like or how much is the ride.
We are definitely not a walking society. Very good video. One thing about the weather in FL. It doesn't cool down at night in the summer, much like Texas. SC nights tend to be cooler. By cooler I mean it'll get into the 70's. I've watched a few of your videos and the passing on the right thing is not supposed to be allowed. Police keep saying that they are going to start enforcing this but never get around to it. Most people will get on the highway and immediately get in the middle or left lane, even when there's no one around them. It's so much easier to get in the right lane and pass than to try and pass on the left.
You went to Boston and the South. 2 of the most different sounding English in the US. Not surprised you had a hard time understanding people. Pittsburgh is an area with its on sound that is hard to pick up as well.
As an American who's been to Europe a few times and recently to Luxembourg and Trier Germany, I'm able to see my home country through a different set of eyes. I liked just about everything better back there except for the limited parking, and the feeling that I didn't quite belong. Also, like you mentioned, the weather is sunnier overall in the USA. There is a subtle feeling of lawlessness in the U.S. in general that works with my naturally disobedient personality. The parking garages in Luxembourg were so neat, clean, quiet and orderly that I almost couldn't believe they were real. I accidentally dropped a carton of milk that I had bought at an Aldi, and my conscience made me go get a t-shirt out of my backpack, wipe up the spill, and then use my drinking water to wipe away any stickiness that remained. And this was just the floor of the parking garage. Kind of impressive to me how well they maintain their spaces over there.
Phil, I think you meant "Suburbs" not Subdivisions. A subdivision, is a "sector" within a city whereas, a suburb, is a smaller city which is adjacent to a larger city. Blackout windows or, window tint is designed to protect car interiors (and occupants) from dangerous, cancer-causing UV rays. They are not for used for privacy. With respect to your impressions or expectations about the US, they are based on popular culture and not on fact. If you want to know "America", forget about the east and west coasts, visit the Heartland and find out how small town Americans live, think and what they believe. If you do that, you will see there is more to us than the lies Hollywood tells you.
Subdivision for neighborhoods is a southern word. Usually it implies a whole neighborhood built by one builder, with one entrance and exit. They are all over here in the south, from the last twenty years, built up in former countryside. Not so much of them in the older denser north.
I loved your take on the US. As an American who has lived in Asia for several years, I 100% agree with the lack of travel infrastructure in more rural areas. However, most Americans don't miss what they have never had. The cell phone usage while driving and lack of courtesy has become worse. I grew up in northern California and have lived in Texas for about 20 years; I still consider myself a "neutral English" speaker.
I mean a lot of public transportation in america isn't great but we do have buses in every city, gray hound buses in between cities, amtrak to travel across the country by train, and most major cities have some kind of train system. It's just that most people prefer to drive than to use public transportation.
You have a lot of valid points about how things are in the US, but I am only going to address one: Large pickup trucks. Yes, it is certainly true that the majority of truck owners very seldom use their full capacity, but that brings us to this choice: Does it make more sense to A) Have one vehicle that can do everything from carrying or towing the largest loads (even if only infrequently) to making short local trips; B) Have one vehicle that does all of the smaller tasks and then have to borrow or rent something when you have a large job to do; or C) Have two vehicles, one that does the small things and one that does the large. For me, and apparently a whole lot of other Americans, it makes much more sense to own a single vehicle that does everything than to either have to borrow or rent something when I need to do a "big" job or own two vehicles to cover a separate range of tasks each.
One thing I do want to clarify , is that a lot of people do live in the city. The people who say “I’m from DC” even though they live in Virginia are often scowled by people who ACTUALLY live in DC. It’s very common for them to be corrected and say “you live in Virginia!” Not DC. I think you must’ve hung out with someone that lives in the suburb
The main reason why people drive around with tinted windows is it saves energyas far as having the car air conditioning on it doesn't have to work as hard as compared to cars without windows
also another reason is the fact you dont wanna look at people, and want privacy. Privacy isnt something thats a big deal in europe from what iv seen. its a factor, but they dont really care as much.
I think a lot of the misconceptions and culture shock of Europeans coming to the U.S. for the first time is because they just can't fathom how enormous the country is. Most of the 50 states are much larger in landmass and population than most European countries. With much more distance to cross, people need their cars, not public transportation. You won't be taking a subway between Houston and Dallas. The country is gigantic, and so there is far, FAR more space between things. European countries are small, so everything has to be tightly packed together. As such, Europeans have to take public transportation or walk everywhere in their daily lives. Because space is at a premium, everything is smaller. The U.S. is a vastly different landscape, and with far more space, everything from houses to cars is bigger. There is no "city life" because most Americans don't have to live in the city like Europeans because of limited space, and there is far more to do outside cities than in them, especially on the weekends. Because the weather is much better in the U.S., Americans have a much stronger outdoor culture than Europe, and so prefer to spend time in outdoor activities rather than inside the city on weekends. Most Americans also don't live in the cities because the quality of life is better outside them. Since a lot of Americans work in the cities, they prefer to separate their work and home life by living in the suburbs or even the countryside and commuting into the city for work. If you really want to experience fantastic weather, get to the southern California coast. I'm talking Santa Monica, Malibu, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, anywhere on the coast that's two miles or less from the ocean. It's mid 70's to mid 80's all year round with zero humidity, and it rains about five days per year. People say the Mediterranean has great weather. I've been to the Mediterranean, and it gets blazing hot depending on the time of year. I've traveled quite a bit, and the most consistent and pleasant weather in the world bar none is on the southern California coast. Even inland a bit will be mid to high 80's with some days in the low 90's, again with only five days of rain per year with zero humidity.
Oh Boston and the south??? Lol man, no wonder you couldn't understand them...I'm a native that grew up in the southwest and I have to pay attention to close to certain accents. Everything else was pretty on point. You definitely need to visit the west (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon)...what you experienced is definitely more east coast
Hi Phil, as someone else noted I think you mean "suburb" not "subdivision". The subdivisions are areas within the town (suburb) where you live. I do agree that American towns are not like European towns. In Europe there is a real city center usually built around the church/cathedral with a bustling environment. Here, the business districts have become a series of poorly laid out strip malls. As the smaller towns in America have grown they have lost the city center. When I was a kid my home town was very compact now it's a jumbled mess. Yes, regional accents vary a lot. Walk ability is a problem as is transportation. When I was in the Netherlands you could get anywhere by train. England too. Germany too for that matter. America is a great country to explore due to its varied geography, climate, culture. Right now the weather sucks. Winter in northern Illinois. Cold, cold, cold. Summer's are hot and humid. Did a road trip to Utah this past September. 1400 miles in two days to get there. Saw parts of my own country that I've never seen before. Awesome. I love to travel in Europe as well. Anyway, have fun, keep exploring.
This is the most accurate take on life in US v Europe that I've seen. Forget about crime, we both have it. Forget about guns, US has them, Europe doesn't, but try to find someone in the US who's seen a gunfight in person(TV doesn't count), except for military veterans, good luck, no one has. The main difference is the US is built around cars, Europe is built around walking, and the result is radically different lifestyles.
I feel like a lot of people who visit the United States are surprised about how big the country is. Germany is smaller than California for example... which is the 3rd biggest state in the United States.
Wait WAIT did u say no BUSES!?!? my city has to many! its a infestaion of BUSES and we even have a train that ges through our city its called the tide my city is Norfolk VA visit us so u can see your buses and trains
@@ManiacalBlueberry Mhm Same here. It would be helpful if they used their brains and made it easier for people on the out skirts of the city to get around.
@@potatophil8432 Probably Florida, California, and Hawaii would be at the top of my list. Currently, I live in New York, NY which is awesome. But I think that has more to do with the city being awesome than the state.
As an American I agree with all of these. Especially driving! It drives me crazy when I put my blinker on to move into a lane and the car speeds up and refuses me to get in front of them. Phil don’t let the haters get to you!
City life in America is neighborhood related. America was created for and around cars. Some major car companies would even buy bus lines and trolly lines and tear them down or stop them from running so people would have to buy cars. It was not our choice as a society. It happened to us. So we had to deal with it.
Important to note just based on your first observation... Germany in sq miles is roughly 138,000. The state of California alone is 160,000. Texas is like 240,000. I think the amount of land lends cities to be more widespread. There are of course apartments and smaller housing in these big cities. But most comfortable (and quite frankly affordable) living happens 5-8 miles outside of city limits. Even as someone from the US, I sometimes don't grasp how huge and expansive this country is.
Loved this video. Your observations were generally spot on [disclaimer: I've been to WONDERFUL Germany a couple of times. LOVE it there!] You made some very true observations that need context. One of the worst mistakes my country ever made was deciding that somehow people should not live and shop in the same area. BIG mistake that lead to this urban sprawl. But much of that was inspired by President Eisenhower's service in Europe in WWII. He saw the incredible efficiency of the German Autobahn system and how it allowed Hitler to move his forces quickly to redeploy them. Thus was born the US Interstate Highway system, with over 5MM miles of highway, all built with the edict that (geography permitting) every 1 mile in 5 was built straight as a arrow to serve as an emergency airstrip. The other observation I question is your comments about American grocery stores and how they were plentiful but pricey. This astounds me. Food costs in the US are generally very low by global standards. On my [admittedly brief] excursions to Europe, I found their food selections very expensive and very limited compared to what I was accustomed. Lastly: ACCENTS. The voices you hear on American TV and movies are purposely designed to be the most basic, generic American accent of the upper Midwest. The USA is a large and diverse nation. What you call the "Hollywood" accent ain't what it really is. Go to Los Angeles and hear their speech. NOTHING like what you see on TV. India has over 200 different dialects. Same with USA but to a much lesser extreme.
I think I agree with most things in this video with he exception of car culture and English. I live like 30 min outside of Atlanta. But I understand the generalization you have from where you went that that's where your thoughts are going to be based on. Everything in the US in my opinion depends on where you live. Like you said "subjective" everything in your thoughts are subject to change. I bet your impressions will change when you explore more and find more people and places. Hope you love staying even more next time! One thing I always say even when I was hosting a frenchie for 2 weeks was never judge the US by the movies lol. The states, cities, wherever always are subject to change. (Btw the hate is just the people who don't understand the generalization of the video like you said lol...they should watch with an open mind lol)
As an American, Baltimore Maryland native, the city life is more for younger crowd, every once in awhile going to the city to hang out is cool, you have your local bars, clubs restaurants, but mostly traveling into the city is because maybe you have a dr appt, going to court, work, or some type of government assistance, and the city life is a bit dangerous depending on where you going. A true experience of the US is our natural parks, beaches, country side living and local restaurants, and neighborhoods festivals.
In general it's pretty correct. America is very diverse though in that you can live by the ocean, mountains, dessert, lake, city or county. Accents do vary
American culture is very independently minded. We value our space, our privacy, our property, and out family. We are usually polite to others, but don't try and get too chummy. I hope that explains why we are the way we are, driving cars, living in our own separate homes, and keep to ourselves.
Three points: 1. Your English is excellent. Well done. 2. _"Suburbia vs City Life":_ I am happy to not have to deal with the night life of Dallas (or anywhere else, really), nor do I want to live too close to where I work -- When I get off work, I like a peaceful night, as opposed to partying, arguments and ambulances. If I want to increase my chances of those things, I can go where those things are -- where they belong. 3. Infrastructure: The roads are generally terrible, because they can't be built to German standards -- the water tables are too high, or (most often) the design of German/Western European roadways is simply too expensive for most US cities to handle, even spreading it over time, because they are so large. And there are buses and trains in most major cities...but they are very limited in scale/scope; cars are easier. ...Interesting take on the darkened windows, though -- I never considered that. Well done, again!
Not everyone lives in a subdivision. I would say that I live on the Northside of town or the south side. Or I would give a landmark. For example, I live close to a well-known road in the city called Lascassas Pike. I would say that I live off Lascassas Pike close to the university. I would say I live in a part of a town/city rather than a subdivision. Subdivisions bring to mind a grouping of similar homes that are concentrated in a neighborhood with an elaborate gate or fence and they usually have a brick sign with a made-up name for their middle class subdivision.
Yes walkability is poor here in US. I can only say to defend it, you get used to it. If you are working, with a family, most of your time is at work or home. When you do have a small amount of leisure time, you know the area well and you have your favorite places in town, or nearby city, and you just drive there, and spend time there. And then go home. Not super exciting I guess, but there are ways to adjust. The upside is you have a much larger more comfortable house. I myself prefer a more urban area, but I don’t mind the time in the suburbs when I visit my parents.
Which brings me to a point I often make to friends, - there is a big difference between visiting and living. For example, I used to live in NYC, and visitors I had often said to me, I could never live here, it’s too crazy, etc. But I told them, you know, once you live here and you have your own apartment and your job, most your time is spent at work or in your apartment, and it doesn’t really matter that it’s so crazy, you don’t notice it as much. And I can say the same about the suburbs. It might seem too quiet to people, but once you live there, and you have your job and your home, and your friends and family, and the places you like, it seems less quiet.
I'm born and raised in Los Angeles and life is very different, in my experience at least, there's more of that lifestyle vibe you were wanting. More of, but not exactly, since everything is so spread and public transportation is shit, it's all still Los Angeles though. It's difficult to explain, lol. More lifestyle living than suburbs but less than what I imagine a place like Paris is. I think also you just get used to the driving: couple friends, good music, it's part of whatever you're doing that night/weekend--its fun, there's a whole sub culture to it ☺️. Like cruising was a big thing when I was in highschool and we didn't have any money. We'd all just pitch in for gas and drive around. Good times, great memories 😁. Ps: sorry you got so much hate people are stupid 🙄
People say that a lot about LA public transportation but it’s actually pretty good but nobody uses it except poorer people. We have train systems, bus systems etc…. You can take the train from Long Beach and be dropped off right in front of the Staples Center.
1.) Spot on, and very true outside of NYC, LA, Austin, Miami, etc. I live in upstate NY in a suburb outside of a smaller city. 2.) Our culture is very car-centric. Again spot on correct. In the cities there are methods of public transportation but this is why taxis and uber are very popular in America. There are towns and villiages which are smaller and easily walkable, but they are usually vastly different from the larger cities - culturally and politically. 3.) Trucks are as common here as Ladas in soviet countries. South Carolina isn't really the best representation for vehicles as the Carolinas seem to have a current obsession with lifted trucks. Honestly I think this may be because you are not used to seeing them regularly - we have more compact car drivers here than truck drivers. At least in the North. We also have harsh winter climates where SUV's and Trucks are more of a necessity since we do not cancel work or school or harsh weather conditions. Yes, American drivers are assholes. 100% agree. 4.) We have a pretty nice temperate climate, but winters really suck up North. Visit Florida, you will absolutely love it. 5.) Boston accents are the strongest in the US. Southern ones are second. Because our country is so huge, there are several dialects. Where I live, we sound Canadian. 6.) Again, dependent on where you are. Some cities and towns have a lot of places to walk to. In some of the major cities people do not own cars at all (NYC). I hope you'll visit again, I'd suggest checking out some of the more northern states like Upstate NY, Vermont, Maine. I'd also recommend checking out the west - Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, etc. California is... meh.
I think, for the most part, many Americans want land. The large house, with a big yard, and a white picket fence life. I think most definitely don't want to be entrenched upon with businesses. We're so used to getting in a car and driving for few mins to do what we got to do. Plus, the U.S is HUGE. Nice video.
All the states are so different. You mentioned the weather being the best in the world, but every state is so different. Minnesota in the winter is not the best. It becomes very cold, and like Florida it is nice in the winter, but very hot and humid in the Summer. I would recommend the mid west if you want to see what America is really like
I think it’s what your personal priorities are. Some people love more distance from the city, some people live right in the city in apartments and lofts and do not have cars( not every state and city is the same). I prefer being further away from the city and more in touch with natural surroundings. My English husband thinks the roads are great and they are much wider than in England. I’ve been to Sweden, England, Italy, Costa Rica, and Mexico. I love our infrastructure. I agree… too many fast food restaurants!! Totally agree! I buy from local farmers and smaller grocery stores. I love each country’s unique touches! Please keep in mind that our country is MASSIVE… a 4 hour drive or 8 hour drive in one day is no big deal and you’re still in the same state. So, we aren’t a bunch of small countries, we are states that are big enough to fit several countries into which makes the subway situation more complex and expensive.
You have confirmed what I have been telling others for a long time. People driving trucks when they dont need them. Its to be cool. Growing up with American and German influences I see both sides. I really love what you are doing. Keep up the good work. Viel Glück !
Alot of people can only afford 1 vehicle because of insurance and upkeep and if you're a outdoor type person it's usually a truck ..If you ride dirt bikes or ATV'S you need a truck to haul them or if you have a boat.. And alot of people like going off road and need 4x4..It's more of a lifestyle choice.. And we have a saying it's better to have a truck and not need one..Then need one and not have one..
@@getoveritlaughing3509 You're so right! My wife and I each have a car, so I find myself borrowing my brother's truck, or my nephew's truck, way too often. It would be so nice to have a truck myself...not to be "cool", but simply to have a truck available at need without making arrangements to borrow one!
@@nateman10 This really is the strangest sort of synchronicity to me! I woke up an hour ago...from a dream where I had just purchased a pickup truck!!! @nateman10...are you psychic? :-)
I had no idea no other countries tinted their windows. That's vital here in California the sun makes your car an oven. *edit* I actually laughed out loud when you explained you went to Boston and the south and had a hard time with their english. Those are like top tier American accents (accents i think most people think American's sound like but for other Americans can even be difficulty to understand)
yeah, I guess most people think Americans sound like clear Californian (not the cali girl one;), a neutral accent like in most Hollywood movies. I think many hot countries tint their windows, e.g. in Thailand they all have it.
I understand what you mean by lifestyle. College towns are good for interacting and most places are in walking distance, I wish America would adopt to that infrastructure more, it would definitely give us a sense of community
The only difference imo between Europe and USA is literally public transport everywhere in Europe (this is not to say America doesn’t have public transport in towns from the east coast to Midwest)
All of your observations are fairly accurate. We (Americans) do rely on the car to get to most places. Most people live in the suburbs of major cities. There are lots of things to do in the suburbs but, as you pointed out, you usually need a car to drive to those activities. Trucks are very popular in the US. Most people don't really need them but it's a cultural thing. I would like to emphasize that we do have a very big country with many accents and a lot of people who speak English as a second language. For this reason, you can find a job, a lifestyle, and a type of climate that can satisfy almost anyone. I live in Colorado. Physical fitness and outdoor leisure is very important to many people in this state. So, if you like hiking, skying, kayaking, and all that kind of stuff, I recommend that you and your girlfriend take a trip out here. Well, wherever you decide to go, I hope that you have a great time and meet some nice people. Don't let any unpleasant comments on youtube bother you. Some people are unhappy and they just enjoy being trolls. I have watched a couple of your videos and I find your perspective interesting. I am sure that most people would agree with that assessment.
Not to worry Phil - it is the internet - the place where people can be at they're worst because there aren't many real consequences. You' got a great video, and you were honest. There's nothing to complain about. Your critiques are in generally spot on, there are very few European scaled/ style cities in the US, where are car is definitely more than just a convenience. I would caution you on your weather assumptions - 2 1/2 months of nice weather is indeed possible almost anywhere in the US - depending on the time of year and the location. but US weather - almost everywhere, is more extreme than the weather in Germany- and well outside many peoples comfort zones depending on which season is most extreme where you are staying. I hope that you have many more opportunities to form a broader impression.
I live in Atlanta. (LOL Actually, an hour from the center city.) When one travels to other parts of the state, it does become difficult to understand what some people are saying. True.
@@potatophil8432 If you love your weather to be hotter than hell, then you will love Georgia in the Summertime. Otherwise, I'd recommend waiting until after September. I was born in Georgia and lived there until I was 20.
@@brandi_with_an_i That is true. I am a Yankee. But, if you travel to Middle and South Georgia the dialects become more difficult to understand in some places.
You'll encounter a lot of trucks in the South, but it depends on their needs. It seems at times a "macho" thing to some, but not really the reality for others. Many down here have trucks in more rural areas due to moving stuff. Many hunt and put game (deer, boar, bear, etc) in the back of trucks. There is a lake nearby, so many use trucks to tow a boat or kayak. They may chop and move firewood quite a bit. They may haul other things like household items/furniture, motorcycles/bikes, etc. It varies, but trucks are more common in the South. A lot of people define America based on what they see on TV, but even that changes depending on TV program. Regarding the speaking thing, English (especially in the US) has many different accents and dialects. English is a very flexible language to begin with. Wait til you see a lot more of the US. I live in NC, but have been to 38 states and 2 territories (Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). You'll notice so many different accents and differences in vocabulary. You'll notice different Southern accents as well (NC, SC, GA, MS, AL, FL, VA etc all have different accent variations). Sometimes these accents can vary within each state. I guess a lot of people don't realize just how huge America really is and how diverse it is. Even Americans who visit other states/regions end up being surprised at times, so I understand what you're saying. Germany was very different for me in some ways, as were other countries. Many from the North talk really fast and sometimes their words seems to blend into one, while many in the South talk slow and somehow their words seem to blend (not well enunciated). People in Boston have a different accent from people in NYC or New Jersey. I visited Louisiana a few times and had a hard time understanding some of the people there. I've encountered a lot of stupid drivers every single place I've been, so it's not just the South. Just this week, I almost T-boned a guy who ran a stop sign, and was almost hit by a guy who ran a red light (I was trying to make a left turn after pulling out while the light was still green). I've seen people up North who have no idea what a turn signal is, or who ride others' asses and swerve through traffic. The more you travel the US, the more "first impressions" you're going to get. Buckle up and hang on for the ride.
Been to 38 states is impressive and you seem to have a good insight into things. I guess it takes people to travel to make a fair assessment. :) Thanks!
To be fair Phil, you spent most of your time in South Carolina. It's true that most of America lives in car dependent suburbia, but there are definitely more places that you can live in a city. It's just much more expensive to do so.
A lot of this resonates, and I'm an American! The roads are definitely in disrepair. Bad combination with distracted drivers. I used to lived in Santa Cruz and commute to Silicon Valley via highway 17 through the mountains - a somewhat dangerous route. There were many rough patches of road and outright potholes, and despite that, of course many of the drivers were on their cellphones. When I was commuting via a company bus, I could usually count about 10 drivers fiddling with their cell phones while driving along that route (about a 30 minute commute). Plenty of regions with pretty aggressive drivers here unfortunately. I grew up and learned how to drive in LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana), which feels insane every time I go back - there is outright recklessness there. Also drove between LA and SF many times and I do not miss the insane drivers and trucks on the I-5. I lived in the Charleston area in South Carolina for about a year, the drivers there are mostly tame compared to LA, which was super nice - people there are way more courteous in general. In other ways unfortunately South Carolina felt decades behind the rest of the US. Sticking to the topic of roads - the merging lanes end so abruptly and without warning, which is super annoying and dangerous.
I like our lack of population density. I really enjoyed my time in Germany. I really miss people staying out of the left lanes. When I got back to the States, I lost my mind (and still do) about left lane campers.
Cities in the north east especially are more like European cities, they tend to have pretty good public transportation and are more dense and compact because they are older cities and were built before the car became popular. NYC, DC, Boston & Philly are good examples of this
I love the US! I live in Minnesota and people are very nice here most of the time. Drivers are nice. I am not a big fan of the US cities but I love National Parks!
America has residential and commercial zones. So, you cannot conduct business in a residential zone. For example, you cannot set-up a hair salon or dentist office from your house. This is why you will have to drive to commercial area.
Most populations in the world are used to having large portions of their lives controlled by their governors. This was not (originally) the case in America. For instance, the populace here for a long time resisted public transportation and opted for personal responsibility instead. When I was growing up there were also big discussions about not allowing politicians to “hide” taxes and tax increases within the prices of goods. For this reason most Americans insisted that sales taxes be calculated separately at the cash register. Americans, at least traditionally, did not want government getting more and more areas of control over private lives and were always wary of the kinds of corruption that comes with more centralized control.
It really just depends where you go, (I’m American) honestly if your gonna travel here don’t go to the “popular areas” or coastal states because the layout and way of living of those areas is different from the majority of America, I would recommend visiting one of the Great Lakes or a city like traverse city ( which is next to Lake Michigan)
Ich drücke dir die Daumen dass es mit dem neuen Kanal (und weiterhin mit dem anderen mit Deeana) gut läuft. Du produzierst wertvollen Content. Weiter so. Ich bin gerade im Stadion und drehe das nächste Vlog, schaue mir dein (mit Sicherheit sehr interessantes) Video also später an. Wollte nur einmal erster sein! 🙃 Glück auf!
Weather being better than Germany. Wisconsin laughs in Blizzards and -40° during a polar vortex. Gulf States laugh in Hurricanes. Great Plains laugh in Tornadoes. Guam laughs in Typhoons. Lake Superior laughs in the Witch of November... Arizona laughs in 110° ...
I'm quite frankly surprised by the amount of hate I receive for this video. This is not how I perceived the people when I was in the country and it's unfortunate to see this side now. If you feel offended by my impressions of my first US trip and think I'm generalizing, please watch the entire video, especially the part at 10:30, where I clearly state that that's all it is....a first impression.
i think people are just busting your balls a bit.. not too many downvotes, youre good man.
@PhilTV I wouldn't worry about the hate comments. I grew up on the opposite side of Manhattan in New Jersey & seeing the rest of the country when moving to Florida was a real eye opener for me too ! Most of your observations were spot on especially the "big trucks" & the "language" . Anyways I think you will like Florida ( a lot of Europeans do for some reason ) & don't miss Miami ! It's nothing like the South.
Don't let it bother you. You're critique was spot on. Some people can't handle the truth. Good video.
All is good, Phil. Don't take the comments on social media (including UA-cam) as being reflective of how people really feel. Comments on these sites always lean toward negative and confrontational. I watched your entire video and you said nothing wrong. Your observations, good and bad, are spot on.
@@atomsmash100 This.
Yeah, I would recommend traveling to other parts of the US. Every area, every state has it's own unique culture. Think of the US as like the EU where every state is a country. You really want your mind blown, go to Alaska.
David Hohbach, ha! The USA is not like the EU. I say this as an American.
@@richiesd1 That wasn't his point but okay.
@ I DONT COMMENT UNLESS YOUR DUMB, each American state is not like a separate country in Europe. I would say there is flyover country that one does not need to visit.
@@richiesd1 You must simply not go out and travel lmao, there are different vibes all around, along with plenty of different languages and culture all over. For example, in Wisconsin there’s a lot of bars, almost too many, while Michigan beside us is very peaceful with many activities to do, and then Minnesota, it’s very plain and not so fun. There are things like roundabouts that not people know of, along with normal things like grocery shopping, in the south they offer to help you with putting your bags in your car while here in the north that’s considered creepy, it’s all different, just like our accents, since I’m from Wisconsin I pronounce my A’s hard and find it funny when others from different parts of America come to Wisconsin and they pronounce things differently than I do.
@@Ace-xn5tu , I have been many places in USA. There is nothing mind blowing about the diversity of culture in USA. I have never heard any of my non-American friends say such thing about the USA.
Of course it is different. The SIZE of the USA is huge! Comparing the USA to a country in Europe is like comparing a watermelon to a grape! We have city life, NY,Boston,Chicago,etc.
The North is different than the south.
I mean u have a point
I mean you could fit like all of Europe in alaska
And people that live in TV he rural areas . Say who needs city life .
Small town life is relaxed and laid back.
And country life takes a lot more self reliance.
Germany is smaller than Alaska
@@blackpinkandbtsandtwiceand5868 Alaska is 1,717,856 km2
We say we live in a certain city because most people who have no idea about the area will have no idea where we are talking about. For example, I lived a large portion of my early life in Carmel, Indiana. Almost no one outside of the middle of Indiana would know what that meant. Carmel is just North of Indianapolis, so I just started saying Indianapolis.
Same here. When I'm not in Illinois it's easier to say I'm from Chicago than to explain which suburb 30 miles from downtown I call home.
I would know but I live in the Chicago area.
Yes, I wouldn’t say that I live in Murfreesboro. There are sometimes two or three cities by the same name, but everyone will understand Nashville, TN.
Same I say im from atlanta when Im just a drive away lol
From Columbus. Have had to go work in Carmel quite a few times. Not a bad area
I think when you say “subdivision” you mean “suburb.” These are two different things. A subdivision is an area of land divided into plots for sale. A suburb is residential outlying district of a city. You are right, I say I grew up in LA, but I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles.
Yep. I say I live in Los Angeles but really I live in. Suburb of LA about 20 minutes outside of downtown Los Angeles. But we have everything we need close by large supermarkets. Fortunately for me there a lot of small ethnic markets and small bakeries within 5-10 minutes of my house I can walk or drive to. Here where I live we have excellent public transportation if you don’t have a car.
Exactly. I say I'm from Boston, but I'm actually 15 minutes outside of Boston. If I told people I live in Lynnfield, people would have no idea where I'm talking about (even people from Massachusetts don't know where Lynnfield is cause it's so small)
You are correct, we broadly identify instead with the culture of a particular area rather than where we actually live. For example, is the culture of Santa Monica really different to that of West LA? Instead we say I'm from LA or I'm from San Francisco then you'll have a better understanding.
I'm from Maine and we used call them "bedroom communities."
Unless your address had the words Los Angeles CA on it, you did not grow up in LA. Idk why people who live 60 miles from the City of LA, say they “live in LA”
You went to the US expecting Europe. Why??? US likes cars instead of trains. We like personal space instead of living on top of each other. We like privacy instead of everyone being in our business. We like individuality instead of everyone adopting the same thing. If you don't like these things then just stay in Europe instead of complain.... And I lived in Italy for 2 years and driving in Naples is FAR FAR FAR FAR crazier than driving anywhere in the US. I have been on 6 lane highways in Naples that didn't even have lane lines! It was just a free for all!
You need to keep in mind your experience in America really depends what part of the country you're in. We're a few countries within a country because America is huge.
Actually if you wanna get a good taste of America, you need to visit as many National Parks and Forests as you can. The cities are nice, but our National Parks are second to none in the world. There's a bunch of cool ones in the Southwest, where a lot of Western movies were filmed. There's a big tour you can take on your own in a car called the Grand Circle that includes the Grand Canyon. Look that up and you will be amazed at what we have to offer in the States. It's stuff like that why most Americans never leave the country.
100% correct about driving here. People are out of control.
Bs come to tge midwest in small towns big citys are messed up
Especially when it rains
@@lancefry7299 I think that's generally right. With big cities, things become even more depersonalized and hectic, it seems to breed bad behavior.
Especially if your experience is in New England. My first time in New England was 2 years ago. Now I'm not a stickler for things like speed limits, but when I was driving there it was 85-90mph in bumper to bumper traffic and signals were optional.
I dunno what it's like all over the world, but in the Midwest and some other parts of the US, speed limits are often optional, as everybody knows it takes a long time to get places. In the city I live in (or thr suburb close to it), you have to know which streets/highways you can speed on and which you can't. Mostly in the US there are no speed cameras, so it's up to the police if they want to stop you or not. There are some roads into town where the speed limit is 30, but police won't stop you unless you go over 50. I got pulled over in a 35 because I was doing 54, but the cop gave me a warning and said he liked my car. In my experience, driving is way worse in urban areas. The farther out you get, the more understanding the police are and the more considerate drivers usually are.
Of course, if you get too far out, watch out for farm equipment or Amish buggies in some places. Oh, and outside of big cities we hate cyclists. It's not personal. We just do.
You'de be surprised about how hard is to be approved for a drive license in Brazil. Especially at south
Hey Phil, love your opinion on things, but I wish to clarify a few things.
1) Driving Infrastructure
Yes, in some places it's pretty bad. But there's a reason for this. The weather. Because we have hot and cold extremes in the US, we get a lot of freezing and thawing cycles throughout the year and there's nothing harsher on road and bridge structures than that freeze-thaw cycle. We get potholes galore because of that.
2) Suburbs vs City Life
Well, you're right, America doesn't have the same kind of city life that Europe has. Even in self-contained cities like New York. Our idea of entertainment is a bit different than Europe. There's too many to name here, so I'll just leave it vague. But piggybacking off of the driving thing, in America, we have a strong car culture, right? There are whole community groups that entertain themselves by having car (or truck) gatherings. From classics to modern exotics, and big 4-wheel drive truck and Jeep groups. Europe has their Raves, America loves its cars.
But regarding suburbs, that's where most of the people who work.in the city live. Each suburb is usually self contained as well with shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. The cities are where the culture centers are. Museums and stuff like that.
You can't blame the weather on the bad roads... at least not completely. In the south the weather does not change temperature much or drastically but the roads are still shitty. If the roads are bad, and they always are, its probably more to do with mismanagement of tax money than with the weather.
cause living IN the city isnt that great and isnt that cheap lol and people in the usa like having property and a yard.
@@itsianman brainwashing
Why do you want to look into a car? WOW is it really that bad in our Country? But I have heard Germans are always nagging.
@@itsianman depends on what city and people's preferences
By the way Phil, you have a good command of English. More so than my relatives and friends in Germany
Thanks a lot! I think nothing beats living in English speaking environments/traveling when it comes to learning a language.
The midwest has a lot of German immigrants, so there are many german breweries, restaurants, and festivals in the St Louis area. There are towns in Illinois with German names, like Millstadt, and Darmstadt which is where my family settled. Be sure to check it out.
Holy moly! Small world. Millstadt is very close to where I live.
Hannibal, MO is also a place that has a lot of German heritage.
I recently traveled to Wisconsin and found out it has an even larger German heritage, they serve smoked sausages and bratwursts everywhere and has great beer, and so many businesses and roads with German surnames..I had no idea!
There Frankenmuth in Michigan so it must be a midwest thing
Come to Pennsylvania we still speak german
The midwest is a combination of Southern hospitality and Canadian politeness. The people are very nice.
So I'm Canadian but most of this rings true for us too, especially the driving/car culture. Though because we have 1/10 the population of the USA, I'd say our infrastructure is even worse haha If you don't live in a major city, you pretty much have to own a car. For me, the closest major city is about 1 hour 30 minutes by car, but if you take public transportation that trip turns into about a 6 hour journey, because you literally have to wait an hour between buses. And you can only take the train up until about 7:30am because they are 'commuter' trains and only run in one direction for certain times. Once you actually get to the city, there isn't even really a city centre, and again the public transportation system is... not great haha Any time I have friends or family visit from Europe they are amazed by how inconvenient it all is haha
hey, that's very interesting. Nice to hear from a canadian point of view. I would assume it's overall less stressful to drive around in Canada, though?!
JadedBurnout long and boring
@@potatophil8432 I'm from a rural part of the US. It's generally not stressful to drive around here. I try to avoid cities because people are always in a rush and inconsiderate while driving. It really depends on where you are how rude the other drivers are. Although, my husband, being a city person, finds driving in the rural area stressful and boring because there's lots of space between places. Lol. We have a trip planned for July and we'll be driving the whole way. It's going to be about 2000 miles round trip. I love the drive, my husband and kids do not. Should be interesting.
They come from civilized countries they feel like they stepped into a shithole once they realize the inconvenience of North America
@@MomOnAWalk imagine a great road and rail system modern one.
The Atlanta example was spot on. I live abt 45 mins outside of Atlanta and if I’m talking to someone who isn’t from Georgia, I just say I’m from Atlanta
Phil, please go to our beautiful national parks next time in the USA. Yellowstone, Glacier, Everglades, Yosemite or Badlands would be interesting to hear your opinions on our national parks. Also enjoy Deana’s American perspective on your impressions; she’s a joy and makes the trips fun for you both.
thanks a lot! These parks would be a dream to visit! Hope we can do it in the future. :)
I'm from the suburbs of Los Angeles and you are so right, I like your videos!!!!
Thanks a lot! I would love to check out California. :)
@@potatophil8432 you should I have a feeling you will enjoy it.
PhilTV Don’t worry about the negative comments; I’m American and I completely agree with your impressions! I wish our cities were more like Europe or Asia, with walkable streets, shops, plazas, etc. and more sense of vibrancy and community. Much of the country is pickup trucks and Walmarts, sadly.
You should come visit my hometown of San Francisco. It’s far from perfect but in some ways it’s a mix between American and European styles. Many British and French have moved here!
When I was 17 we moved from Massachusetts to Florida. We stopped at a McDonald's in Georgia and I literally could not communicate with the clerk (we both spoke "english" only). I had to point to the buttons with the pictures of the food on them to get my order.
ayah
Same here. I moved from Massachusetts to Georgia when I was 15. After 45 years however, I now consider myself bilingual.
I totally get it, I went from Texas to Pennsylvania Dutch country and the only thing that I said for the first three months was What?"; for some reason awhile doesn't mean "in a little while later" it means "right now"; go figure. I shall never forget the first time my new supervisor said to me, "Make the light out awhile." That is when it dawned on me that the original German settlers broke the number one rule of translation and translated phrases word for word instead. In German one would say, "Machen die lichten aus" -literally make the light out. After 20 years every time someone says, "awhile" I still laugh.
I grew up in Southern California and went to graduate school at University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). I had no trouble with understanding the southern accent (besides finding it charming and lyrical). Maybe Northeastern accents and Southern accents don't mix well (think mini-Civil War). Lol. Go Rebs!!
The douchy driving is so true. I think the main reason so many drivers here try to stop other cars from merging is because of another douchy thing drivers do here...intentionally cut in line. Instead of merging when they're supposed to, they wait until the last second and try to cut in. We hate that and it instills this natural instinct in us to try and stop it whenever we can
or they try to merge along the side of the freeway where your not supposed to drive on outer edge of the road. yeah that happens a lot too.
Just a little correction from a fellow German: if you live in a big city in Europe it can also take you easily half an hour or hour to get to the city centre (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg). Let alone London: it typically takes an hour to get anywhere in London. Only difference is that you do it by public transport.
And there are parts of the US that have quite good public transport: I saw more cycle racks on a Californian train from S.F. to Stanford than in any German or UK train. Washington / Arlington also has good public transport. But I have been told these places were rather exceptional in that sense. It just so happens that these were the places that I ended up visiting for work-related stuff. So I can proudly say that I managed to travel in the U.S without needing to rent a car.
Yes, some places have more public transportation than others. Portland, Oregon/Seattle, Washington/ Boston, Massachusetts/ Washington D.C./ Charleston and Savannah, Georgia/ New York City and Saratoga Springs, New York/ Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey/ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/ etc. There are many places with decent public transportation and some walk-ability. Overall though the USA definitely needs more public transportation, more walk-ability, more density, and less zoning laws, and no parking minimums. Walk-ability needs to be improved.
when you drive in US that is the time to jam out to good music or listen to talk radio. I couldn't drive without satellite radio. America is too big for public transportation. You wouldn't build a public tram to a town with 6 houses in it would you? We're all spread out. The city in Europe is where all the action takes place whereas in America the city is just a community center, a hub of population.
There are metropolitan areas, though, like Detroit, that needed public transit years ago (and used to have it...streetcars, interurbans, lots of buses) and opted for a car culture. Now some of them are trying to catch up. Phil, come to Chicago, definitely...much more of a city culture than many US cities. And extensive public transport. Not perfect, but we love it as far as it goes. I don't own a car, and I hope to stay that way.
I agree with almost all of this. I will say, ya'll in Europe are far crazier drivers than anyone in the US. Maybe Germany's different, but the roads and drivers in Paris, Rome, Barcelona are absolute chaos. People and their tiny scooters weaving in an out everywhere are far scarier than any giant pickup truck in the US.
yeah, the three cities you mentioned are definitely crazy traffic-wise! The southern countries are known for it. I guess the further you go up north, the better the driving. I haven't been but I would assume Scandinavia is super chill. :)
You’re not lying. I’m from metro Atlanta and I’ve been to all 3 European cities you named. My biggest memories of chaotic drivers was in Rome. As bad as the drivers are here, Atlanta has nothing on those drivers at all.
The entire southeast of the US says "y'all"
I from Texas and we get pissed when people say that.
Most people around here dont actually fit the stereotypes.
Most of us in Virginia say that but im not sure what the rest of them states say.
From Virginia and moved to Maryland and they made fun of my use of “y’all”
@@sbond7510 Them northern shits ain't got no sense of manners. It's our way of saying things and I'd keep it like that.
@@travishardaway6348 Yall dont actually say that? In Virginia it's common.
I love videos like these. I watch Joel & Lia as well. I like hearing how foreigners view our everyday life. Maybe after seeing how spread out we live you understand why we drive bigger cars. Lots of Europeans comments on our big cars but with long drives we like more comfortable vehicles to spread out in.
4:34 Japanese big cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka or Fukuoka are the opposite of American cities:
Almost nothing can be reached by car because the streets are often so narrow
You have everything reachable by foot
Public transport brings you everywhere
A lot of the big cities in the United States are like that. It's almost pointless to have a car in Manhattan because even if you want to drive somewhere there is nowhere to park. Big cities usually have halfway decent public transportation but smaller cities are where you are forced to have a car... although with the emergence of Uber/Lyft that's becoming easier to get away with too.
@@pogfee Yes, thank you for the point.
I like to be exploring American cities like New York, Boston or Philadelphia some day.
@@PianistStefanBoetel Great choices, I lived in Philadelphia for several years and love it there. New York and Boston have decent public transportation, Philly really doesn't but you can walk just about everywhere depending on where you are staying.
My favorite is when someone says “all y’all”! Kind of redundant, but very plural! 😅
there's a difference between y'all and all y'all
People are even starting to use that expression north of the Mason-Dixon line! I live in Cincinnati and have heard it often here. Along with "Bless Your Heart." LOL
Y'all can be singular and plural, but all y'all is plural
Most of the time I say "all y'all" I mean "all of you"
Y'all i use to a group of people in a room (like there is ten people in the room but im specifically talking about three)
And you all y'all as in the whole room
Enjoyed your video. I am from Germany and my girlfriend is from the US, so we have been watching a bunch of videos like this and had some really nice discussion about the differences between the US and Germany.
Since i am planning on moving to the US in the future, i will see if my experiences will be similar :D
Do you know which part you wanna move to?
@@potatophil8432 Will be moving to Houston, TX
I easily know 6 guys who drive trucks & only 1 of them uses it as a truck (and I live in LA). You are not wrong, sir! lol
As a guy in Virginia everyone I know uses them as trucks..If you live in LA what exactly do you do with a truck if you're not in construction?..there is plenty of places in America you need trucks...LA isn't one..
@@getoveritlaughing3509 Right? The one who actually used his was an editor who stayed in LA for the week to work, then went home to an area near Temecula where he had a ranch. But the others?? Nope! We all worked in entertainment.....BUT I can tell you, 4-5 of them now have cars or bought other cars. IDGI :)
@@hiko73 Musk should give one to someone who really uses a truck to see how it really does.. going up mountain roads cutting wood and using and abusing it like trucks get used..The way the batteries is blowing up in crashes is kinda scary to me..I still would like to know what the electric bills go up using the home chargers..
@@getoveritlaughing3509 I would honestly love to see that. See how it really works & costs.
When he says subdivision, he means 'suburb'. Russian word is 'pri-gorod'. So yes people work in cities, but live in suburbs, and in expensive downtowns, or residential districts called neighborhoods. City centers are for office space, vertical malls, recreation areas, night clubs. Suburbs and neighborhoods are for living. American suburbia is a product of post-WWII development of American society.
Southern English can be difficult to understand. I've had particular problem with 2 friends from Arkansas both swallow their words.
It's always the South... :D
My mom is from there and yeah there is a hell of a accent to deal with sometimes
IF you can understand East Scottish accents then Arkansas is easy.
As someone who speaks it I guess it doesn't bother me but I've learnt to "fix up" my accent when I need to speak to people outside of my circles. Although Im tired of being made fun of for it :c
I have a number of relatives that live in West Virginia and it always takes me about an hour or so of talking/listening to them for me to understand them properly. Their accent is quite a bit different from my boring Michigan one.
you are spot on, yea weather is nice in the South lol (from a German living in US for last 19 years )
I wish I was there right now :D
Depends on where you live in the US, the west coast and the south things are pretty mild. Get into the northern states and things become variable and can be quite extreme. Maybe check out "Lost in the Pond" a UA-cam website by a guy who immigrated to the US from England and ended up in the upper Midwest, states of Indiana and Illinois. He does some videos about the differences in weather between England and the US.
The Midwest can be nice...but very entertaining. For some, a week can consist of a sunny 80 degree day and end with a below 40 snow day. Might sound a bit extreme but it’s possible in many places. 🤗
Man, I'm from a "suburb" of Los Angeles (where disneyland is) and EVERYTHING you said is EXTREMELY TRUE.
Our big cities, even Los Angeles, don't have much character. Our people are not connected as much and I think is resulting in our divide. Although I've heard it is much different in the rural areas of the U.S., especially the South.
The cars part is funny. Yes, when you drive here if is a "ME FIRST" mentality that also drives our separation.
Also, the transportation is just strange here. On one hand, our country is MUCH too large to have a sustainable country wide train system. Despite our 300M population, there wouldn't be a sizeable enough customer base for it to run properly. As for the cities, it was just poor planning. And you have to remember, many of the cities here FLOURISHED at the turn of the century when cars were being manufactured. This caused the cities to be BUILT ARPUND THE AUTOMOBILE, Los Angeles is the most extreme case of this. Look up the history of it, it's very interesting and will explain why Los Angeles is sooo spread out.
But overall, awesome video! But please try to visit as many different states/communities as you can. They are all vastly different
Most of the cities and towns kept expanding unplanned willy-nilly outward and they sort of expanded into each other and ate each other.
What you have to realise is Germany is the size as the state of Montana. The distances are greater especially the more West you go, so cars/trucks are needed. Unless you live in the city center which is real expensive, you have to drive everywhere.
living in south Africa my whole life having grown up with American television and all that you hear about it, I have always wanted to go over and see it for myself.
thanks for sharing such an amazing insight into the country.
I enjoy the insight too and I've live in the United States my whole life. It's such a big country with so many different cultures and styles blended in that you can travel within the United States and feel like you are visiting many different places. Your experiences will vary greatly depending on where you choose to go.
If you go to america, we will welcome you
Welcome, but just a heads-up - there are many places (or entire cities) that are just as dangerous as the worst in South Africa, + guns. Get as much info as possible about places you want to visit if you come over. But that being said, most Americans would be happy to show you around to places we love. South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and I hope I can explore it someday as I've learned much about it.
@@athenakilgore2396 that's liberias flag God DAMMIT
Phil, I live in the suburbs that is about a 50 minute drive outside New York city . You're right, you do need a car as mass transit is horrible unless you're in a big city like Manhattan, Chicago, or Los Angeles's to name a few. Great video.
Yeah, we were just in NYC. It's nice to get around :)
I lived in Queens, I could drive but the public transport was great. So I used that mostly
Funny you mentioned Atlanta. Any time someone asks me where I am from, I always say "Atlanta." Most of the time, people are going to say "what part?" "Duluth." I think it's probably like that for most across the U.S like you said.
SAME. Even though its not duluth for me its griffin.
American here. There are many cities in the USA (mostly on the east coast) which do have a city-centered life besides NYC. It has been making a big comeback in many cities and particularly here in Miami where many Germans come to play in our sun.
6:28 as a motorcyclist, with nothing but paying attention, to do. I can tell you this is starting to scare me the most. EVERYONE uses their phones whole driving.
Some spot on observations! Glad to see you are getting around and seeing more of the USA than many Americans do! Many towns in the northeast (especially New England) have very walkable towns. South and west, not so much.
You got the subdivisions right. We used to call then "bedroom communities". The US is getting more European with so-called "Mixed Use Developments" where you live, shop, work, and get entertained in the same square mile. This cut downs on pollution and commute times. Still these residents will be tempted to go "off campus" and explore new stores.
I like "Bedroom communities". I'll use that from now on! :D
I think I'd say "suburb" (Vorort?) instead of "subdivision." A suburb is usually filled with subdivisions. A developer comes in and builds roads and houses in one part of the suburb, and that's a subdivision.
Europe is compact, with cities having evolved long before America was around, and each country occupies a small land area compared with the U.S. America was settled from East to West in patterns, with population density concentrated in the East and Midwest. Each city has its distinct neighborhoods, which are like villages in a city, and the subdivisions you are referring to are actually the suburbs. As far as tinted windows are concerned, hardly anyone has them. By the way, I've been to Frankfurt and Berlin and found Germany to be a nice place.
Population density is mainly on the coasts
DOPEusername Check out a nighttime shot of the US from space. You are partly right but the light patterns bear me out.
Lol “worse” is just in reference of your perspective. We love our cars. We would argue that it’s better because we don’t have to worry about bus or train schedules, and we appreciate the privacy of traveling in our own spaces (our vehicles). Public transportation just isn’t that popular here. It’s not something we aspire to make as prominent as it is in Europe. And we don’t really appreciate people staring at us inside our cars. It’s like an invasion of our privacy. If you want to see people then you can just go to a public space, but other people’s vehicles are not a public place. And regional dialect and accents change depending on where you go. Think about it, Montana alone is bigger than Germany and you said that people have different accents in just that smaller region.
I take public transit for everything, and even I agree with that.
I just retired after working 43 years and I drove to work everyday of my working life. I do not even know what the inside of our city’s bus looks like or how much is the ride.
We are definitely not a walking society. Very good video. One thing about the weather in FL. It doesn't cool down at night in the summer, much like Texas. SC nights tend to be cooler. By cooler I mean it'll get into the 70's. I've watched a few of your videos and the passing on the right thing is not supposed to be allowed. Police keep saying that they are going to start enforcing this but never get around to it. Most people will get on the highway and immediately get in the middle or left lane, even when there's no one around them. It's so much easier to get in the right lane and pass than to try and pass on the left.
You went to Boston and the South. 2 of the most different sounding English in the US. Not surprised you had a hard time understanding people. Pittsburgh is an area with its on sound that is hard to pick up as well.
Interestingly, I didn't think the Boston accent was too bad. :)
As an American who's been to Europe a few times and recently to Luxembourg and Trier Germany, I'm able to see my home country through a different set of eyes. I liked just about everything better back there except for the limited parking, and the feeling that I didn't quite belong. Also, like you mentioned, the weather is sunnier overall in the USA. There is a subtle feeling of lawlessness in the U.S. in general that works with my naturally disobedient personality.
The parking garages in Luxembourg were so neat, clean, quiet and orderly that I almost couldn't believe they were real. I accidentally dropped a carton of milk that I had bought at an Aldi, and my conscience made me go get a t-shirt out of my backpack, wipe up the spill, and then use my drinking water to wipe away any stickiness that remained. And this was just the floor of the parking garage.
Kind of impressive to me how well they maintain their spaces over there.
I wish foreigners would explore more of our country than just our big cities like New York.
There are douchy drivers everywhere, but in Milwaukee we generally don't close up the gap and allow cars and semi trucks to merge.
True. Drivers all around the world are a peculiar thing :)
S.E Wisconsin in general is great! Illinois well that’s another story. They’re like kamakazi drivers
I can't relate to things being spread out i live in North Jersey.
Same from New York
But he was talking about America.
Phil, I think you meant "Suburbs" not Subdivisions. A subdivision, is a "sector" within a city whereas, a suburb, is a smaller city which is adjacent to a larger city. Blackout windows or, window tint is designed to protect car interiors (and occupants) from dangerous, cancer-causing UV rays. They are not for used for privacy. With respect to your impressions or expectations about the US, they are based on popular culture and not on fact. If you want to know "America", forget about the east and west coasts, visit the Heartland and find out how small town Americans live, think and what they believe. If you do that, you will see there is more to us than the lies Hollywood tells you.
Well said.
Subdivision for neighborhoods is a southern word. Usually it implies a whole neighborhood built by one builder, with one entrance and exit. They are all over here in the south, from the last twenty years, built up in former countryside. Not so much of them in the older denser north.
I came to the comment section specifically to tell him the same thing.😉
I loved your take on the US. As an American who has lived in Asia for several years, I 100% agree with the lack of travel infrastructure in more rural areas. However, most Americans don't miss what they have never had. The cell phone usage while driving and lack of courtesy has become worse. I grew up in northern California and have lived in Texas for about 20 years; I still consider myself a "neutral English" speaker.
I mean a lot of public transportation in america isn't great but we do have buses in every city, gray hound buses in between cities, amtrak to travel across the country by train, and most major cities have some kind of train system. It's just that most people prefer to drive than to use public transportation.
You should visit Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia (those cities Also have City life like NYC)
You have a lot of valid points about how things are in the US, but I am only going to address one: Large pickup trucks. Yes, it is certainly true that the majority of truck owners very seldom use their full capacity, but that brings us to this choice: Does it make more sense to A) Have one vehicle that can do everything from carrying or towing the largest loads (even if only infrequently) to making short local trips; B) Have one vehicle that does all of the smaller tasks and then have to borrow or rent something when you have a large job to do; or C) Have two vehicles, one that does the small things and one that does the large.
For me, and apparently a whole lot of other Americans, it makes much more sense to own a single vehicle that does everything than to either have to borrow or rent something when I need to do a "big" job or own two vehicles to cover a separate range of tasks each.
One thing I do want to clarify , is that a lot of people do live in the city. The people who say “I’m from DC” even though they live in Virginia are often scowled by people who ACTUALLY live in DC. It’s very common for them to be corrected and say “you live in Virginia!” Not DC. I think you must’ve hung out with someone that lives in the suburb
Lol, your impression is right...lived here all my life.
The main reason why people drive around with tinted windows is it saves energyas far as having the car air conditioning on it doesn't have to work as hard as compared to cars without windows
also another reason is the fact you dont wanna look at people, and want privacy.
Privacy isnt something thats a big deal in europe from what iv seen. its a factor, but they dont really care as much.
I think a lot of the misconceptions and culture shock of Europeans coming to the U.S. for the first time is because they just can't fathom how enormous the country is. Most of the 50 states are much larger in landmass and population than most European countries. With much more distance to cross, people need their cars, not public transportation. You won't be taking a subway between Houston and Dallas. The country is gigantic, and so there is far, FAR more space between things. European countries are small, so everything has to be tightly packed together. As such, Europeans have to take public transportation or walk everywhere in their daily lives. Because space is at a premium, everything is smaller.
The U.S. is a vastly different landscape, and with far more space, everything from houses to cars is bigger. There is no "city life" because most Americans don't have to live in the city like Europeans because of limited space, and there is far more to do outside cities than in them, especially on the weekends. Because the weather is much better in the U.S., Americans have a much stronger outdoor culture than Europe, and so prefer to spend time in outdoor activities rather than inside the city on weekends. Most Americans also don't live in the cities because the quality of life is better outside them. Since a lot of Americans work in the cities, they prefer to separate their work and home life by living in the suburbs or even the countryside and commuting into the city for work.
If you really want to experience fantastic weather, get to the southern California coast. I'm talking Santa Monica, Malibu, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, anywhere on the coast that's two miles or less from the ocean. It's mid 70's to mid 80's all year round with zero humidity, and it rains about five days per year. People say the Mediterranean has great weather. I've been to the Mediterranean, and it gets blazing hot depending on the time of year. I've traveled quite a bit, and the most consistent and pleasant weather in the world bar none is on the southern California coast. Even inland a bit will be mid to high 80's with some days in the low 90's, again with only five days of rain per year with zero humidity.
Oh Boston and the south??? Lol man, no wonder you couldn't understand them...I'm a native that grew up in the southwest and I have to pay attention to close to certain accents.
Everything else was pretty on point.
You definitely need to visit the west (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon)...what you experienced is definitely more east coast
Hi Phil, as someone else noted I think you mean "suburb" not "subdivision". The subdivisions are areas within the town (suburb) where you live. I do agree that American towns are not like European towns. In Europe there is a real city center usually built around the church/cathedral with a bustling environment. Here, the business districts have become a series of poorly laid out strip malls. As the smaller towns in America have grown they have lost the city center. When I was a kid my home town was very compact now it's a jumbled mess. Yes, regional accents vary a lot. Walk ability is a problem as is transportation. When I was in the Netherlands you could get anywhere by train. England too. Germany too for that matter. America is a great country to explore due to its varied geography, climate, culture. Right now the weather sucks. Winter in northern Illinois. Cold, cold, cold. Summer's are hot and humid. Did a road trip to Utah this past September. 1400 miles in two days to get there. Saw parts of my own country that I've never seen before. Awesome. I love to travel in Europe as well. Anyway, have fun, keep exploring.
This is the most accurate take on life in US v Europe that I've seen. Forget about crime, we both have it. Forget about guns, US has them, Europe doesn't, but try to find someone in the US who's seen a gunfight in person(TV doesn't count), except for military veterans, good luck, no one has. The main difference is the US is built around cars, Europe is built around walking, and the result is radically different lifestyles.
I feel like a lot of people who visit the United States are surprised about how big the country is. Germany is smaller than California for example... which is the 3rd biggest state in the United States.
Wait WAIT did u say no BUSES!?!? my city has to many! its a infestaion of BUSES and we even have a train that ges through our city its called the tide my city is Norfolk VA visit us so u can see your buses and trains
We have buses in our main city but once you leave there its impossible to even find a taxi. You just have to get a car or walk for miles.
@@ManiacalBlueberry Mhm Same here. It would be helpful if they used their brains and made it easier for people on the out skirts of the city to get around.
You are pretty much spot on! From a Dane living in the US
Thanks! Which one is your favorite state? =)
@@potatophil8432 Probably Florida, California, and Hawaii would be at the top of my list. Currently, I live in New York, NY which is awesome. But I think that has more to do with the city being awesome than the state.
As an American I agree with all of these. Especially driving! It drives me crazy when I put my blinker on to move into a lane and the car speeds up and refuses me to get in front of them. Phil don’t let the haters get to you!
City life in America is neighborhood related. America was created for and around cars. Some major car companies would even buy bus lines and trolly lines and tear them down or stop them from running so people would have to buy cars. It was not our choice as a society. It happened to us. So we had to deal with it.
Important to note just based on your first observation... Germany in sq miles is roughly 138,000. The state of California alone is 160,000. Texas is like 240,000. I think the amount of land lends cities to be more widespread. There are of course apartments and smaller housing in these big cities. But most comfortable (and quite frankly affordable) living happens 5-8 miles outside of city limits. Even as someone from the US, I sometimes don't grasp how huge and expansive this country is.
Loved this video. Your observations were generally spot on [disclaimer: I've been to WONDERFUL Germany a couple of times. LOVE it there!]
You made some very true observations that need context. One of the worst mistakes my country ever made was deciding that somehow people should not live and shop in the same area. BIG mistake that lead to this urban sprawl. But much of that was inspired by President Eisenhower's service in Europe in WWII. He saw the incredible efficiency of the German Autobahn system and how it allowed Hitler to move his forces quickly to redeploy them. Thus was born the US Interstate Highway system, with over 5MM miles of highway, all built with the edict that (geography permitting) every 1 mile in 5 was built straight as a arrow to serve as an emergency airstrip.
The other observation I question is your comments about American grocery stores and how they were plentiful but pricey. This astounds me. Food costs in the US are generally very low by global standards. On my [admittedly brief] excursions to Europe, I found their food selections very expensive and very limited compared to what I was accustomed.
Lastly: ACCENTS. The voices you hear on American TV and movies are purposely designed to be the most basic, generic American accent of the upper Midwest. The USA is a large and diverse nation. What you call the "Hollywood" accent ain't what it really is. Go to Los Angeles and hear their speech. NOTHING like what you see on TV. India has over 200 different dialects. Same with USA but to a much lesser extreme.
I think I agree with most things in this video with he exception of car culture and English. I live like 30 min outside of Atlanta. But I understand the generalization you have from where you went that that's where your thoughts are going to be based on. Everything in the US in my opinion depends on where you live. Like you said "subjective" everything in your thoughts are subject to change. I bet your impressions will change when you explore more and find more people and places. Hope you love staying even more next time! One thing I always say even when I was hosting a frenchie for 2 weeks was never judge the US by the movies lol. The states, cities, wherever always are subject to change. (Btw the hate is just the people who don't understand the generalization of the video like you said lol...they should watch with an open mind lol)
As an American, Baltimore Maryland native, the city life is more for younger crowd, every once in awhile going to the city to hang out is cool, you have your local bars, clubs restaurants, but mostly traveling into the city is because maybe you have a dr appt, going to court, work, or some type of government assistance, and the city life is a bit dangerous depending on where you going. A true experience of the US is our natural parks, beaches, country side living and local restaurants, and neighborhoods festivals.
In general it's pretty correct. America is very diverse though in that you can live by the ocean, mountains, dessert, lake, city or county. Accents do vary
American culture is very independently minded. We value our space, our privacy, our property, and out family. We are usually polite to others, but don't try and get too chummy.
I hope that explains why we are the way we are, driving cars, living in our own separate homes, and keep to ourselves.
Three points:
1. Your English is excellent. Well done.
2. _"Suburbia vs City Life":_ I am happy to not have to deal with the night life of Dallas (or anywhere else, really), nor do I want to live too close to where I work -- When I get off work, I like a peaceful night, as opposed to partying, arguments and ambulances. If I want to increase my chances of those things, I can go where those things are -- where they belong.
3. Infrastructure: The roads are generally terrible, because they can't be built to German standards -- the water tables are too high, or (most often) the design of German/Western European roadways is simply too expensive for most US cities to handle, even spreading it over time, because they are so large. And there are buses and trains in most major cities...but they are very limited in scale/scope; cars are easier.
...Interesting take on the darkened windows, though -- I never considered that. Well done, again!
Thanks for your insights! I get the suburb vs city life argument. I can't sleep in noisy environments at all. :D
Not everyone lives in a subdivision. I would say that I live on the Northside of town or the south side. Or I would give a landmark. For example, I live close to a well-known road in the city called Lascassas Pike. I would say that I live off Lascassas Pike close to the university. I would say I live in a part of a town/city rather than a subdivision. Subdivisions bring to mind a grouping of similar homes that are concentrated in a neighborhood with an elaborate gate or fence and they usually have a brick sign with a made-up name for their middle class subdivision.
It’s true we don’t have adult stores next to churches or schools like Europe
Yes walkability is poor here in US. I can only say to defend it, you get used to it. If you are working, with a family, most of your time is at work or home. When you do have a small amount of leisure time, you know the area well and you have your favorite places in town, or nearby city, and you just drive there, and spend time there. And then go home. Not super exciting I guess, but there are ways to adjust. The upside is you have a much larger more comfortable house. I myself prefer a more urban area, but I don’t mind the time in the suburbs when I visit my parents.
Which brings me to a point I often make to friends, - there is a big difference between visiting and living. For example, I used to live in NYC, and visitors I had often said to me, I could never live here, it’s too crazy, etc. But I told them, you know, once you live here and you have your own apartment and your job, most your time is spent at work or in your apartment, and it doesn’t really matter that it’s so crazy, you don’t notice it as much. And I can say the same about the suburbs. It might seem too quiet to people, but once you live there, and you have your job and your home, and your friends and family, and the places you like, it seems less quiet.
I'm born and raised in Los Angeles and life is very different, in my experience at least, there's more of that lifestyle vibe you were wanting. More of, but not exactly, since everything is so spread and public transportation is shit, it's all still Los Angeles though. It's difficult to explain, lol. More lifestyle living than suburbs but less than what I imagine a place like Paris is. I think also you just get used to the driving: couple friends, good music, it's part of whatever you're doing that night/weekend--its fun, there's a whole sub culture to it ☺️. Like cruising was a big thing when I was in highschool and we didn't have any money. We'd all just pitch in for gas and drive around. Good times, great memories 😁.
Ps: sorry you got so much hate people are stupid 🙄
People say that a lot about LA public transportation but it’s actually pretty good but nobody uses it except poorer people. We have train systems, bus systems etc…. You can take the train from Long Beach and be dropped off right in front of the Staples Center.
1.) Spot on, and very true outside of NYC, LA, Austin, Miami, etc. I live in upstate NY in a suburb outside of a smaller city.
2.) Our culture is very car-centric. Again spot on correct. In the cities there are methods of public transportation but this is why taxis and uber are very popular in America. There are towns and villiages which are smaller and easily walkable, but they are usually vastly different from the larger cities - culturally and politically.
3.) Trucks are as common here as Ladas in soviet countries. South Carolina isn't really the best representation for vehicles as the Carolinas seem to have a current obsession with lifted trucks. Honestly I think this may be because you are not used to seeing them regularly - we have more compact car drivers here than truck drivers. At least in the North. We also have harsh winter climates where SUV's and Trucks are more of a necessity since we do not cancel work or school or harsh weather conditions. Yes, American drivers are assholes. 100% agree.
4.) We have a pretty nice temperate climate, but winters really suck up North. Visit Florida, you will absolutely love it.
5.) Boston accents are the strongest in the US. Southern ones are second. Because our country is so huge, there are several dialects. Where I live, we sound Canadian.
6.) Again, dependent on where you are. Some cities and towns have a lot of places to walk to. In some of the major cities people do not own cars at all (NYC).
I hope you'll visit again, I'd suggest checking out some of the more northern states like Upstate NY, Vermont, Maine. I'd also recommend checking out the west - Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, etc. California is... meh.
I think, for the most part, many Americans want land. The large house, with a big yard, and a white picket fence life. I think most definitely don't want to be entrenched upon with businesses. We're so used to getting in a car and driving for few mins to do what we got to do. Plus, the U.S is HUGE. Nice video.
All the states are so different. You mentioned the weather being the best in the world, but every state is so different. Minnesota in the winter is not the best. It becomes very cold, and like Florida it is nice in the winter, but very hot and humid in the Summer. I would recommend the mid west if you want to see what America is really like
I think it’s what your personal priorities are. Some people love more distance from the city, some people live right in the city in apartments and lofts and do not have cars( not every state and city is the same). I prefer being further away from the city and more in touch with natural surroundings. My English husband thinks the roads are great and they are much wider than in England. I’ve been to Sweden, England, Italy, Costa Rica, and Mexico. I love our infrastructure. I agree… too many fast food restaurants!! Totally agree! I buy from local farmers and smaller grocery stores. I love each country’s unique touches! Please keep in mind that our country is MASSIVE… a 4 hour drive or 8 hour drive in one day is no big deal and you’re still in the same state. So, we aren’t a bunch of small countries, we are states that are big enough to fit several countries into which makes the subway situation more complex and expensive.
You have confirmed what I have been telling others for a long time. People driving trucks when they dont need them. Its to be cool. Growing up with American and German influences I see both sides. I really love what you are doing. Keep up the good work. Viel Glück !
Thanks Harvey! Its interesting to see the little differences. You are in a special position to know both. =)
Alot of people can only afford 1 vehicle because of insurance and upkeep and if you're a outdoor type person it's usually a truck ..If you ride dirt bikes or ATV'S you need a truck to haul them or if you have a boat.. And alot of people like going off road and need 4x4..It's more of a lifestyle choice.. And we have a saying it's better to have a truck and not need one..Then need one and not have one..
@@getoveritlaughing3509 You're so right! My wife and I each have a car, so I find myself borrowing my brother's truck, or my nephew's truck, way too often. It would be so nice to have a truck myself...not to be "cool", but simply to have a truck available at need without making arrangements to borrow one!
@@nateman10 This really is the strangest sort of synchronicity to me! I woke up an hour ago...from a dream where I had just purchased a pickup truck!!! @nateman10...are you psychic? :-)
@@mirozen_ I don't have a truck to be cool..I have one to be self sufficient..I'd buy a sports car if I wanted to be cool...lol
I had no idea no other countries tinted their windows. That's vital here in California the sun makes your car an oven.
*edit*
I actually laughed out loud when you explained you went to Boston and the south and had a hard time with their english. Those are like top tier American accents (accents i think most people think American's sound like but for other Americans can even be difficulty to understand)
yeah, I guess most people think Americans sound like clear Californian (not the cali girl one;), a neutral accent like in most Hollywood movies. I think many hot countries tint their windows, e.g. in Thailand they all have it.
I understand what you mean by lifestyle. College towns are good for interacting and most places are in walking distance, I wish America would adopt to that infrastructure more, it would definitely give us a sense of community
The only difference imo between Europe and USA is literally public transport everywhere in Europe (this is not to say America doesn’t have public transport in towns from the east coast to Midwest)
All of your observations are fairly accurate. We (Americans) do rely on the car to get to most places. Most people live in the suburbs of major cities. There are lots of things to do in the suburbs but, as you pointed out, you usually need a car to drive to those activities. Trucks are very popular in the US. Most people don't really need them but it's a cultural thing. I would like to emphasize that we do have a very big country with many accents and a lot of people who speak English as a second language. For this reason, you can find a job, a lifestyle, and a type of climate that can satisfy almost anyone. I live in Colorado. Physical fitness and outdoor leisure is very important to many people in this state. So, if you like hiking, skying, kayaking, and all that kind of stuff, I recommend that you and your girlfriend take a trip out here. Well, wherever you decide to go, I hope that you have a great time and meet some nice people. Don't let any unpleasant comments on youtube bother you. Some people are unhappy and they just enjoy being trolls. I have watched a couple of your videos and I find your perspective interesting. I am sure that most people would agree with that assessment.
Thank you for the nice words. :)
Not to worry Phil - it is the internet - the place where people can be at they're worst because there aren't many real consequences.
You' got a great video, and you were honest.
There's nothing to complain about.
Your critiques are in generally spot on, there are very few European scaled/ style cities in the US, where are car is definitely more than just a convenience.
I would caution you on your weather assumptions - 2 1/2 months of nice weather is indeed possible almost anywhere in the US - depending on the time of year and the location.
but US weather - almost everywhere, is more extreme than the weather in Germany-
and well outside many peoples comfort zones depending on which season is most extreme where you are staying.
I hope that you have many more opportunities to form a broader impression.
I live in Atlanta. (LOL Actually, an hour from the center city.) When one travels to other parts of the state, it does become difficult to understand what some people are saying. True.
I hope I can stop by Georgia in summer. I'm curious how it is =)
@@potatophil8432 If you love your weather to be hotter than hell, then you will love Georgia in the Summertime. Otherwise, I'd recommend waiting until after September. I was born in Georgia and lived there until I was 20.
Guess it's only "difficult" if you're not from the area...or the southeast.
@@brandi_with_an_i That is true. I am a Yankee. But, if you travel to Middle and South Georgia the dialects become more difficult to understand in some places.
@@tinah8833 Yes, some times it is so hot that it becomes somewhat hard to breath. Air quality.
You'll encounter a lot of trucks in the South, but it depends on their needs. It seems at times a "macho" thing to some, but not really the reality for others. Many down here have trucks in more rural areas due to moving stuff. Many hunt and put game (deer, boar, bear, etc) in the back of trucks. There is a lake nearby, so many use trucks to tow a boat or kayak. They may chop and move firewood quite a bit. They may haul other things like household items/furniture, motorcycles/bikes, etc. It varies, but trucks are more common in the South. A lot of people define America based on what they see on TV, but even that changes depending on TV program.
Regarding the speaking thing, English (especially in the US) has many different accents and dialects. English is a very flexible language to begin with. Wait til you see a lot more of the US. I live in NC, but have been to 38 states and 2 territories (Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). You'll notice so many different accents and differences in vocabulary. You'll notice different Southern accents as well (NC, SC, GA, MS, AL, FL, VA etc all have different accent variations). Sometimes these accents can vary within each state. I guess a lot of people don't realize just how huge America really is and how diverse it is. Even Americans who visit other states/regions end up being surprised at times, so I understand what you're saying. Germany was very different for me in some ways, as were other countries. Many from the North talk really fast and sometimes their words seems to blend into one, while many in the South talk slow and somehow their words seem to blend (not well enunciated). People in Boston have a different accent from people in NYC or New Jersey. I visited Louisiana a few times and had a hard time understanding some of the people there.
I've encountered a lot of stupid drivers every single place I've been, so it's not just the South. Just this week, I almost T-boned a guy who ran a stop sign, and was almost hit by a guy who ran a red light (I was trying to make a left turn after pulling out while the light was still green). I've seen people up North who have no idea what a turn signal is, or who ride others' asses and swerve through traffic.
The more you travel the US, the more "first impressions" you're going to get. Buckle up and hang on for the ride.
Been to 38 states is impressive and you seem to have a good insight into things. I guess it takes people to travel to make a fair assessment. :) Thanks!
To be fair Phil, you spent most of your time in South Carolina. It's true that most of America lives in car dependent suburbia, but there are definitely more places that you can live in a city. It's just much more expensive to do so.
USA loves it's small towns.
A lot of this resonates, and I'm an American! The roads are definitely in disrepair. Bad combination with distracted drivers. I used to lived in Santa Cruz and commute to Silicon Valley via highway 17 through the mountains - a somewhat dangerous route. There were many rough patches of road and outright potholes, and despite that, of course many of the drivers were on their cellphones. When I was commuting via a company bus, I could usually count about 10 drivers fiddling with their cell phones while driving along that route (about a 30 minute commute).
Plenty of regions with pretty aggressive drivers here unfortunately. I grew up and learned how to drive in LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana), which feels insane every time I go back - there is outright recklessness there. Also drove between LA and SF many times and I do not miss the insane drivers and trucks on the I-5.
I lived in the Charleston area in South Carolina for about a year, the drivers there are mostly tame compared to LA, which was super nice - people there are way more courteous in general. In other ways unfortunately South Carolina felt decades behind the rest of the US. Sticking to the topic of roads - the merging lanes end so abruptly and without warning, which is super annoying and dangerous.
I like our lack of population density. I really enjoyed my time in Germany. I really miss people staying out of the left lanes. When I got back to the States, I lost my mind (and still do) about left lane campers.
Cities in the north east especially are more like European cities, they tend to have pretty good public transportation and are more dense and compact because they are older cities and were built before the car became popular. NYC, DC, Boston & Philly are good examples of this
I love the US! I live in Minnesota and people are very nice here most of the time. Drivers are nice. I am not a big fan of the US cities but I love National Parks!
America has residential and commercial zones. So, you cannot conduct business in a residential zone. For example, you cannot set-up a hair salon or dentist office from your house. This is why you will have to drive to commercial area.
Most populations in the world are used to having large portions of their lives controlled by their governors. This was not (originally) the case in America. For instance, the populace here for a long time resisted public transportation and opted for personal responsibility instead.
When I was growing up there were also big discussions about not allowing politicians to “hide” taxes and tax increases within the prices of goods. For this reason most Americans insisted that sales taxes be calculated separately at the cash register. Americans, at least traditionally, did not want government getting more and more areas of control over private lives and were always wary of the kinds of corruption that comes with more centralized control.
It really just depends where you go, (I’m American) honestly if your gonna travel here don’t go to the “popular areas” or coastal states because the layout and way of living of those areas is different from the majority of America, I would recommend visiting one of the Great Lakes or a city like traverse city ( which is next to Lake Michigan)
Ich drücke dir die Daumen dass es mit dem neuen Kanal (und weiterhin mit dem anderen mit Deeana) gut läuft. Du produzierst wertvollen Content. Weiter so. Ich bin gerade im Stadion und drehe das nächste Vlog, schaue mir dein (mit Sicherheit sehr interessantes) Video also später an. Wollte nur einmal erster sein! 🙃
Glück auf!
Thx =)
Idk people in the USA are nice, and usually when driving people will slow down or stop so you can get over
Weather being better than Germany. Wisconsin laughs in Blizzards and -40° during a polar vortex.
Gulf States laugh in Hurricanes.
Great Plains laugh in Tornadoes.
Guam laughs in Typhoons.
Lake Superior laughs in the Witch of November...
Arizona laughs in 110° ...