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I agree -- that post was amazing. It's hard to argue with its findings. Houstoners be warned. The research puts a proper perspective on your city.
most of the research in that post is over 4 years old. Some are also good, others like GaWC are total crap.
GaWC ranks places high because they have a busy airport for regional flights, while paying zero attention to international traffic. That is how places like Denver gets placed ahead of places like Philly, because Denver is a bigger domestic hub
It is also a crock that GAWC ranks the cities in alphabetical order by tiers but in this ranking within a tier they are given different numbers. That is not fair in the least
I think Foreign Policy's new list is okay, but the old one is used in this table.
Sorry Montclaire, that list is sooo 2008 (the brookings study is from 2005, GAWC from 2008, Foreign Policy is from 08, Mastercard from 08))
WestCobb what is your beef with Houston anyway? even in Montclaires post Houston ranked top 5 in some of them, and that was the OP original point in the other thread? why is it so hard for people like you to admit it does well in some things. honestly you just come off as a whiny baby just bashing the city in every thread
Last edited by HtownLove; 03-10-2012 at 07:55 PM..
WestCobb what is your beef with Houston anyway? even in Montclaires post Houston ranked top 5 in some of them, and that was the OP original point in the other thread? why is it so hard for people like you to admit it does well in some things. honestly you just come off as a whiny baby just bashing the city in every thread
You're not reading me very closely, H. I have said several times that I am sure Houston is a great place to live, and I have meant it. Where I live offers the same advantages that Houston does. I understand how great it is to live somewhere that combines first class urban amenities with a low cost of living. It's a recipe for a very high quality of life. It just gets under my skin for Houston to try to beat up on Philly or Boston or DC or SF. No one other than Houston boosters are feeling it. I also think its very presumptious of Houston to assume that it's first in a very long list of "second tier" US cities. (I say "second tier" for lack of a better term.)
As far as admitting that Houston does well in some things, I can do better than that. I am sure it succeeds in several things, which is why it is such a desirable place to live. I'm slipping into middle age -- my hipster 20s are in the rear view -- and truth be told, if I had to relocate to either Houston, SF or Boston (or even Chicago or NYC), I would strongly, strongly consider Houston. If money were no object I would never pick Houston, of course, but money is an object -- a very important one.
The fourth city is SF... end of story. Houston has a strong fight for 5th place however... even stronger fight for sixth place. End of thread already lol
The fourth city is SF... end of story. Houston has a strong fight for 5th place however... even stronger fight for sixth place. End of thread already lol
Houston can take eighth tops. NYC, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, Boston and San Francisco. Those are the top seven. (Consequently, those are the most populous metro areas in a 50 mile radius. This is significant because population is pretty much all Houston has going for it. Lord knows, it doesn't have history, culture, aethetics, etc.)
I am redoing Montclaire's list with new stats, and giving cities in the same tier the same ranking. It is unfair to give one a higher score based on which comes first in the alphabet.
GaWC’s 2010 list
Alpha++
1. New York
Alpha+
2. Chicago
Alpha
3. Los Angeles
3. Washington
3. San Francisco
Alpha-
6. Philadelphia
6. Atlanta
6. Dallas
6. Boston
6. Miami
Beta+
11. Houston
Beta
12. Minneapolis
12. Seattle
Beta -
14. Detroit
14. Denver
14. St Louis
14. San Diego
I am throwing out Taylor because the ranking is over 10 years and only lists a limited number of cities
Rannally City Rankings:
1-AAAA (Unique rating): New York
1-AAA (Unique rating): Los Angeles & Chicago
1-AA (Major national business centers): Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Washington
1-A (Other national business centers): Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, and Seattle
Master Card:
MasterCard’s 2008 “Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index”:
New York
Chicago
Los Angeles
Philadelphia
Boston
Atlanta
San Francisco
Miami
Houston
Dallas
Washington
Foreign Policy
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. San Francisco
5. Washington
6. Boston
7. Miami
8. Houston
9. Atlanta
Brookings:
Strata I: New York
Strata II: Chicago & Los Angeles
Strata III: San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, & Washington
Strata IV: Boston, Dallas, Houston, & Seattle
Strata V: Denver, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, St. Louis & Detroit
RAND:
Tier 1: New York & Washington
Tier 2: Chicago, Los Angeles, & San Francisco
Tier 3: Boston, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, & Philadelphia
Tier 4: Cleveland, Detroit, San Diego, & Seattle
Tier 5: Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, San Jose, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, & Tampa
Gawc RANALLY MASTERCARD FP Brookings RAND Total
NY 25 25 25 25 25 25 150
Chicago 24 24 24 24 24 24 144
Los Angeles 23 24 23 23 24 24 141
SF 23 23 19 22 23 24 134
Washington 23 23 15 21 23 25 130
Boston 22 23 21 20 22 23 131
Atlanta 22 23 20 18 23 21 127
Houston 21 23 17 19 22 23 125
Philadelphia 22 23 22 21 23 111
Miami 22 23 18 23 23 109
DFW 22 23 16 22 21 104
Seattle 20 22 22 22 86
Denver 19 22 21 22 84
Detroit 19 23 20 22 84
St Louis 19 23 20 22 84
Minneapolis 20 23 20 20 83
San Diego 19 22
So it seems
Tier 1= NY Perfect Score
Tier 2= LA and Chicago- 140's
Tier 3= SF, DC, Boston- 130's
Tier 4= Houston and ATL- 120's
Tier 5= Philly- 110's
Tier 6= Miami and DFW- 100's
Tier 7= Seattle, Denver, Detroit, ST Louis, Minneapolis, San Diego
Tiers 3 and 4 can easily be combined .
Tiers 5 and 6 as well
Houston can take eighth tops. NYC, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, Boston and San Francisco. Those are the top seven. (Consequently, those are the most populous metro areas in a 50 mile radius. This is significant because population is pretty much all Houston has going for it. Lord knows, it doesn't have history, culture, aethetics, etc.)
you are really ignorant if you think population is all the city has going for it. Its because people like you troll threads and bash cities as hard as you are doing why Houston has to be defended in so many threads.
you have said your piece, move on.
The city has obviously a lot more going on for it than population.
And comes out in a range of studies really close to Boston and above Philly in most
I am redoing Montclaire's list with new stats, and giving cities in the same tier the same ranking. It is unfair to give one a higher score based on which comes first in the alphabet.
GaWC’s 2010 list
Alpha++
1. New York
Alpha+
2. Chicago
Alpha
3. Los Angeles
3. Washington
3. San Francisco
Alpha-
6. Philadelphia
6. Atlanta
6. Dallas
6. Boston
6. Miami
Beta+
11. Houston
Beta
12. Minneapolis
12. Seattle
Beta -
14. Detroit
14. Denver
14. St Louis
14. San Diego
I am throwing out Taylor because the ranking is over 10 years and only lists a limited number of cities
Rannally City Rankings:
1-AAAA (Unique rating): New York
1-AAA (Unique rating): Los Angeles & Chicago
1-AA (Major national business centers): Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Washington
1-A (Other national business centers): Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, and Seattle
Master Card:
MasterCard’s 2008 “Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index”:
New York
Chicago
Los Angeles
Philadelphia
Boston
Atlanta
San Francisco
Miami
Houston
Dallas
Washington
Foreign Policy
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. San Francisco
5. Washington
6. Boston
7. Miami
8. Houston
9. Atlanta
Brookings:
Strata I: New York
Strata II: Chicago & Los Angeles
Strata III: San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, & Washington
Strata IV: Boston, Dallas, Houston, & Seattle
Strata V: Denver, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, St. Louis & Detroit
RAND:
Tier 1: New York & Washington
Tier 2: Chicago, Los Angeles, & San Francisco
Tier 3: Boston, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, & Philadelphia
Tier 4: Cleveland, Detroit, San Diego, & Seattle
Tier 5: Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, San Jose, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, & Tampa
Gawc RANALLY MASTERCARD FP Brookings RAND Total
NY 25 25 25 25 25 25 150
Chicago 24 24 24 24 24 24 144
Los Angeles 23 24 23 23 24 24 141
SF 23 23 19 22 23 24 134
Washington 23 23 15 21 23 25 130
Boston 22 23 21 20 22 23 131
Atlanta 22 23 20 18 23 21 127
Houston 21 23 17 19 22 23 125
Philadelphia 22 23 22 21 23 111
Miami 22 23 18 23 23 109
DFW 22 23 16 22 21 104
Seattle 20 22 22 22 86
Denver 19 22 21 22 84
Detroit 19 23 20 22 84
St Louis 19 23 20 22 84
Minneapolis 20 23 20 20 83
San Diego 19 22
So it seems
Tier 1= NY Perfect Score
Tier 2= LA and Chicago- 140's
Tier 3= SF, DC, Boston- 130's
Tier 4= Houston and ATL- 120's
Tier 5= Philly- 110's
Tier 6= Miami and DFW- 100's
Tier 7= Seattle, Denver, Detroit, ST Louis, Minneapolis, San Diego
Tiers 3 and 4 can easily be combined .
Tiers 5 and 6 as well
We're coming closer to a meeting of minds, but we're not quite there yet. Of all of these ranking systems, my favorite is the Rannally list. Not because of the particular cities included in its AA category (I'd argue with a few of them) but because it breaks US cites down like this: NYC, Chicago & Los Angeles ... a boatload of other cities.
When it comes to US cities, there's the big three -- we all know them. Then, you could slice out a second tranche (got to get some housing bubble jargon in there just for kicks) which would include Philly, DC, SF, Boston .. but even here, you are on shaky ground. This list is far less "objective" than the big three.. and then once you get to the third tier, the floodgates open.... there are a lot of cities that matter.
I think your tier system is fair, but I still disagree with it. Does Atlanta beat Philly? I don't really think so. I think if you bump Philly up to tier three, you've got the indisuptable top seven. After that, one can make a good case for Houston for number 8. One could make a good case for a few cities for that spot though.
At some point, it becomes like the southeastern skyline battle that's taking place in another thread. Are folks really fighting that hard for Charlotte to be fifth?? Who really cares at that point. What that thread establishes is that there really are only three skylines in the region that matter -- ATL, HOU and Miami.
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