New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis: The River Cities (place, population, people)
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Architecture-New Orleans. Besides the Arch, St. Louis doesn't have much.
this is one of the most idiotic statements ever written on this forum, and that is quite an accomplishment. st. louis has extremely historic fabric and some of the best urban architecture in the united states. what a ridiculous statement.
this is one of the most idiotic statements ever written on this forum, and that is quite an accomplishment. st. louis has extremely historic fabric and some of the best urban architecture in the united states. what a ridiculous statement.
Seriously. I'm substituting at McKinley Gifted School on Jefferson and Russell today. I cant stop looking out the window. Russell is such a beautiful street and you can see the whole historic cityscape from the 3rd floor window. Not to mention McKinley is just a beautiful school and neighborhood.
Architecture - I have to go with New Orleans on this one. The styles vary so much from end to end. The city can go from looking Colonial Caribbean/Spanish, Antebellum, or European; to looking like somewhere in SoCal or SoFla in a matter of blocks. St. Louis makes close seconds IMO. I love the red brick feel and we can't leave out the arch. Some of the residential buildings in STL remind me of bricked version of buildins in NO.
Attractions - I can go on all day naming things to do in New Orleans, not to mention that it's currently festival season. I'm sure someone can do the same for St. Louis. Can anyone chime in on Memphis?
Culture - New Orleans
Economy - St. Louis more than likely. I know that it leads the two in GDP. Memphis and New Orleans more or less tie in this Category.
Education - All 3 have more than their share of Colleges/Universities
Family - New Orleans is a great city, but raising a family becomes quite expensive and sometimes challenging for those living in the city proper. I was wondering how this experience would differ in the other 2 cities.
Food - New Orleans. I don't know if it's because I was raised on the stuff, but there is nothing like it. On the other hand I do love BBQ, and as "touristy" as it may sound I'm a sucker for Imo's.
History - Tied.
Nightlife - New Orleans in my IMO. I've done Washington Ave and Beale St. In New Orleans, Bourbon and Canal definitely aren't the only spots to find nightlife and I'm quite sure that the same rings true for the other cities. Some locals should point out what else is offered in their cities.
Riverfront - Could go either way in my opinion. St. Louis has the arch and the skyline view crossing into Missouri from Illinois is great at night. New Orleans has the cathedral and moonwalk. New Orleans actually sits below the river though, and you get to see cruise ships and PANAMEX container ships going up and down river. Memphis sits on the bluff and you have the Pyramid and Hernado deSoto bridge. Memphis as the most serene, New Orleans the most vibrant, and St. Louis the most attractive IMO.
Scenery - Also subjective. New Orleans is flat, Memphis and St. Louis are not. New Orleans is surrounded by open water, wetland, and oil refineries; a setting that I love personally. St. Louis is beautiful with the hills and views though.
Shopping -Shops at Canal Place haven't been able to contend with Plaza Frontenac since Katrina, and Memphis has nothing that I know of on that level. On the other hand N.O. doesn't have a mainstream mall that's on the level of the Wolfchase Galleria, but N.O. has a large amount of local retailers that sell mid to high end merchandise.
Transit - It would be between STL and NO. New Orleans has an effective transit system, which is getting better, plus streetcars. St. Louis has the METROlink, but I don't know how well it works or how the bus system is.
Weather - Subjective. I love being in an oven during the winter and in hell during the summer, but it gets old. I hate cold, but snow in March/April can be a pleasant suprise every now and then in STL's case.
why are people saying Memphis for scenery? The scenery absolutely sucks here. Its very flat (although N.O. is probably flatter) When I go to St. Louis I'm amazed at how hilly it is. The city borders the foothills of the Ozarks and much of the county is in the foothills. There's also a lot of greenery, even in the city. St. Louis defintely wins in this category, Memphis is probably at the bottom
I also think St. Louis wins for shopping. I can think of at least 6 malls in Stl that are on par with Wolfchase Galleria (best mall in Memphis) or better. And Memphis has absolutely nothing as upscale as Plaza Frontenac
Memphis might win in the riverfront category. We have nice bluffs with million dollar homes on them, we have Tom Lee Park, Mud Island and Harbor Town, which is a gorgeous residential area (new urbanism)
why are people saying Memphis for scenery? The scenery absolutely sucks here. Its very flat (although N.O. is probably flatter) When I go to St. Louis I'm amazed at how hilly it is.
I definitely wouldn't consider Memphis flat, but look where I'm coming from. Down here other than a lump here or a dip there, the area is like a pancake. You have to drive out maybe 40 miles before you get to the first hill. I'm also amazed at how hilly St. Louis is, and how suddenly they spring up. Everything is flat then you get somewhere around Cape Girardeau and BAM!
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I also think St. Louis wins for shopping. I can think of at least 6 malls in Stl that are on par with Wolfchase Galleria (best mall in Memphis) or better. And Memphis has absolutely nothing as upscale as Plaza Frontenac
I've always been baffled at how Memphis and New Orleans are about the same size, but one lacks upscale shopping and the other comes up short in the middle class offerings, but supports upscale.
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Memphis might win in the riverfront category. We have nice bluffs with million dollar homes on them, we have Tom Lee Park, Mud Island and Harbor Town, which is a gorgeous residential area (new urbanism)
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
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Originally Posted by HUM398
Thats true....as much as i dislike the people from edina...Their education system their is perhaps the best in the country.
What do you know about Edina? Other than you think it's snobby? Every city has a rich suburb, this is ours, and it's not even the richest suburb anymore so the stereotype needs to be passed on to someone else like Minnetonka or Wayzata, which ARE snobby!
Attractions - I can go on all day naming things to do in New Orleans, not to mention that it's currently festival season. I'm sure someone can do the same for St. Louis. Can anyone chime in on Memphis?
Beale Street, Graceland, and the National Civil Rights Museum (old Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated) come to mind. Autozone Park in DT Memphis is one of the finest minor league ballparks in the nation.
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