Downtown San Francisco vs. Downtown Los Angeles (San Diego, Sacramento: appointed, 2010)

[greatbasinguide]

Rome while close to a river and the beach, is not ON a river and a distance from the coast.

Rome is on a river, the Tiber. There was a port in Rome for over a thousand years.

[ImRandy]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

Downtown LA is where the pueblo was originally settled. It doesn't seem logical today, but back then the LA river was a real river and was nearby and I suspect the land was a little more fertile for farming than the land closer to the coast was. I would also guess that back then in the age of no smog, the Spaniards were so awe-inspired by the sight of the majestic San Gabriel Mountians, that it must of felt like heaven to be in their shadow.

There was possibly an age of less smog but smog has been a part of the area for thousands of years due to the inversion layer that forms over the region. Spaniards called the LA/San Gabriel area the Valley of the Smoke due to the trapping of fire smoke and dust.

[Desertho]

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

Rome is on a river, the Tiber. There was a port in Rome for over a thousand years.

I know that Tiber runs through Rome, but that's akin to saying that LA is a port city through San Pedro even though its Downtown is miles away. Same thing with Rome. The heart of city (their "downtown"), the Forum, isn't on any body of water. The Roman port was like San Pedro--miles away. Check this website to see how far the Tiber is from the Forum.

Los Angeles was founded on the LA River, but downtown moved further west to where it is now. The transition happened early due to the fact that, hard to believe now, frequent flooding.

[ImRandy]

The difference is that you could take a boat up the Tiber from the Mediterranean all the way to Rome and beyond in ancient times. You can't take a boat from the Pacific up the Los Angeles River to Los Angeles when it was founded. Rome did maintain a port on the coast as well connected by road to Rome but it doesn't mean there was never a port in Rome itself or that the Tiber wasn't an important transportation route for people and goods.

In a way it's kinda the same situation with Sacramento. Sacramento doesn't really have a reputation as being a port port city because it's almost a hundred miles inland. However, it was built there because the rivers allowed for easy transportation of goods. Many things come into the ports on the coast and are transported overland into Sacramento but ocean going ships still come up the Sacramento River to the Port of Sacramento.

[tande1n5]

Wrong. The LA river has always been a concrete ditch. That's how nature created it

[greatbasinguide]

Desertho, The walk from the forum to the Tiber is not far, I have done it out and back many times. Saying Rome is not a port because the port is not downtown makes no sense. That is like saying Long Beach is not a port because the port is not downtown. Ancient Rome was city of a million people and was urban from the banks of the Tiber far to the east.

Rome existed because of cheap North African wheat, brought to Rome by ship. It could be off loaded at the port of Ostia and brought to Rome by wagon, but the Romans had not invented the harness, draft horses had a strap around the neck in lieu. Roman wagons could not haul much of a load.
A city of a million people eats a lot of bread.
The city had to be supplied by boat. Those boats ascended the Tiber laden with wheat. The Tiber docks were busy vibrant places.

The Tiber has silted in but still can be navigated by small boats.


Los Angeles was founded as a local market town. There was no good harbor along the coast. San Francisco had the great harbor, but little traffic until 1849

[KerrTown]

What offices/industries are located in the CBDs of each city? I hear there is a lot of financial work in San Francisco but it seems not to be much. There are more exchanges in Chicago than San Francisco (Are there trading floors still?). It seems most of the economic activity in the Bay Area is in San José with the computers. I wonder why they are located there instead of DT (Financial District?) San Francisco. (Can you imagine the Apple building; Apple's new headquarters in San Francisco?)

In L.A. it seems companies are located in West L.A. in Century City, West Hollywood, and along Wilshire's Miracle Mile and Mid-Wilshire. I've read that DT L.A. is just city and county offices and courthouses.

[TheRealAngelion]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

In L.A. it seems companies are located in West L.A. in Century City, West Hollywood, and along Wilshire's Miracle Mile and Mid-Wilshire. I've read that DT L.A. is just city and county offices and courthouses.

Wrong. Most all of the major LA based and national law firms have their offices downtown. Also, all of the major banking institutions, accounting firms, and commercial real estate brokerages are downtown as well. What's different and unique about LA is that many of these same firms have a West LA office too, usually in Century City or Westwood to service clients who are mostly on the westside of town. However, most of the Wall Street oriented firms tend to have their main or largest west coast offices in either Century City, Westwood, or Beverly Hills.

[Stolly enterprises]

[quote=Sassberto;1154113]Neither of them, really. It's just finance and office towers. SF has the piers but that's about it.[/qu

Each of the cities has a diffrent atmosphere. Los Angeles is filled with a marvel of skyscrapers, some of the tallest in the world and has a booming film and Record industry. San Fransisco has more of a quaint feal to it, however with old world homes and intresting buildings downtown. You decide -Stolly Enterprises

[Stolly enterprises]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

Wrong. Most all of the major LA based and national law firms have their offices downtown. Also, all of the major banking institutions, accounting firms, and commercial real estate brokerages are downtown as well. What's different and unique about LA is that many of these same firms have a West LA office too, usually in Century City or Westwood to service clients who are mostly on the westside of town. However, most of the Wall Street oriented firms tend to have their main or largest west coast offices in either Century City, Westwood, or Beverly Hills.

Well said, correct and educated
Thank you -Stolly Enterprises