Tag Team: Memphis, TN + Montgomery, AL + New Orleans, LA vs Columbus, OH + Des Moines, IA + Indianapolis, IN (living, best)

[illadelph73]

Sunbelt areas that are not growing with its peers (or shrinking) vs the cities and metros of the North bucking the trend of losing or stagnant population, let's compare

Which suburb is better in these categories:

Amenities
Architecture
Cost of living
Crime
Culture
Diversity
Downtown
Food
Friendliness
Future outlook
Good place to live/visit
Nightlife
Outdoor activity
Political views
Population density
Public transportation, otherwise access to the commercial/industrial areas
Quality of life
Schools
Skyline
Shopping
Things to do
Weather

[Shakeesha]

I was thinking about this type of thread sans tag team. It is interesting to see how cities buck trends of their respective regions.

Amenities: Columoindianapolis
Architecture: Columoindianapolis
Cost of living: Memphmontorleans
Crime: Do we really need to ask?
Culture: Memphmontorleans
Diversity: Memphmontorleans
Downtown: Columoindianapolis
Food: Memphmontorleans
Friendliness: Memphmontorleans
Future outlook: Columoindianapolis
Good place to live/visit: Memphmontorleans
Nightlife: Memphmontorleans
Outdoor activity: Columoindianapolis
Political views: Columoindianapolis
Population density: Columoindianapolis
Public transportation, otherwise access to the commercial/industrial areas: Columoindianapolis
Quality of life: Columoindianapolis
Schools: Columoindianapolis
Skyline: Columoindianapolis
Shopping: Columoindianapolis. New Orleans can't make up what is missing in the other two.
Things to do: Columoindianapolis
Weather: Memphmontorleans

I would definitely choose Columoindianapolis because it has a much brighter future. It is cleaner and not as many murders. There are more things to do not tourist trap related.

[Nemean]

I'm from Alabama, and I chose CDI. Granted, there two things that can unite Alabama even through the harshest political, religious or football divide: Forever Wild and hating Montgomery. I half imagine half the state politicians are voted for not for policy, but rather to get the most annoying people in the state out of their neighborhoods to the worst place imaginable. There's a larger percent than normal amount of people working in that metro that'd rather live in nearby metros like Auburn or Birmingham than in the metro itself (Though Wetumpka, Prattville and a few of the other suburbs are pretty nice).

Amenities: CDI, they actually exist
Architecture: MMN, while you won't get as many skyscrapers as CDI, MMN has more older stock and variety to blend in with more newer, bigger stuff. Though the newer stuff in CDI is definitely above MMN
Cost of living: MMN
Crime: CDI, Memphis and New Orleans are heavy weights here in all the wrong ways, and Montgomery isn't exactly bucking that trend
Culture: MMN, there's just a ton of history and music here, Montgomery, while being a far third, actually isn't too bad here either
Diversity: MMN, CDI isn't exactly known for the diversity. There's a lot of Midwest cities combos that could beat MMN though
Downtown: CDI, crime is seriously hurting the could-be great downtowns of MMN
Food: MMN, Memphis and New Orleans are heavy weights here in all the right ways, and Montgomery isn't exactly bucking that trend
Friendliness: MMN, probably the comparison that makes all six cities look favorable. Southern friendliness is a bit more extroverted, though.
Future outlook: CDI, isn't this part of the criteria of that determined the criteria of this poll?
Good place to live/visit: CDI/MMN, everyone should visit New Orleans at least once, but should never live there. Memphis and Montgomery are pretty close to the same recommendation. CDI are some of the best places to raise families, but not exactly places you need to go unless you like the sports there.
Nightlife: MMN, Montgomery is the most lacking, but you aren't exactly looking towards Des Moines to carry CDI either
Outdoor activity: CDI, Almost anywhere else in the South, and it'd probably would've won, but MMN is probably at the lowest the South has to offer. Granted, it's not far to reach better offerings, but you're basically in other metro areas by that point.
Political views: CDI, a bit more faith in the political system. MMN is a bit emblematic of the stagnant defeatism and corruption in the wake of old southern democrats
Population density: CDI, MMN's dense areas aren't exactly the best for the people living there. CDI has more dense areas that also service the people living in those areas better
Public transportation, otherwise access to the commercial/industrial areas: CDI; New Orleans doesn't make up for the other two's shortcomings
Quality of life: CDI, the unique offerings specific to MMN don't make up for the basics they struggle with
Schools: CDI, there's a sharp decline between the best schools in MMN vs the rest. CDI's best are just as good and the drop off isn't as severe
Skyline: CDI, see architecture
Shopping: Brand name stores, definitely CDI; I haven't explored the full fallout of COVID in these cities for the more local quirky stores
Things to do: Sports and outdoors would go to CDI; a night on the town would probably MMN (even with the risky crime in Memphis and New Orleans. Montgomery... not so much). It depends on what you value.
Weather: CDI, there's a reason MMN's outdoor activities are so poor. If it were closer to the more beach-y (Charleston, Mobile, Tampa, Savannah, Miami, etc; NO is surprisingly far from a good beach) or the mountain/hill hike-y areas (Bham, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Charlotte, etc), the climate would have taken it from CDI.

[kyle19125]

CDI and have no earthly idea how the voting is even that close, other than some ballot stuffing by homers.

[atadytic19]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

CDI and have no earthly idea how the voting is even that close, other than some ballot stuffing by homers.

Warmer weather?

[ion475]

My vote went to CDI...

NOLA (and Memphis) has the food, probably things to do, and places to visit. Architecture, well, NOLA wins but what's in Montgomery?

Columbus OH and Indy are both growing nicely otherwise and are healthy metro area, while Des Moines is never that bad. CDI are somewhat boring and bland but does have good QOL and good future outlooks.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by atadytic19

Warmer weather?

Critical thought at it's best...