What are America's "destination" cities? (school, live, best)
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Atlanta and Cleveland share a trait. I said nothing about them ranking the same. Neither is a signficant destination in my book, in terms of long-distance pleasure tourism.
What’s the shared trait? They’re both American cities that’s about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis
Cleveland is a great city. Atlanta has a few more museums than Cleveland. Not enough to throw it up two tiers. Atlanta has a much larger economy, more f500 companies, and a better airport. It doesn't have a significantly better experience as a city than Cleveland. If you're insulted by that fact, it's your fault.
It’s not my fault it’s your delusion. At Cleveland’s peak at estimated a total of about 19 million visitors annually. I believe that was pre pandemic. Atlanta pre pandemic had an estimated total of 57 million visitors annually. You do the math. They’re not even in the same conversation. And by no means am I saying that Atlanta is a destination but that it has more appeal to visitors than Cleveland does that’s for sure.
I’m not saying Cleveland isn’t a great city but what does it have compared to Atlanta that makes people want to go out of their way to visit? Atlanta has a storied Civil Rights legacy that attracts domestic and international visitors. They have a global brand in Coca-Cola and use to be CNN. They have the countries largest aquarium. They do have new addition in Beltline that is nationally praised.
Also Atlanta is a destination for Black tourist so they have that going for them. What does Cleveland have? Oh and on top of it, weather isn’t really a plus for Cleveland either not to mention location.
Cleveland is a great city. Atlanta has a few more museums than Cleveland. Not enough to throw it up two tiers. Atlanta has a much larger economy, more f500 companies, and a better airport. It doesn't have a significantly better experience as a city than Cleveland. If you're insulted by that fact, it's your fault.
I second Cleveland is a great city. The weather is on the sucky side (but summer time is pleasant and never overwhelmingly hot. Good thing in a global warming world.) and perhaps its museum numbers aren’t as great as the ones in ATL but the quality is superb even on a national level.
Cleveland seems to have always been mocked, even its locals know that and can take the joke. It has seen its glorious days (as many of its architecture showed.) but I’d take its best suburbs (not its city proper.) over many hyped-up popular cities in this thread like Austin, Denver, Nashville, San Diego (yes even San Diego-“everyday feels like 4 pm on Tuesday in San Diego.”-if you heard of the expression.) or even Miami.-Personal preference and taste. Cleveland isn’t a “glamorous” city, but there are a lot of lovely things and hidden gems (we are not talking about the Rock Hall here.) that your average tourists don’t know about CLE.
This thread is about “destination” cities but I can’t process what’s so great about walking around in Times Square because it’s mostly chain stores and restaurants that you can do it in your hometown anyville U.S.A. Plus its aesthetically unpleasant, noisy and not even very pedestrian-friendly. If tourists want to walk around in NYC at least go to West Village, SoHo, Nolita, for either semi-interesting non-chain restaurants and boutiques or at least something that’s uniquely New York. (although chains are like parasites, even NYC these days are invaded by them. What’s the point of shopping at Victoria’s Secret in Herald Square when you can do it at home and in your town/city?)
Just my little 0.00000002 cents to humbly insert myself to the discussion. Now keep calm and carry on.
People calling Dallas Applebees but why the heck would you go to Austin on vacation? I went and found nothing new (I know a specific poster is gonna use this to talk about how the forums are slanted against Austin). I will admit it may soleley because of its size advantage, but DFW is so much more entertaining than Austin. Better food and drinks, better museums, and more sports.
Also, people listong Boston, what is the tourism draw for Boston? Boston serms like the least exciting of the big four in the Northeast.
Boston has a big European and upper-middle-class white tourism population. With moderate Asian tourism.
They come for the history
They come for the seafood
They come for the universities- things like the Harvard-Yale Game, and Charles Regatta. They may have friends at uni and want to visit them
They come to Whale Watch in the Boston Harbor
They come to visit the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
They come before to the Cape maybe, or skiing.
They come because our sports teams have massive international fanbases.
They come for the St. Patrick's Days Parade.
They come from Ireland and the UK and visit often.
They come strictly to sightsee, for the beauty and cleanliness of the city
They come to visit Encore Boston harbor- the only Wynn 5 star Casino resort not located in Vegas or Macau. And I think the only 5 star casino resort in the US not in Vegas. My GFs brother and his family recently went from Queens to Encore in Boston just to vacation. Didn't even leave the Casino.
They come for the Boston Marathon.
It's definitely a destination city... but more so than any other city it has an upper-class, older, and Euro-centric slant to its visitors. But for certain people, it may as well be Newfoundland.
If you think Atlanta is a destination city then you are out of touch. Can you imagine a European saying “I want to plan a trip to Atlanta?” No.
Secondly, who came up with tiers? They are meaningless.
True destination cities:
New York City
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Honolulu
Washington D.C.
Miami
San Francisco
Any other cities are just “add on” not destination cities.
Tiers are a thing on City Data.
I agree with others that some cities qualify as Tier 2 destination cities especially if we measure domestic travel, but from an average international perspective, your list is good, although Chicago belongs too.
Boston has a big European and upper-middle-class white tourism population. With moderate Asian tourism.
They come for the history
They come for the seafood
They come for the universities- things like the Harvard-Yale Game, and Charles Regatta. They may have friends at uni and want to visit them
They come to Whale Watch in the Boston Harbor
They come to visit the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
They come before to the Cape maybe, or skiing.
They come because our sports teams have massive international fanbases.
They come for the St. Patrick's Days Parade.
They come from Ireland and the UK and visit often.
They come strictly to sightsee, for the beauty and cleanliness of the city
They come to visit Encore Boston harbor- the only Wynn 5 star Casino resort not located in Vegas or Macau. And I think the only 5 star casino resort in the US not in Vegas. My GFs brother and his family recently went from Queens to Encore in Boston just to vacation. Didn't even leave the Casino.
They come for the Boston Marathon.
It's definitely a destination city... but more so than any other city it has an upper-class, older, and Euro-centric slant to its visitors. But for certain people, it may as well be Newfoundland.
This thread is about “destination” cities but I can’t process what’s so great about walking around in Times Square because it’s mostly chain stores and restaurants that you can do it in your hometown anyville U.S.A. Plus its aesthetically unpleasant, noisy and not even very pedestrian-friendly. If tourists want to walk around in NYC at least go to West Village, SoHo, Nolita, for either semi-interesting non-chain restaurants and boutiques or at least something that’s uniquely New York. (although chains are like parasites, even NYC these days are invaded by them. What’s the point of shopping at Victoria’s Secret in Herald Square when you can do it at home and in your town/city?)
Times Square is just one of those places you go to in NYC just to show you went to NYC...and that's about it. It's just one of those landmarks / icons ultimately even though it IS nothing special. It's like Piccadilly Circus in London, or even Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ainsley1999
Cleveland seems to have always been mocked, even its locals know that and can take the joke. It has seen its glorious days (as many of its architecture showed.) but I’d take its best suburbs (not its city proper.) over many hyped-up popular cities in this thread like Austin, Denver, Nashville, San Diego (yes even San Diego-“everyday feels like 4 pm on Tuesday in San Diego.”-if you heard of the expression.) or even Miami.-Personal preference and taste. Cleveland isn’t a “glamorous” city, but there are a lot of lovely things and hidden gems (we are not talking about the Rock Hall here.) that your average tourists don’t know about CLE
For Denver - it's a gateway to the mountains west of it but that's about it. Don't think anybody go to Denver to visit Denver anyway for more than half a day.
The likes of Austin or Nashville or SD - well, it's at best a side trip, at worst people never even heard about it.
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For Boston - it's definitely a tier below the likes of NYC or Vegas for being a "destination" city, but it's definitely more well known globally than a lot of other cities that people mention (cough...Austin or Nashville or even Atlanta).
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