Which city sums up America the best? (economy, smog, beautiful)

[Hendu]

It's NYC and here's why: America is seen as a melting pot, where anyone can come to escape poverty, persecution, etc. and have a shot at the America dream. NYC is currently and historically the most representative immigration-based city. You can see it in the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. You can see it in the various ethnic neighborhoods, or by listening to the different languages being spoken on the subway.

[killakoolaide]

Atlanta is a little too suburban to be representative of how most Americans live. IMO. Chi and STL too midwestern.

America's heart and soul lie somewhere between its old capitol, new capitol, and world capitol. So I'd say the Mid-Atlantic as a whole, no city in particular, best represents america.

[Gtownoe]

I'd say NYC is the least American city on the poll. Not to say its not a great bustling city (which is very subjective), but it in no way represents most Americans values, mindset, or way of life.

On the list I would select Chicago and St. Louis.

Chicago is a very large city in the middle of the country who's population tends to have a majority midwestern mindset. Chicagoans are much more in your face than much of America but its a working city that flies under the radar and doesn't have a glamourized image such as LA and NYC.

It's filled with populations that helped build this country (african americans, hispanics, italians, irish), its home to many popular American music genres (birthplace of house, great blues and jazz scene), and it wasn't built solely on European standards like many New England cities were. It's home to many American architectural styles, has a dense city feel with sprawling suburbs, and its the countries trading ground for many American made commodities.

I would say the most "American" cities tend to be midwestern or Southern cities. New England cities have a heavy European influence.

[thefallensrvnge]

I can see why New York, LA and Chicago would be popular choices; they sort of represent the melting pot culture of the States. But I work around a lot of immigrants, and I am always surprised how many of them view rural areas as their ideal image of America: red barn, big cars, big houses, and maybe a sort of a Western type feel. I know one immigrant who moved from New York to Kansas, and I asked him how that felt. He said he loved it instantly, because it was America how he always thought it would be. I guess it is all about the individual and usually what influences they've had from American cinema.

[resuelppA]

NYC is the city for the 1% so definitely not NYC. Thats not America.

Its definitely Chicago.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by CHIP72

I remember when I was in graduate school and I was at a geography education conference (my Master's is in geography, though I do not work in geography education) in the fall of 1997, a recent ex-student and I were talking with one of the professors who attended the conference. (The professor taught at a major school for geography in Texas and I believe was originally from one of the Rocky Mountain states; I could be wrong on the latter.) The discussion turned to what U.S. city was the most prototypically American. He said Kansas City.

I voted for NYC, simply because I think it most represents the US in the eyes of the world, but the above comment is certainly food for thought. I remember hearing that Kansas City was a popular place for companies to test market their products because its demographic makeup so closely mirrors that of the US.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by goat314

Again what makes Boston and Los Angeles more typical of America than St. Louis or Atlanta?
I think your viewpoint is narrow and somewhat elitist.
Yeah Los Angeles is a major influential city in America, but its sphere of influence is heavily concentrated on the West Coast.
Boston is representative of New England, but do you really think it has pull outside of the Northeast? Its not even the most influential city in the Northeast.
You criticize the validity of St. Louis being on this poll, but forget that this is a major cultural center for people in Missouri, Southern Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Arkansas.
You criticize the validity of Atlanta being on this poll, but forget that this is a major cultural center for people in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee.
America is a lot more vast than just the East and West Coasts. In fact most Americans live in the Middle somewhere.

I've always thought this MLB map says a lot. A lot of times sports associations show similarities in culture. As you can see the sports culture influence of Atlanta and St. Louis almost touch each other despite being over 600 miles away from each other. This is not exactly scientific, but it gives you an idea of influence.

I do think you make great points, but I have to qualify one of them. Atlanta-based TBS, which broadcasts all over North America, has been promoting the Braves as 'America's Team' for decades. So IMO it rather has an edge here.

[313Weather]

Chicago area I think is the perfect post child for all of America.

It has the stark racial and wealth divide (not too poor, not too wealthy), and a very good mixture of urban and suburban development plus both a car & mass transit culture.

[HtownLove]

I think Chicago is representative of multiple aspects of the US all rolled up in one. so I say Chicago

[Evergrey]

Springfield, MO