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Also, infill in Charlotte etc. is almost universally less urban than in many other cities. Even the urban-looking stuff tends to have very high parking ratios and low densities, with much of that parking above-grade.
Also, infill in Charlotte etc. is almost universally less urban than in many other cities. Even the urban-looking stuff tends to have very high parking ratios and low densities, with much of that parking above-grade.
That's actually par for the course in most Sunbelt cities.
DC DC DC - I love city life but something about the wide streets, short similar buildings, and mostly chain establishments has made me not a fan. Lacks personality and is very boring IMO. This led me to taking a job in Bmore.
DC DC DC - I love city life but something about the wide streets, short similar buildings, and mostly chain establishments has made me not a fan. Lacks personality and is very boring IMO. This led me to taking a job in Bmore.
I agree. It's not top 5 sterile, but it's arguably at/near the top of the sterile downtown list of the most urban cities like Boston NYC Philly Chicago SF LA. I love the 14th St and U St area though. Outside of that area, it's quite bland, like you said, with wide streets and low building and chains. Low buildings are okay when you have narrow streets like all over Europe, much of Latin America, and even similar cities like Bmore and Philly in their rowhome neighborhoods.
But DC is still better than basically every other city in the country besides the obvious like Boston NYC Philly Chicago LA SF Seattle etc. I'd never say DC is more sterile than a city like Raleigh Charlotte Tampa Phoenix SLC etc.
DC DC DC - I love city life but something about the wide streets, short similar buildings, and mostly chain establishments has made me not a fan. Lacks personality and is very boring IMO. This led me to taking a job in Bmore.
We appreciate the honorable mention (wink), but if this thread is truly about the top 5 sterile downtowns, then DC doesn't belong to that group. Downtown DC is a geographically large area, comparatively speaking, and the character of downtown is not the same throughout. Downtown DC is not all chains either. There is quite a bit of nightlife that happens in Downtown DC as well. And, local, independent restaurants, too.
But, carry on. And, good luck in downtown Baltimore.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,565,972 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by revitalizer
We appreciate the honorable mention (wink), but if this thread is truly about the top 5 sterile downtowns, then DC doesn't belong to that group. Downtown DC is a geographically large area, comparatively speaking, and the character of downtown is not the same throughout. Downtown DC is not all chains either. There is quite a bit of nightlife that happens in Downtown DC as well. And, local, independent restaurants, too.
But, carry on. And, good luck in downtown Baltimore.
What's funniest is the number of chains expanded to downtown Baltimore the past number of years, is the only thing that's saved it from completely falling off the ledge. Just pull up a google map of Downtown Baltimore and let's find the difference in amount of chains. Harbor place is a mess too, although I think it's getting a makeover.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,565,972 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessemh431
I agree. It's not top 5 sterile, but it's arguably at/near the top of the sterile downtown list of the most urban cities like Boston NYC Philly Chicago SF LA. I love the 14th St and U St area though. Outside of that area, it's quite bland, like you said, with wide streets and low building and chains. Low buildings are okay when you have narrow streets like all over Europe, much of Latin America, and even similar cities like Bmore and Philly in their rowhome neighborhoods.
But DC is still better than basically every other city in the country besides the obvious like Boston NYC Philly Chicago LA SF Seattle etc. I'd never say DC is more sterile than a city like Raleigh Charlotte Tampa Phoenix SLC etc.
DC is a whole lot more than 14th and U street, all 4 quadrants of the city you can find urban street vibrancy. What are you talking about? To insinuate that's the only part of the city that is not sterile is asinine. Even if I concede to your point towards the downtown CBD, 65/70% of DC is nothing like what you described. It's not CLOSE to top 5 sterile, or sterile over all as a city, it's the center of a booming international metropolis. If your talking just the downtown there are some old bland buildings yes, but a lot of that is changing.
And the irony in the other cities you mentioned is the only ones I'd even think to choose to live in over DC would be NY or LA, the others would at best do about the same for me if not less.
Last edited by the resident09; 07-16-2018 at 10:05 PM..
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