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In terms of culture, LA lacks famous architecture. But it can be said that NY lacks important architecture. The only architecturally significant building in NYC is Wright's Guggenheim building. (please don't mention Chysler or Empire State Building which are landmarks, but not important works) Both Chicago AND LA surpass NYC in terms of important works by significant architects. Wright, Neutra, Koenig, Schindler, Eames, Greene, Van der Rohe can be split between both those cities in terms of their most significant works. The same simply cannot be said of NYC which is still waiting for a significantly building by a significant architect.
I also disagree that LA excels at few things. It excels at most artistic mediums and creative industries, such as music, tv, film, contemporary art. It also has some exceptional museums, even if NY's are more exceptional. In other words, weakness in museum attendance is far from an argument against LA's cultural life.
And then it excels at international trade, manufacturing, higher education, and aerospace.
This is why I'm not convinced by your argument, because that's more than a few.
There are things that LA lacks, but it's rather silly and biased to frame the discussion using criteria drawn from NY's strengths.
Los Angeles has the third largest metropolitan economy in the world, not three of the four "big boys" you listed, so I can definitely see how it has some catching up to do.
Yeah we already heard that... But given that LA is a "17.8m" metro area, as you never cease to remind us, I would have expected that its top art museum would draw more than a paltry 1.2m a year. How do you explain that it doesn't? Is it because everyone is toiling away in your large manufacturing base and has no time (or interest) for high culture?
As for modern architecture, hate to break it to you but nobody goes to LA to look at modern architecture. They go to Chicago or NYC for that.
What are you guys talking about? LA has marvelous museums... and has easily a better arts scene than Chicago. Oh, only on city data. What it doesn't have is the financial institutions, urban core, public transportation and skyline... But uhhh... you want to say Chicago is this world art/cultural mecca? Over Los Angeles? ahahahahahahhahahahahaha
There are also WAY more artists/writers/musicians/performers in LA than Chicago. LA doesn't have modern architecture? Say whattt??? Yes it's skyscrapers leave something to be desired but LA is an architecture paradise. LA is all about modernism! Many of the premier works in modern architecture have been in LA.
I mean sure, LA is easy to bash from an urban planning perspective, but the rest? Not so much.
This forum, given it's nature has a STRONG Los Angeles bias... but don't throw the baby out with the bath water folks, there is a LOT going on in LA even if you don't like the city layout (I don't like it either) but I respect it for sure.
Tier 4 is suspect and after that everything is muddled. Tiers 5 and 6 need some moving around; however, I doubt we need more than 4 tiers total because it's starting to sound like "pick your favorite city" and if you know nothing about it except what you've seen on TV, then it's just silly.
When ranking a city globally or domestic, the most important factors are:
Economic characteristics
- corporate headquarters for multinational corporations
- stock market
- cost of living/personal wealth
Political characteristics
- active influence and participation on international events/world affairs
- expatriate communities
- hosting headquarters for international organizations
Cultural characteristics
- international, first name familiarity
- influential media outlets with an international reach
- strong sporting community
Infrastructural characteristics
- advanced transportation system with multiple modes
- prominent skyline/skyscrapers/monuments
- advanced communications infrastructure
With these factors mentioned, honestly, what cities fall into this category? Honestly, my opinion, after NY, the rest of the cities would be in a Tier 2, then we can figure out the following tiers.
What are you guys talking about? LA has marvelous museums... and has easily a better arts scene than Chicago. Oh, only on city data. What it doesn't have is the financial institutions, urban core, public transportation and skyline... But uhhh... you want to say Chicago is this world art/cultural mecca? Over Los Angeles? ahahahahahahhahahahahaha
There are also WAY more artists/writers/musicians/performers in LA than Chicago. LA doesn't have modern architecture? Say whattt??? Yes it's skyscrapers leave something to be desired but LA is an architecture paradise. LA is all about modernism! Many of the premier works in modern architecture have been in LA.
I mean sure, LA is easy to bash from an urban planning perspective, but the rest? Not so much.
This forum, given it's nature has a STRONG Los Angeles bias... but don't throw the baby out with the bath water folks, there is a LOT going on in LA even if you don't like the city layout (I don't like it either) but I respect it for sure.
It's NYC > LA > Everybody else.
I agree about the museums and based on annual attendance, many people are well aware of LAs great museums:
North American museums ranked in the top world 100 as far as attendance:
6,004,254 Metrpolitan Museum of Art, New York(2)
4,392,252 National Gallery of Art, Washington(6)
2,814,746 Museum of Modern Art New York (13)
1,440,599 Art Institute of Chicago Chicago (30)
1,405,398 Museum of Fine Arts Boston (31)
1,344,112 De Young Museum San Francisco (35) 1,238,434 Lacma Los Angeles (39) 1,167,795 Getty Center Los Angeles (44) 1,107,054 Guggenheim Museum New York (46)
1,100,000 SAAM Washington (47)
948,345 National Portrait Gallery Washington (54)
945,210 Freer and Sackler Galleries Washington (55)
912,000 Royal Ontario Museum Toronto (59)
710,828 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Montreal (74)
700,408 SFMoMA San Francisco (75)
692,034 Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia (79)
627,453 Art Gallery of Ontario Toronto (84)
623,039 Hirshhorn Museum Washington (86)
613,373 Seattle Art Museum, Downtown Seattle (87)
609,637 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond (88) 592,231 Huntington Library,Art Collections San Marino (91)
578,020 Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park Grand Rapids (94)
The Met finally broke the 6 million barrier. Notable increases in attendance were MFA Boston which saw a 500,000 attendance increase from 2010 for their new museum expansion, and LACMA (surpassing the Getty Center) with a 300,000 attendance increase. Both museums broke the 1 million barrier for the first time.
This is the normal tier system... if any altercations should be made to this... let me know.
Tier 1: New York
Tier 2: Chicago, Los Angeles
Tier 3: San Francisco, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C.
Tier 4: Seattle, Denver, San Diego, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas,
Tier 5: Portland, Kansas City, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, New Orleans, Detroit, Minneapolis
Tier 6: San Antonio, Nashville, Saramento, Milwaukee, Columbus, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Memphis, Austin, Cincinnati
Tier 7:Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa, Buffalo, San Jose, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Honolulu
Denver is not ahead of Minneapolis. I know because I've lived in both cities. The fact that Minneapolis is larger in terms of population, has a higher GDP, and several more Fortune 500 companies places it well ahead of the Denver area. Furthermore, Denver should not be placed ahead of the Detroit area. I'd say these three are in the same tier, with Denver placing below Minneapolis and Detroit. Other than those to glaring mistakes, your lists decent.
I think the tiers would look more like this:
Tier 1: New York
Tier 2: Chicago, Los Angeles
Tier 3: Washington D.C., San Francisco (including Oakland), Houston, Philadelphia, Boston
Tier 4: Dallas, Miami, Atlanta
Tier 5: Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver, San Jose, San Diego, Pittsburgh, St. Louis
Tier 6: New Orleans, Las Vegas, Portland, Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City, Charlotte
Tier 7: Orlando, San Antonio, Nashville, Indianapolis, Austin, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Hartford, Cincinnati, Tampa, Sacramento, Memphis
Tier 8: Riverside, Columbus, Virginia Beach, Providence, Jacksonville, Louisville, Richmond, Oklahoma City, Buffalo, Raleigh, Birmingham
its amazing how these cities are so close together in the rank score. Nice Surprise seeing Boston ahead of LA. The top 5 isn't as set as everyone is so adamant on it being.
But of course the number one is.
Someone was also asking why I didn't have a problem with someone's ranking of Seattle together with ATL. This is why. in some categories it not only hangs, but it ranks ahead. Didn't expect it to be ahead of Philly though.
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