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Everything over 2 million is a "big city." Metro areas between 1 and 2 million depend on the metro. I would consider New Orleans and Louisville big cities but would not consider OKC as such.
Is it based on feel? Strictly population? What else? (we're talking about metros, not propers)
Elaborate.
In general, I'd say a big city is relative to the surrounding metro area. It also is the density, and the greater vibrancy compared to its suburbs in terms of amenities.
I'd say for a good metro, the city proper should have a population of at least 250,000 with a population density of at least 1,900 people per square mile, and with a metro area or CSA of over 1,100,000 million.
A large city should be able to support amenities like multiple movie theaters, a vibrant downtown filled with unique independent restaurants, Shops galore, and bars and brewpubs and breweries; and it should also have plenty of vibrant historic neighborhoods (even if some are mixed in with a few bad neighborhoods) and have a good 4 year or Masters of doctorate level college in it or nearby, as well as several heavy industry or logistics works taking place in the city and its suburbs and exurbs.
In the greater area should be plenty of vibrant suburbs, with several lifestyle or regional shopping centers, maybe one superregional shopping center. There should be an abundance and good variety of chain restaurants and variety in shopping options.
Maybe a Wal-Mart or two in the exurbs in the counties surrounding the city would make some good shopping, but only in the most basic of areas in the exurbs.
In general, I'd say a big city is relative to the surrounding metro area. It also is the density, and the greater vibrancy compared to its suburbs in terms of amenities.
I'd say for a good metro, the city proper should have a population of at least 250,000 with a population density of at least 1,900 people per square mile, and with a metro area or CSA of over 1,100,000 million.
A large city should be able to support amenities like multiple movie theaters, a vibrant downtown filled with unique independent restaurants, Shops galore, and bars and brewpubs and breweries; and it should also have plenty of vibrant historic neighborhoods (even if some are mixed in with a few bad neighborhoods) and have a good 4 year or Masters of doctorate level college in it or nearby, as well as several heavy industry or logistics works taking place in the city and its suburbs and exurbs.
In the greater area should be plenty of vibrant suburbs, with several lifestyle or regional shopping centers, maybe one superregional shopping center. There should be an abundance and good variety of chain restaurants and variety in shopping options.
Maybe a Wal-Mart or two in the exurbs in the counties surrounding the city would make some good shopping, but only in the most basic of areas in the exurbs.
Anything else would work just fine.
Wow, that's an incredibly low population density. That's just above the density of the entire state of NJ. Only 4 cities in the top 5 largest cities have a population density lower.
As long as it looks and functions like a big city, it is one to me. Honolulu has less than 1M people and it feels/looks much larger.
This is what most non city info buffs probably go by. It's also very relative based on where you've lived, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Buster
Orlando is similar in metro size to Charlotte but its not urban.
I would hesitate to call either one "big" cities, but they are both highly urbanized. Orlando being the larger UA and denser metro but CLT having a taller more "big city" looking and feeling skyline/Uptown. The light rail also boosts the big city quotient if were comparing DTs, but ORL has a very active and beautiful city core so good on both places regarding that.
Just driving around the metro immediately outside the core and beyond, Orlando does feel more developed and busier. We also have more clusters of intrest than does Charlotte. Both cities have top notch and tremendously busy airports for their size.
No clear winner here and it's not really a competition. Both big metros, midsized cities, with very bright futures and lots to be proud of.
It's all about perspective, but for me any metro above 1 mill is a big city. Being from Macon, GA (150,000 city proper, 230,000+ metro, 417,000+ CSA), many people from the countless dozens and dozens of truly small and rural towns across Middle and South Georgia consider coming here or to Savannah, Augusta, Montgomery, Columbus, Tallahassee, etc. as going to a "large" city. Going to a Jacksonville or Birmingham would definitely be a trip to a "big city" to them (and most of us). It seems many on here talk from the perspective of being from and/or used to very large cities like Boston, NY, Chicago, etc. There are a ton more smaller metros, rural, and small towns than there are major cities. So, I think to your average person in Basic Town, USA a "big" city would be most places with metros of 1 mill+
I would disagree, even people in Buffalo, Birmingham, Rochester, Grand Rapids etc seem to recognize they don't live in a "Big City" even though the metros are all 1M+. Residents start believing they live in a big city at ~2M.
I think if you asked Clevelanders or Kansas Citians they live in a major city the results would be ~65/35 yes, in Buffalo or El Paso the answer would be probably 80/20 no.
I would disagree, even people in Buffalo, Birmingham, Rochester, Grand Rapids etc seem to recognize they don't live in a "Big City" even though the metros are all 1M+. Residents start believing they live in a big city at ~2M.
I think if you asked Clevelanders or Kansas Citians they live in a major city the results would be ~65/35 yes, in Buffalo or El Paso the answer would be probably 80/20 no.
Buffalonians And Rochesterians definitely think they live in a big city. What you'll get is, if asking is Buffalo big compared to Cleveland, is "we're not that big, but we're the 2nd biggest city in New York." Same thing for Rochester: "We're bigger than everybody else in New York besides The City and Buffalo"...
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa
This is what most non city info buffs probably go by. It's also very relative based on where you've lived, etc.
I would hesitate to call either one "big" cities, but they are both highly urbanized. Orlando being the larger UA and denser metro but CLT having a taller more "big city" looking and feeling skyline/Uptown. The light rail also boosts the big city quotient if were comparing DTs, but ORL has a very active and beautiful city core so good on both places regarding that.
Just driving around the metro immediately outside the core and beyond, Orlando does feel more developed and busier. We also have more clusters of intrest than does Charlotte. Both cities have top notch and tremendously busy airports for their size.
No clear winner here and it's not really a competition. Both big metros, midsized cities, with very bright futures and lots to be proud of.
Charlotte's UA is misleading because for some reason Concord (215,000) has its own UA, Gastonia has its own UA (169,000), and Rock Hill has its own UA (105,000), all of which are not only in the metro, but in adjacent counties. Add those figures into Charlotte's official UA, and Charlotte's UA more accurately reflects it's relation to peer cities, at 1,738,814, which is over 200,000 more than Orlando, and in line with other peers like Vegas, Portland, Cleveland, San An, and Pittsburgh...
They are both big cities; they aren't small cities...
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