Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I like it a lot too. It's different. It still feels no less urban to me than places like Philly or NYC, just different. It's good in my opinion because every other city is trying to build tons of skyscrapers now to improve their image. Doesn't really set them apart from others. Only a few really have enough(or the better types in my opinion) that make their cities stand out in my eyes. NYC, Philly, Chicago and San Fran are a few that stick out in my mind. Just my opinion though like I said. I just like that older type of architecture.
DC is following Paris in that its suburbs are buildings bigger buildings. Paris has a big business district that can be viewed from the city in La Defense. From DC you can see nice skylines in Bethesda and Rosslyn.
As a general rule, I tend to like DC's height-restricted skyline. It certainly does present a unique vista for a U.S. city, and contributes heavily towards the Euro-feel of the streetscape. But I will also say this: the DC streetscape is littered with a plethora of terribly bland and unimaginative buildings. There are very few buildings that have gone up in the city during the last two decades that I find to be particularly interesting or noteworthy. How much of that can be blamed on the height restriction, I can't say for certain. I suspect that without it, DC would simply have a whole lot of 30-40 story bland glass and steel towers, which is no improvement.
Philadelphian Stephen Girard, the richest man in early 1800s America, "was a key factor in moving the financial center of the United States from Philadelphia to New York, and in moving the number of early government agencies from Philadelphia to Washington DC... He saw these undertakings as 'of a lower nature'... He sought to keep Philadelphia as 'the village in between'" the nasty politicians in the capital and the grubby traders in New York.
As a general rule, I tend to like DC's height-restricted skyline. It certainly does present a unique vista for a U.S. city, and contributes heavily towards the Euro-feel of the streetscape. But I will also say this: the DC streetscape is littered with a plethora of terribly bland and unimaginative buildings. There are very few buildings that have gone up in the city during the last two decades that I find to be particularly interesting or noteworthy. How much of that can be blamed on the height restriction, I can't say for certain. I suspect that without it, DC would simply have a whole lot of 30-40 story bland glass and steel towers, which is no improvement.
The new glass buildings are decent in DC. For example, the one on 17th and H NW. But the 70s and 80s tower mid-rise buildings do definitely suck. At least the ones I have seen.
Why does Boston have to be thrown under the bus in this thread? It's the region's third largest city and second largest metro area (as well as fifth in the nation). It is a center of technology, science, medicine, research, arts, finances and economics that usually competes with New York, Chicago and LA. In fact it is the third largest financial center in the US and fourth in North America, and 15th in the world. Philly is great (when you're not being mugged at knife point) and would be better if it weren't sandwiched in between NYC and DC.
But lets not ask "why is Boston mentioned...?" when discussing the very region that bears its name-the BosWash.
Read one of the threads already made. There have been quite a few with this topic already. I think Philly is great. I don't know why so many of you are so insecure about this. Who cares what others think? If you like your city then great. That's all that matters. You don't need to keep making threads to boost your confidence about it. If you do need this, then maybe the city isn't as great for you as you think.
You should probably post this in DANNYY's (sp.?) thread about SF, Boston, and Philadelphia - great advice and wisdom, just replace Philly with SF.
Providence is very much a part of the Boston area. The Boston commuter rail goes to Providence and many people make the commute in either direction. Sports teams are shared (The Patriots play closer to Providence than Boston). Comparing the relationship to NYC-Philly or Washington-Baltimore is completely misleading (despite similiar distances), it is actually more like Wilmington, DE is to Philly (no offense to Providence of course)
With all due respect, you are wrong. As someone who grew up outside of PVD and lives in BOS (after having lived in a number of other places), PVD is psychically, if not physically, very removed from BOS. All one needs to do is to look at census data vis-a-vis educational levels, for example, to come to that conclusion. But it goes much deeper than that (almost 400 year histories that are at odds with each other, for example) and the feeling is palpable when you visit both places, even though they are only 45 miles apart.
They may share a commuter rail line and - to some extent sports teams (lots of NY fans in RI) - but RI is an entirely different state of mind from MA, which I find somewhat comforting in a century where differences are being blurred by ever higher speed communication.
Saying PVD and BOS are the same is like saying Nova Scotia and PEI are.
Saying PVD and BOS are the same is like saying Nova Scotia and PEI are.
Fully agree. Although PVD and RI are having hard economic times, PVD is a great small city and is not defined by Boston. I am rooting for PVD to reach its potential.
Philadelphian Stephen Girard, the richest man in early 1800s America, "was a key factor in moving the financial center of the United States from Philadelphia to New York, and in moving the number of early government agencies from Philadelphia to Washington DC... He saw these undertakings as 'of a lower nature'... He sought to keep Philadelphia as 'the village in between'" the nasty politicians in the capital and the grubby traders in New York.
What a stupid idea. Thanks, Stephen.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
