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There are 5 world class cities currently: NYC, SF, Chicago, DC, and LA. I believe there are four emerging world class cities: Houston, Atlanta, Boston, and Seattle. I believe Boston is right on the line and could reach world class status in the next decade. I think the other three still need 2-3 decades at the minimum for different reasons.
Good assessment. Particularly noted is the exclusion of Philadelphia, which I believe in accurate. Not particularly sure Atlanta will ever be more than a regional center with a busy airport and an Oympics in the '90s, but if I knew things like that conclusively, I'd be worth several billion.
Good assessment. Particularly noted is the exclusion of Philadelphia, which I believe in accurate. Not particularly sure Atlanta will ever be more than a regional center with a busy airport and an Oympics in the '90s, but if I knew things like that conclusively, I'd be worth several billion.
But who ever saw it as even that in the 60's and 70's? Clearly it's evolving into something significantly more beyond that.
Boston is and has been a global city for a long time according to most professional analysis of that sort of thing. Cities from OPs up and coming list are mentioned occasionally by some analysts as well but Boston is definitely widely considered global.
Great post overall. Only thing you might get called out on is the bike share bit--there are several US cities with bike share programs (NYC and DC for starters) so the Paris allusion might be inflating a bit.
Yeah, I should not have included that. I have been in college for months, so I haven't had the opportunity to really explore D.C. and NYC like I do when I travel alone. The only cities that I have had a real chance to explore so far in 2015 are Paris and Philadelphia. If I get pointed out for it, I will consider it rightfully deserved.
Not to mention after this summer two of the last three Popes will have held Mass outside in our city.
Agreed. And the Dali Lama is coming right after the Pope!
I think Atlanta has really grown a lot the past few decades and is very well known today around the World. But I still don't think it has the legacy and culture Philly has, even if it can be argued today Atlanta is more well known (mostly do to reality TV) as a destination.
Notoriety is not always a good thing and I think Philly is trying to be discriminatory in what kind of press it gets and the outside people it attracts-can't hate on that.
Philly to me will always be the cool quiet kid, that continues to do it's own thing despite the talk on the town. This atmosphere has allowed many different types of people, especially artists and entrepreneurs, to thrive here. Too much growth and change in COL is the anti-thesis of a stable deep-rooted community-of which Philly has a plethora.
Of course, Philly has a more extensive cultural legacy...it's a much more historic and older city. Philly was a world class city 70 years ago, but times and standards have changed.
Plenty of cities in Europe were once great cities of the world, but today, are only know for just that. Hell, Rome was the #1 city in the world for centuries. Now it's not named in that 1st tier of cities(NYC, Paris, London, and Tokyo). Athens was once a great city and now look at it.
Yes, but this thread is not necessarily about World Class, which is an ambiguous term. Besides (and I hate to be one of those posters talking negatively about Atlanta), but I don't think of Atlanta as a "World Class City". There are movers and shakers in ATL, but the infrastructure is just not there.
Today just because a city has more F-500s than another city doesn't make it more "World Class". It usually only means the city is more corporate and "business friendly" and tax incentives were better in that city. Philadelphia has not been very "business friendly" the past few decades, but there has been a lot of good to come from that too-Philly is a very individualistic city and pretty anti-corporate, anti-chain. The history and legacy will always be there however-and will continue to be a focus as Philly is now growing and building again.
Legacy, history and urbanity is a big part of what ties the cities mentioned in this thread together-New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, Philly, DC, San Francisco.
Yes, but this thread is not necessarily about World Class. Besides (and I hate to be one of those posters talking negative about Atlanta), but I don't think of Atlanta as "World Class".
Legacy and history is a big part of what ties the cities mentioned in this thread together-New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, Philly, DC, San Francisco.
I don't think Atlanta is world class either. If you saw my post earlier, there's only 5 world class cities in the country: NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, and D.C. I'm hesitant to include Boston in that.
I don't think Atlanta is world class either. If you saw my post earlier, there's only 5 world class cities in the country: NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, and D.C. I'm hesitant to include Boston in that.
I can agree with this. My Mom is from Boston and I have family there I visit often-it may surprise people but Boston can be just as provincial as Philadelphia, if not even moreso.
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