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Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
3,887 posts, read 5,518,426 times
Reputation: 3107
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalparadise
New England is generally better educated, more refined, has a higher quality of life, and is more picturesque than places like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and the rest of that vast swath of Generica called the Midwest. Outside of Chicago and St. Louis, which are highly underrated, if we lost the likes of Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh et al tomorrow, it would probably be a few weeks before anyone knew they were gone.
The ignorance in this post is stunning. The Midwest and areas near the Midwest (like Pittsburgh, which is technically Northeast but very close to the Midwest) contains some of America's greatest cities. You mentioned Chicago, an obviously top notch city. But you downplay a city like Pittsburgh to be "Generica"? It's easy to see that your viewpoints are truly provincial on this topic. Firstly, Pittsburgh is incredibly picturesque. I'm not doing it for you because you are (apparently) an adult, but do a quick Google search of Pittsburgh and you will see it has some of the most beautiful topography in the country and has one of the best skylines in the country. Pittsburgh is on track to becoming the "next" Portland or Austin, with many local craft breweries, restaurants, and other amenities springing up everywhere in former undesirable neighborhoods. The last two times I was home in Pittsburgh, I ate at these six restaurants. Please, tell me how they are not "refined" or "high quality". After all, "Generica" only has Red Lobster, right? Granted, these are not the "high end" restaurants in Pittsburgh where you go and get an $80 steak and a potato (those places certainly exist there, as in most medium to large cities). I enjoy food from more contemporary places. These kind of restaurants are the true gems of gastronomy. Good, local ingredients prepared by one of a kind chefs who are passionate about fresh ingredients, seasonality and a unique and changing menu. You'll find these kind of restaurants and gastropubs popping up in such established cities as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, DC, and increasingly cities like Portland, Pittsburgh, Austin, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, St. Louis, etc. Get over the provincialism man, it will hold you back from many of life's pleasures.
I also suppose the Midwest suffers from a lower quality of life and amenities too, right? Hospitals such as the Cleveland Clinic (easily the best cardio-thoracic surgical institution in the Nation), Mayo Clinic, Northwestern, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (a top, and pioneering transplant center in the Nation) are just not as accommodating to give you quality healthcare. I'm sure the medical community wouldn't care if such top quality and bar-setting institutions like that "disappeared tomorrow". No big deal that many of todays cardiac surgeries that are performed on patients were first done at Cleveland Clinic and then adopted by the rest of America. Universities such as Carnegie Mellon, Notre Dame, Northwestern, the University of Pittsburgh, and Case Western are just backwater too, right? Do I need to keep going for you?
It's the least dense state east of the Mississippi River. The Midwestern states that are less dense are the Dakota and Kansas. There's possibly a Maine-sized piece of Minnesota that's less dense.
If Upper Michigan were its own state (as locals wish...and it's not even connected to the rest of Michigan and has its own distinct cultural mix) it would be the most sparsely-populated continental state in the country. Drop the border south into the Wisconsin northwoods and there you go - Maine-sized and less dense than Maine I would imagine.
On the West side of the Mississippi, you could probably break off MN at some point north of the Twin Cities and get similar numbers.
If Upper Michigan were its own state (as locals wish...and it's not even connected to the rest of Michigan and has its own distinct cultural mix) it would be the most sparsely-populated continental state in the country. Drop the border south into the Wisconsin northwoods and there you go - Maine-sized and less dense than Maine I would imagine.
On the West side of the Mississippi, you could probably break off MN at some point north of the Twin Cities and get similar numbers.
Mississippi is more well developed and urban than the Upper Peninsula, for sure. Finally an area of the country this state can do battle with and win.
Mississippi River - Maine lowest density east of the Mississippi - Minnesota is west of the Mississippi.
The residents of St. Paul would disagree with you.
The Upper Peninsula is even less dense than Maine. Also, wasn't just comparing density. If the Upper Peninsula were a state it'd probably still lose to Mississippi in a host of other areas too, where Maine wouldn't.
The residents of St. Paul would disagree with you.
The Upper Peninsula is even less dense than Maine. Also, wasn't just comparing density. If the Upper Peninsula were a state it'd probably still lose to Mississippi in a host of other areas too, where Maine wouldn't.
If we can include such things, how about ditching Portland? The Southern Extreme corner of Maine? A tiny bit of land, a 'bedroom' community of Boston. Along with it's suburbs, less than 5% of Maine's area, but it holds over 50% of Maine's population.
Get rid of that one city, and Maine's population-density looks a lot different.
Most of Maine has less than 10 people per square-mile.
If we can include such things, how about ditching Portland? The Southern Extreme corner of Maine? A tiny bit of land, a 'bedroom' community of Boston. Along with it's suburbs, less than 5% of Maine's area, but it holds over 50% of Maine's population.
Get rid of that one city, and Maine's population-density looks a lot different.
Most of Maine has less than 10 people per square-mile.
I know, it's ridiculously barren there. It's one of the oldest parts of the country yet people refuse to settle there. Sometimes I wonder why, then I watch the Weather Channel.
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