America's most overrated, overhyped, or overpriced cities to live (rent, school)

[JakeDog]

"exactly how are they overrated? I think their underrated because their always critcized about their sprawl and not feeling like a "REAL CITY?" please explain because I just don't get it."

Atlanta/Houston/Dallas/Charlotte are sprawled, don't feel like a real city, and yet are very popular despite being spawling messes. Therefore, because they have such large populations, and a suprising number of advocates on these boards, they are overrated. They are generally lacking in other strong qualities besides cheap living and abundant jobs. Hence, they may be decent places to live, but they are virtually worthless as destinations. IN my opinion, they barely even qualify as "cities".

[roseba]

Originally Posted by Hustla718

I agree.

NYC is just too damn expensive. I assume most of us live normal lives. The time you have to go to the "club" or "art gallery" or "museum" is limited. How many does a person need? If you live in NYC you better be making some realy nice cash, i'm talking 6 figure plus if you even think you will be living close to that lifestyle.

...

Overpriced. People are paying thousands a month to live in small apartments in Manhattan. It's crazy. For that you can move to another city and pay less/bigger apartment, or leave the city completely and own a home with land.

It is too damn expensive says THIS native New Yorker. If you are middle class (the bulk of us really) then you live like a pauper. With a similar income, or even $10-$15K less a year, you can actually live a middle class lifestyle in most large cities in America.

Does one really need a selection of 5,000 Italian Restaraunts, or do you only need 800?

I love the opera. Haven't been there in years. It costs to much to go out at night, and since I'm paying THOUSANDS a month to live in a small apartment in an outerborough (not with the sex in the cities gals), I simply cannot afford to pay for opera tickets, dinner for two, and a $50 cab ride back at the end of my evening.

And that is what it's about.

If you "ain't" living in Tribeca with a duplex, cabbing it around, or walking, you "ain't" really living in NY. You living near NY and paying through the nose for that priviledge.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

"It's like any other major city in the USA only way more packed in. With more density there will be more things (like many Starbucks in Midtown for example). You can find what you can find in NYC in pretty much every US major city."

If Starbucks and similar chains are your definition of what you can find. I don't live in NY, but I couldn't disagree with you any stronger. The entertainment (opera, symphony, jazz clubs, comedy clubs, ballet, broadway), food, shops, non-chain bistros/bars/bakeries/pizza, architecture, not to mention the energy of the place, the museums. Sorry- I don't think there is an American city that compares. Also, Central Park is one of the best people watching spots on earth. Chicago, Boston, and SF are the only other American cities that are even close, and they are not that close. If your idea of fun is going to the GAP and drinking starbucks- sure you can get that in some dull Southern/Midwest city. Otherwise I strongly disagree.

Do you live in NYC? I doubt it.

Do you go to the Opera so much you need hundreds of different shows? Do you go to a Jazz Club every night? Do you do ballet? Haha.

Most normal people work so much in NYC just to get by. That is how high the living cost are. Rarely will you enjoy those areas. I haven't been to Central Park in YEARS and I live in the city. I might go to Central Park once every 5 years if i'm lucky. It's not all that either. Just a plot of grass in an urban jungle. A park.

You can find all that stuff in any major city. For a lower price and maybe actually enjoy it.

The first priority of a city is living not entertainment. Some people put entertainment first, move to NYC and make a grave mistake. If you are not wealthy, you will not enjoy NYC the way you see it on TV. It's an expensive city. Quality of life is low, but lots of entertainment.

[milquetoast]

Originally Posted by Spade

You was talking to Future Cop, right?

I was.

[milquetoast]

MSN's chiming in on the most overhyped places within a city. I only know 2 of the places, I'm sure you know the rest! Downtown Anaheim_Atlanta's Buckhead_Austin's 6th Street_Boston's Hatch Shell_Chicago's Michigan Ave._Dallas' Northpark Center_Denver's Cherry Creek Mall_Detroit's Casinos_Houston's Forbidden Gardens Museum_Las Vegas' Strip_L. A.'s car culture_Miami's Beach_Minneapolis' Mall of America_Nashville's Music Row_New Orlean's Bourbon St._New York's Times Square_Orlando's Epcot World Showcase_Philly's Liberty Bell_Phoenix' Coppersquare/Downtown and Pittsburg's Andy Warhol Museum. Get on MSN's stupid site, (they have lists almost 3 times a week), and they'll explain their choices.

[JakeDog]

"If you are not wealthy, you will not enjoy NYC the way you see it on TV. It's an expensive city. Quality of life is low, but lots of entertainment."

No offense, but I wouldn't live in NYC unless I was making at least $300k. Of course it stinks for the poor. I wasn't suggesting it doesn't. So does San Francisco, Paris, Rome, etc. It is a world class city. If you don't make big money, you cannot afford what it has to offer. That does not, however, make it overrated.

[anonymous]

Originally Posted by madmann101

exactly how are they overrated? I think their underrated because their always critcized about their sprawl and not feeling like a "REAL CITY?" please explain because I just don't get it.

Apparently you do get it - that's the answer.

Most of the southern cities are dominated by chain stores, gated or cookie-cutter housing developments, with few "walkable" areas, poor mass transit, parking lots, parking lots, and more parking lots.

This is what happens when the rural, southern lifestyle is "urbanized". Everybody still wants their plantation-style acreage and their big iron horse, except they'd rather live in a city than out in the country.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by Spade

I disagree and I said as a city, it has the best scenery in the state. There isn't a city in Northeast Texas at the level of Austin and there won't be for another 100 years. But even so, I know of the little hills and tall trees in East Texas and it is very nice. But the the hill of Austin and west cannot be beat in Texas.

Austin:

Hills are nice, but they're not that nice when they're all dry and dusty. I still say that the greenery and bloom of East Texas is unmatched anywhere in the state.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

"exactly how are they overrated? I think their underrated because their always critcized about their sprawl and not feeling like a "REAL CITY?" please explain because I just don't get it."

Atlanta/Houston/Dallas/Charlotte are sprawled, don't feel like a real city, and yet are very popular despite being spawling messes. Therefore, because they have such large populations, and a suprising number of advocates on these boards, they are overrated. They are generally lacking in other strong qualities besides cheap living and abundant jobs. Hence, they may be decent places to live, but they are virtually worthless as destinations. IN my opinion, they barely even qualify as "cities".

You know, you have a lot of confidence in your words for someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. Each one of those four cities that you mentioned do indeed sprawl, but are rather dense and "city-like" in their cores. Please believe that they are cities, whether you believe so or not. If you took the inner loop of Houston, it would probably be just as dense as Chicago.

[tenken627]

They are cities. Just a different type of city. They are growing because they are cheaper to live than in the older denser cities.