Introductions

[kake]

Hello flaneurs! I thought we could start off this community by finding out a bit about each other and our interests. I don't have any fixed ideas about how I want the community to be used, and am happy to let it evolve in response to its members' desires.

So, if you feel so inclined, please leave a comment below! Here are some suggestions for you to copy/paste and fill in, but these are all optional — feel free to use just the ones you want to answer, or even to forget about them entirely and write something freeform.

<strong>My preferred name (if it's different from my username):</strong> <strong>My last urban ramble/adventure was:</strong> <strong>My next urban ramble/adventure will probably be:</strong> <strong>Favourite type(s) of urban environment:</strong> <strong>Favourite type(s) of constraint (for those who like putting constraints on their rambles):</strong> <strong>Cities/towns I've explored (and how):</strong> <strong>Cities/towns I want to explore (and why):</strong> <strong>Three things I tend to notice when I'm wandering through a city:</strong> <strong>Anything else relevant:</strong>

Comments

[staranise]

My preferred name (if it's different from my username): Lis
My last urban ramble/adventure was: I live in my city's university area, on a street that for a ten-block stretch is my city's arts and culture centre (Whyte Ave, Edmonton). I spend afternoons and evenings roaming it.
My next urban ramble/adventure will probably be: Probably more close to home.
Favourite type(s) of urban environment: Relatively dense buildings built before WWII with unusual layouts, shops in non-obvious closes, and secrets and surprises.
Favourite type(s) of constraint (for those who like putting constraints on their rambles): GOD NO. I'm just coming off four years where walking two blocks made me whimper in pain. I plan to do whatever I'm physically able.
Cities/towns I've explored (and how): On foot: Boston MA (Back Bay area), Edmonton, Nanton and Banff AB, Vancouver and Victoria BC. By getting lost on the way to a destination: Washington, DC. By driving: Spokane, WA.
Cities/towns I want to explore (and why): Small towns in my province, which are almost all independent businesses owned and operated by one person. I love seeing all the different things people spend their labour on; people who dedicate their lives to making a good coffee shop or selling silk flowers in a town of 2,000 people are fascinating to me.
Three things I tend to notice when I'm wandering through a city: Statues and murals; fabric or fiber shops; old buildings.
Anything else relevant: I really love driving. It was my default mode of transit and exploration for years and my car is basically my biggest expense after rent. I love country travel and distance driving as much as city rambles.

[kake]

Oh, yes, I love seeking out independent businesses too! There are some parts of my city (London) that are almost entirely independents, and there are others that are almost entirely chains — I find the latter somewhat depressing.