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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.
You're telling me the man on the street in Germany or Spain is going to be able to point out Chicago on a blank map of the USA? Dream on. They'll get NYC, DC, Florida, and LA.
Could you honestly pick out Beijing or Shanghai or Hong Kong on a map of Asia? Most Americans can't. They'd be lucky to identify China.
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
Smaller cities that are surprisingly known....
Key West
Atlantic City (especially in Asian countries because of gambling)
Anchorage, Alaska
New Orleans is not in the first tier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccm123
New York, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston, Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
If you are including Boston, then Philadelphia is a given... And you omitted Miami, which is arguably #3 after New York and LA. Honolulu is not well known, Hawaii, yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Enean
This is a good list, but not sure about Boston.
Boston is known throughout the world, people don't know much about it except, but they have heard of it. Its one of those cities like Amsterdam, its just known, even though most people don't know much about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock
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.
You are certainly downplaying Philadelphia by lumping it in with that group of cities.
I have traveled the world near and far and have never met anyone who has not at least heard of Philadelphia. I was in Thailand this summer and saw a sign that said "Philly Steak Sandwiches".
I would like to know why you feel that Philadelphia is in a middle tier with a city like Buffalo? No disrespect for smaller cities, but Philadelphia along with Boston are known around the world.
I think in general Americans think too highly of their cities / love to selectively chose what they think is well known based off of their preferences for cities.
Last edited by cpomp; 10-14-2019 at 10:52 AM..
Reason: edit
Philly is probably close to Boston. Definitely in the second tier.
As for the Philly Steak Sandwich thing...there are Seattle coffee references all over, but I don't think people necessarily think about the city in these cases, unless they already know about the city.
For example I wondered why there were two Jalisco's Mexican restaurants across the street from each other. Turns out it's a state. I just assumed it was a name. (The googles: The state is known for mariachi music and tequila, both of which reportedly originated here.)
If you are including Boston, then Philadelphia is a given... And you omitted Miami, which is arguably #3 after New York and LA. Honolulu is not well known, Hawaii, yes.
Boston is known throughout the world, people don't know much about it except, but they have heard of it. Its one of those cities like Amsterdam, its just known, even though most people don't know much about it.
You are certainly downplaying Philadelphia by lumping it in with that group of cities.
I have traveled the world near and far and have never met anyone who has not at least heard of Philadelphia. I was in Thailand this summer and saw a sign that said "Philly Steak Sandwiches".
I would like to know why you feel that Philadelphia is in a middle tier with a city like Buffalo? No disrespect for smaller cities, but Philadelphia along with Boston are known around the world.
I think in general Americans think too highly of their cities / love to selectively chose what they think is well known based off of their preferences for cities.
I accidently quoted the wrong post. I meant to quote cpomp in Post #64.
I'm not "downplaying" Philadelphia. I just included it with inland cities. I really doubt if most people out side the United States heard of Philadelphia, unless they studied US history in school or they know of Philly thru cheese steaks or cream cheese.
Philadelphia, for it's size is a low profile city and gets overlooked and over-shadowed. I'm guessing it's close proximity to New York City and DC has alot to do with it.
I accidently quoted the wrong post. I meant to quote cpomp in Post #64.
I'm not "downplaying" Philadelphia. I just included it with inland cities. I really doubt if most people out side the United States heard of Philadelphia, unless they studied US history in school or they know of Philly thru cheese steaks or cream cheese.
Philadelphia, for it's size is a low profile city and gets overlooked and over-shadowed. I'm guessing it's close proximity to New York City and DC has alot to do with it.
Yes a lower profile (partially because of proximity to New York), but its a uniquely named city and extremely historic and influential in popular culture.
No I don't think most people in the world know anything about Philadelphia (or any American city), BUT, I have never been anywhere in the world where someone did not know what Philadelphia is (if that makes sense).
As in the name is well known enough where people know its a city, and usually know its in America. Even in a place as remote as Thailand, a tiny village in Greece or a safari in Tanzania, everyone interacted with knew the name Philadelphia, when brought up...
A lot of posters on here aren't giving the city enough credit (and some other cities too much credit, for whatever reasons). A big reason Philadelphia sticks out is because of its unique name, irreplaceable role in American and world history, and something as silly as Rocky or a cheesesteak.
Neither city is in the group with NYC, LA, SF, DC, Miami, Chicago, but both are 100% the next two (and Vegas), above any other American city as far as "being heard of".
I found it so silly that a poster (I forget who) would lump Philadelphia in with Buffalo and Cincinnati, like come on...
Philly is probably close to Boston. Definitely in the second tier.
As for the Philly Steak Sandwich thing...there are Seattle coffee references all over, but I don't think people necessarily think about the city in these cases, unless they already know about the city.
For example I wondered why there were two Jalisco's Mexican restaurants across the street from each other. Turns out it's a state. I just assumed it was a name. (The googles: The state is known for mariachi music and tequila, both of which reportedly originated here.)
The Seattle coffee is comparison is not really the same.
The cheesesteak is a sandwich known around the world and its origins are in Philadelphia, and its constantly (and sometimes annoying always referenced to Philadelphia).
Yes, Starbucks is worldwide, but its marketing isn't Seattle focused. If Starbucks was literally named "Seattle Coffee", then it would be a better comparison.
Pinpointing on a map is probably a higher bar than name recognition and associating a few things.
I've loved maps and cities all my life, but ashamedly I couldn't place some of the top cities in China, India, the UK, Mexico or others on a map.
But I associate a lot of concepts and images with some of these cities.
The thread title says "well-known internationally"
OK. I'm a non-English speaking person in Spain. You say Chicago. What kind of free association am I going to get for Chicago other than it's a city somewhere in the United States?
Let's try 3rd largest cities:
Guangzhou - 14 million people. Anything? Bueller? Bueller?
I spend time on an international imageboard and most Europeans there don't seem to know much about the US or Latin America, besides those who have travelled a lot
The Seattle coffee is comparison is not really the same.
The cheesesteak is a sandwich known around the world and its origins are in Philadelphia, and its constantly (and sometimes annoying always referenced to Philadelphia).
Yes, Starbucks is worldwide, but its marketing isn't Seattle focused. If Starbucks was literally named "Seattle Coffee", then it would be a better comparison.
There are coffee stores with "Seattle" in their name in surprising parts the world. I'm not talking about Starbucks. Though actually, their Seattle's Best Coffee brand markets itself worldwide.
For example, Starbucks entered London by buying 65(?) Seattle Coffee locations. Another unrelated Seattle Coffee is in an English town outside the commuter belt where I have relatives.
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