Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It might be a fantasy (as I haven't been there, but basing my opinion on what I have heard about it) but I would choose San Fran any day. I am from PA and have been to Philly many times.
Technically an MSA is measured by the population development around a singular core city. Philadelphia being older than SF and one of the earliest historical magnets has always been a top 5 MSA in the usa. The Bay areas progress melded between 2 seperate MSA's in SF and SJ (50 miles apart).This in effect helped spawn a new category known as a CMSA, a consolidation of different metroes. So no officially the SF-Oak-Fremont metro is not larger than Philadelphias.
It appears to me that the CMSA category is drowning in ambiguity, insecurity and self promotion. It seems the more powerful politicians and lobbyist you have in your area the bigger you can expand your cmsa. Hence SF/SJ 50 miles away are part of the same cmsa but Philadelphia/Trenton 25 miles away are not.Philadelphia Reading 40 miles away are not. Philadlephia/Allentown 50 miles apart are not part of the same cmsa.
Here are the top 12 most urbanized areas of the USA per 2000 census.This list is based on areas that have an uninterrupted expanse of 2500 people per sq. mile.
Can someone explain why anyone should consider CMSAs relevant?
Philadelphia's metro and NYC's metro literally border each other. Philadelphia city limits are only about 12 miles from Trenton. In addition, Philadelphia city limits are about 40 miles from NYC limits. Though these two metros literally blend together, I'm not trying to make some lame claim of importance because of how massive an urban population these metros have when combined.
The Poconos in Pennsylvania are about 60 miles from NYC limits, yet it is included in the NYC CMSA even with large rural areas in between the two regions. This example shows that CMSAs include far outlying communities that have nothing in common with the major city itself. I don't really see the relevance in talking about commuting patterns when discussing which city is better or more interesting, larger etc. - And commuting patterns are what largely define CMSAs.
I agree...let's simply say that Philadelphia is the center of the Bosh-Wash Megalopolis; if memory serves me about 55,000,000 people.
It might be a fantasy (as I haven't been there, but basing my opinion on what I have heard about it) but I would choose San Fran any day. I am from PA and have been to Philly many times.
San Francisco definitely has a more glamorous reputation; I had friends who lived there but returned to Pa.
The CMSA's are hocus pocus self promotion.Some areas do it better than others, some regional political movements have more clout than others.
Why on God's green earth would the United States Census Bureau sit around and care about propping up certain Regions over others??
You are incapable of accepting the fact that Philadelphia doesnt have the area of influence that San Francisco does. I'm sorry but that's life.
You win some, you lose some.
Quote:
It absurd to try and tell me there is unquestioned integration between SJ -SF or bal-wash which are 50 miles apart , yet Philadelphia and Trenton 25 miles apart are apparent socio-isolated regions.
No, what's absurd is that you refuse to acknowledge that the commuter numbers for Philadelphia are just NOT THERE.
Not enough people commute into Philly from all those outer regions to warrant combining them. Its as simple as that.
Quote:
You'd have to be a jackass to believe that nonsense.
Actually only a jackass would believe its all some grand conspiracy to belittle your city.
Once again for old times sake.. 1. If a county sends at least 25% of its workers into another county, then they are combined into a single MSA.
2. If one MSA sends at least 15% of its workers into another MSA, then they are combined into a single CSA.
Please for the sake of your own dignity-at least acknowledge that Philly and its surrounding MSAs don't meet the requirement.
Quote:
The CMSA is a farce.Trenton being part of NYC's metro is an absolute abomination and renders the cmsa status obsolete imo.
Well too bad, CSAs are a reality for a reason-because they display the size and influence of a interdependent collection of MSAs.
Quote:
Stick with the msa's they have much more credibility.
Actually they are one in the same. MSAs make up CSAs. You are totally overemotional and unreasonable about something that quite frankly is not worth fretting over
I agree...let's simply say that Philadelphia is the center of the Bosh-Wash Megalopolis; if memory serves me about 55,000,000 people.
Comparing the Bay Area to Bos-Wash is absurd. Again, look at this aerial photo:
The half-ring around the bay looks like its all virtually one city, and driving from SF to SJ, or from SF to Oakland, or Oakland to SJ, it all feels like one city. There is no break whatsoever. That urban stretch (which has the large bulk of Northern CA's population), along with Marin and Solano immediately to the North and the East Bay suburbs you see directly across the mountains, now has around 7.5 million people. It should clealry all be considered one metro area.
The smaller beach city on the southern edge of the picture is Santa Cruz, which IS considered to be a different CSA. See the difference?
Last edited by irishimm; 08-25-2009 at 03:34 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.