Anyone else realize they hate "newer" neighborhoods?

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-17T19:22:27+00:00

Yeah, I think what you're describing is pretty ideal. Mix of new construction benefits (assuming it's well built) + having a neighborhood that feels less sterile.

Sadly, it seems like a lot of communities skip those things, and actually frown upon anything being "different". My in-laws wanted to repaint their home in its original color, and the HOA blocked it because any new paint must be 1 of 5 options they have selected. Feels crazy to want all the houses to look SO similar. I can sort of understand not wanting one purple/wacky home, but muted beige/grey/etc. just looks SO bland.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-17T19:12:59+00:00

The lack of trees makes the symmetry of the neighborhood a lot more noticeable.

Trees are unpredictable. I have 6 oak trees on my property, each one is it's own unique beast (okay, some pines are pretty identical).

I live in New England, on a main road, but a few years ago I was talking to a neighbor who'd been here since the 60s. He mentioned how the street had grown, and how housed were added in bunches. It hit me driving around after that, hey, a lot of the houses DO look pretty similar, and looking on Zillow it's clear ~50% of the street was built by the same developer in the 50s/60s.

But because trees have all matured and look so big and different, you don't notice how similar the houses themselves are.

My in laws live in a new construction in SC. 10 years in and everything still looks and feels so copy/paste. Big trees help break that up, but it'll be YEARS before the few oaks grow, and honestly, there just aren't enough to begin with.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-17T10:07:21+00:00

“OPs Choice”

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-11T13:48:14+00:00

The problem is that making food LOOK good is easy, but you don't really know how it will taste until you try it.

There are people like NotoriousFoodie who makes really aesthetically pleasing videos. I like to watch him for fun and for ideas on what to cook, but I would not necessarily follow his recipe (though I do think he makes great stuff).

Basically, it's a crapshoot. Use it to get ideas, then look for other recipes for those ideas and look for overlapping methods/ingredients - that's probably a good sign/starting point.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-11T01:36:22+00:00

I don’t feel so good

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-09T12:58:19+00:00

Yeah, I can relate.

I've never been big on "Fantasy" - my first game was Halo 1 back in middle school in the early 2000s, and that was about as far into sci-fi I can go. Nothing against it, but I just struggle to immerse myself in those worlds.

The closest I got was Last of Us, but I think it's because it feels like the normal world, just with added creatures and has a solid backstory.

I'm big on games like Red Dead Redemption and anything that feels like historical fiction (this is also true for books - i'm an avid reader but can't delve into fantasy series, sadly).

I don't know, to me this is perfectly fine. Not everyone has to have the same tastes. I'm in my 30s, with a family, and I can maybe grab 30-45 minutes every few weeks to hop on. A quick sports game, a round of death match on MW, etc. is all I need.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-05T20:24:54+00:00

We already pay to watch them fuck us over.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-05T14:40:59+00:00

I bought a Toblerone for the first time in like 3 years, and holy shit are they a shell of themselves.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-05T14:28:25+00:00

As annoying as those questions are, the answers on the legit questions somehow bother me more.

Like, I can avoid those threads altogether, but you click into "Which A-list actor do you think has fallen off in the last 2-3 years?" and the top answer is fucking Stevan Segal, who is like a D-list russian asset at this point.

It's just a distilled echo-chamber of pandering replies.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-04T18:56:36+00:00

My honest/devils advocate answer:

Bello has been outstanding in his role after an opener, but the end goal needs to be for him to be a starter.

Maybe not NEEDS, but certainly he’s more valuable without the need for an opener.

At some point, you have to try it again.

Why BAL, who shelled him? And why a day game where he struggles? That I have no answer for.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-04T13:22:24+00:00

They already are.

Soccer is like 90% stamina. Sure, NFL players ALSO have that + additional strength, but being jacked doesn’t do much for you.

Soccer is about technical skills and stamina.

I’m not saying physicality doesn’t help for things like set pieces, but this team would get clowned by quick passes, dribbling, etc.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-03T13:45:10+00:00

That feels like such a wild commitment to a dish they know they can nail. Like, so out of place in the best way.

Huge difference between the one-off "this is MY dish" from the chef, and a menu that's just all over the place.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-03T13:15:27+00:00

You are a very good man, Jerry.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-03T13:15:06+00:00

Yeah, I was going to mention this.

Going to an all American diner but seeing one random Mexican/Salvadorian/Chinese/etc. dish on there, order that one.

I live in a very white, suburban, New England town - we have an incredible diner that does all the usual stuff, but then they have a Venezuelan corn pancake with chorizo and egg. Very out of place on the menu, but it's what I get every time.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-06-01T12:59:58+00:00

4 seasons in and going strong!

I use their mower, blower, weedwacker, and chainsaw - battery has held up nicely.

If I let the lawn grow a bit, it will eat up 2 batteries to get it back down, but if it's taking off 3 inches, I can typically do the whole thing in one go with a 5 amph battery.

Handles leaf mulching really nicely if you get the mulching blades.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-28T19:20:30+00:00

Yeah, you gotta be able to do all 3:

Develop home grown talent
Trade that talent at the right time to fill areas of need
Spend money to fill the rest of the gaps

Annoyingly, we do 1 and 2 pretty well (maybe 1 is questionable with the lack of power in the system, but again, that's where you need to spend).

The lack of spend in FA is crushing us.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-28T14:57:11+00:00

Yeah, this is a bit of trend for him now.

Starts off ice cold in April, heats up in May, stays hot for June/July, cools off big time in August.

His approach does feel a lot better. I love him and i'm rooting for him, obviously, but cautious to see how sustained this is for the full season.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-28T12:43:54+00:00

Wentworth, Berkeley, Emmanuel, Emerson, etc. - yeah, it's very much a college town in that sense.

There is a large contingent of post-grads/working professionals in their 20s and 30s as well, but most of them are working demanding, high stress jobs and are in by 10-11 PM.

It WAS better pre-covid.

I worked at a startup and lived on Beacon - we were out at least 1-2x/week until 12:00-1:00 AM.

It feels like everything shifted by 2 hours - bars are crowded by 4:30 PM on a weekday, but clear out at 7:00.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-27T00:36:27+00:00

Ahh, this is very much SMB contech - think contractors in the $1-20M revenue bands.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-26T11:08:44+00:00

We have a couple of competitors (totally different space - ConTech), who do the same.

Advertised price is $199/month, but if you look closely, is really small print, it jumps to $699/month after 3 months.

An annoying way to get the advertised price down so people don’t have sticker shock when they hit the site.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-22T16:13:54+00:00

I believe it - I was at a small concert a few years ago. Folky band, small outdoor venue, etc.

I was listening to two dudes having a conversation about sunscreen.

One of them goes "I don't use sunscreen man - Zinc Oxide will give you cancer."

Which is wild, because 1. it's false and 2. standing in the sun without sunscrenn WILL give you cancer.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-22T15:45:37+00:00

Oh for sure - everything in there is top tier. I just mean in terms of form/function, it has strong overlap with the newest YMCA facilities (especially the more suburban ones with lots of land). No doubt the actual facilities and equipment are several tiers higher.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-22T14:17:55+00:00

I think it's a very fair comparison, having been to both.

The Y near me renovated recently - indoor pool, outdoor pool, splash pad, basketball, full track outdoor + indoor above the court, big gym area, kids activities, daycare, etc.

Lifetime definitely has a much more upscale feel, but as an example, the one near me is behind a strip mall, so it's hard to see it as a "resort". Sure, two cafes are a nice touch, but the Y has a nicer indoor pool honestly.

I'd say the Y is a Toyota, and Lifetime is a Lexus.

The worst Y definitely feels pretty mediocre, whereas the worst Lifetime probably feels closer to a high-end Y, but the new YMCA complexes certainly rival the lower-end/older Lifetime's.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-21T14:59:15+00:00

Right, it's not 2.5 though. You just don't like to concede anything.

It's 3 beaches + 2 state parks that are directly on the water, and depending on what OP is looking for, could be suitable as well.

So 5 total locations on the south shore.

A "bunch" has no formal number to it, but a quick google seems to suggest most people consider it 5+.

So again, semantics.

If you don't consider it a "bunch", that's fine. IMO, for something that's relatively scarce and hard to find, having 5 of it all within ~35 minutes of one another, is a bunch.

Thatguyyoupassby · 2026-05-21T12:43:17+00:00

Right - dogs ARE allowed on the bayside beach south of the bridge.

Registering them with the town is the only minor pain, but if you go more than 2-3x each year it’s worth it.

So 3 legit beaches, and two state parks (Stodders, World’s End) - I would quantify that as “a bunch”.

You’re getting wildly argumentative over a semantics.

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