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With this criteria, I don't see it as "most improved," as compared to the others, since 2010. New Orleans development has not been robust.
It has a good flow of folks in the french quarter, but that is not the immediate downtown area. If you include the french quarter, then the bustle and energy increases.
Most improved? No, but its downtown is already more urban and more developed than any other on this list so there's that. It's certainly not the most stagnant either as there has also been new development and redevelopment of existing properties taking place. And yes, I consider the FQ to be downtown...not the CBD, but downtown.
I am surprised Memphis and Louisville aren't on the list.
This is kind of a hard thread to give an answer to. Unless one has equal experience in all southern cities, it would be hard to come up with a balanced opinion. Tourism produces a different vibe compared to a downtown with a large workforce, rapid transit and useful amenities.
This year I've been to Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta and Dallas. To stay with the flow of the thread, I will leave Memphis out of my post.
Nashville is building like crazy. I think I've seen more growth and buildings going up than the other 2 cities I've visited. Most of the foot traffic is casual tourist traffic that doesn't hussle like it does in a big city.
Atlanta gets picked on a lot because of low density but I did feel the big city thing in Atlanta. I guess its because I took marta in from the airport to Five Points. It felt organic and yes the city felt alive but not like Chicago.
Dallas seemed a little bit more like a big city. I did not take dart into downtown but it seemed just a little busier.
I wish I could comment on the others especially Miami and Charlotte. Cities are changing so fast now. Things could definitely pop out ahead for Atlanta within a year or two but as of right now, I will give a slight advantage to Dallas.
Miami boomed about 10-20 years ago. It's certainly still building, but by no means changing much in terms of scale and structure. Adding 10 new towers in Miami is not going to have the same effect as it would in Nashville or Austin.
I am surprised Memphis and Louisville aren't on the list.
This is kind of a hard thread to give an answer to. Unless one has equal experience in all southern cities, it would be hard to come up with a balanced opinion. Tourism produces a different vibe compared to a downtown with a large workforce, rapid transit and useful amenities.
This year I've been to Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta and Dallas. To stay with the flow of the thread, I will leave Memphis out of my post.
Nashville is building like crazy. I think I've seen more growth and buildings going up than the other 2 cities I've visited. Most of the foot traffic is casual tourist traffic that doesn't hussle like it does in a big city.
Atlanta gets picked on a lot because of low density but I did feel the big city thing in Atlanta. I guess its because I took marta in from the airport to Five Points. It felt organic and yes the city felt alive but not like Chicago.
Dallas seemed a little bit more like a big city. I did not take dart into downtown but it seemed just a little busier.
I wish I could comment on the others especially Miami and Charlotte. Cities are changing so fast now. Things could definitely pop out ahead for Atlanta within a year or two but as of right now, I will give a slight advantage to Dallas.
I see what you mean. I like the vibes in Dallas & Atlanta--very busy and vibrant. They do feel huge.
As for Memphis & Louisville, I agree--they both should've been included here. Memphis is an underrated city. It has had some tough decades with crime and low growth from the 70s until about 3, 4 years ago, but I think it is slowly started to pick up growth. Its downtown is nicely vibrant. It feels like a city that has a strong community, understands its roots and ties to music and the river, and there's a certain spiritual vibe there like in New Orleans.
Louisville also bustles downtown--good for a city its size. Growing decently well and its image has changed a bit the past 3 or 4 years too.
As for Nashville, it's just unreal how that city is moving RAPIDLY from a southern mid-sized city to a larger tier like Denver or Minneapolis, right before our eyes in a very short, 10-15 year timeframe. By 2025, Nashville will have a super dense core with about 35-40 skyscrapers over 300 feet. Considering in 2010, Nashville only had about 12-13 over 300 feet. Just an explosion of growth.
As the OP trying to remain as psychologically unbiased as possible, I’d definitely pick Nashville as most improved. It feels like a big city.
Sorry, I forgot to add Memphis and Orlando. But that’s it. I’m not sure Louisville is southern or big enough to compete here, what would stop me from including cities like Charleston if I added it. There’s always a way to justify putting a city on here, maybe Birmingham belongs too. I just try to present the most hotly talked about or defended cities on CD.
To be fair, I’m not wildly familiar with Louisville so don’t attack me. I do know it is urban in structure, but fast-paced is dependent on size and tourism moreso than just how something is laid out.
Also, fast paced in the sense of mentality, honking horns, pedestrian traffic, overall liveliness, etc
As the OP trying to remain as psychologically unbiased as possible, I’d definitely pick Nashville as most improved. It feels like a big city.
Sorry, I forgot to add Memphis and Orlando. But that’s it. I’m not sure Louisville is southern or big enough to compete here, what would stop me from including cities like Charleston if I added it. There’s always a way to justify putting a city on here, maybe Birmingham belongs too. I just try to present the most hotly talked about or defended cities on CD.
To be fair, I’m not wildly familiar with Louisville so don’t attack me. I do know it is urban in structure, but fast-paced is dependent on size and tourism moreso than just how something is laid out.
Also, fast paced in the sense of mentality, honking horns, pedestrian traffic, overall liveliness, etc
So in a sense the southern NY pace
Actually, I only mentioned Orlando early on because I thought you meant "transforming at the fastest rate," which I later realized you meant fast-paced, rat-race-ish, to which I don't think Orlando fits the bill.
The CBD, while somewhat bustling for a city of its size, is still very laid back, in comparison to some of the larger cities mentioned in this thread.
So you were right in your omission.
It's really the only one to me that stands out as being "fast-paced," where people are running about on narrow streets in tightly-packed city blocks with a decent level of street-level density.
I was there for work one week and really felt like I was in a well-grounded urban environment.
Actually, I only mentioned Orlando early on because I thought you meant "transforming at the fastest rate," which I later realized you meant fast-paced, rat-race-ish, to which I don't think Orlando fits the bill.
The CBD, while somewhat bustling for a city of its size, is still very laid back, in comparison to some of the larger cities mentioned in this thread.
So you were right in your omission.
I haven’t been in years, plan on going this summer.
Where in Atlanta, because this looks like certain parts of downtown Atlanta, just less people for daytime population.
Downtown and Midtown. They are busy, compared to most sunbelt cities, but I think Dallas stands out when it comes to the volume of activity in its core. From my experience in both, anyway. I have more experience with Atlanta than Dallas, but both I have only been in as a visitor, for either work purposes or leisure, so I may be wrong.
I like Atlanta more, but for this poll’s purpose, my opinion remains that Dallas seems to be the most rat-races, in terms of being closest to a traditional urban core.
Most improved? No, but its downtown is already more urban and more developed than any other on this list so there's that. It's certainly not the most stagnant either as there has also been new development and redevelopment of existing properties taking place. And yes, I consider the FQ to be downtown...not the CBD, but downtown.
Ahh, well it's different if you include the French Quarter as downtown--adds vibrancy and liveliness for sure. The CBD itself is not nearly as vibrant as the others on the list, but including the FC, it's up there and competitive.
I'd like to see New Orleans become the next boom city. It's got such incredible bones and potential. I think the geographic constraints are its biggest issues.
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