20 Most Well Known American cities to foreigners (Los Angeles, airport, building)

[Truthfully19]

Originally Posted by TexasTheKid

Honky Tonk Woman is the song you're thinking of.

Memphis is probably the most celebrated city in musical lyrics. On a huge sign visible while driving into the city on I-40 over the Mississippi River, Memphis self-proclaims itself the "Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock and Roll."

There are several other cities that nurtured the blues (and by extension early rock and roll): Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, St. Louis and Kansas City are the biggest, but they don't even compare to Memphis when it comes to being a raw cultural force that influenced the history of the western world. Memphis was ground zero for a musical revolution that changed the way we view the world.

Without the blues, there would be no rock and roll. Without rock and roll, there would be no hip-hop. Think about that next time you turn on your ipod and wonder why Memphis is so well known.

MEMPHIS ISN'T THE HOME OF BLUES lol....Blues was created in the Mississippi Delta. Memphis alone didn't create or influence anything its just that area

[Truthfully19]

But I'll say

1. D.C. Its the capitol of the most powerful country on Earth plus tons of history
2. New York...its New York..Although Im a die heart Chicagoan Nyc is pretty tight a endless amount of culture, shopping, dining
3. Chicago...its Chicago! Pretty much the only city not on a coast with as much diversity as it has (melting pot) Tons of culture, food/dining/shopping that rivals the best of em' and the Bulls/Barack/Oprah/R. Kelly lol
4. L.A....I mean its Hollywood! its where all the magic as far as American movies since forever has taken place
5. Boston/Philly...So much history in those cities, The only reason I didn't rate them higher is because its American history in those cities and I don't know if they learn about the boston tea party and all of that in other countries
6. New Orleans..Culture unlike any other in America
7. Orlando...can you DISNEY WORLD!


All of the other cities are nice but I they don't offer anything that the ones listed don't

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by Truthfully19

MEMPHIS ISN'T THE HOME OF BLUES lol....Blues was created in the Mississippi Delta. Memphis alone didn't create or influence anything its just that area

In a way it was where the movement really bloomed, and the point where it was disseminated to a wider audience. Delta blues wasn't the only source of the blues as we know today. The folk up in Clarksdale or Tupelo or places like that had their blues too.

Other nodes of the blues would be Chicago and St. Louis.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Cuttlefish

I'm not high, I'm just standing on the other side of the pond & know what people outside of the US think of the cities.

Martin Luther King, Jr - not that famous except perhaps in Africa.

Airport - Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle, Schiphol, Changi, Chek Lap Kok, O' Hare, JFK. These are the airports people know, not a regional hub airport even it's high in volume.

Atlanta University - Wow, is that the same level of Harvard or MIT? UCLA or Georgetown? Anyway even if international people know about Harvard they might still don't realize about Boston.

CDC - Oh, well . They know about the UN HQ though

Civil War stuff - only for history buff.

Guess anything that might matter to you or any Americans has lesser meaning to the rest of the world, except when it's heavily presented in the media & merchandise.

Well...didn't you smugly attempt to discredit everything that I proposed as being internationally known? I must not know anything at all! Living outside of the U.S. doesn't give you the ability to speak for everyone on Earth - you can't know for sure what is or isn't common knowledge to the rest of the world. I've lived outside of the U.S. as well, but that didn't give me any special mind-reading powers.

I didn't make a list of "things that matter" to me, and it's not just an example of an American being egocentric. They are people, places, and events that have had and/or currently have a certain amount of global interest and significance. I don't know where you're from, but I'm wondering if your schools teach world history...or maybe you were sick that day. A quick history lesson:

Martin Luther King, Jr. - because I think he is well known around the world...here are a few of his recognizable achievements:

1. Led the 50s-60s Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and is referenced as an international civil rights icon.
2. Was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1964).
3. Was an admirer and friend of Gandhi and his success with nonviolent protest of oppression in India; after traveling to India to meet with Ghandi in 1959, King was committed to the use nonviolent resistance as the main weapon in the American civil rights struggle for human dignity and justice.
4. Delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington in front of 250,000 people on the National Mall...it is considered one of the 3 finest speeches in American oratory, along with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Roosevelt's Infamy Speech.
5. Led countless successful rallies, marches, sit-ins, and boycotts that changed discriminatory laws and eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
6. His birthday, January 15, is a U.S. National Holiday celebrated with parades honoring King as well as other honorary events.
7. Established the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change - an international organization that supports global nonviolent conflict resolution and tolerance.
8. Was assasinated in 1968 and instantly became a martyr for civil rights struggles throughout the world; his tomb is displayed in Atlanta as part of a National Historic Site that includes his birth home; the tomb is surrounded by a reflecting pool and guarded by an eternal flame.
9. Has received numerous national and international awards and medals for his dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity.
10. In Gallup's Most Admired People of the 20th Century, King ranked second only to Mother Teresa; his mentor, Gandhi, ranked #11.
11. He is venerated as a saint by the Episcopal Church of the U.S. and by the Lutheran Church of America.
12. He has inspired numerous artistic works...in 2006 a stage play about his life was produced in Bejing.
13. There is a National Monument planned for Washington D.C. on the National Mall - he will be the first non-president to have such a memorial, joining the ranks of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
14. Over 700 U.S. cities have a street named after MLK, Jr.; numerous federal buildings, memorials, monuments, schools, bridges, and various other places and structures are named in his honor; a few examples from around the world:

1. Denver, CO................................................ ......2. Washington D.C. - spot on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where MLK delivered his speech.

MLK Statue in City Park, Denver, Colorado on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nstaeck/2258382222/ - broken link) Place where MLK gave his "I have a dream" speech on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84607344@N00/2837133206/ - broken link)


1. London - Westminster Abbey............................................. .............2. San Diego

Martin Luther King on Westminster Abbey on Flickr - Photo Sharing!


1. Mexico City.............................................. .......... 2. Riverside, California

IMG_0028 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ray_iceman/1011244119/in/set-72157594294560604/ - broken link) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mister_goleta/3213876389/ - broken link)


1. San Francisco......................................... .....................................2. Albany, NY

Martin Luther King monument on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30235370@N03/2841553703/ - broken link) DSC03848 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40397489@N00/3188222483/ - broken link)


1. Atlanta........................................... ................... 2. Uppsala, Sweden

A Full look At the Martin Luther King Monument on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iprep-z/2198119843/ - broken link) Martin Luther King plan on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mack2/1473268546/ - broken link)


1. New York City.............................................. ................................2. St. Louis, MO

Martin Luther King monument on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/73649065@N00/3158650170/ - broken link) MLK squashed on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/janet/1237138187/ - broken link)


1. Washington D.C. - U.S. Capitol Building Rotunda.......2. Austin, TX

US Capitol Rotunda Martin Luther King Jr bust on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbell1975/3318992897/ - broken link) University of Texas Campus on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zug55/2913400170/ - broken link)


1. Atlanta - Eternal Flame............................................. ....................2. Racine, WI

Eternal Flame, Martin Luther King Memorial on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/solostandfound/2493461397/ - broken link) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43067379@N00/1022112126/ - broken link)



1. Norfolk, VA................................................ .........2. Boston

on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbhay/3224259883/ - broken link) Boston - Boston University - Marsh Plaza - Free at Last on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/491121061/ - broken link)


1. West Palm Beach, FL................................................ ....................2. Havana, Cuba

Florida - West Palm Beach: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Landmark Memorial on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/2323269882/ - broken link) The New Martin Luther King Memorial on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/photovirginia/2320501858/ - broken link)


1. Washington D.C. - MLK, Jr. Memorial Library.......................................2. San Jose, CA - MLK, Jr. Memorial Library

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/js_design/3145716080/ - broken link) Martin Luther King library - San Jose, California on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_tahoe_guy/2943567180/ - broken link)


1. Seattle........................................... ...........2. Roanoke, VA

Seattle: MLK Memorial on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtn206/2191295544/ - broken link) Martin Luther King Memorial in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/photovirginia/2694934696/ - broken link)


1. Atlanta - statue of Gandhi at the King Center....................................2. Atlanta - Tombs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King

Memorial #1 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezaykiel/140443391/ - broken link) http://www.flickr.com/photos/pastorjason/995665953/in/photostream/


1. Accra, India........................................2. Houston

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Broken Obelisk honoring MLK on Flickr - Photo Sharing!



1. St. Louis, MO - Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge....................................2. Atlanta

Martin Luther King Bridge on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77136894@N00/2312857049/ - broken link) "Atlanta skyline at night" on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/diegosinning/1018156005/ - broken link)

[Cuttlefish]

Heh sorry, Chicago actually stands behind LA. Perhaps even behind Las Vegas and/or Miami.

This is from a foreigner POV BTW. There's nothing in Chicago that actually stands out until people are actually looking for it. On the other hand DC has the seat of gov't, NYC has Wall Street & plenty of big or small screen depiction (ok the notorious part Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem), LA has Hollywood & California.

[Cuttlefish]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Well...didn't you smugly attempt to discredit everything that I proposed as being well-known throughout the world? That's a nasty attitude you have there...by the way, even though you live outside of the U.S. you don't speak for everyone on Earth and you can't know the things that are common knowledge to the rest of the world. I've lived outside of the U.S. as well, but that didn't give me the ability to figure out what everyone else should recognize.

I didn't make a list of "things that matter" to me, and it's not just an example of an American being egocentric. They are people, places, and events that have had and/or currently have a certain amount of global interest and significance. I don't know where you're from, but I'm wondering if your schools teach world history...or maybe you were sick that day. A quick history lesson:

Martin Luther King, Jr. - because I think he is well known around the world...here are a few of his recognizable achievements:

1. Led the 50s-60s Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and is referenced as an international civil rights icon.
2. Was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1964).
3. Was an admirer of Gandhi and his success with nonviolent protest, and after traveling to India to meet with Ghandi in 1959 MLK was committed to the use nonviolent resistance as the main weapon in the American civil rights struggle for human dignity and justice.
4. Delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington in front of 250,000 people on the National Mall...it is considered one of the 3 finest speeches in American oratory, along with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Roosevelt's Infamy Speech.
5. Led countless successful rallies, marches, and boycotts that changed discriminatory laws and eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
6. His birthday is a U.S. National Holiday.
7. Established the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change - an international organization that supports global nonviolent conflict resolution and tolerance.
8. Was assasinated in 1968 and instantly became a martyr for civil rights struggles throughout the world; his tomb is displayed in Atlanta as part of a National Historic Site that includes his birth home; the tomb is surrounded by a reflecting pool and guarded by an internal flame.
9. Has received numerous national and international awards and medals for his dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity.
10. In Gallup's Most Admired People of the 20th Century, he ranked #2...just behind Mother Teresa; his mentor, Gandhi, was ranked #11.
11. He is venerated as a saint by the Episcopal Church of the U.S. and by the Lutheran Church of America.
12. He has inspired numerous artistic works...in 2006 a stage play about his life opened in Bejing.
13. There is a National Monument planned for Washington D.C. on the National Mall - he will be the first non-president to have such a memorial.
14. Over 700 U.S. cities have a street named after MLK, Jr.; numerous federal buildings, memorials, monuments, schools, bridges, and various other places and structures are named in his honor; a few examples from around the world:

Umm... I'm sorry if Dr. Martin Luther King, JR is still not as famous as you might think. Blame the education curriculum of school in other countries but that's how it is. Now Gandhi or perhaps Nelson Mandela are well-known outside the US. No matter how it comes to that, I don't really understand.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Cuttlefish

Umm... I'm sorry if Dr. Martin Luther King, JR is still not as famous as you might think. Blame the education curriculum of school in other countries but that's how it is. Now Gandhi or perhaps Nelson Mandela are well-known outside the US. No matter how it comes to that, I don't really understand.

I disagree...Martin Luther King Jr. is as well known as Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. How many monuments/statues/memorials can one individual have in his honor and STILL be unknown? Keep in mind that just because you aren't familiar with someone doesn't automatically mean that he is unknown to the rest of the world.

[atlantaATL]

Originally Posted by Cuttlefish

I'm not high, I'm just standing on the other side of the pond & know what people outside of the US think of the cities.

Martin Luther King, Jr - not that famous except perhaps in Africa.

Georgia - people know California & Texas, not the rest.

Airport - Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle, Schiphol, Changi, Chek Lap Kok, O' Hare, JFK. These are the airports people know, not a regional hub airport even it's high in volume.

Atlanta University - Wow, is that the same level of Harvard or MIT? UCLA or Georgetown? Anyway even if international people know about Harvard they might still don't realize about Boston.

CDC - Oh, well . They know about the UN HQ though

Civil War stuff - only for history buff.

Guess anything that might matter to you or any Americans has lesser meaning to the rest of the world, except when it's heavily presented in the media & merchandise.

OLYMPICS where the whole world was watching

[Cuttlefish]

Gandhi is well known internationally. Ahimsa, Satyagraha, non violent demonstration - we all know that. Nelson Mandela has a benefit of late 20th century media and the idiotic anachronism of Apartheid for many people to know him.

BTW what's good of a small statue or memorial when people don't know where it is located? Now literary works or speech might make people remember of the historical figure. I don't know where exactly Simon Bolivar city without looking at Wikipedia. Or Napoleon birth city in Corsica. So people might know the figure, but doesn't mean they're informed about the city connected to the person.

[Cuttlefish]

Originally Posted by atlantaATL

OLYMPICS where the whole world was watching

Actually the World Cup has more punch than Olympics internationally and Olympics is not what it once was with US & the USSR.