Commie blocks are awesome, actually (a reply to Living Ironically in Europe & NFKRZ)

I mean, I don't know. I don't have any positive memories or associations with commie blocks. We used to live in a commie block when I was little, before our family moved to Germany. I remember my parents telling me how everyone had to wait in line for 20 years to get an apartment. How difficult it was if you wanted to move out to a different part of the city, yet alone to a completely different city.

I remember everyone I knew sharing a small apartment for multiple generations - my grandparents used to share a two bedroom apartment with their parents, siblings, and the siblings spouses. My grandparents eventually got their own apartment when my mom was little, and by the time I came into this world 5 people were living in those same two rooms - my grandma, my parents, my brother and I. And everyone I knew was living in similar conditions. Only after moving to the west did I get my own room.

Here, I moved out of my parent's apartment and I am now living on my own with my boyfriend. Sure, rent is expensive, but we can manage. Back then, there was no 'moving out', and as far as I know, there still isn't. There is only moving to your in-laws apartment, or your spouse moves in with you. Can't imagine sharing my space with my parents or inlaws, it would drive me crazy.

I remember leaving the house was extremely dangerous, so we mostly stayed inside - I was born in the 90's. I remember the smell of toxic car gases as soon as we left the house. I don't know how you can romanticize commie blocks.