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Phoenix- Known mostly as a retirement haven and a place for priced-out Californians, for being the fifth largest city in the US, it punches WAY below its weight in terms of global recognition. Nearby Las Vegas, on the other hand, punches above its weight.
Detroit- This is semi-global as someone else posted. The modern auto industry is still very important in the Motor City, but competition in emerging markets from East Asia to Latin America, and even the scattering of automotive companies elsewhere in America, has seen its "brand value" fade a bit. It was the most global of all the brands for much of the 20th century, but its still #2 of the options presented.
Seattle- My only vote for a bonafide "global" city, Seattle is still a relative newcomer to its recognition, not "making it" until around the mid-1990s when Microsoft and Starbucks became an established brands, pop culture like Frasier and the Seattle Sound, and startups at the time like Amazon. It continues to make a case for its rising profile, as the gap between it and San Francisco continues to narrow.
Minneapolis- From cereals, a major mall, Prince, and lots of Nordic ancestry, there's a strong niche that's pretty well known in Northern Europe as well as nearby Canada. But its pretty obscure to most of the rest of the world.
San Diego- Seen as the "laid back" counter to Los Angeles nationally as well as globally, best known for a zoo and surfing. Like Baltimore below, seen as being the shadow of a true global city.
Tampa- Miami, followed by Orlando are generally seen as the true global cities on this list. Tampa is very important nationally, but its generally seen as just another Florida town globally. I'd rank it towards the bottom of this list.
Denver- I'd honestly rank Denver third on this list, ahead of Minneapolis and behind Detroit. When people think of the "city" associated with the famous skiing of the Rockies, Denver comes first to mind. Coors is an important beer band and it has perhaps the most important airport out of all cities on this list.
Baltimore- Yes, there is a hotel in Paris called the Sofitel Paris Baltimore Tour Eiffel, but I'll bet most Parisians don't even know what state Baltimore is located in, or at best, a satellite of Washington, DC. Old Bay and Under Armour are its best known exports, along with some of the notoriety of its crime, but its mostly just seen as a nationally-important city to most. I'd rank it around the middle of the pack in this list along with St. Louis and Phoenix.
St. Louis- It had its brightest moment in the sun in the two decades before WWI (probably around Seattle level today in terms of global importance), and Anheuser-Busch remains an important global beer brand and has a potentially brighter future ahead, but it has a ways to catch up.
Charlotte- Its a city that works to live a decent QOL, but not a city that lives to work up a passion for being known the world all over. Its probably the least "global" of all the options on the list.
San Antonio- Mostly a military and manufacturing-oriented city, its mostly seen as a "boutique" city if it ever comes across worldwide, and even nearby Austin is increasingly starting to be seen as building its brand, even if still mostly known within the Sun Belt.
Portland- Another case of being well known nationally, but not so much globally, even if quite cosmopolitan. Its towards the bottom of this list.
I agree with many of your points Borntoolate85. Focusing on some exceptions:
Phoenix is more like #12 largest by metro. It still punches below that.
Denver's airport is an example of the City's limited international connections. While its overall traffic is huge, in 2019 the passenger total was less than 5% international, and 2022 isn't even that. Other cities on this list have way more international passengers, even without being gateways to Mexico.
Baltimore- Yes, there is a hotel in Paris called the Sofitel Paris Baltimore Tour Eiffel, but I'll bet most Parisians don't even know what state Baltimore is located in, or at best, a satellite of Washington, DC. Old Bay and Under Armour list.
True, but I am sure most Americans can’t point out where Rouen/Grenoble/Angers/Le Havre is on the map, either.
To me the most famous things about Baltimore are Johns Hopkins, and the famous line from the movie The Silence of the Lambs, where senator Ruth Martin (played so majestically and regally by Diane Baker.) said: Take This Thing Back To Baltimore!
Last edited by achtung baby; 12-22-2022 at 07:09 PM..
Reason: Autocheck error
Seattle is an odd bird. But one bird that can fly high, no doubt. The location is generally good but the real reason for its success is a mid latitude location and mild climate. Shipping and air are king and without many weather disruptions you can easily ship to most Asian cities.. It really is the perfect city for international mail and products. Seattle was born as an outpost but due to location has become key to world commerce.
It's also experiencing an ongoing Renaissance. It's basically the coolest city in America in my book.
So many cities are going through a “renaissance”. Detroit’s rate of change is at a stand still as compared to the growth that’s happened in many other cities and metros. Be it population, building, or investment.
All of that aside, I do like the Detroit area. To me, it’s a really important and fascinating slice of Americana.
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