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The title of this thread is about reputation/respect.
DC, outside of NYC/The Bay Area/LA, is probably the most visible American city internationally. The statues and monuments, the history, the political influence on a global scale. It all plays directly into this conversation whether you like that idea or not. So, I agree that it's bizarre for residents to ignore it because obviously it carries huge weight. Just because your inner circle doesn't work for the NSF or the DHHS doesn't change the perception of the outside world. People in France don't really give two s**** about your nights in Adams Morgan, and how you don't feel any political influence there.
As my last post stated, I give the nod to DC for the sake of this thread and it's recognition globally (though Boston's higher ed/hospitals/biopharma don't have it far behind). Plus, as someone pointed out, more tourists go through DC than Boston. That's a telling statistic.
As far as the general area, and which I like more? I'll take Boston/Cambridge. Actually, Cambridge alone isn't far behind for me.
The title of this thread is about reputation/respect.
DC, outside of NYC/The Bay Area/LA, is probably the most visible American city internationally. The statues and monuments, the history, the political influence on a global scale. It all plays directly into this conversation whether you like that idea or not. So, I agree that it's bizarre for residents to ignore it because obviously it carries huge weight. Just because your inner circle doesn't work for the NSF or the DHHS doesn't change the perception of the outside world. People in France don't really give two s**** about your nights in Adams Morgan, and how you don't feel any political influence there.
As my last post stated, I give the nod to DC for the sake of this thread and it's recognition globally (though Boston's higher ed/hospitals/biopharma don't have it far behind). Plus, as someone pointed out, more tourists go through DC than Boston. That's a telling statistic.
As far as the general area? I'll take Boston/Cambridge. Actually, as far as city limits, I'd almost take Cambridge alone.
He didn't say Global Reputation, in General people in the United States have a lot more reverence for the Private Sector than the Government.
There is tons of resentment of DC in the US, particualarly is the less vibrant regions of the country where their city struggles and they are sending all their tax money to DC where the median income is twice that of their town, with the Washingtonian's salary being paid by them.
However, there is also an anti-academia strand in US Culture where Harvard is a posterboy of entitlement as well, but Boston is known for more than Harvard.
No but you would see people who work for the SSA, VA, EPA, USDA, DHHS, State Department, DOT, CFPA, DOD, NSF, Congressional Staffers, people who work for CNN, ABC, BBC, FOX, DNC, RNC and Lobbyists who are there because the Government is there.
So yes there is this annoyance by a lot of Americans that this fabulously wealthy city is built completely on the backs of their tax dollars.
I get that, which is a pretty overly simplistic perspective. But somehow, I feel that those types of people who are annoyed would rarely visit DC in the first place.
I get that, which is a pretty overly simplistic perspective. But somehow, I feel that those types of people who are annoyed would rarely visit DC in the first place.
Reputations go beyond those who have experienced a place, I have a picture in my head about what Berlin or Vienna are suppose to be, but I have never been to either place.
He didn't say Global Reputation, in General people in the United States have a lot more reverence for the Private Sector than the Government.
He didn't say domestic reputation either.
But, domestic or international, DC is more recognizable. It's more visible. It's more influential. Again, tourism statistics will tell you just that.. Unless people visit places they don't like/don't want to see...
I get that, which is a pretty overly simplistic perspective. But somehow, I feel that those types of people who are annoyed would rarely visit DC in the first place.
That has nothing to do with reputation/respect. You're confusing two separate conversations.
But, domestic or international, DC is more recognizable. It's more visible. It's more influential. Again, tourism statistics will tell you just that.. Unless people visit places they don't like/don't want to see...
You can both dislike DC and everything it stands for, and want to go see the Smithsonian because it is the greatest collection of exhibits in the world (maybe second to the Imperial Museums in London). Those are not exclusive.
You can both dislike DC and everything it stands for, and want to go see the Smithsonian because it is the greatest collection of exhibits in the world (maybe second to the Imperial Museums in London). Those are not exclusive.
I dislike the New York Yankees and what that evil empire stands for, but I respect the heck out of them. And I realize that they have a larger, and quite possibly better (internationally anyways) reputation than my Red Sox. Also not exclusive.
But, tourists aren't traveling from around the globe for the Smithsonian. Or even cross country. An individual museum/statue/piece is simply a piece of DCs fabric. They are traveling to see the city in which they've known their whole lives to be the "Capital of the free world".
You can both dislike DC and everything it stands for, and want to go see the Smithsonian because it is the greatest collection of exhibits in the world (maybe second to the Imperial Museums in London). Those are not exclusive.
Pretty simple really.
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