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Even if I loved suburban living(which I don't mind) Houston still wouldn't be on the top of my list. Out of the cities listed Atlanta, Houston, and Denver all offer equal amounts of suburban living. I would still choose Atlanta and Denver over Houston. I like the scenery and the feel of the west that Denver has to offer and I like the culture of Atlanta. For the folk who don't mind high amounts of humidity then I could see why Houston would be their choice. It has some really nice neighborhoods, nice parks, a lot of major companies, and it has a growing population. I just can't get over how ugly the city is/how stereotypically American it is(cars, fast food, out of shape population, large quantities of everything, ect) and the lack of zoning laws would really bother me.
Dude but Denver has a much better core than either city, more walkable. One you get outside of that yeah pretty suburburan, but Denver's core is way ahead of Houston or Atlanta's, especially Houstons' which sucks for a city of that size.
Sure if you like suburban living, it's a grand city.
This right here is the problem with this site sometimes. Urbanity is considered superior to other city setups, but posters fail to realize that some people just don't care about that stuff or prefer to live in a location like Houston. Because the people in their social circles tend to agree with their urban tastes, they don't believe that anyone could truly want to live in a sprawling Sunbelt city. And opposing preferences are considered inferior.
Weather: Denver > Philly > Atlanta > Houston
Public Transportation: Philly > Atlanta > Denver > Houston
Nightlife: Atlanta > Houston > Philly > Denver
Activities: Atlanta = Houston = Philly > Denver (All based on size)
Culture: Philly > Atlanta = Houston > Denver
Cultural amenities: Philly = Houston = Atlanta > Denver
Economy: Not too sure about the health of each places economy, but as far as size it's Houston > Philly > Atlanta > Denver
Downtown: Philly > Denver > Atlanta > Houston
Surrounding nature: Denver > Atlanta > Houston > Philly
I feel like this is a bit skewed towards the larger cities considering Denver is about nearly 1/3 the population of all these places.
I love this...Although I would switch Philly and Houston with nightlife and Denver and Atlanta downtown personally..
There are only two categories here where the winner (Philly) stands heads and shoulders above the rest: public transportation and downtown. You may be able to say the same for cultural amenities, but that point is somewhat arguable IMO. The rest are subjective or somewhat close overall.
Sure if you like suburban living, it's a grand city.
This is what I don't understand. What is so wrong about suburban living? C-D demonizes cities with a more suburban flare, but there's a reason places like Houston are the fastest growing cities in the country. Most people in real life appreciate suburbia. Not that Houston is completely suburban like everyone makes it out to be.
This right here is the problem with this site sometimes. Urbanity is considered superior to other city setups, but posters fail to realize that some people just don't care about that stuff or prefer to live in a location like Houston. Because the people in their social circles tend to agree with their urban tastes, they don't believe that anyone could truly want to live in a sprawling Sunbelt city. And opposing preferences are considered inferior.
What's the point of living in a large city if it's going to be suburban? For that I would just live in the suburbs. It's like saying, "Oh I want to live in the wilderness, and move to the center of Chicago".
Cars pretty much is the only thing that is true, and, even then, the car culture that is present in Houston is far distinct/beyond that most Americans even think about. Lots of swangas and slab.
Fast food is everywhere in the US, and, anyways, the common national chains aren't that common in central Houston. An excerpt from Wikipedia, based on information cited from an article from Houston Press (corresponds to the number in brackets):
Fitness levels in Houston are about the same as that seen up North (perhaps even more). Just because someone has a bit of belly doesn't mean that they are out of shape (muscle can be hidden under fat).
Houston has been considered for a long time one of the fattest major cities in the US. Fact.
What's the point of living in a large city if it's going to be suburban? For that I would just live in the suburbs. It's like saying, "Oh I want to live in the wilderness, and move to the center of Chicago".
Why do you care? If people want to live in a suburban minded city, let them. It's about preference. Get over it.
if people want leafy green tree lined streets, NW Philly neighborhoods like Chestnut Hill and East Falls are arguably better than anything the other cities offer. Issue is, is that it is extremely expensive and very inaccessible. I think the residents there like it that way. Still give me Rittenhouse, Grad Hospital, Washington Sq West, NoLibs, and East Passyunk all day over anything the other cities offer. Sorry but the ability to walk to hundreds of different highly rated places counters anything the others are throwing. Philadelphia isn't overlooked on this board, but it is extremely overlooked in reality. People don't know what they are missing. Amazing parks, biking and walking trails, restaurants, Broadway shows, rooftop bars, tons and tons of art, etc. makes Philly one of the great cities in the US. We also are building a more dynamic cityscape than the others. Idc how many skyscrapers you build if they are adjacent to suburb style development. Makes for a poor urban fabric.
I had a friend I grew up with recently visit and he is always boosting about Pittsburgh's resurgence and he was dumbfounded by the amount of construction taking place throughout Philly. With Amtrak building true high speed rail between 30th street station and Pennsylvania station in NYC, it could open up a whole new era for the city and make this current boom look like peanuts.
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