I’m back in the states for holidays but this time it was such a shock to realize everything looks so old, like from the airport to the convenience stores, malls, gas stations, etc. Why does everything look like it hasn’t changed from the 90s? And I was out just for a couple of months but things look newer and shinier in Panama and El Salvador compared to here. I cannot even imagine what some of you coming back from east Asia must feel. Did our country peak in the 90s and other countries are going through their renaissance? I love the convenience of the US where everything is open 24 hrs and you can get things delivered to your door basically overnight if you pay the price but I feel like we’re stuck with very old and boring infrastructure, makes me feel almost the same way I felt when I went to eastern Europe
As an immigrant who has lived in the US for the past 15 years, my take is that many Americans don't see the need to renovate real estate to look new/updated/modern. Comfort has a higher order in the value chain than aesthetics. America is more casual than most other developed countries. I can't imagine going back to my advanced country and seeing people outside of their home wearing pajamas. But I see it regularly in America. There's nothing wrong with it per se, it's just different values.