Yes, is very crowded.
I live on the outskirts of the city and, since I no longer work, I go to the center quite rarely, about once a week. When there are problems to deal with, health and other issues, or when I choose the cultural part, i.e. theater or exhibitions, again I have to leave the suburb and face the crowds of people and cars. I want to tell you that my childhood was also similar to Caleb's, in a way, that you can't compare life 60 years ago to now, but I was outside a lot. Inside the house nothing kept me inside but outside was the whole universe. There were no cell phones and no TV, I can even say that I spent some time at my grandparents when there was no electricity...
It was beautiful!
In the country, autumn is much more beautiful, both chromatically, with all the colors, and the fact that there are many fruits.