US cities vs. other cities (buying a home, neighborhood, buying)

[SEAandATL]

It depends on which cities in the U.S. you're referring to. The OP may be thinking more of sprawling sunbelt cities and classifying them as U.S. cities in general, while cities like NYC, San Francisco, or Chicago might be more like cities in other countries due to their density, cultures, and street activity.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by bstn421

Yes, they do

Great fotos! What camera did you use? I'm in the market for a new one.

[kevxu]

What I immediately thought of when I saw those great pictures by bstn421 was.....zillions of people packed into the streets, and not a cafe in sight. Europe, especially southern Europe has spoiled me...you cannot turn a corner in central Lisbon and not see at least one sidewalk cafe, and usually several. It changes the quality of life urban life in a way that Americans just can't grasp....it's nothing like having a special, or unique, district for public sidewalk life like some U.S. cities, it takes place everywhere.

[TomDot]

Originally Posted by kevxu

What I immediately thought of when I saw those great pictures by bstn421 was.....zillions of people packed into the streets, and not a cafe in sight. Europe, especially southern Europe has spoiled me...you cannot turn a corner in central Lisbon and not see at least one sidewalk cafe, and usually several. It changes the quality of life urban life in a way that Americans just can't grasp....it's nothing like having a special, or unique, district for public sidewalk life like some U.S. cities, it takes place everywhere.

Many of our cities do have sidewalk cafe's. but I understand what you are saying. The big difference is that people in Europe live in the cities where the people in the US live mainly in the suburbs.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by TomDot

Many of our cities do have sidewalk cafe's. but I understand what you are saying. The big difference is that people in Europe live in the cities where the people in the US live mainly in the suburbs.

I think your point is well taken. While there are rush hours and people do "commute" in a sense, it is largely from the edges of the city. Suburbs as we Americans know them don't seem to exist here on a large scale. And, yes, people here like their cities.

I know that some U.S. cities have sidewalk cafes, but in nothing like the proliferation that they exist in here. They are part of the fabric of daily life in the way that they are not in the U.S.

A middle age couple I know went to the U.S. and took his mother along, who was from Lisbon. They were in some city and she kept lamenting the coldness and impersonality of American downtowns - and significantly the lack of cafes. Thinking to appease her, they announced that they would take her to an American cafe, and treated her to Starbucks.

She walked in the door, looked around and turned on them: "You know this is not a cafe, this is a store!"

[bstn421]

In the Back Bay in Boston, almost every other building is a streetside cafe.

[bstn421]

See, I'm so tired of people bashing American Cites. To quote a line from the new Dan Brown book. "Seriously, Washington D.C. has some of the world's finest architecture, art, and culture in the world. Why would you go oversees before you visit your own capital." I would also include Boston, New York, Philly, Charleston, Savannah, Miami, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Madison, The Twin Cities, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Santa Fe, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Diego in that quote. All those cites have more architecture, art and culture to through a fork at.

[Vic_Vega]

Originally Posted by bstn421

See, I'm so tired of people bashing American Cites. To quote a line from the new Dan Brown book. "Seriously, Washington D.C. has some of the world's finest architecture, art, and culture in the world. Why would you go oversees before you visit your own capital." I would also include Boston, New York, Philly, Charleston, Savannah, Miami, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Madison, The Twin Cities, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Santa Fe, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Diego in that quote. All those cites have more architecture, art and culture to through a fork at.

I think it might be a "grass is greener on the other side" type of thing. Washington DC is a fine city, and not any less walkable than any of the European cities i have lived in or visited. Just like San Francisco and many many others.

[Vic_Vega]

Originally Posted by TomDot

Many of our cities do have sidewalk cafe's. but I understand what you are saying. The big difference is that people in Europe live in the cities where the people in the US live mainly in the suburbs.

I think this is a little misleading. While i do agree that inner cities/downtowns are generally more vibrant here than in the US, they're still not places where any average person can afford to live, and the ones that can afford will most likely live in a outrageously expensive apartment the size of a small garage. So there is still alot of suburbs and exurbs.

[TomDot]

Originally Posted by Vic_Vega

I think this is a little misleading. While i do agree that inner cities/downtowns are generally more vibrant here than in the US, they're still not places where any average person can afford to live, and the ones that can afford will most likely live in a outrageously expensive apartment the size of a small garage. So there is still alot of suburbs and exurbs.

Interesting.
The cafe's in Boston themselves are expensive options for food and coffee. Really cool for people watching but expensive.