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Pittsburgh, a city of only 300,000 and metro of 2 million, punches so far above it's weight in terms of cultural amenities, civic institutions, food scene, and built urban form and potential that I struggle to find another city its size that beats it. What do you all think...what other cities come close or beat Pittsburgh of similar size when it comes to these amenities?
I know Cleveland will be a quick response. I know Cleveland has great legacy institutions, but I'd argue it doesn't quite beat Pittsburgh in terms of urban parks and food scene. Very debatable though and a lot will come down to personal preference.
I’m going to say St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Baltimore in addition to Pittsburgh. Charlotte and Nashville weren’t prominent cities during the Industrial Age, thus didn’t the big corporate money for institutions as their older counterparts did!!!
I’m going to say St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Baltimore in addition to Pittsburgh. Charlotte and Nashville weren’t prominent cities during the Industrial Age, thus didn’t the big corporate money for institutions as their older counterparts did!!!
Baltimore is substantially more built up than the others cities, and despite its population loss it is still functionally built out like a city of 1 million people. It beats Pittsburgh in every metric.
I agree with Cincinnati & Cleveland.
Charlotte & Nashville will more than likely have as much amenities as they are rapidly urbanizing but will never have the same built form as Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh metro is 2.35 million, just to clarify. It might seem like a minor point, but there do happen to be quite a few metros with very close to 2 million people, and Pgh is about 15% larger than those, and has a bigger history than most, so it may not be that surprising that it has more things. The smallish city limits population is really only because it hasn't annexed as much of the surrounding area as most other cities- its boundaries for strict city limits are only 55 sq. miles
Those same city limits used to house 700,000. (Not judging, just saying. Late 20 century population crashes are a common feature of Rust belt cities, e.g., Buffalo, Cleveland, South Bend, Rochester, Detroit, Johnstown, etc.)
I’m going to say St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Baltimore in addition to Pittsburgh. Charlotte and Nashville weren’t prominent cities during the Industrial Age, thus didn’t the big corporate money for institutions as their older counterparts did!!!
Very few Southern cities had industrial economies during the Industrial Age.
Baltimore is substantially more built up than the others cities, and despite its population loss it is still functionally built out like a city of 1 million people. It beats Pittsburgh in every metric.
It certainly does not beat Pittsburgh in every metric.
Pittsburgh really does seem unique in that it is a North Eastern rust belt hybrid. It has elements of a smaller Boston/Philly with its intact old world neighborhoods. A very intact urban core with lots of active neighborhoods: DT, Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Carson Street, the Strip District, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, Mexican War streets.
Cleveland- it has proximity. But, other than that it is hard to say Cleveland has a lot in common with Pittsburgh in terms of urbanism. The city never had the intense rowhouse development of the river cities. Then it was hit pretty hard by disinvestment and urban blight. The city has been seeing a nice little revival. But, it can't compare to PGH when it comes to historic architecture or intact, walkable neighborhoods. St Louis- St. Louis is a bigger and arguably more important MSA than Pittsburgh. The city rivals Pittsburgh in terms of urban breadth But, I think Pittsburgh is a little more "peaked" in terms of street level activity. STL has lots of neighborhoods, but outside of Delmar and CWE it doesn't have as many active streets. Cincinnati- this is the closest in terms of natural setting and dense built environment. They are arguably the 2 closest to "east coast architecture" outside of the actual east coast. But, Cincy doesn't feel as big or as active. The citys tech scene isn't as strong.
They are smaller, but arguably also similar to Pittsburgh: Milwaukee- A smaller city, but it dose have a fairly intact urban core. Buffalo- it shares the interior North East feel. But, too small to ever be a rival or peer.
STL/CLE/Cincy rival Pittsburgh when it comes to MSA GDP. But, I think Pittsburgh stands above the rest of its peers when it comes to urbanism.
To me Pittsburgh is in a really beautiful setting with the rivers, forests and stone and in Pennsylvania a “chic” more desirable historic state and closer to the charming NE cities and this separates it from the St Louis’s and the rest. Like someone already stated I’ve usually associated Pittsburgh with Cincinnati that are similar in many ways.
St. Louis, Cleveland & Cincinnati are much closer in economic power/GDP, amenities & built urban form
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