"Fly Over Country" Cities (live, best, rates, largest)

[WRosado]

I got interested in creating a thread based on cities in what a lot of people refer to as fly over country or in the Great Plains. Most people do not pay attention to these cities, and they get a reputation for being boring. I certainly think they are underrated in their own right, and deserve maybe a little attention. Cities that I was thinking of were:

-St. Paul, Minnesota
-Des Moines, Iowa
-Omaha, Nebraska
-Kansas City, Missouri
-Wichita, Kansas
-Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
-Tulsa, Oklahoma
-Little Rock, Arkansas

*If you can think of any others, please mention them.

Some cities are obviously bigger than others, but which ones do your prefer or at least peak your interests? These are cities I would not want to live in because I would feel so isolated, but which ones do you think you could see yourself at least giving a visit?

Amenities and things to take into account such as:

Museums
Economy
Park Systems
Shopping
Neighborhoods
Universities
Entertainment

Omaha/Lincoln, Nebraska:

I will mention that I was pleasantly surprised by SE Nebraska. After one of the most boring and treeless drives I have ever witnessed, it was nice to see some trees, greenery, and rolling hills SE Nebraska had to offer off of I-80. Omaha was a fairly large city with plenty of amenities that cities further east and west have to offer. Downtown Omaha was a big surprise, and the city neighborhoods seemed very healthy and established. Lincoln was a nice capital with a major university sitting right next to downtown. Downtown Lincoln was a bit of a sleeper, but the Haymarket area was experiencing all kinds of new construction like the new UNL basketball arena, and the neighborhood had significant restaurants. UNL had a great campus, and downtown Lincoln itself had quite a bit of new offerings. The capital building is also one of the most unique in the nation. Nebraska actually has an economy that is based off other options other than farming and agriculture. It has a pretty diverse economy with 5 fortune 500 companies and a low unemployment rate. Both Omaha and Lincoln are in the top 100 largest cities in the nation, Omaha having a population of 408,000 and Lincoln at 258,000. Both have shown good growth rates at 4.9% and 14.5% respectively.

This thread may be a little random, but this is a part of the country that gets forgotten or looked down on a lot, but can actually have quite a few surprises.

For the record, I had planned on making a poll, but had no idea how to make one.

[SPonteKC]

No one in any of those cities feels anymore isolated than people in Cleveland do.

[Mezter]

I think all cities have something unique to offer.

[Drewcifer]

I lived in St Paul for 15 years. If it wasn't next to Minneapolis it would have a higher profile because it is a pretty nice city. It is safe. It feels like a giant college town. It is dominated by two neo-classical domes on the perifery of downtown which is a rarity among American cities and gives it an old world feel. Cathedral Hill is the best neighborhood in Minnesota, it is basically the Midwestern version of the Garden District. Unfortunately its' best attribute is that it is next door to a much cooler city. If you want to live next to a great city but not in one and not in the suburbs St Paul is a great place because Minneapolis only ten minutes away. In my case though I started to wonder why I was living next to the city I loved rather than in it.

[Maintainschaos]

Some others probably include Columbus, Indianapolis, Topeka and Milwaukee

[steel03]

Originally Posted by WRosado

These are cities I would not want to live in because I would feel so isolated, but which ones do you think you could see yourself at least giving a visit?

Museums
Economy
Park Systems
Shopping
Neighborhoods
Universities
Entertainment

I have lived in Des Moines or St. Paul since 1997 and I have never once felt isolated. I'm currently within 4 hours of Kansas City, Omaha, and Minneapolis, and within 6 hours of St. Louis and Chicago (not to mention Sioux Falls, Lincoln, Madison, Rochester, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Davenport). Omaha and Kansas City are neighbors. Des Moines-Kansas City-Wichita-Oklahoma City-Dallas are all about three hours apart. This part of the country is not nearly as isolated as the Mountain West.

That said, I would rank those 8 cities in almost exactly the order you listed them:

1. St. Paul (and Minneapolis)
2. Des Moines
3. Kansas City
4. Omaha
5. Oklahoma City
6. Tulsa
7. Little Rock
8. Wichita

As for amenities...

Museums: OKC, MSP, and KC all have some spectacular museums (especially the Weisman in MSP)
Economy: Des Moines, Omaha, and MSP
Park Systems: MSP has easily one of the best park systems in the country
Shopping: MSP and Kansas City
Neighborhoods: MSP and Des Moines are the ones I know best, though I'm sure all these cities have nice neighborhoods
Universities: MSP
Entertainment: None of these cities lack entertainment. MSP is bested only by the American megacities in its high-quality entertainment.

Just a tip, every single person in "flyover country" detests the term "flyover country."

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

I never considered Minneapolis-St. Paul to be flyover country. They are too large and offer too much.

[kidphilly]

I guess it all depends on where one is flying from and to


traditionally the phrase is really anyplace that isnt NYC or LA

[thunderkat59]

I agree with the OP.
People need to travel with an open heart and mind.

My experience in most places is very different than what magazines or blogs say. I travel by walk, bike and scooter at a very slow pace and see many cities in a different perspective than the usual traveler.

Cities like Philly, Boston and a few other CT, RI type places are totally overrated if you are traveling on a budget. There are hidden gems everywhere in the MW that absolutely would blow most people away if they were to disregard the hype regarding eastern coastal cities

I have only found one place on the earth that has nothing for me, and that was WPB-Lauderdale Florida, a huge hype area.

[Toxic Toast]

Last time I flew to Boston, I flew right over Manhattan. Therefore, New York City is flyover country to me.