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The amount of films and tv shows set here have increased it's national/global exposure. The skyline shot from the Jackson Street Bridge from the Walking Dead is really well known. Real Housewives of Atlanta is syndicated globally. Same with Love and Hip Hop Atlanta.
It's become the/a world capital of rap/hip hop(which is popular around the world). You go to Atlanta, NYC, or LA to start careers in the rap/hip-hop or R&B music industry. Even Justin Beiber started his career here.
Not surprising though, according to this, a city with buzz gets rated highly(Atlanta trends a lot of twitter/facebook/etc).
But of course, using a study like that at face value is silly because I still think the 5 cities everyone is mentioning along with 1 or 2 more cities are more iconic than Atlanta is.
Houston and Dallas have no films, tv shows, or any major music industries set there, nor do they have any truly iconic structures that can pull it ahead of Atlanta.
Atlanta is slowly turning into an entertainment capital, which brings with that exposure. It doesn't need the Olympics anymore, even though that continues to help.
Dude, Hip Hop has been on a down trend out of the mainstream and has been dying a slow death since 50 cent. LOL!!!
Go clubbing in any major city on weekends and they are playing electronic dance music. Even Top 40 stations are playing rhythmic music. Your Dirty South suckas like Lil Wayne have ruined the genre.
Dude, Hip Hop has been on a down trend out of the mainstream and has been dying a slow death since 50 cent. LOL!!!
Go clubbing in any major city on weekends and they are playing electronic dance music. Even Top 40 stations are playing rhythmic music. Your Dirty South suckas like Lil Wayne have ruined the genre.
Dude, Hip Hop has been on a down trend out of the mainstream and has been dying a slow death since 50 cent. LOL!!!
Go clubbing in any major city on weekends and they are playing electronic dance music. Even Top 40 stations are playing rhythmic music. Your Dirty South suckas like Lil Wayne have ruined the genre.
While I agree that gangster rap isn't as prevalent today as the 90's/00's, the broader hip hop genre itself is still going quite strong.
Kendrick Lamar currently holds the #1 album in the country (followed by Empire soundtrack #2, and Drake #6) Top 200 Albums | Billboard
Boston is one of my favorite cities, but as far as it being an "icon," I don't think that enough people differentiate it from NYC aesthetically or culturally for it to be on its own in this sense, even though it's absolutely its own city with its own distinct culture. The same goes for Philly...
I think this is fair. When I think of "iconic" I think of cities that represent different aspects of American living and different characteristics of the country's regions. NYC and LA are obvious. One is the largest city and one of the most important hubs in the world. The other is essentially the home of everything pop culture in the Western Hemisphere (and beyond, to a degree). NYC represents the cold, historic Northeast (it may not have the history of Boston or Philly, but it has a lot of colonial history too), LA represents laid back, warm SoCal. LA has the lifestyle most foreigners think of when they picture stereotypical American.
SF has the natural beauty and famous landmarks that make it an icon. It also is the birth place of free love and the hippie movement which played a big role in the Cold War era. Beyond that, it's the poster child for American "Manifest Destiny." Of course, Apple, Google and the rest of the juggernauts of the tech industry are based here as well.
Chicago is the prototypical big American city (if you asked someone from somewhere overseas to describe what the average big American city looks like, you'd probably get something that looks like Chicago- Gridded streets, big, masculine skyscrapers, elevated transit, tough urban neighborhoods and grand turn of the century architecture) and a major international travel and business hub. It also has lots of storied history from Mayor Daley to Al Capone. It's also probably the most "American" food town with hot dogs, steaks and burgers being stereotypical staples of the food scene in Chicago.
DC is the national Capital and home to some of the most famous American landmarks. It's the focus of American power. I can't imagine it not being included on the icons list.
Miami deserves mention because it's Latin America's connection to North America. It's tropical, and it's a major tourist destination. It would fall just behind DC in my opinion.
Boston and Philadelphia fall just short as well. They are unique and major business and tourism hubs, but they are too similar physically and even culturally to New York whose sphere of influence definitely touches both. I think a lot of international visitors include them on their East Coast itineraries and both are well known internationally. I do have a hard time putting them in the top 5 because it means bumping Chicago or another city. Definitely top 10 though.
What's interesting is that most of these cities have something iconic and signature to them, but I have trouble finding one for Boston. Philadelphia has the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, but Boston doesn't. There isn't any "must-see" attraction there. Fenway? Okay, but its just a baseball stadium. I wouldn't consider it more historic than Old Yankee Stadium whatsoever. They're not a winning franchise either. Its not like the Montreal Forum or Old Yankee Stadium. I think its relic status is largely based upon it being one of the last old stadiums left with Wrigley. I consider them both about the same status, but its not like they're the Colosseum here. Yankee Stadium was torn down, but you'd be hard pressed to find any reason whatsoever to tear down the Golden Gate Bridge or Statue of Liberty, Hollywood sign, Liberty Bell, etc. Every city has a sports team attraction which isn't unique to Boston.
For Boston it's easy. It's colonial history. The Freedom Trail is "History"- it hits the Boston Common, Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall, the U.S.S. Constitution, Paul Revere's House, Bunker Hill, and every important historic site in between. Boston itself is the iconic signature attraction. Walking around the urban core is like walking through a history museum. Much more so than any other major city in the U.S. Most people don't say "I'm going to Boston to see the Freedom Trail." Most people go because they want the history. The Freedom Trail is that history.
More than that, Boston's irregular grid, colonial architecture, seafaring tradition and coastal location, and seafood are what makes Boston a destination. It's a quirky city and visitors love that about it.
I don't think Fenway is the major attraction but it certainly is one of the attractions. You're off the mark on why Fenway is a landmark too. It's not about "winning." If that's the case, the TD Garden or Staples Center would be major attractions because of the titles of the team. Wrigley would also be irrelevant because of the Cubs history. No, Fenway is the oldest stadium in the majors. It also organically exists in the neighborhood unlike most modern stadiums which are giants that rise above their surroundings. Coming from Kenmore Square, you don't really see anything but the light posts and the nondescript brick facade. It could be any building when you're standing out in front. It has irregular proportions, the giant wall, and many of the most important players in history played there for the Sox or against them. Old Yankee Stadium was butchered and became a generic concrete park. It wasn't special at the end. Fenway and Wrigley are.
Reading your post, I'm guessing you've never been here.
Is this thread so difficult to comprehend?? It's quite simple.
There are only four cities in the US that have man made monuments that are so unique to the rest of the world on a large scale that mistaking the location is next to impossible.
The images of the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood Sign, Capital/White House and the Golden Gate Bridge scream international recognition.
I'm a big fan of Chicago and have been there many times but the Willis Tower isn't easily identified as the other iconic structures mentioned above. Looking at the Chicago skyline can be confused with New York if your not a skyscraper geek.
Miami is a heavyweight with it's beaches and partying scene but show Asians a picture of Miami Beach and some may think it's Honolulu.
Red John showed a list of the most recognizable locations in the World and the four cities (NY, LA, DC and SF) were at the top of the list he provided.
Top 3 - NYC, LA, DC. I don't many people would leave these 3 off their list.
After that I think there are a few cities that, depending on a combination of: where you have lived/traveled, are knowledgeable about, and the characteristics you consider essential to meet your own personal definition of an iconic US city, influences what cities you use to round out your top 5.
For example, people who have an east coast bias, they are probably more likely to include another east coast city, like Miami, Boston, Philly, or possibly even Atlanta, on to the top 3 of NYC, LA, DC. To take that even further, if the east-coast biased person values historic significance as essential to his own definition of an iconic US city, then he's probably more likely to Boston or Philly in his list. Some others included in this second tier would be San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, New Orleans, Seattle, SD, Honolulu, Denver, Dallas, and maybe a few others.
My personal top 5 would be NYC, LA, DC, SF, and CHI.
What makes Boston or Chicago more iconic than San Francisco according to you?
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