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Dallas and it's sprawl has to be the most boring city in the world. As superficial as it gets with all the big McMansions, big cars and big Debt. They call it 'Big D' for a reason. Although, roads are never big enough because 30k millionaire idiots with junk insurance drive big fancy cars with no care for life or limb. So you could get into big-big accidents here. People are like frogs in a well in the city and it's burbs- most people try to find happiness with their stuff. In this town it's all about -'keeping up with the joneses'. I keep getting these wierd looks when I go around town - either it's because I'm indian or it's my stupid flip-flops but surely all these men dressed in checkered shorts with polos tucked in with a belt are tasteful.. what's up with that!!. A number of women dye their hair blonde because in their heads it equates to success. I once saw a grown 45 year old-man driving a range-rover. He walked in to 'Bolsa' with his 3 kids and his fancy plastic-Barbie wife.. On his shirt was written i kid you not - "I'm a baboon". I looked down at my stupid flip-flops and my jeans and my t-shirt which had a tiny bleach stain on it and told myself - " I have to find a way to move back to Seattle".
I smell jealousy!
Why does it bother you so much that a 45 year old man drives a range rover? he can spend his money however he wants..
Areas like Camden Town are what I'm referring to - a little chaotic, certainly not orderly, with interesting facades that catch your eye, rather than just endless rows of rather bland Georgian/Regency terraces (I'm not saying Georgian or Regency terraces are bland - but they can get a little monotonous if they seemingly go on and on and on, with little change in their outward appearance).
There does seem to be a beauty to repetition, as long as the individual units are architecturally nuanced, and the overall layout is interesting.
That's why I said "some". And even saying that I would cite camden as an example of an area of urban decay that's been gentrified - where some of the decay has been left residue for "fashionability". You simply fall into one part of the spectrum of this mentality.
The example you give of endless regency terraces is not an objection to cleanliness. It's an objection to monotony and lack of variation - a completely different concept. Not that "monotony" really applies to the stucco town homes in central London given the layout of neighborhoods.
I don't object to cleanliness - I don't want to live in a city that is littered with rubbish and dog feces - but I don't mind a little bit of dirt. If I wanted a city that is truly filthy and chaotic, I'd move to Mumbai.
Yeah, I guess you could say that areas like Camden remain shabby in parts because it's considered 'fashionable' in a weird sort of way. I guess I'm a filthy hipster.
I smell jealousy!
Why does it bother you so much that a 45 year old man drives a range rover? he can spend his money however he wants..
Umm!! Not jealous. Just trying to give a perspective of how superficial people are. It's not about that one guy .. My point is it's a representation of the soul of the city - most people in the city are like that
Umm!! Not jealous. Just trying to give a perspective of how superficial people are. It's not about that one guy .. My point is it's a representation of the soul of the city - most people in the city are like that
My impression of Seattle after living there (I was born there, so was my mom and all her family) is that people are as superficial as anywhere else, it's just that its fashion sensibilities are basically the inverse of those of other cities like LA or Dallas... i.e., if you are in Seattle and dressed like a Los Angeleno, you'll be labelled as "superficial" by most, which is ironically a superficial way of thinking.
And on that tip, I thought Seattle was pretty boring. It certainly has its merits and stuff I love but it closes way too early and I didn't click with the scene there... so I went back to SF and then LA before moving to China. I wouldn't say it's the "most" boring though, definitely not... there's still plenty more to do than in other places.
Also Boston can feel a bit boring at times, especially the downtown CBD area which really isn't all that impressive given the city's size, stature, and history. However, Boston is lucky to have smaller cities like Cambridge and Somerville across the river to give it some added culture and energy. Also, the historic architecture in Boston gives it a huge boost in terms of culture and identity compared with other American cities.
OK, I'll list a few that I have personally visited:
Edmonton Alberta, otherwise known as Deadmonton. pop. 1 million
May god have mercy on any poor souls who have had the misfortune to be born in such a dull backwater.
Ottawa, canada's capital city.
superficially pleasant but staid and unadventurous. Government jobs pay well, I guess.
Atlanta, Georgia.
An aesthetic disaster.
Jacksonville Florida.
Ok, on the smaller side but what's the point of that place anyway.
Zurich and Lausanne Switzerland.
clean, tidy, but dull.
Cologne Germany. (Mannheim, too)
Apart from the beautiful cathedral, I just saw a modern reconstructed charmless city.
Granada Spain
It wasn't so much dull as it was derivative, average, and lacking in uniqueness compared to some the other terrific cities in Spain.
Obviously, the alhambra was well worth a visit but the city itself was underwhelming.
My hometown, Toronto Canada
Ummm, it's a financial centre. People live to work and not much else. It's so expensive to live here that most people can't really enjoy many nights out so it tends to be too quiet around here for my taste. The restrictive alcohol regulations and uptight anglo/British founding culture doesn't help matters much.
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