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Please grade these two cities on how instantly recognizable their skyline is.
Example: If you received a postcard from someone who visited these cities, but neither city name was listed, which unmistakably would be recognize first in your eyes. Feel free to list iconic buildings or other notable structures.
Pictures are welcome.
This is a fun question!!
Two great, historic cities. Honestly though, I don't find either skyline instantly recognizable on a level that is like New York City, Chicago or San Francisco.
The one I would recognize first without the names on the postcard would be Boston, but ONLY because I'm from here. Otherwise, I honestly don't think I would recognize either on first guess.
They're both nice, Philadelphia's wows me more on a heigh basis, but Boston's wows me more on a density basis. Overall if I wasn't from Boston and saw the two I would probably recognize Philadelphia's first from the tall tower with the antenna. If I saw Boston's I would think it was a smaller cities skyline.
I am not very knowledgeable on skylines. I wish Boston would build at least one tall tower to be on par with Seattle, Philadelphia and Atlanta etc.
Two great, historic cities. Honestly though, I don't find either skyline instantly recognizable on a level that is like New York City, Chicago or San Francisco.
The one I would recognize first without the names on the postcard would be Boston, but ONLY because I'm from here. Otherwise, I honestly don't think I would recognize either on first guess.
They're both nice, Philadelphia's wows me more on a heigh basis, but Boston's wows me more on a density basis. Overall if I wasn't from Boston and saw the two I would probably recognize Philadelphia's first from the tall tower with the antenna. If I saw Boston's I would think it was a smaller cities skyline.
I am not very knowledgeable on skylines. I wish Boston would build at least one tall tower to be on par with Seattle, Philadelphia and Atlanta etc.
Until you all move Logan Airport away from the downtown, that won't happen.
I'd go with Philly. Boston is a great city with a lot of qualities, but for such a high profile city, its skyline is not on par with other American cities of similar stature or even below it. Philly has a great skyline. Nice balance of old and new with good density and height variation.
The funny thing is, up until 1987, Boston had the two tallest skyscrapers to be found in either city — the John Hancock and Prudential towers.
And up until 1987, Philadelphia's skyline was underwhelming — it was a municipal buzz cut because of all the skyscrapers that came up to the brim of William Penn's hat atop City Hall but did not tower over it.
Every one of the skyscrapers that define our skyline now do that.* And every one of them postdates 1987.
I think that you might make an argument that the City Council's giving the Liberty Place complex the green light was the event that touched off Center City Philadelphia's resurgence.
*But after 1987, the city's sports teams entered a championship drought that some blamed on "the curse of Billy Penn" — according to this bit of local lore, the bad fortune was brought on by building towers taller than City Hall. To end the jinx, a tiny statue of William Penn was welded to the final beam of the Comcast Technology Center when it was topped off. Since then, we've had something the city had never seen before: an Eagles Super Bowl victory.
As someone not connected with either city I can recognize Philly easier. It's both of the Liberty Place towers and the Comcast center that pop out immediately. It always takes me a couple seconds longer to get Boston as most of the buildings are less descript for me. Once I pull out the Prudential and Hancock Towers I recognize Boston. Just not as quick as Philly.
This exactly for me. I love the city of Boston more than I love the city of Philadelphia, but I will still recognize Philly instantly
The funny thing is, up until 1987, Boston had the two tallest skyscrapers to be found in either city — the John Hancock and Prudential towers.
And up until 1987, Philadelphia's skyline was underwhelming — it was a municipal buzz cut because of all the skyscrapers that came up to the brim of William Penn's hat atop City Hall but did not tower over it.
Every one of the skyscrapers that define our skyline now do that.* And every one of them postdates 1987.
I think that you might make an argument that the City Council's giving the Liberty Place complex the green light was the event that touched off Center City Philadelphia's resurgence.
*But after 1987, the city's sports teams entered a championship drought that some blamed on "the curse of Billy Penn" — according to this bit of local lore, the bad fortune was brought on by building towers taller than City Hall. To end the jinx, a tiny statue of William Penn was welded to the final beam of the Comcast Technology Center when it was topped off. Since then, we've had something the city had never seen before: an Eagles Super Bowl victory.
Cool! Thanks for the background. I enjoy it when locals write about stuff that only they would know about their city. It is a big reason I enjoy the c v c forum!
Until you all move Logan Airport away from the downtown, that won't happen.
Lol won't happen. I think people love the convenience of having the airport right there in the city. I started my words with lol, because I visualized in my head everyday Bostonians just having the ability to move Logan Airport further out of the city limits on any given day haha.
Despite being one of the oldest cities in the country, there's nothing iconic about the Boston skyline. I would go as far as to say that the Boston skyline is completely unrecognizable to the average American outside of the Boston MSA/CSA.
^Its vaguely 3mi from the building on the right to the farthest skyscraper on the left.
Boston has just as many +500' buildings as LA, SF and has more than Seattle or Philly. It's just stunted in absolute height compared to them because of the airport so instead of it's tallest being ~1000' there "only" 800'.
It always make me laugh when people call it "small", like in what world is having ~24 +500' buildings considered small?
i'm older than the philly skyline; whereas, the boston skyline is older than me.
boston.
I get the joke, but I do think it's the blend of modern buildings and classic buildings stacked next to each other is what makes Philadelphia's skyline memorable.
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