Is Boston the most European city in America? (city hall, bus)

[r_u_a_wizard]

I think the most european looking cities in the Americas are not in the US, but in latin american countries and were built by the spanish

a lot of them have big central pedestrian squares dominated by cathedrals as well as very dense residential sections. you don't see that in the US

if any US city used to have a big central square, it got replaced with skyscrapers, was converted to a 6 lane street and stopped being pedestrian friendly a long time ago.

[KenFresno]

Originally Posted by actress

KenFresno, I am sorry you felt offended. I grew up in Europe so it is only natural for me to prefer European cities. American cities have many advantages like being driver-friendly for example but that is besides the point since it doesn't answer the question.

There is nothing wrong with preferring a European city over and American one. That was not my point. My point was that some of you only like cities that are exactly like the cities you have back home. There is this idea that for any city to be considered worthy or interesting it must feel "European". I find that to be very narrow minded approach. If I used this same mentally and went over to France and complained that Paris is lame because it doesn't look like New York you would call me an Ugly American. So are you an Ugly European?

BTW I love European cities for being what they are. I would hope to see a more enlightened perspective from those visiting our cities.

[improb]

Originally Posted by KenFresno

There is nothing wrong with preferring a European city over and American one. That was not my point. My point was that some of you only like cities that are exactly like the cities you have back home. There is this idea that for any city to be considered worthy or interesting it must feel "European". I find that to be very narrow minded approach. If I used this same mentally and went over to France and complained that Paris is lame because it doesn't look like New York you would call me an Ugly American. So are you an Ugly European?

BTW I love European cities for being what they are. I would hope to see a more enlightened perspective from those visiting our cities.

I agree but developed public transport, urban vibrancy and pedestrian friendliness are characteristics of most European cities (and cities who have them are mistakenly though of as European-like) and which any city in the world should strive to have. They aren't only characteristics of European cities but of cities from all over the world but which seem to be lacking in Anglophone New World Countries

[KenFresno]

Originally Posted by improb

I agree but developed public transport, urban vibrancy and pedestrian friendliness are characteristics of most European cities (and cities who have them are mistakenly though of as European-like) and which any city in the world should strive to have. They aren't only characteristics of European cities but of cities from all over the world but which seem to be lacking in Anglophone New World Countries

I agree with your points, it is a world wide thing. Asia for example has many cities with developed public transport, urban vibrancy and pedestrian friendliness. Except the posters on here are talking about a town in the US that already has developed public transport, urban vibrancy and pedestrian friendliness. Boston. So clearly those aren't a factor when they talk about it being not "European" enough for their liking. It seems like most of the complaints are based around the fact that it isn't exactly like where they are from.

[improb]

Originally Posted by KenFresno

I agree with your points, it is a world wide thing. Asia for example has many cities with developed public transport, urban vibrancy and pedestrian friendliness. Except the posters on here are talking about a town in the US that already has developed public transport, urban vibrancy and pedestrian friendliness. Boston. So clearly those aren't a factor when they talk about it being not "European" enough for their liking. It seems like most of the complaints are based around the fact that it isn't exactly like where they are from.

It could be that nostalgy kicks in when you are far away from relatives, old friends and from the culture to which you used to be accostumed. Once novelty wears off, there's always a phase of crisis amongst most emigrants. This same phenomenon is one i seem to notice particularly amongst North African immigrants in Italy, no matter how much they seem to despise the political situation in their country or evn certain aspects of their country, they are always resistent to change

[Mr.Falcon]

To me the most european looking city of America is Quebec.

[morga]

Sadly the American city has been destroyed by the automobile industry. Back in the old days American cities were like their counterparts in Europe, Asia or Latin America. Dense, walkable cities with well defined unique neighborhoods, and often focused around the downtown and the public transportation that allowed people to move around.

However the 40's came and with them the huge automobile boom happened, also the desire to leave cities to the poor, and to the undesirable minorities and escape to the suburbia where everyone was white and new middle class!!! (A car guaranteed that freedom)

So during the 50's American cities started declining and the suburbs became the place to live, with its cookie cutter homes, its big suburban 0 personality shopping malls, and it's cup de sacs.

Then in the 60's American cities pretty much were dead and in the 70's and 80's they were dangerous places where only the poor and the neglected minorities lived, this has continued towards the 90's and the 21st century, although it is supposedly starting to change, but it will take a while for American cities to be convenient and efficient as other cities around the world.

As for now most American cities outside NYC and a few others, are terrifying suburban sprawls not sustainable in the long term. Places like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and so on feel horrifying, sterile, void of any urban charm!

[morga]

Originally Posted by Mr.Falcon

To me the most european looking city of America is Quebec.

Quebec city feels like you're in France, only if you stay inside the old quarter. Get out of that small part of the city and you're back in North America with big homes in a suburban sprawl fashion, highways, no one walking everyone driving kind of deal.

If we're talking about the Americas, I'd say there are small caribbean colonial ports such as Cayenne in French guyana or Oranjestad in Aruba that feel much more European than any big city in North America.

For big cities Buenos Aires is pretty southern European looking, with cafes, squares, European architecture, stores that resemble European stores and so on.

[Napoca]

The Boston experience is indeed similar to the vibe one gets from European cities. It has done, perhaps, the best job of any American city in integrating its new with the old. From architecture to "streetscape", it blends seamlessly its modern with the past creating sophisticated thorough-fares and cosmopolitan public spaces that are simultaneously conducive and comforting to pedestrian urban dwellers. European cites do this out of necessity, while Boston does it for affect. The former is due to the centuries old urban layout which confined the development of cities on the Continent; while the latter is simply because Boston is unique among American cities in this manner. Most other US cities neglect their past (because they don't have that long-relatively speaking-of an urban history) in favor of continuous expansion and 'the new'. Boston is not only an exception to this but also has one of, if not thee, longest histories of any American city. Likewise, most other American cities are designed for the automobile. Similar to European urban development, however, Boston too was confined (note: the Boston Neck) in its layout; thus, endowing it with a pre-Industrial Revolution urban core reminiscent of Europe's city centers.
That Boston is a cultural capital for the country and a higher education American magnate for the planet with this Old World urban-ilk about it, is also part of the ambiance:
The history of Boston is the history of the birth of the United States of America. Therefore, the excitement an American feels walking the Freedom Trail, at the North End, and in the heart of the Harbor is that of a Frenchman absorbing the history of Paris: from Revolution to present. This creates a cultural tether to the urban experience of the city that very few, if any, other American cities can produce as intimately as it does. This history is reflected tangibly in its buildings, streets, monuments, and institutions. For example, the oldest university in the the country is part of this culturally-rich city's allure.
Boston's outstanding colleges and universities are some of the most highly ranked in the world and, as a result, it is known the world-over as a center of academia. Harvard, MIT, and many other well known universities are all located in the Boston area. This has brought about an international prestige to the city, giving it an unparalleled reputation as a learning center globally. In the right frame of mind, a pedestrian feels this too walking its streets.
Finally, its maritime location and economic vitality from Colonial times to the 21st century has given it considerable weight both nationally and beyond making it an immigration destination. This has made it attractive to European peoples since its foundation by them in the 17th century. Irish, Italian, and every other ethnicity of Europe is now present in the ancestry of Boston's population. Surely these successive waves of Western and, later, Eastern Europeans have all had a cultural impact on the city and have also added to this 'vibe'.
Boston is a beautiful city by any standard and very much a descendant of the great urban centers from across the pond, from whence it came to be. But, make no mistake, Boston is uniquely an American city (I would stack Boston against any city in Europe and although it won't come out at the very top, it'll surely give many a run for their money)!

[Ruth4Truth]

IDK, but a lot of Europeans remark about how European San Francisco feels to them.