Metro Areas whose suburbs have a center of town (best, Boston, Chicago)

[vivo]

I know this is true in the NYC and Boston Areas. Probably Chicago as I think towns in the North east and Midwest had town incorporation in their zoning wheras the south did not. Maryland is southern in this aspect. So can anyone clarify which regions/metro areas tend to have suburbs with town centres?

[18Montclair]

In 2011, most large suburban cities in the US have business districts that act as 'town centres'.

Retail, Commercial and even high density residential is found in countless suburban cities nowadays.

[ckhthankgod]

Also, in the Northeast, you have metros that have plenty of smaller communities/villages with a center/"Downtown". Here are some examples: GREATER EAST AURORA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Pittsford Chamber of Commerce

Skaneateles Area Chamber Of Commerce - Welcome to Skaneateles

Clinton, New York: Historic Village of Clinton, NY Shopping & Entertainment Travel Guide
Clinton, New York: Chamber of Commerce: Clinton, NY Business - Event Listing: located in Oneida County: home to Hamilton College, NY, 13323, Central ny, Clark Mills, Franklin Springs, Deansboro, Oriskany Falls, Utica, Central New York, Mohawk Valley,

[cpomp]

Well if your talking about a town center with tons of stores and townhouses, there are some in the philadelphia area, many new ones are planned but are facing opposition from local residents. If your talking about towns with a downtown there are plenty of those too.

[GLS2010]

The Orlando suburbs have them, I don't think its just a northern thing

[brandonbrinegar]

Bellevue is just 5 minutes outside Seattle and looks like this
(taken from wikimedia)

[waronxmas]

Aren't all suburbs like this?

I'm confused by this thread and it would probably be useful to list the opposite.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Originally Posted by brandonbrinegar

Bellevue is just 5 minutes outside Seattle and looks like this
(taken from wikimedia)

Yeah I would say Bellevue, Issaquah, and Kirkland have decent and genuine downtowns. Kirkland being the best as it's on the water. Edmonds is pretty nice too. They are not the "Towne centers" anchored by Barnes and Noble and Pottery Barn. Bellevue use to be just a 9 to 5 downtown with a mall, but it's developed very impressively over the last 10 years in a Vancouver, BC sort of way.

[annie_himself]

Metairie, Louisiana has a downtown and isn't far from New Orleans at all. Covington also has a downtown but I don't know if it's as developed. Miami has downtown Ft. Lauderdale as well.

[prairiestate]

I think the OP is talking about communities like this, that developed along a railroad line at least a century ago.

Downers Grove, IL - Google Maps

I don't think they are talking about contrived "town centers" that were built from scratch in 6 months in the middle of a Florida swamp or Arizona desert, or for that matter a Midwest cornfield. Chicagoland has tons of communities that developed as independent villages a century ago, as well as some faux "town centers" built from scratch in a cornfield.