outdoor locations not working properly in city living

My Sims can go outside their apartments or travel to festivals, but I'm not able to focus in on them or center the camera on the lot where the festival or other outdoor activity is taking place. So they're there, but I'm not. I can still click on the food vendors and have available actions, but my sims are too small and far away that I can't see them well or engage them in conversation with other sims.