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Why am I not surprised that a Philadelphian finds NYC overrated?
Overrated: I would put Phiily here because even though it's the second largest city on the east coast, there is nothing worth seeing in the city besides City Hall and an old bell. However, I doubt Philly is on anyone's mind so there's noway it can be overrated. My vote would have to go to Miami. It's not a bad city per say, but it's lack of walkability ruined the experience for me when visiting.
This is what i like about Philly there is nothing really to see in the city proper compared to NYC. It makes it feel more "Homely" for residents. NYC has a lot of slack jawed mouth breathers just wandering aimlessly throughout the city especially nowadays.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonTy
This is what i like about Philly there is nothing really to see in the city proper compared to NYC. It makes it feel more "Homely" for residents. NYC has a lot of slack jawed mouth breathers just wandering aimlessly throughout the city especially nowadays.
Atlanta, not sure why people like it... The city "core" is very underwhelming, and, well, there was just nothing at all that stood out about it. Nothing to make it unique... Aside from the mess that is the "spaghetti junction."
The charm of Atlanta lies in the neighborhoods throughout it, not just the core. There are some awesome things to see and places to go in all the neighborhoods to the East of Mid/Downtown--especially in the Old Fourth Ward and Poncey-Highland.
The city does have a ways to go, though. Lots of urbanity and empty spaces that could be filled in and made to be an actual city, rather than a workplace for the suburbanites living out past the perimeter.
I think what your hearing is that Boston is not like the mega-cities of NYC, Chicago, LA, etc. in fact, its a rather small city along the lines of SF and DC. But like SF and DC, Boston is considerably more influential than its size would indicate, it is the world's top city for medicine and education it is also one of the world's top ten centers for biomedical research and finance.
I'm fully aware of that and I'm sure most of everyone else on CD is. Boston is a educational hub, medical hub, financial hub etc and is nearly the same size as SF (in land area, not population). But it offers less in comparison to the other cities just mentioned (NYC, LA, SF etc), from what I hear and is somewhat expensive for what you can get there. But that's from what I hear and researched though.
I don't think anyone is claiming Boston is megacity. Everyone knows that.
I'm treating east as east of the Mississippi River.
Most Overrated:
Manhattan: Great and all, one of the world's urban gems, but there is still a whole city in the remaining four boroughs that people often seem to forget about. Places like Astoria, Long Island City, Downtown Brooklyn, and Williamsburg have made great strides in recent years. Places like Harlem and the Grand Concourse area are nothing like they were in the '80s. Riverdale in the Bronx was one of the very few places in NYC that suffered few effects from the fires, heroin and crack that ravaged the rest of the borough for decades; today, Riverdale remains a place that makes you forget you're in NYC. Nonetheless, I still wouldn't call the rest of NYC underrated at all.
Boston: Seems like just a great place to visit, but I hear so many gushing and gushing about it. It seems as if it can't NOT be overrated. And if Boston is anything like San Francisco, then I'll put it this way: I could probably visit for about two days, catch a game at Fenway Park, then just move on down I-95.
South Florida: Great for the high quality beaches and the Keys, and I enjoy visiting, but the suburban lifestyle is something I can find anywhere else in the USA, minus the Northeastern transplant attitudes. But man, oh man, the Keys are awesome! Yet I still list South Florida b/c at the end of the day, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are where the people live, and not Monroe County (the Keys).
Atlanta: I could write a series of novels on how horribly, horribly overrated Atlanta is. Being a two-time visitor, several days each time, was way more than enough for me to know how not great that place is. What a dump.
Least Overrated: I will just regard this as plain ol' underrated.
Baltimore: horrible crime situation, yes, but a city that is earnestly trying, with some success, to regain its old glory. I wish them nothing but the best. An easily overlooked jewel in the early historical development of America.
Kentucky: I know, I know, this is a state and not a city. I pick on it a lot since I moved away for various reasons, but for visitors, central and northern Kentucky actually has quite a few historically relevant sites that are some real gems. Western Kentucky has its own kind of BBQ and eastern Kentucky has the Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge, and Cumberland Falls and its moon bow. It is a beautiful state that honestly gets overlooked as more people visit and move to TN, NC, VA, etc. from the more northern states. I think it's due to the stigma (and having the Creation Museum as well as some of the most extreme of the Tea Party card-carriers in the country doesn't help).
Birmingham, AL: Not sure I'd live there, but I found a surprisingly intersting city when I visited in 2010. It's in some respects what Atlanta probably used to be 50 years ago. As a side note, the best peanut butter, chocolate and strawberry smoothie I've ever had was in Five Points South. The only downside is that it didn't seem as friendly as other Southern cities I've been to, but it still has many beautiful areas. Just stay away from the city west of I-65 and you're pretty much fine. An important city in the late 19th century industrial development of the South after the Civil War, as well as the rest of the U.S.
Atlanta is a dump but Baltimore is a gem?LOL.Okay you lost any and all credibility.
The charm of Atlanta lies in the neighborhoods throughout it, not just the core. There are some awesome things to see and places to go in all the neighborhoods to the East of Mid/Downtown--especially in the Old Fourth Ward and Poncey-Highland.
The city does have a ways to go, though. Lots of urbanity and empty spaces that could be filled in and made to be an actual city, rather than a workplace for the suburbanites living out past the perimeter.
Guaranteed he never drove through Inman ,Candler or Grant Parks,Druid Hills,VA-Hi, or even spent time in Piedmont or Centennial Olympic Parks or Buckhead to call it a dump amd then somehow praise Baltimore of all places.
I dont mean to say Baltimore is bad but it has a longer way to go than Atlanta for sure.Not even close.
Atlanta is a dump but Baltimore is a gem?LOL.Okay you lost any and all credibility.
Apparently both of his visits were confined to either the airport area or a small part of downtown. I seriously doubt they explored much of the city beyond that.
This is the Atlanta we get to enjoy by living here and it's too bad many don't care to discover it.
DC is definitely overrated b/c once you tour all of the monuments & museums to have a moment of patriotism. Afterwards, you go through the red tapes of political reality in each Federal Agency then you will be disappointed & leave. This is the reason why DC was created as the bureaucratic capital of the US. Everything is revolve around the govt. Nothing more.
Northern Cities:
They are NOT OVERRATED, but they are a few cities to have DISAPPOINTMENTS b/c they didn't change during the times: Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, & St. Louis.
WTF?
Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, Tampa, & Miami is considered the US Eastern Cities?
"OOH I'M DYING" - Bugs Bunny, The Penguin to go down the South Pole.
Overrated
NYC: Coming from a native New Yorker. Yes, NYC is the cream of the crop when it comes to being a world class city and the amenities and diversity it has to offer with that. For living, however, I think NYC is utterly overrated for many. The cost of living is through the roof for most. Unless you have some great job opportunity you can't get anywhere else (usually in finance, baking, etc.) - or if you only enjoy artificial entertainment (such as musicals, fancy restaurants, eccentric bars and lounges, shopping) as opposed to natural entertainment like water and mountain sports then NYC is fail. I like have nature in close proximity and not having to drive 3+ hours to access it. I also don't count Central Park or the overbuilt and crowded Long Island beaches as real nature.
Boston: It is beautiful, charming, clean city with lots of history and some cool sites. Other than that I find it kind of bland and boring for a city of it's size and the hype it gets.
Underrated
Jacksonville area: Live here for 2 years and just got back. The city itself may not be the most exciting, but the area itself has a lot to offer. Awesome beaches and water sports being in Florida. Great golfing. Some of the best fish and seafood I've ever had. Lots of great history with St. Augustine down the road. I also find the local culture very interesting being a combination of Southern and authentic Florida.
Montreal: Not underrated perhaps, but doesn't seem to get as much attention compared to other East Coast cities. It's fun and crazy but at the same time charming and laid back. Very unique feeling compared to the rest of major North American cities, which I like. I wouldn't mind living there if it wasn't so cold in the winter.
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