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I was in Guiyang, China this summer and a local hotel worker asked me where I was from. I said Philadelphia and he immediately recognized it (and then asked me about basketball ha). And this is a city in southwestern China where the people had trouble understanding our colleague's Mandarin because the local dialect is so different. So no, I don't think an American city's recognition around the world depends on where the country is or what its connections to the US are.
Just because someone know where Philly is doesnt mean people around the world know it. I live in UK and know plenty of people who dont know philly and think that Ny is the capital of US. Maybe that chinese guy knrw philly but didnt know Miami or Phoenix.
Just because someone know where Philly is doesnt mean people around the world know it. I live in UK and know plenty of people who dont know philly and think that Ny is the capital of US. Maybe that chinese guy knrw philly but didnt know Miami or Phoenix.
That could go for any major american city. From my experience people from other nations are really only familar with east coast cities, and west coast cites, cities in the middle of the nation arent thought about to many foreigners.
New York City (International Culture)
Boston or Philly ( American History and Northeast)
Washington D.C. (American History + U.S. Capital)
Los Angeles (Glamour, fame)
Houston (Southern Culture, New America)
NY- In a lot of respects, NY is the capitol of the US to Americans and to outsiders, it represents America. Most immigrants came thru NY, it was where dreams were made. People marvel at the massive skyscrapers, loud noises, hustle and bustle, lots of cultures in a melting pot, tons of cultural history, which represents America.
DC- NY definitely is more recognized by Americans and non Americans alike, but it is quite magnificant to drive on Constitution Avenue and see the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and finally the US Capitol.
Chicago- Historically, Chicago was and still is the 2nd most important city. Across the globe, people know Chicago as the gangster city of Capone. The Chicago Bulls are a household name. People still love Michael Jordan. It also represents American industry, it is still the #1 manufacturing center in the US. Plus, a lot of Middle Americans don't feel as intimidated by Chicago as they do in the East Coast cities.
LA- Hollywood and pop culture. Even before the 1990s explosion of the internet which made following celebs so much easier, Hollywood always was the mechanism for showing America around the world. There are few more well recognized locations in the world than the Hollywood sign.
Las Vegas- The reason I chose Las Vegas over Houston is because again, Las Vegas is cultural. Millions of visitors go to Las Vegas every year to experience the Strip. There are no other "downtowns" like the Strip. You don't just have tall buildings like NYC and Chicago, but you have well designed and decorated structures. I mean, it's a place where they have Paris and New York down the street from each other. Las Vegas is a microcosm of America, where everyone comes together to do the same thing (gamble, drink, enjoy) from all over the country without respect to occupaton, ethnicity, geography...
New York City (International Culture)
Boston or Philly ( American History and Northeast)
Washington D.C. (American History + U.S. Capital)
Los Angeles (Glamour, fame)
Houston (Southern Culture, New America)
Nice! This is probably what my list would look like except I'd try to squeeze San Francisco in.
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