Most instantly recognizable CITY

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by whogoesthere

Ehhh, one must always be careful how seriously one takes the opinions of people over the net...some of these folks take hometown boosterism to obscene levels...I do think LA is one of the most instantly recognizable cities due to constant exposure via Hollywood...but its not that serious

I agree that LA is pretty darn recognizable (see the 38 landmarks I posted a few pages back), but I actually think its constant exposure via Hollywood works against that recognizability.

For every movie filmed in LA that is also set in LA, there are probably 10 more that are filmed here but set in different city. As a result, a lot unique LA landmarks just become internalized in people's subconscious as "generic city stuff" and not uniquely LA places. Case in point: I remember taking an out of town friend to Randy's Donuts, and he was was surprised that "there was one of those in LA", as if any other city on the planet has them.

Its common for people to get deja vu the first time they visit LA. They may walk or drive past a building, intersection, bridge or other landmark for the first time but it will feel familiar because they've seen it a thousand times in various movies, TV shows, commercials, and music videos. Because of Hollywood, the streets of LA live in everyone's subconscious whether they realize it or not. In that way, our city is sort of everybody's city.

[the resident09]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

So I got bored at 38. I'll add more later.

Many of those are not instantly recognizable that it's LA. The city hall? Not too many non city experts would know that's Los Angeles. And your number 2 on your list I didn't even know was Disney Land either since I've only been to Disney in Orlando.

[RadicalAtheist]

Yeah I don't know why he did that 38 landmark thing..

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by the resident09

Many of those are not instantly recognizable that it's LA. The city hall? Not too many non city experts would know that's Los Angeles. And your number 2 on your list I didn't even know was Disney Land either since I've only been to Disney in Orlando.

Wow. The concert hall is not in Disneyland. Its in Downtown LA and bears Disney's name because they helped to finance it. The reason its well known has nothing to do with Disney; its because its one of Frank Gehry's most architecturally significant works, and probably his most well known in the world. If you Google his name its the first one that comes up.

As for city hall, surprised you don't know it. I grew up in Philly and only just moved out here when I was 30 years old but I always knew LA City Hall from Dragnet and the old noir films. Maybe its age thing. If you thought the Disney Concert Hall is in Disneyland I'm guessing you are on the young side. Or you just don't care about architecture. In which case what are you doing on a messageboard about cities?

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by RadicalAtheist

Yeah I don't know why he did that 38 landmark thing..

#1) I wanted a break from work

#2) The comment that someone made that "the Walk of Fame and Hollywood sign are pretty much LA's only known landmarks" was so over-the-top stupid that I felt like demonstrating otherwise.

[the resident09]

I recognize the city hall in LA yes, but the building looks no different or recognizeable than the Baton Rouge state Capitol in Louisiana.

[atler8]

There is a major difference between "only known landmarks" vs. the thread title "Most instantly recognized CITY."
The poll results are overwhelming to this point in favor of NYC.