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Seattle for instance is known as a hip, funky, eclectic enclave of art, live music, and individualism. While that description was probably more accurate in the 1990s than it is today, there is still an element of that there. Likewise with Portland, it's known as a hipster mecca as portrayed by the show Portlandia. Now that isn't all there is to Portland but there is definitely truth to it. Phoenix is known for sprawling, bland suburbia and yes, that is a large part of Phoenix (though it isn't all the city offers). Oklahoma City is known for its hyper-conservatism and tornadoes and that is a huge part of the city's identity.
A lot of times on City-Data people are quick to point out stereotypes that aren't accurate, especially when it comes to places that have a more negative perception. That can also be said for places with positive perceptions like Seattle and San Francisco or Austin.
However, do you think that all city stereotypes have at least an element of accuracy to them? I personally believe that stereotypes tend to overemphasize certain qualities of a place while ignoring aspects of it that contradict the stereotype, but overall there is at least some truth to all city stereotypes. Of course, anywhere you go, you are likely to find a community or part of a city that defies the stereotype, especially for larger metro areas. I think its a simplistic way to judge cities by going off the stereotypes alone, but they can definitely give a person a general idea of what to expect.
Are there any cities out there that completely defy their stereotype?
People here still seem to think San Francisco is cool and bohemian, when neither is true anymore. Oakland is the "cool" city in the Bay Area. Chicago's crime is and actually as bad as people seem to think it is. Believe it or not, Chicago's violent crime rate is lower than Nashville's. To be honest, I think a lot of city stereotypes are based on racial stereotypes.
Boston really is not as tough a place as Ben Affleck wants you to think it is. People are still definitely a-holes, but not in a violent way. They just ignore you all the time.
Rust Belt cities have some really down to earth, nice people, even though the media just portrays them as depressing places. Better food than you'd expect too.
Southern cities are not full of idiot racists. I have no southern background at all to me, but stereotypes about the south have always bothered me. I've never found them to be very accurate.
Those are just a few that come to mind. Always better to experience a place yourself than to rely on stereotypes. Some will definitely turn out to be pretty true, but certainly not all.
Youngstown - The rep is the town is a war zone run by gangs and the mafia and a person better not enter the city limits without riding in a tank. I haven't had a bad experience there. I've seen and experienced far more violence over here in Pittsburgh. The suburbs of Rust Belt Ohio are some of the best in the country.
NY - The typical New Yorker stereotype. Some of the nicest people I have ever met.
Flyover Midwest - boring. Coming from the Appalachians, I love the open space and there is so much sky! It's kind of different to be able to see for miles in any direction.
Phoenix stereotype is "sprawling-bland suburbia" is true. It is a very, very spread-out metro area and it is very bland.
I would say 90% of the metropolitan area that is devoloped is beige, single family homes. Most of the devolopments are 2,000 square foot single-level homes with 4 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms on 1/8 acre lots.
They do have mansions and tiny homes but by and large a majority of homes are of similar size with similar postage stamp yards.
There are alot of people who love the set-up Phoenix because it is probubly the least dense or crowded metropolitan area of 4 million people in the devoloped world.
At ground level, Phoenix seems deserted. They have some busy roads, but there is very little traffic on the roads for a city of it's size. There is hardly any foot traffic either.
Just to illustrate to extent of sprawl in Phoenix. The Anthem area of North Phoenix is the 44000 block North. The Ahwataukee area in South Phoenix is 17000 block South. That is just the city of Phoenix proper.
Suprise, AZ to Arizona City, AZ which is where the sprawl begins and ends is 87 miles. From Northwest to Southeast.
It is 103 miles on the interstate from New River, AZ to Arizona City, AZ which is sprawl.
Phoenix is so massive that it just seems to go for ever eternity.
the stereotypes were made by people who hate that city usually, america is a very transient place. most big cities are made up by alot of people from various regions
Phoenix stereotype is "sprawling-bland suburbia" is true. It is a very, very spread-out metro area and it is very bland.
I would say 90% of the metropolitan area that is devoloped is beige, single family homes. Most of the devolopments are 2,000 square foot single-level homes with 4 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms on 1/8 acre lots.
They do have mansions and tiny homes but by and large a majority of homes are of similar size with similar postage stamp yards.
There are alot of people who love the set-up Phoenix because it is probubly the least dense or crowded metropolitan area of 4 million people in the devoloped world.
At ground level, Phoenix seems deserted. They have some busy roads, but there is very little traffic on the roads for a city of it's size. There is hardly any foot traffic either.
Just to illustrate to extent of sprawl in Phoenix. The Anthem area of North Phoenix is the 44000 block North. The Ahwataukee area in South Phoenix is 17000 block South. That is just the city of Phoenix proper.
Suprise, AZ to Arizona City, AZ which is where the sprawl begins and ends is 87 miles. From Northwest to Southeast.
It is 103 miles on the interstate from New River, AZ to Arizona City, AZ which is sprawl.
Phoenix is so massive that it just seems to go for ever eternity.
Well, I'm glad to see you are back to posting about Phoenix again.
Honestly, yes. Stereotypes had to be created somehow... At one point there was probably someone who said, "huh, that's weird, almost every blonde I met was dumb... That must mean all blondes are dumb!" And it spread like wildfire. Someone, somewhere, made a connection that everyone else could believe.
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