Would you consider Dallas cosmopolitian? (Houston, Plano: hotels, shops, safe)

[E. E.]

Opinions please!

[aussie_rachel]

I haven't moved yet but I would think it is.

Great question though, I'm anxious to see the responses

[socketz]

Not LA or Manhattan, but much more cosmopolitan than many believe that are coming from the outside.

[DFWMike]

I would say downtown definately has that feel, anywhere south of George Bush probably. No offense to outside of George Bush crowd, I'm one of you, but I wouldn't put any of the far out burbs in the "cosmopolitan" category. But uptown, East Dallas, North Dallas, perhaps even Richardson and Irving very much so.

I would have to say Lakewooder, despite his constant plugging of Lakewood(or maybe because of his constant plugging of lakewood) would exemplify that term. Many are like him down there, thats why it's such an interesting area. The further out you go, you find the more closed off attitudes. I'm guilty of this to some extent as are many others who would not readily admit it, I like my safe clean suburban existence, which kind of flies in the face of what one would term cosmopolitan.

Btw, I'm not saying everyone in the far out burbs is not cosmopolitan. However, I can safely point out that if the majority were cosmopolitan there would be no suburbs stretching 40 miles outta town. Course that depends on how you're using the word, I'm just going off the strictest definition.

[hamiltonpl]

I agree. The City of Dallas is cosmopolitan. But the suburbs could be plopped anywhere in America.

[rantanamo]

not at all. Not yet.

[aceplace]

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the definition of "cosmopolitan", the adjective...

1 : having worldwide rather than limited or provincial scope or bearing
2 : having wide international sophistication : WORLDLY
3 : composed of persons, constituents, or elements from all or many parts of the world
4 : found in most parts of the world and under varied ecological conditions

at http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

1. Dallas industries and retail shops trade with the entire world, and many things from around the world are found in Dallas. Furthermore, Dallas is famous (or infamous) around the world for various things that happened there. So, Dallas meets definition #1.

2. Dallas' cultural attributes are comparable to the best in the world... its shopping, its concert halls, its food, its hotels, its musicians... So it meets #2.

3. Dallas has many people from all over the world, and food choices from everywhere in the globe. So it meets #3.

4. Dallas is not found in most parts of the world, it is only found in North Texas. Just as Paris, France is only found in France, and London, England is only found in England. But it does have things that are generally found everywhere in the world. So #4 either does not apply to a city, or Dallas meets the definition.

The conclusion... Dallas is cosmopolitan.

For more material on this subject, google "gamma world cities".

[socketz]

With that vague definition, I think you could argue that Plano is cosmopolitan.

Dallas still feels very insular to me, regardless of whether or not the people there believe they're wordly. I think this negates the definition to some degree. Perhaps I see cosmopolitan in a much different sense.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by socketz

With that vague definition, I think you could argue that Plano is cosmopolitan.

Dallas still feels very insular to me, regardless of whether or not the people there believe they're wordly. I think this negates the definition to some degree. Perhaps I see cosmopolitan in a much different sense.

You could make a partial case for Plano's cosmopolitan character. It has shops such as Central Market, places like Legacy Town Center, many international businesses, and a generally affluent population.

Mesquite or Duncanville? No, not cosmopolitan.

[galore]

In Austria, Dallas has a glitzy and cosmopolitan reputation. From discussions with German friends, it appears to be the same in Germany.

Before I moved to the USA in early 1998, the US cities that I considered well known and cosmopolitan were:

Seattle
San Francisco
LA
Las Vegas
Chicago
Dallas
Houston
NYC
Miami