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This seems like an odd statement, of course it matters, quite a few of us have lived abroad or can if we want to... It doesn't make sense to take an isolationist approach to cities and be like oh, not many of our cities are urban, but that's okay b/c we are the U.S. yahooo... That's like Guatemala saying most of their cities are poor and not seeking to improve it.
Different countries have different standards and unless you're used to one of those other standards of urbanity then I really don't see how you can speak from that perspective honestly. A semester abroad doesn't really change that imo. I'm not even sure what your last sentence is suppose to even mean.
Different countries have different standards and unless you're used to one of those other standards of urbanity then I really don't see how you can speak from that perspective honestly. A semester abroad doesn't really change that imo. I'm not even sure what your last sentence is suppose to even mean.
We'll just have to agree to disagree, I've been to around 30 countries so, the U.S. doesn't seem that urban overall to me. My first urban living experience even though it was short lived was in Paris. I've also lived in Africa in dense areas, even though they were crapholes and dangerous, they were walkable. Lots of my friends are foreign ESL teachers and have done lots of teaching abroad. South Korea and Japan are really popular experiences. Often when somebody gets used to one, they want to find that lifestyle similar in the U.S., but the U.S. doesn't have many options for it. I know most americans aren't interested in urban living, but with a population over 300 mil there are many of us who are.
A) LA and San Diego are not true cities. Sorry, they really aren't.
B) LA metro and San Diego city proper are more urban than people think. The city of Los Angeles is equally as suburban as people think (if you actually study and asses what is LA.... literally all but a few blocks of LA outside of Hollywood and Downtown are suburban, and once again LA does not mean WeHo or Beverly Hills).
I'll give you that they have bad urban design, are car-centric and maybe even aren't urban. But suburban? No way.
But...at least San Francisco has cleaner air and more natural beauty than NYC.
but what's enough for someone might not be enough for another. For some NYC has enough natural beauty and SF doesn't have enough "city" ... for others it is the opposite, SF has enough city and the right amount of natural beauty. SF feels downright spacious with plenty of views beyond the city compared to being in Manhattan, mostly b/c of lower buildings there and the hills.
What natural beauty does NYC have? An ocean view, fine. Central Park? Please.
San Francisco is the densest city in the USA after NYC. I can't imagine someone thinking it isn't enough city for them. Plus, the entire Bay Area offers other cities, like Oakland and nearby San Jose.
What natural beauty does NYC have? An ocean view, fine. Central Park? Please.
San Francisco is the densest city in the USA after NYC. I can't imagine someone thinking it isn't enough city for them. Plus, the entire Bay Area offers other cities, like Oakland and nearby San Jose.
There is quite a bit of nature outside the city. The palisades are directly across from the city... as from the pic you can obviously see the natural landscape...this is from top of Empire State Building. NYC isn't Dallas or something.
skyscrapersunet.com
ny.gov
travelingbastards
(shot from Cloisters in Manhattan)
For your second point.
Saying SF is the 2nd densest city after NYC is like saying Sacramento is the 2nd biggest metro in Northern California. Who cares, they aren't similar at all.
For your third point...
While SF and the bay area is very cool, I definitely felt it was kind of small (the city and urban part). I've heard similar from many other people, this is no revelation. Honestly Bay Area is great for what the whole metro offers and a fantastic location (redwoods, low mountains, great ocean views, wine country) but SF itself isn't that wild big or crazy in the grand scheme of things.
And finally...
San Jose is a trek and a half... not really convenient and not sure why anybody would want to go there, it's the most boring part of the entire Bay Area. If I was going down that way I'd keep going and go to Santa Cruz or take a right turn and go to Half Moon Bay.
What natural beauty does NYC have? An ocean view, fine. Central Park? Please.
San Francisco is the densest city in the USA after NYC. I can't imagine someone thinking it isn't enough city for them. Plus, the entire Bay Area offers other cities, like Oakland and nearby San Jose.
I think NYC is beautiful. Just because YOU don't doesn't mean it's not.
It is pretty...but not naturally. Like the pictures said, the natural beauty is OUTSIDE the city.
I disagree. Sure, NJ is beautiful and so is Long Island, upstate suburbs and CT suburbs, but I think NYC is beautiful, too, both naturally and architecturally. There's more to NYC than Manhattan, which people frequently forget. Staten Island has some of the most beautiful neighborhoods I've seen in NYC. Check out Grymes Hill and Todt Hill, the homes along with the views they provide. I also think few things are more beautiful than tree-lined Brownstone neighborhoods like these:
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