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I don't disagree with anything you said here; none of it. My comment is directed toward the three or four people who iterated that Milwaukee should be running away with this, or that Milwaukee is by a landslide a stronger city than Richmond...
I'd like to see Milwaukee one day, and in many ways it seems like a city I could enjoy. My girlfriend right now has a friend she works with in Chester (suburban Richmond) who is from Milwaukee...
One of the things with city vs city comparisons is that they can be interpreted subjectively or objectively. Objectively, according to the criteria set forth in the first post, Milwaukee wins this match-up but subjectively, I'd definitely rather live in either Richmond (1st choice) or Birmingham (2nd choice) as Milwaukee is statistically the worst performing city for Blacks among major cities in the country. If I were to live there, it would be primarily for proximity to Chicago.
Would you have "stopped reading" if Birmingham was #1 on the list? What is your eye test? Does your side job include pop psychology? Whatever the underlying reason is you come across as an out of the loop booster and your aversion to statistics is irrational...not to be negative...
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Originally Posted by Mutiny77
Sorry, but anecdotes are no substitute for actual data. That's not how this works.
Would I have stopped reading if Birmingham was #1? of course; Birmingham has an influential Urban youth culture, but it's not one of the most prominent and influential group of individuals in the US/North America. Especially over Miami, NYC, LA, Atlanta, Toronto, DC, Austin and etc.
I'm currently going to University to become a teacher, that's initially my main goal in at this point in my life. But if you ask anyone I've met throughout the last five years of my life, they'll tell you I'm a very creative person. My "side job" or career goal as I see it, is Photography, Graphic Design, and Musical Production; so I'm steadily connecting, emailing, and linking up with several different individuals across the globe just to get my name out there more and more. So as a Millennial, when we're traveling, or venturing off into these different types of cities, we're not lusting over statistics, that aspect isn't really relevant. We want to see the evidence, the physical evidence of how a city works, how it moves, and how significant that vibe is in relation one's expectation.
As you can see, I rarely post data/statistics, I want my claims to be felt, to be seen, to be something you can visually see.
As you can see, I rarely post data/statistics, I want my claims to be felt, to be seen, to be something you can visually see.
Doesn't matter; Birmingham simply isn't a very diverse place, no matter what you felt or saw. Statistics are objective, factual data and anecdotes don't negate that. Now it may be more diverse than some think it is, but that doesn't mean it's very diverse.
Doesn't matter; Birmingham simply isn't a very diverse place, no matter what you felt or saw. Statistics are objective, factual data and anecdotes don't negate that. Now it may be more diverse than some think it is, but that doesn't mean it's very diverse.
That was my initial point, is Birmingham diverse compared to skewed assumptions? yes, should we overstate that term as it's applied to Birmingham? no. Honestly, I think we just have two separate interpretations of what diversity is; I grew in various diverse communities, I have a very diverse family, I can speak two different languages, I love experiencing different cultures, etc. and actually, since it's Ramadan, I told one of my Palestinean pals in Birmingham that I was going fast with him just to get the gist behind the whole thing.
But yeah, I just think we're on two ends of the stick with this topic. Also, do you actually know anyone from Birmingham? and have you actually been throughout the Birmingham Metro? and what cities would you believe set the better examples of diversity within the US?
That was my initial point, is Birmingham diverse compared to skewed assumptions? yes, should we overstate that term as it's applied to Birmingham? no.
That's a better way of putting things.
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But yeah, I just think we're on two ends of the stick with this topic. Also, do you actually know anyone from Birmingham? and have you actually been throughout the Birmingham Metro? and what cities would you believe set the better examples of diversity within the US?
I know a good bit of people from Birmingham actually and I'm planning a visit next month if all goes according to plan. I haven't been all throughout the metro, but that's the case even for cities where I've lived; there's usually not much of a need to do so (besides traveling through along the interstates). I don't think there's a standard of diversity that cities should strive for; it's just a byproduct of several different factors (history, geography, economy, etc.). There are healthy, growing cities out there that don't register very high on the diversity scale, and you also have the opposite.
Restaurants: Milwaukee has the most James Beard award nominee's (hat tip to Birmingham's Highlands Bar and Grill for most consecutive years nominated)
Young People: I'm not familiar enough with Richmond to compare... but Milwaukee is a much better option than Birmingham.
Mass Transit/Transportation: I'm not familiar with Birmingham and Richmond mass trans.
Economy: Richmond perhaps has this one.
Suburbs: Milwaukee's suburbs grew up across a wide spectrum of decades compared to Birmingham, giving much greater options for the type of communities available. Diversity of options gives the nod to Milwaukee with Richmond coming in second.
Stadiums: Milwaukee has the only major league teams in this group... so that is an automatic for them without even considering they have arguably the best, or one of the best, ballparks in all of MLB and are building a brand new arena for the NBA team.
Downtowns: Hands down Milwaukee. Best skyline, several entertainment districts, beautiful downtown set on the lakefront with the riverwalk running through it.
Urban core : Again hands down Milwaukee. Most dense, many urban neighborhoods, etc.
Sprawl : Easy again. Milwaukee's MSA with 1.5 million people covers just over 1500 sq miles while Richmond's 1.2 million is 4500-ish sq mi and Birmingham's 1.1 million is over 5300 sq miles.
Traffic : Milwaukee has a very easy to navigate streetgrid and short commute times compared to peer cities.
Resturant scene : See restaurants.
Diversity: I'm unfamiliar with Birmingham and Richmond diversity. Milwaukee gets a bad rap here.
Nightlife: Milwaukee again. One fun measure: Only New Orleans has more bars per capita.
Safety:
Education: Milwaukee again, more quality universities than both Richmond and Birmingham. For primary and secondary education, being in Wisconsin is a big plus as well. However, the Milwaukee public schools are a large anchor on performance in this category.
Cost of living: OK, Birmingham has this one... but I wouldn't sacrifice for the quality of life for things you'd miss out on in terms of sports, the arts, musuems, festivals, etc.
Climate/weather: This one is very subjective, but Richmond probably wins here since I need all four seasons but Milwaukee may be a bit too cold in Winter. Although the differences aren't that great.
Given the OP's criteria I think Milwaukee wins this easily. Milwaukee might be last here in terms of safety and climate, but it's definitely the most vibrant of the three (Birmingham a distant third), has the most big city amenities, and downtown.
Richmond does have some nice urban neighborhoods, but Milwaukee just has more. Plus, Lake Michigan is a big advantage.
Millennials: See the Top 25 Cities Where They're Moving | Time.com Guess which city is #2 (stats from Urban Land Institute). Meanwhile you can't pretend that Birmingham is the only city with a distinctive downtown with different defining districts; that's every city in the US! Realistically, Birmingham has gotten better over the years, but in tandem, so has a significant portion of urban America. The city is still not on either the level of Milwaukee or Richmond.
I have been born, raised, and educated in Bham... Then lived there as a millennial for 8 years after graduating college. I don't think this map is accurate. I can tell you with certainty that a couple cities in Orange on that map have a stronger and thicker millennial feel than Bham. Bham does not hold a candle to several orange spots on the map, I know so because I live in one now. There's no way the millennial population is declining where I live. I left Bham because there was just no opportunity for professionals my age. If there was an opportunity, there was like one job opening; not multiple.
One needs to define millennial as well though. To me, it's an educated professional in the workforce. Others seem to brand it simply as anyone in their 20s or 30s who's a hipster.
1. One needs to define millennial as well though. To me, it's an educated professional in the workforce. Others seem to brand it simply as 2. anyone in their 20s or 30s who's a hipster.
Milwaukee absolutely destroys these cities! I often get labeled as a homer, but come on guys! Have any of you actually been to Milwaukee? The urban core is better than Richmond and Birmingham combined. Seriously look at the Third Ward on street view and you will see that.
From a growth, economy, and future standpoint, Richmond is the winner, but it cannot offer the beauty, charm, or urban experience of Milwaukee as of today.
In the last 5 years, pretty much every downtown and surrounding area has gentrified, densified, and gussied up. Don't think your city is special for doing so. What I would like to see is some data on the amount of commercial development/construction currently ongoing or proposed in each city.
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