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Again, if we include burbs within larger metro areas, the list would be large with many entries from all the major metro areas. There are tons of places around NYC, DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, SF, etc. that would make the list. I think it's more a challenge to find a small stand alone city that has made a huge impact.
At one time Hartford was the 4th largest financial center in the country. That was as recent as the 1980's. All the banks and insurance company's headquartered in the area resulted in more financial transactions and capital going through the city than any other in the country except for New York City, San Francisco and Chicago. While still a formidable financial center, it probably is not quite at the same level as it was 25 years ago thanks to mergers and consolidations in both industries.
I would only include pieces of a metro area if they have a distince identity seperate from the metro. So places like Ann Arbor, Boulder, and Berkley would count that way. Some others are places that might grow larger than criteria either recently or in the near future.
Now is this core city population or metro area now? Sometimes core city would be smaller due to artifical constraints and other reasons. (all discussions about compaing St. Louis in anything has to have that caveat for fairness)
I would only include pieces of a metro area if they have a distince identity seperate from the metro. So places like Ann Arbor, Boulder, and Berkley would count that way. Some others are places that might grow larger than criteria either recently or in the near future.
Now is this core city population or metro area now? Sometimes core city would be smaller due to artifical constraints and other reasons. (all discussions about compaing St. Louis in anything has to have that caveat for fairness)
The way I look it, it's the core city population. But, that needs to be balanced with MSA reality. My example of Huntsville fits both intentions. It's a small core city in a small MSA that's under 400,000. That's the only city that I can find that really meets the intention in my book.
I think I'd put major college towns in a separate category.
The way I look it, it's the core city population. But, that needs to be balanced with MSA reality. My example of Huntsville fits both intentions. It's a small core city in a small MSA that's under 400,000. That's the only city that I can find that really meets the intention in my book.
I think I'd put major college towns in a separate category.
I agree with your logic. Would Cambridge or Bethesda be what they are without Boston and DC? No. I think college towns would also need to be seperate. The university influence is obviously far reaching in Madison, Ann Arbor, Charlottesville... but without the univsersity, those towns would have no far reaching impact.
My list...
Huntsville, AL: space and defense
Sante Fe, NM: cultural, tourism
Savannah, GA: historical, tourism
Charleston, SC: historical, tourism (stretching the size limit)
The smallest town I can think of with national and global impact is Los Alamos. The Manhattan Project changed the world forever. It has about 12,000 people and it is in the middle of nowhere.
The way I look it, it's the core city population. But, that needs to be balanced with MSA reality. My example of Huntsville fits both intentions. It's a small core city in a small MSA that's under 400,000. That's the only city that I can find that really meets the intention in my book.
I think I'd put major college towns in a separate category.
College towns would be a seperate category for discussion and are also defined by similar traits. Cities like Santa Fe and Charleston could be a category in terms of being birthplaces of a culture.
The core city issue would have to be blanced with MSA. Partially because if population decline didn't stop or slightly reverse the last decade, St. Louis would be approching 250k by now, but being the largest component in a nearly 3m metro area.
Berkeley is a good pick. If you think about how far reaching Sixties counter-culture was and how it still impacts the world, Berkeley CA has definitely made it's mark.
Bentonville, Arkansas - home of Walmart, the largest and most profitable company in the world.
Lynchburg, Virginia- where Dr. Jerry Falwell started the Moral Majority, which continues to be an important force in American politics
Wilmington, Delaware - major credit card, banks, pharmaceutic companies
Los Alamos, New Mexico - major scientific research
Midland-Odessa, Texas - petroleum industry
Roswell, New Mexico - the aliens' first outreach to Earth
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