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LA by most measures. It compares pretty well at this point. Anyone who hasn't been to downtown LA in the last few years or more is in for a pretty pleasant surprise (well, unless you get into something terrible). It's not great for a metropolitan of such a huge size, but as a standalone sort of unit it's good compared to the urban core of most other American cities. It's also improving at a really fast clip.
Rounding out the top 10 in addition to LA and the six mentioned are probably Baltimore and Seattle with arguable nominations for Portland, Honolulu, Miami, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver and New Orleans.
Thank you!
You described DTLA perfectly. You'd expect a lot more from a Downtown of a city LA's size. It isn't nearly as great as the Downtowns of the 'Big 6' the OP mentioned. But as a standalone neighborhood (and that's what I honestly consider DTLA - another LA neighborhood and not the city center), there's a lot to offer and it continues to improve. I think some of the best restaurants in SoCal are in DTLA and while the nightlife there isn't that amazing compared to West LA - it has the best craft drinks in the city and some very awesome bars.
As a decentralized city compared to other denser cities, I think it's OK that LA's Downtown isn't as good as Chicago's or New York's.
So there is a very good case that LA should in fact be #7 on the list after those cities the OP mentioned.
Denver CO is no sleepfest either. It used to be just 16th Street Mall that was the main thing happening downtown, but now it serves as just merely the spine of an area that's pretty much blossomed. On a saturday afternoon, there's plenty of areas and choices to spend the day.
I haven't been to LA in my adult and never been to Seattle, so I can't comment on those. But New Orleans and San Antonio are also noteworthy areas. To me, San Antonio seems like a spanish mini-version of New Orleans minus the nightlife activity and casinos.
You described DTLA perfectly. You'd expect a lot more from a Downtown of a city LA's size. It isn't nearly as great as the Downtowns of the 'Big 6' the OP mentioned. But as a standalone neighborhood (and that's what I honestly consider DTLA - another LA neighborhood and not the city center), there's a lot to offer and it continues to improve. I think some of the best restaurants in SoCal are in DTLA and while the nightlife there isn't that amazing compared to West LA - it has the best craft drinks in the city and some very awesome bars.
As a decentralized city compared to other denser cities, I think it's OK that LA's Downtown isn't as good as Chicago's or New York's.
So there is a very good case that LA should in fact be #7 on the list after those cities the OP mentioned.
I completely disagree. It doesn't feel like another neighborhood to me. To me though not on par with DTCh or NY it really doesn't look like Silverlake or Hollywood or Century City or Westwood or Melrose Hill. It looks and feels like a traditional downtown in every sense. It doesn't have the nightlife of the westside? Please tell me where all this westside nightlife is.
I was on Wilshire yesterday in LA. There are strip malls on Wilshire Blvd, stop it. LA urbanity is not like much of the country "urbanity."
There are strip malls in Chicago. There are strip malls in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, etc. Strip mall do not necessarily mean you're in the suburbs or some sprawling area, although I agree they're not the wisest uses for highly urban areas (simply because the parking requirements don't make sense).
Interesting stuff - need to read more on the report itself
These are from 2006?
Only reason I ask is looking Houston; this would suggest there are only 1.8 million jobs? which makes some sense if old and also how many people are below the working age there.
Miami also - based on thi would have 1.3/4 million jobs - Miami has both a younger and retired dynamic bringing down the percentage of workforce to people
Yeah the data is becoming very outdated, not only because it's from 2006, but also because that was during a completing different "era" as far as city development is concerned and was before the Recession and the subsequent move of companies and people back into the core regions (for just about all U.S. metros).
It's fun to look at and it paints a picture for sure, but I sure wouldn't use this data to try and extrapolate what the future might look like.
There are strip malls in Chicago. There are strip malls in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, etc. Strip mall do not necessarily mean you're in the suburbs or some sprawling area, although I agree they're not the wisest uses for highly urban areas (simply because the parking requirements don't make sense).
Exactly. And its not like all strip malls are the same either. LA strip malls are typically 2 stories tall and often have valet parking because there's not enough room in the compact parking lot for the number of customers. I made a quick album of a few typical Wilshire area strip malls for those forumers unfamiliar with LA:
This is what you get when the densest city in the nation has not yet completely shed its car oriented past. Its kind of horrifying but I find it fascinating as well. I hope somebody makes a coffee table book out of them before they're all replaced with 7 story mixed use projects.
I was on Wilshire yesterday in LA. There are strip malls on Wilshire Blvd, stop it. LA urbanity is not like much of the country "urbanity."
There are strip malls. Oftentimes two-story, sometimes three-story strip malls or mini-plazas that are densely packed with commercial/retail and in walking or transit distance to a huge number of people. The form doesn't make people think urban in the same sense as older construction, but the usage is similar.
There are strip malls in Chicago. There are strip malls in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, etc. Strip mall do not necessarily mean you're in the suburbs or some sprawling area, although I agree they're not the wisest uses for highly urban areas (simply because the parking requirements don't make sense).
Exactly. There are urban strip-malls, in each and every city. Strip-mall and urban, aren't mutually exclusive.
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