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 don't think it's in the top category at all. But it has a brand, mostly about being the car capital, and secondarily being about music.
Question...what is the "car capital" in Germany, in Japan, in any countries where cars are made? Europeans don't, typically, drive American made cars. I think people here in the US, think people, internationally, know wayyyyy more cities here, than they do. Way more.
I think the coastal cties in the United States are going to be more well known throughout the world than US inland cities. I doubt most foreigners could name more than 2 inland US cities - Chicago and Detroit.
I doubt Philly, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Columbus, Louisville, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Memphis, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Buffalo, are going to be too well known outside the United States.
I doubt most Americans can name 5 cities in any country outside the United States and Mexico. I think most Americans can probably name 3 cities in Canada - Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver - and then they'd be stuck trying to think of another Canadian city. I would bet money that 3/4ths of all Americans cannot correctly identify the capital of Canada, and an even higher percentage are unable to correctly locate that capital on a map.
New York
Washington DC
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Chicago
Las Vegas
New Orleans
Miami
Less Well Known but still widely known
Atlanta
Houston
Dallas
Detroit
Philadelphia
Nashville
Memphis
San Diego
Important Cities that are surprisingly not well known
Charleston SC
Savannah
Pittsburgh
Columbus
Minneapolis
Charlotte
Tampa
St. Louis
Kansas City
San Antonio (the legend of the Alamo doesn't seem to extent beyond the USA)
Denver
Colorado Springs
Smaller cities that are surprisingly known....
Key West
Atlantic City (especially in Asian countries because of gambling)
Anchorage, Alaska
Why is surprising that those aren't well known? Foreigners have no reason to visit or know about those places.
Houston is relatively known outside the US because of NASA and because its one of the largest cities in the US. And isn't "Houston We Have a Problem" a famous phrase??
Nashville and Memphis are known because of their cultural significance namely their music. New Orleans too for its cultural significance and tourism. A lot of international tourists visit New Orleans, not as many as visit New York but still many.
I buy New Orleans to a point, but even that seems unlikely to carry globally. Memphis seems unlikely to be recognized much. Houston...I posted the same point about NASA (and oil), but that only goes so far.
Someone posted that most people don't know many cities...they're right. A handful of US cities get much attention overseas.
It's not a matter of a few movies and other occasional mentions. The well-known cities are constantly in the media, and they're icons for something.
A lot of American cities are known because of pop culture references, movies etc. For example Dallas is a major TV show, an old classic. The Dallas Cowboys are also a legendary team, kind of like how a lot of people know Liverpool and Manchester in the UK because of their soccer teams and because of the Beatles in Liverpool even though its not REALLY one of Britain's most important cities, at least compared to London, Birmingham or Glasgow. Dallas is more significant in the US than Liverpool is in the UK.
Walking in Memphis is one of the most famous songs in the world, that even many people in China and Japan know. Memphis is also known for the blues and gospel music. Atlanta had a lot of international attention because of the Olympics, and because Coca Cola and CNN are both there.
A lot of movies are filmed and set in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh because of the film tax credits. The pervasiveness of America's cultural influence worldwide is important to take into account and is part of why many US cities are in fact known abroad.
A lot of American cities are known because of pop culture references, movies etc. For example Dallas is a major TV show, an old classic. The Dallas Cowboys are also a legendary team, kind of like how a lot of people know Liverpool and Manchester in the UK because of their soccer teams and because of the Beatles in Liverpool even though its not REALLY one of Britain's most important cities, at least compared to London, Birmingham or Glasgow. Dallas is more significant in the US than Liverpool is in the UK.
Walking in Memphis is one of the most famous songs in the world, that even many people in China and Japan know. Memphis is also known for the blues and gospel music. Atlanta had a lot of international attention because of the Olympics, and because Coca Cola and CNN are both there.
A lot of movies are filmed and set in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh because of the film tax credits. The pervasiveness of America's cultural influence worldwide is important to take into account and is part of why many US cities are in fact known abroad.
Yeah, I'm sure somebody in Shanghai lives for Dallas tv show reruns and knows who shot JR. I was in Galicia last week. I'm sure everybody knew who Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar are. Too Tall Jones or Troy Aikman? Nope.
I can't believe the limited worldview of most Americans.
Yeah, I'm sure somebody in Shanghai lives for Dallas tv show reruns and knows who shot JR. I was in Galicia last week. I'm sure everybody knew who Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar are. Too Tall Jones or Troy Aikman? Nope.
I can't believe the limited worldview of most Americans.
Agreed 100%, people in Asia that I've talked to about this basically only know the major few big cities of the US and have never heard of places like Minneapolis. Even places like Houston, Dallas, and Philadelphia, they know the name but literally not a single thing about the place whatsoever. Most people don't know the major celebrities of the West unless they are massive like Tom Cruise, etc. Even major historical figures like Hitler people only know the superficial details. Show them a swastika and they will think its a temple marker on a map.
I think people don't realize how little the world revolves around their culture, and this is not a dig on Americans, this goes doubly for those in Asia, Europe, etc.
I'm from metro Boston. I've done tons of global business travel. In Asia, I usually say I'm from near New York unless it's a well-traveled high tech person. That at least sets my time zone correctly.
Generally, I think once you get past New York, DC, LA, and San Francisco, the average person in the street in Europe or Asia isn't going to be able to find it on a map. There really isn't much reason to know Chicago these days globally. I think you'd have better luck with Florida in Europe than Miami or Orlando. Nobody is going to know New Orleans.
Nah, you're vastly underestimating how much Europeans know about the US. Chicago is 100% well known. New Orleans is definitely well known as is Miami and Orlando(though not everyone is aware its a city separate from Miami). Places like Boston and Seattle are forgettable, but people have heard of them. Detroit is known as-well because it gets crapped on all the time. I mean, why wouldn't we know these places? They pop up in the US media all the time and Europeans consume a ton of that.
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.
