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As the title says, what major cities do you think are CBD versus neighborhood oriented in terms of things to do, where people hang out, etc.? I'll list a few for now and feel free to add.
NYC (probably too big to do this for, but...)
Chicago
Houston
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Atlanta
Miami
DC
Boston
Minneapolis
San Francisco
Los Angeles
San Diego
Seattle
Orlando
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Nashville
Louisville
Hey, what about San Jose? It's the 10 largest city in the country?
Central West End reminds me of a vibrant neighborhood in Paris and makes one exclaim “I could totally live here,” and then you get downtown and wonder where all the people went.
A vibrant neighborhood in Paris is a bit of a stretch, but your point is understood. My favorite neighborhood in St. Louis was actually Soulard.
Central West End reminds me of a vibrant neighborhood in Paris and makes one exclaim “I could totally live here,” and then you get downtown and wonder where all the people went.
Detroit. While a large percentage of its neighborhoods sit in dismal decay, its core has seen a good bit of rejuvenation.
The same can be said for Baltimore.
I actually disagree from my experience with Baltimore. The downtown has always seemed very dead to me when I've been there save for areas right along the harbor. It seems like nightlife is more spread out in neighborhoods like Fells Point, Federal Hill, Mt. Vernon, etc.
Central West End reminds me of a vibrant neighborhood in Paris and makes one exclaim “I could totally live here,” and then you get downtown and wonder where all the people went.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent_Adultman
A vibrant neighborhood in Paris is a bit of a stretch, but your point is understood. My favorite neighborhood in St. Louis was actually Soulard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpomp
Great enthusiasm, but not even close....
I'd personally compare The Central West End with somewhere like Chicago's Lincoln Park.
I'd personally compare The Central West End with somewhere like Chicago's Lincoln Park.
You know I agree with most of what you write. If you are saying that St. Louis is a premium neighborhood like Lincoln Park is to Chicago, I would say yes. If you are saying they are comparable as in amenities, wealth, walkability and everything else "urban" No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpomp
Great enthusiasm, but not even close....
There is a lot of French influence in the architecture throughout St. Louis and the Central West End shows it well. At one point I remember St. Louis was referred to as the Paris of North America in its heyday.
I'd personally compare The Central West End with somewhere like Chicago's Lincoln Park.
That is a much better comparison, but Lincoln Park still offers a lot more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis
You know I agree with most of what you write. If you are saying that St. Louis is a premium neighborhood like Lincoln Park is to Chicago, I would say yes. If you are saying they are comparable as in amenities, wealth, walkability and everything else "urban" No.
There is a lot of French influence in the architecture throughout St. Louis and the Central West End shows it well. At one point I remember St. Louis was referred to as the Paris of North America in its heyday.
Yes, Philadelphia was also compared to Paris throughout a lot of the 19th and early 20th century.
But in 2019, St. Louis is past its hey day, not denying that Central West End is nice, just not comparable to an exciting neighborhood in Paris.
NYC, Chicago, DC and Seattle are both. You could also say that Boston is both if you deem neighborhoods in Cambridge and Somerville as Boston neighborhoods.
LA and Pittsburgh are neighborhood-oriented, though Pittsburgh has a substantial CBD for its MSA size.
Philadelphia seems VERY CBD oriented. Most of the interesting neighborhoods seem to be very close to the CBD (sure, there are exceptions such as much of Northwest Philly).
Philadelphia seems VERY CBD oriented. Most of the interesting neighborhoods seem to be very close to the CBD (sure, there are exceptions such as much of Northwest Philly).
The thing is Center City is - pretty uniquely for the U.S. - not really a CBD. I mean, it contains a CBD within it (basically strung along Market Street west of City Hall) but it has large areas like Old City and Society Hill which are mostly residential. Even Rittenhouse Square is basically rowhouses a single block back from the park. This gives Center City a huge leg up when being compared to other CBDs, because it has a huge residential population and a lot of 24-hour street life.
You know I agree with most of what you write. If you are saying that St. Louis is a premium neighborhood like Lincoln Park is to Chicago, I would say yes. If you are saying they are comparable as in amenities, wealth, walkability and everything else "urban" No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpomp
That is a much better comparison, but Lincoln Park still offers a lot more.
Lincoln Park has 4.5x the CWE's population. Is it a one for one comparison? No, but the CWE does offer a similar experience on a smaller scale. Lincoln Park is denser with less private drives, more bars, restaurant, shops, and better public transit. The CWE has those things, but on a smaller scale. It also lacks a major undergraduate campus like Lincoln Park. From a jobs standpoint, Lincoln Park doesn't have anything for that can really compete with massive medical campus in the CWE that's combining multipe major hospitals and medically related schools. I'd also argue that Forest Park and its amenities are superior to Lincoln Park the actual park.
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