Unique cities (metro 1 million+)

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

Here is the problem with your math. W x L = miles squared IF YOU ARE DEALING WITH PERFECT QUADRILATERALS. (ie, rectangles or squares). However, this is NEVER the case when we are dealing with cities and zip codes. One must use a sq/mi graph to measure the sq/mi of an area that has an "unusual" shape. The "W x L" formula is a short cut that ONLY works with perfect quadrilaterals.

Consider this. If a rectangle has a 20 mile length (and a 40 mile width) it has 800 sq/mi. If we add a rectangle the same size along the width of our current rectangle, we would have one big rectangle with a length of 20 miles and a width of 80 miles. 80(W) x 20(L) = 1600.

Two rectangles (or counties) of 800 sq/mi combined is 1600 sq/mi total. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Math was NOT my best subject.

Regardless of the math, you will have a hard time proving that a city of 132 sq/mi (with 550,000 people) has a 40 sq/mi core of nearly 400,000. Sorry, but cities just aren't built that way. Atlanta is not an exception to this rule. I have been to cities with densities of 10,000 people per sq/mi (or higher). Atlanta ain't one of those cities. Period.

I know you've stated you've been to Atlanta before. Undoubtedly, you've been to Midtown and did it "feel" like it was a neighborhood of 10,000 people per square mile? If you look at the 30308 area code you'll get your answer.

Everyone knows that Atlantans on a whole don't walk much. That doesn't mean that we don't live densely in the city's core.

At some point though, after all of the necessary data has been given, you have to give up what you "believe" to be true.

And you are right, no city in America is built in a similar way to Atlanta.

[WeSoHood]

Originally Posted by bchris02

Did you even think about this? Lets take a look at your list.

NYC - OK
Chicago - OK
L.A. - OK
San Diego - a mini LA/Phoenix - nothing really unique
San Francisco - OK
Seattle - nothing unique other than that needle. Mountains and scenery can be found in many places
Portland - might be a nice place but nothing unique
Salt Lake City - same as Portland
Phoenix - tries to be LA...its not...nothing unique
Las Vegas - OK
St. Louis - a typical midwestern city...nothing unique
Kansas City - same as St. Louis
Albuquerque - seriously?
Dallas - great city but very similar to Houston, Atlanta, etc, nothing really unique
Austin - you can find the same vibe in any college town of decent size in the US
Houston - same as Dallas
San Antonio - once again, nice place but nothing you can't find elsewhere
New Orleans - OK
Memphis - Has a nice bar district but it isn't that different from that in other cities
Louisville - Might be nice, but a very typical American city
Birmingham - what are you smokin?
Nashville - I almost want to give props to this one because of the country music attractions, but outside of that the city as a whole is a very typical American city
Atlanta - posterchild for post-WWII Americana, sprawl, subdivisions, strip malls...where can't you find that?
Miami - OK
Tampa - typical beach city, comparable to almost any other on the gulf coast
Orlando - Has a few theme parks but outside of that you find nothing more than a typical suburbia
Jacksonville - nothing unique
Charlotte - "
Raleigh - "
Richmond - "
Washington D.C. OK
Columbus - nothing unique
Indianapolis - "
Cincinnati - "
Cleveland - "
Detroit - unique but for urban decay and crime...not something you want to be known for
Milwaukee - has great beer, but you can find that in many other cities as well
Buffalo - nothing unique
Baltimore - "
Norfolk - "
Boston - OK
Philadelphia - OK
Pittsburgh - similar to detroit
San Jose - known for its tech sector, but others exist such as Austin, Raleigh-Durham, etc.

You really don't know much about any of those cities. Doubt you've been to 1/20th of them.

Many cities are unique.. I'd say it would be easier to name cities that were NOT unique. IE: Charlotte or Columbus (in my opinion).

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

I know you've stated you've been to Atlanta before. Undoubtedly, you've been to Midtown and did it "feel" like it was a neighborhood of 10,000 people per square mile? If you look at the 30308 area code you'll get your answer.

Everyone knows that Atlantans on a whole don't walk much. That doesn't mean that we don't live densely in the city's core.

At some point though, after all of the necessary data has been given, you have to give up what you "believe" to be true.

And you are right, no city in America is built in a similar way to Atlanta.

Very good!!! You found a tiny 1.6 sq/mi zip with 16,000 people (the same zip I pointed out to you a few pages back). The following quote was taken from post #125 on this page. Unique cities (metro 1 million+)

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

Zip code 30308 is the most dense zip I could find for Atlanta; it has 10,000 people per sq/mi. However, this zip is VERY tiny (1.6 sq/mi). Many of the larger zips in central Atlanta don't come close to having the 10,000 you stated.ZIP Code Finder

Now all you have to do is find 38.4 sq/mi of zips with 384,000 people in them; when you do, let me know.

[DeaconJ]

Why does this matter so much? Let it go and let the thread get back on topic!

[polo89]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Why does this matter so much? Let it go and let the thread get back on topic!

Exactly.

[bennyboo<3seattle<3]

portland is very unique being in the northwest its diferent from the rest of the country being "isolated" we have reat culture with bear, festivals, and many other things, i doubt many cities have naked bike marathons like portland ;D. our moto is "keep Portland weird" so that must mean something. also portland actualy cares for the environment

[atlantagreg30127]

Since we no longer need two threads that are very similar in topic, please add to the one that was started first here, rather than continue this one: America's most unique cities

Thank you