Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But Cowen and his readers asked specifically about the least bohemian regions. That dubious distinction goes to...eh, hem...Riverside, California. Next in line are Hartford, Connecticut, and, perhaps surprisingly, New Orleans. This is not a result of Katrina. New Orleans has consistently ranked lower than expected on the Boho Index -- a fact which led to this lively back and forth in the New Orleans media some years ago. The reason is that the index measures only those for whom arts, music, and other bohemian vocations count as their primary jobs. No one doubts the bohemian bona fides of New Orleans, where many pursue artistic creativity outside of their primary occupation. Memphis (another place with a storied music history), Birmingham, Houston, Louisville, San Antonio (Cowen's hunch was right), Charlotte, and Jacksonville round out the bottom 10 large metros. Cleveland, Sacramento, Dallas, Buffalo, Denver, Virginia Beach, Baltimore, and Columbus, Ohio and Edmonton in Canada all have Boho Index scores less than the North American norm. Austin performs worse than might be expected, with a Boho Index score of .9 just behind Tampa, Detroit, and St. Louis. That said, the least bohemian places in the United States and Canada are all very small metros in states like Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, West Virginia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas, whose Boho Index scores are miniscule compared to those for large metros.
Salt Lake City is more bohemian than New Orleans?? Really? Who's getting paid to be an artist in Utah? Am I missing something here....
I think the problem with surveys like this is that they look at a few data points to try to measure an abstract concept like "bohemian."
Bohemians can't have day jobs and be aspiring artists, writers, or musicians? I mean, I guess that explains why Portland isn't on the list---eveyone who works at coffee shop or tends bar is an aspiring filmaker or musician---but try making a living off art in the Northwest--it's pretty hard.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,748 posts, read 23,813,296 times
Reputation: 14660
Uh no, this list seems way off.
Portland and Seattle are the heaviest contenders. Followed by San Francisco and New Orleans. On a smaller scale Boulder CO, Cambridge MA, Austin TX, Key West, Provincetown Mass, the whole state of Vermont (especially Burlington), Asheville NC, and Eugene OR
Is there something happening in Salt Lame City that I don't know about? Granted the gorgeous mountain setting is certainly inspiring and could pull that kind of draw but the city itself seemed very vanilla to me. Boulder, CO is 20 times more bohemian than SLC. Maybe Park City on the outskirts was factored in? Beats me.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 06-10-2010 at 06:52 PM..
Portland and Seattle are the heaviest contenders. Folowed by San Francisco and New Orleans. On a smaller scale Boulder CO, Cambridge MA, Austin TX, Key West, Provincetown Mass, the whole state of Vermont (especially Burlington), Asheville NC, and Eugene OR
Is there something happening in Salt Lame City that I don't know about? Granted the gorgeous mountain setting is certainly inspiring and could pull that kind of draw but the city itself seemed very vanilla to me. Boulder, CO is 20 times more bohemian than SLC. Maybe Park City on the outskirts was factored in? Beats me.
Maybe they count all the Mormon Christian rock musicians in SLC as people employed as "bohemians."
Portland and Seattle are the heaviest contenders. Followed by San Francisco and New Orleans. On a smaller scale Boulder CO, Cambridge MA, Austin TX, Key West, Provincetown Mass, the whole state of Vermont (especially Burlington), Asheville NC, and Eugene OR
Is there something happening in Salt Lame City that I don't know about? Granted the gorgeous mountain setting is certainly inspiring and could pull that kind of draw but the city itself seemed very vanilla to me. Boulder, CO is 20 times more bohemian than SLC. Maybe Park City on the outskirts was factored in? Beats me.
Portland and Seattle are the heaviest contenders. Followed by San Francisco and New Orleans. On a smaller scale Boulder CO, Cambridge MA, Austin TX, Key West, Provincetown Mass, the whole state of Vermont (especially Burlington), Asheville NC, and Eugene OR
Is there something happening in Salt Lame City that I don't know about? Granted the gorgeous mountain setting is certainly inspiring and could pull that kind of draw but the city itself seemed very vanilla to me. Boulder, CO is 20 times more bohemian than SLC. Maybe Park City on the outskirts was factored in? Beats me.
I agree this list if waaaay off. It might be one of the worst lists Ive ever seen. (Las Vegas is the least Bohemian city I could ever fathom. The fact that it scores reasonably destroys every shred of credibility)
But Seattle and Portland should not be the heaviest contenders. Top 10, sure, top 5--maybe
But NYC, San Francisco, Montreal, and several others offer a more Bohemian atmosphere, with much greater depth.
The list seems really inaccurate to have NewOrleans in the bottom of Bohemianism. There are many many people there who do that Bohemian thing. Real nonsense list.
Agreed. True bohemianism fell of at the end of the 90's. After that it was packaged into a subculture and the hipster was created. This was likely a result of the information age created via the internet. Hipsters are basically yuppies with avant-garde tastes, but they are not bohemians.
As far as this list goes, it does not make much sense to me.
This list does seem odd. I don't think having arts and music as your primary job necessarily makes one bohemian. If it did then plenty of Catholic monks, Mormon church singers, and the most conservative of composers would be "bohemian" and that doesn't really sound right.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
