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LA is in the same tier as the 'big 6' and actually more vibrant and dense over a larger area than all except NYC--Please stop kidding yourselves.
We're talking about urban cores and so LA's core, while improving, is not among the top 6 mentioned. I was in DTLA this December and it is noticeably less vibrant than the top 6, and arguably less vibrant than Seattle even. Catch Portland on a weekend during the Saturday/Sunday market, and even Portland trumps DTLA in terms of vibrancy (and all the qualities--some subjective--which we use to define vibrancy such as crowds of pedestrians, the "feeling" of safety and cleanliness, the diversity of shops and amenities along continuous city blocks).
The issue with DTLA is that it is boxed in by 3 freeways to the north/west/south and the LA River (if you want to call that concrete monster that) to the east. This gives DTLA a size of roughly 5 square miles. However, once you go east of Los Angeles St (which is in and of itself rather ugly in many blocks) DTLA becomes very drab. Furthermore, half of DTLA is consumed by light-industrial/warehouse use. So while some blocks/streets in DTLA are vibrant, in general it is an arguably spotty urban core. It is improving and we all know DTLA has massive potential, but seeing as how industry takes up the eastern half of downtown, and then Skid Row's negative effects creep in at around Los Angeles St, there are still some tough problems to combat. I just feel as though the "Top 6" don't feel so limited in terms of continual vibrancy.
While I think our core is rapidly becoming vibrant its definitely not more so than others mentioned thus far. If north shore/south side flats/ strip/ and uptown included maybe but still isn't as vibrant as say Miami.
When I saw all the Miami answers, I was quite confused. I was thinkin, "Downtown Miami isn't that vibrant" but then I re-read the OP's question, and the OP said "AND the adjoining neighborhoods of their downtown's" in that case, Miami does qualify. Def Miami.
We're talking about urban cores and so LA's core, while improving, is not among the top 6 mentioned. I was in DTLA this December and it is noticeably less vibrant than the top 6, and arguably less vibrant than Seattle even. Catch Portland on a weekend during the Saturday/Sunday market, and even Portland trumps DTLA in terms of vibrancy (and all the qualities--some subjective--which we use to define vibrancy such as crowds of pedestrians, the "feeling" of safety and cleanliness, the diversity of shops and amenities along continuous city blocks).
The issue with DTLA is that it is boxed in by 3 freeways to the north/west/south and the LA River (if you want to call that concrete monster that) to the east. This gives DTLA a size of roughly 5 square miles. However, once you go east of Los Angeles St (which is in and of itself rather ugly in many blocks) DTLA becomes very drab. Furthermore, half of DTLA is consumed by light-industrial/warehouse use. So while some blocks/streets in DTLA are vibrant, in general it is an arguably spotty urban core. It is improving and we all know DTLA has massive potential, but seeing as how industry takes up the eastern half of downtown, and then Skid Row's negative effects creep in at around Los Angeles St, there are still some tough problems to combat. I just feel as though the "Top 6" don't feel so limited in terms of continual vibrancy.
You didn't go far east enough. That "drab" area is Skid Row, and after you pass through it you get to the Arts District which is one of Downtown LA's fastest changing neighborhoods. It already has ton of lofts (mostly converted factories), a vibrant and growing retail area around Traction Avenue (now with one of the best barcades in the country), and Los Angeles' best collection of murals and street art. Lots of projects currently under construction, like these:
For too many subjective reasons to list, DT Seattle to me is clearly #7. In fact, I think to many it could outstrip Philly as the #6. Seattle, for all intents and purposes, is viewed by many through the same lens that people view SF, Chicago, etc etc. DTLA is viewed as a larger, better, more up and coming DT Atlanta, DT Houston, DT Miami, etc etc.
Once you get past Seattle, then it becomes a matter of subjectivity. If I view cities the way I view Seattle and the other 6, then I'd say Portland, Denver, San Diego, and Minneapolis are next.
If we want to get down to it, Charleston and New Orleans have two of the most vibrant downtowns anywhere, and are much smaller cities.
It's simply too hard to rank past the top 6, except that I would say there is a clear top 7, including Seattle, and then everybody else, however that shakes out for you.
If we are talking just downtowns, then I would put Seattle above Philadelphia and Washington DC as well as far as overall amenities as Seattle really has clearly better shopping in it's downtown than the other2.
But if its the 'urban core', then we really arent talking downtowns but however far vibrancy and density spread out in as much of an unbroken cluster as possible, right?
In that case, Los Angeles matches and exceeds everywhere not named New York.
That's all I'm saying. Let's give credit where it's due.
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