it only looks depressing to you because you've never lived in one.  i have lived in pretty much every kind of environment in the us, from high rise apartment buildings to rural areas where the closest neighbors were miles away.  suburban neighborhoods are the best and have the best sense of community by far.  people in cities mostly scurry around with headphones and sunglasses and try to avoid any sort of eye contact or personal interaction before returning home and locking themselves into their rat cage of an apartment, hoping they don't see any of their neighbors. rural areas do have a sense of community and can be very comfy and relaxing, but the distances mean you won't regularly see your neighbors unless you make an effort to do so. suburban neighborhoods are the last bastion of trad white america. they still have kids roaming around and playing in the streets with other kids. my 9yo nephew is constantly riding around with all of the other neighborhood kids on their bikes and scooters. i see my neighbors and talk to them all of the time, someone is always having a cookout or some other get together. everyone is always helping each other out, last weekend i got drunk at a bar and the guy who lives across the street from me gave me a ride and made sure i got home safely. i've known him for 30+ years since when we were 9yo roaming around the neighborhood.
United States