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.
I don't see how Chicago and its declining population and paltry stats is ahead of Washington DC, SF, or LA. Makes no sense at all.
This is a ranking based solely on the number of satellite offices of certain law firms, accounting firms, advertising, insurance and financial services companies in each city.
Chicago being the premier city in the Midwest will undoubtedly have a high concentration of those sorts of regional offices.
On the other hand, NY takes a lot of office locations away from DC and SF and LA actively compete toe-to-toe with each other for office locations from these companies on the West Coast.
Its highly erroneous that they present this as a 'world city ranking'---because it isnt really anything of the sort.
Wow These rankings are odd, How did Philly move up so many categories? This at a high level makes sense though to me I have trouble thinking that Chicago (as much as I love the city) is on the level with Paris. Also to me LA should at least be on the Level with Chicago.
Where is Houston? Houston belongs with cities like DFW, Philly, Boston, Atlanta etc.
Like all take it with a grain of salt but how does a city move in rankings from Gamma to Alpha in one year?
This is a ranking based solely on the number of satellite offices of certain law firms, accounting firms, advertising, insurance and financial services companies in each city.
Chicago being the premier city in the Midwest will undoubtedly have a high concentration of those sorts of regional offices.
On the other hand, NY takes a lot of office locations away from DC and SF and LA actively compete toe-to-toe with each other for office locations from these companies on the West Coast.
Its highly erroneous that they present this as a 'world city ranking'---because it isnt really anything of the sort.
This has been much of my perspective for years on this ranking, the criteria is very narrowly focused. The prior Gama ranking of Philly was driven by proximity to NYC (serviced by NYC offices), though need to better understand how Philly moved as dramatically as it did, just seems off really in that perspective to move so much though to me this probably better represents a place like Philly compared to a Gamma ranking. And Houston, seems have gotten dinged somehow yet belongs in the same category with comparable cities etc.
This is a ranking based solely on the number of satellite offices of certain law firms, accounting firms, advertising, insurance and financial services companies in each city.
Chicago being the premier city in the Midwest will undoubtedly have a high concentration of those sorts of regional offices.
On the other hand, NY takes a lot of office locations away from DC and SF and LA actively compete toe-to-toe with each other for office locations from these companies on the West Coast.
Its highly erroneous that they present this as a 'world city ranking'---because it isnt really anything of the sort.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly
This has been much of my perspective for years on this ranking, the criteria is very narrowly focused. The prior Gama ranking of Philly was driven by proximity to NYC (serviced by NYC offices), though need to better understand how Philly moved as dramatically as it did, just seems off really in that perspective to move so much though to me this probably better represents a place like Philly compared to a Gamma ranking. And Houston, seems have gotten dinged somehow yet belongs in the same category with comparable cities etc.
We have been saying this for years on City-Data. There is nothing wrong with measuring limited data and then publishing a report and lists of cities. The problem is when they state that their limited criterea is what makes up a global Alpha City, Beta City, Gamma City etc. For instance, I am sure almost everyone would agree that Chicago is NOT on the same level as Paris as an International city.
Having said that I do think that this list is better than some of the ones from a few years ago. By measuring global communications, the old lists seemed to have a bias in favor of the capital cities in the many small independent countries of Europe while discrimitating cities that where in larger countries like the USA, China, India, Russia and Canada. The new list seems to recognize the many great cities that are inside large countries and not just the cities that are national capitals.
Only a moron buys into these rankings by GWC, remember these being the same people who placed Atlanta as an Alpha world city back in 2000. Its 2011 and Miami has seen the worst secular decline in its history economically but makes it to the top of the Alpha - tier with the low quality income? What a joke
I continue to see many posters on this site bring the status of their city from GWC into question when they have something to prove, "its a alpha city" etc etc and I believe those are 9-5 average joes making family level income in middle class suburbia, the kings and queens of cookie cutter lifestyle. Not to sound elitist but this agency has time and time again been proven to be managed by imbeciles. Philly from gamma to alpha - in 2 years? Chicago above LA? Atlanta and Miami in the same tier as Boston? Houston below Atlanta and Miami? SF and DC in the same tier as LA?
GWC rankings: funniest thing since dave chanterelle chapelle. Of course Philly has been alpha all along. Now that has been fixed at least the rankings are a bit more credible.
Last edited by Dub King; 09-17-2011 at 02:08 PM..
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.
