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I don't necessarily agree with the article in saying that those specific cities are overrated, but I do agree with the spirit of the article. There are a lot of hidden gem cities that often get overlooked (i.e. most Midwestern cities outside of Chicago and smaller cities in general), because people focus too much on the cities listed. You don't necessarily have to go to NYC/LA/SF/Chicago, etc. to find cool stuff.
I didn't realize NY'ers had such an inferiorty complex! One C-D'er says something negative about NYC and the thread turns into a "nah uh" thread about NYC. I think comments like those are best dealt with by ignoring them, not responding to them (unless the thread is about that subject).
Ha ha I'm not an NY'er. I live in Orlando, Florida.
I imagine that most mature NY'ers would ignore it as they probably get tired of hearing these kind of things about their city.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,753 posts, read 23,832,257 times
Reputation: 14670
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Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus
How has Denver's air quality IMPROVED in the last 20 years? That seems unlikely given the fact that the city has added almost a million people since then...
Denver was ranked at #2 after LA for poor air quality throughout the 1980's. It put regulations on scaling back wood burning fireplaces (mostly on new construction) which was a big contributor to the smog cloud back then and developed more mass transportation. http://www.denvergov.org/OutdoorAirQ...9/Default.aspx
Ha ha I'm not an NY'er. I live in Orlando, Florida.
I imagine that most mature NY'ers would ignore it as they probably get tired of hearing these kind of things about their city.
LOL, I live in the Orlando area as well and despite not being a New Yorker got how ridiculous the original assertion was.
You really have a lot to learn if you really believe all NYC offers is structures and celebrities.
I would say NYC pretty much offers everything a city lifer would look for. Even if are looking for some quite time at the country side it's not that far away from those places.
I sort have to stick up for him though... Although maybe not for the same reasons.
I read this article a few days ago and I think everyone needs to take it with a grain of salt.
That list includes wonderful place to visit! However, many often have downsides or pitfalls (like being really really expensive, not relaxing, not well rounded for a vacation).
This list is also not about city life or living in a city... It is about Vacations!
I also wouldn't ever cross off San Francisco automatically, but he might be right on exploring other cheaper areas nearby and make it into a longer trip and possibly find some more relaxing spots.
With that said. NYC is a very expensive place, not a great place to take the family, and you go and see a few cool sites, but then there is no place to relax. It is a very busy and congested city and at times kind of gritty. I'm sure it has great places to go out on the town, but I can do that at home too.
To me NYC is the place I go to on business and do a day of sightseeing on the side or go hit the town at night, but it will probably never be my ultimate vacation destination.
Last edited by JMT; 04-13-2013 at 10:24 PM..
Reason: North American cities only
Denver was ranked at #2 after LA for poor air quality throughout the 1980's. It put regulations on scaling back wood burning fireplaces (mostly on new construction) which was a big contributor to the smog cloud back then and developed more mass transportation. The Importance of Air Quality
I guess my question is whether Denver actually REDUCED carbon emissions (doubtful), or if it fell in the national rankings (more likely)? I don't doubt that Denver has tried hard to curb the emissions per capita, but to have a net zero city or even reducing emissions is quite the challenge.
#2 San Francisco: Maybe it'll be different, I tell myself, heading back into town for the eightieth time. Maybe I just need to relax.
Yeah, probably...
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And then it happens again -- the negotiating of the antiquated public transit,
Never had a problem with it.
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the smell of body odor rising off unwashed pavement,
Stay out of the Tenderloin and the peripheral parts of Union Square, then.
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the surly, do-as-little-as-possible hotel employee,
Stay at a different hotel. There are dozens and dozens of them throughout the city. Maybe the author's effervescent personality has something to do with it?
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yet another restaurant server who just doesn't give a damn,
Eat at a different restaurant, and leave your crappy attitude at the door... you may be surprised.
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or perhaps a fortysomething hipster who takes her job as a latte jockey way too seriously, burdened with the fervent but misplaced belief that the thing I want most while waiting for my coffee is a lecture on how to order correctly.
See above.
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Sooner or later, I'll end up sitting down down with some other living, breathing bummer,
Okay, so here's your problem... you have a crappy attitude and cavort with crappy people! Take two and call me in the morning.
Actually, no, don't.
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who will at some point in the conversation will mansplain to me why San Francisco is the best and everywhere else is the worst.
Seems like whatever plot of land this guy's standing on at any given time is probably one of the worst.
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Suddenly, I'm all, ah, never mind, at which point I get in the car, head across the Golden Gate Bridge and move on with my life. Everybody wins.
What a bitchy, snotty primadonna. Oh, wait... he's a travel writer... nevermind.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,753 posts, read 23,832,257 times
Reputation: 14670
Quote:
Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus
I guess my question is whether Denver actually REDUCED carbon emissions (doubtful), or if it fell in the national rankings (more likely)? I don't doubt that Denver has tried hard to curb the emissions per capita, but to have a net zero city or even reducing emissions is quite the challenge.
You have fair argument as far as air quality, and this probably pertains to most major American cities. Nonetheless the author stated that Utah does everything as well or better than Colorado along with giving the impression that Denver always has a nasty brown cloud hovering about along with the city being boring and suggesting only thing to do is smoke pot while there (as if Salt Lake City would be so much more exciting ). The irony in that is Salt Lake City was making national headlines just recently for having some of the worst air quality in the country. In fact an article on the matter was published by the author's own Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2534949.html
He disses the whole state off by using examples like Colorado Springs and Pueblo to set the tone for how much the whole state supposedly sucks while leaving out bright spots such as Boulder, Fort Collins, Manitou Springs, or Durango. He missed some of the best ski resorts in Colorado such as Steamboat Springs, Copper Mountain, or Breckenridge while using a cliche example like Vail instead. Apparently the good resorts are too far off the highway, yet Vail is too close to the highway for him. Whatever. He describes a few random cities like Pueblo and Grand Junction as vaguely off putting when the irony is his whole personal experience with Colorado is just that, vaguely offputting. It's clear he had a very brief stint in the state and really doesn't know very much about it at all.
Reading throughout his article he seems to have little patience for anything and as 415_s2k stated above has a crappy attitude in which he seems to naturally draw in petty circumstances that he likes to b*tch about. I've seen much more thoughtfully written travel experiences here on C-D, how he got a gig with Huff Post is beyond me.
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#5 Colorado
Denver is a weirdly bland, Midwestern snore, with an air quality problem. Vail, apart from its slopes, is suburbia in the middle of nowhere, a collection of strip malls by the side of a highway. Also? The Vail Valley is so high up in the mountains, some people are alarmed to find themselves nearly unable to breathe, let alone ski. The rest of the state is too often either uptight and boring (Colorado Springs) or drab and vaguely off-putting (Pueblo, Grand Junction, too many other places to mention). The nicer ski towns, like Aspen, or Telluride? Amazing sure, but they are also buried so far in the mountains, that getting there during ski season -- or any season -- costs time and money too many people don't have. Colorado did legalize marijuana last year, which is great, because next time you go to Denver, you'll have something to do.
Instead, try Nearly everything Colorado does, Utah does as well or better, without the kerfuffle, the crowds or the cost. Skiing? Ride a Salt Lake City bus to some of the hemisphere's best powder at Alta and Snowbird. National Parks? Arches, Canyonlands, Zion -- all among the best in show. For cool small towns with lots to do nearby, there's Moab. There's Springdale. The beer may be more advanced in Colorado, but these days, breweries like Uinta are playing for keeps.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 04-13-2013 at 02:47 PM..
I sort have to stick up for him though... Although maybe not for the same reasons.
I read this article a few days ago and I think everyone needs to take it with a grain of salt.
That list includes wonderful place to visit! However, many often have downsides or pitfalls (like being really really expensive, not relaxing, not well rounded for a vacation).
This list is also not about city life or living in a city... It is about Vacations!
What they mentioned about Prague instead of Berlin was spot on. Granted, I'd still go to Berlin again, but it would be a day trip on my way to Prague Prague was equally interesting, fun, and far cheaper (and more friendly!).
I also wouldn't ever cross off San Francisco automatically, but he might be right on exploring other cheaper areas nearby and make it into a longer trip and possibly find some more relaxing spots.
With that said. NYC is a very expensive place, not a great place to take the family, and you go and see a few cool sites, but then there is no place to relax. It is a very busy and congested city and at times kind of gritty. I'm sure it has great places to go out on the town, but I can do that at home too.
To me NYC is the place I go to on business and do a day of sightseeing on the side or go hit the town at night, but it will probably never be my ultimate vacation destination.
In all honesty, if people feel the city is too fast paced too relax all they really to do is drive up to somewhere more quite like Long Island or somewhere else close by in NY state. Even for living, Staten Island can be pretty quite and suburban. And maybe it's my age but personally I prefer vacations where I can always do things.
As far expensive goes you have realize that you get paid a lot in NYC too. It's still probably ends up as kind of expensive I guess but no place is perfect. Cost is probably one of the top reasons why I'm not packing my bags in moving to NYC right now.
I can only speak on Chicago, San Francisco, and Austin. I agree with him about the last two, though in Austin's defense it wasn't like that when I was growing up there. It has lost much of its humility, in my opinion. He's also right that Houston is a more interesting city from a traditional coastal, urban center perspective. It seems strange to call Chicago overrated. That city doesn't seem to have a lot of boosters.
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). The irony in that is Salt Lake City was making national headlines just recently for having some of the worst air quality in the country. In fact an article on the matter was published by the author's own Huffington Post: 
Prague was equally interesting, fun, and far cheaper (and more friendly!).
