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Um....nobody would be able to look at a picture of that, and say "that's Miami!" Or, at least the average person wouldn't. I agree with all the rest, but if that's Miami's recognizable landmark, well, then Miami isn't very recognizable...
Oh please. If I showed a photo of Ocean Drive taken from across the street in Lumus Park at dusk with palm trees, the sunset and the neon dotted art deco hotels, most Americans would know it's Miami. It's an iconic image. Many would specifically know that it's South Beach though not all of them would know that South Beach is but a neighborhood or Miami Beach.
AS far as the Mall of America goes, you are mostly right. But, the Mall of America is more of what I would call a... conceptual landmark instead of a visual one. If you show a picture of a really big mall, from almost anywhere in the country, most people would probably guess the Mall of America, whether it is or not. It's famous for what it is, not for what it looks like. I would consider it as a major landmark, but not because of its appearance, but because of what it is. Of course, the sign is widely recognized, but as you said it can be considered unfair because it says the name on it. Most people would also say that it is in Minneapolis, not Bloomington, but that's good enough for me. You can see both downtowns fom the top floor of the parking ramps.
This logic goes with sports facilities as well. A lot of them are well known by name, simply because they appear on TV and in print all the time, but they aren't instantly recognizable visually. Especially older, pre-corporate nametag structures like The Superdome, The Astrodome, and Candlestick Park.
A-List Landmarks:
NYC: Statue of Liberty, Skyline (including bridges)
San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge
St. Louis: Gateway Arch
B-List Landmarks
LA: Hollywood Sign
South Dakota: Mount Rushmore
Seattle: Space Needle
Cape Canaveral Florida: VAB
NYC: Worlds Fair Unisphere
Anaheim/LA: Disney Castle
Orlando: Disney Castle
Chicago: Sears (Willis)Tower, Water Tower
Yeah, I've seen that before, but not sure where it is
Pittsburgh: Point State Park Fountain, PPG Building
Boston: Citgo Sign, Fenway Park
Philadelphia: Boat House Row, City Hall
Tampa: Sunshine Skyway Bridge
San Diego: Coronado Bridge
Tampa: Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Dallas (Arlington): Cowboys Stadium
A-List Landmarks:
NYC: Statue of Liberty, Skyline (including bridges)
San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge
St. Louis: Gateway Arch
B-List Landmarks
LA: Hollywood Sign
South Dakota: Mount Rushmore
Seattle: Space Needle
Cape Canaveral Florida: VAB
NYC: Worlds Fair Unisphere
Anaheim/LA: Disney Castle
Orlando: Disney Castle
Chicago: Sears (Willis)Tower, Water Tower
I think the Hollywood sign is as famous as any landmark in America at this point. Ditto in some ways for the Disney castles. Everyone knows Mount Rushmore as well, but they might not know where it's located.
People might have seen the World's Fair Unisphere on the other hand, but they might not know the name or that it is located in Flushing Meadows in Queens. There's other more famous landmarks just in New York like Times Square or Rockefeller Center or Grand Central Station or Central Park.
I'd bet a fortune there are more people that can tell you where the Hollywood sign is than there are those that could point out the location of the GGB.
Hell, I can think of a few folks from my old neighborhood who probably would have to guess where San Francisco is lol. I swear I'm not kidding.
A-List Landmarks:
NYC: Statue of Liberty, Skyline (including bridges)
San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge
Toronto: CN Tower
St.Louis: Gateway Arch
B-List Landmarks
LA: Hollywood Sign
Seattle: Space Needle
Quebec City: Chateau Frontenac
Anaheim/LA: Disney Castle
Orlando: Disney Castle
Chicago: Sears (Willis)Tower, Water Tower
Yeah, I've seen that before, but not sure where it is
Boston: Citgo Sign, Fenway Park
Philadelphia: Liberty Bell, City Hall
Tampa: Sunshine Skyway Bridge
San Diego: Coronado Bridge
Tampa: Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Um....nobody would be able to look at a picture of that, and say "that's Miami!" Or, at least the average person wouldn't. I agree with all the rest, but if that's Miami's recognizable landmark, well, then Miami isn't very recognizable...
I think a lot of people would recognize the Art Deco district. Something that is a little less recognizable, but still a landmark is the Fontainebleau (recognizable from such films as Goldfinger).
Oh please. If I showed a photo of Ocean Drive taken from across the street in Lumus Park at dusk with palm trees, the sunset and the neon dotted art deco hotels, most Americans would know it's Miami. It's an iconic image. Many would specifically know that it's South Beach though not all of them would know that South Beach is but a neighborhood or Miami Beach.
Er....no, I don't think so. I just did a google image search of Ocean Drive. I don't think I've seen any of those pictures before in my life. If you can go 25 years in a country and not see something at least once, I don't think it's a nationally recognizable landmark. Sorry.
I mean, Miami definitely looks distinct. But I don't think I could look at any picture of Miami (besides the skyline) and tell you it was Miami, instead of, say, San Diego. Again, sorry, but there just is no single building in Miami that I can think of that the average American even knows exists...
I think a lot of people would recognize the Art Deco district. Something that is a little less recognizable, but still a landmark is the Fontainebleau (recognizable from such films as Goldfinger).
Would they recognize those things as being in Miami, though? Because there's a difference between saying
"hey, I saw that in Goldfinger!" vs. saying "hey, that's in Miami!"
Miami has a great national and international image as a city on the whole, but quite honestly? I don't think it has any iconic landmark on a national or international scale. St. Louis, which is a much less prominent city globally right now, has the Arch....Miami just doesn't have anything on that kind of scale of recognition...
And that's where this Fort Worth native calls "foul"....
Seriously,(as a lot of us will say on the other side of the Metroplex) if it ain't in Dallas County, it ain't in Dallas, period.
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