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.
Long time lurker on CD, and I can't tell you how much insight I've gained from these forums. Traveling is one of my biggest passions, and very few things get me pondering life like visiting a city for the first time.
Sunday I returned to the Chicago area from a five day trip to New Orleans, and since then, I've broken down a lot of my thoughts and feelings towards The Big Easy. There are many things I really liked, but one thing that I can't stop admiring is the love people in New Orleans have for their city.
It's difficult to articulate, but the vibe of the city was unpretentious. Without fear of criticism, the locals unabashedly display their city in all its glory and shame. They want us to experience their unique culture, and they don't give a damn if we have four professional sports teams, a subway system, or 30 Fortune 500 companies. They love their city for what it is and don't try to mold it into anything it's not.
In this day and age, that's a rare quality. Most cities we talk about here on CD want to be the next NYC, the next Portland, the next San Francisco or Austin. In seeking to be the "Portland of the South" or whatever, I believe cities ultimately water down their own unique culture that should be embraced.
So, I'd love to hear any comments on this topic, but my main questions are: - What cities, big or small, are like NOLA in embracing their own unique culture and not trying to be something they're not?
- What cities are trying too hard to build their image on the back of others?
- Can these cities maintain their "uniqueness" as they grow? It seems like people on CD feel that Austin and Portland have become watered down a bit (not saying they have) while New Orleans has not, possibly due to population growth in the former and a lack there of in the latter.
So, I'd love to hear any comments on this topic, but my main questions are: - What cities, big or small, are like NOLA in embracing their own unique culture and not trying to be something they're not?
- What cities are trying too hard to build their image on the back of others?
- Can these cities maintain their "uniqueness" as they grow? It seems like people on CD feel that Austin and Portland have become watered down a bit (not saying they have) while New Orleans has not, possibly due to population growth in the former and a lack there of in the latter.
Let me know what you think! Thanks Guys!
Question 1 - Buffalo,Savannah,Atlanta,Houston,The Florida Keys. Possibly Boston, NYC, and Baltimore.
Question 2 - Charlotte,Austin,Nashville
Question 3 - No. Most cities change once revitalization hits.
For Question 2, I want to say far and away Oklahoma City. OKC has a negative perception nationally and tries to hard to compensate with a "look at us, we're cool too" attitude but it comes across as cheesy and people don't buy it. This video is a perfect example.
While there are other cities that do the same thing, I don't think any do it quite to the extent of Oklahoma City. Then again, development practices in OKC have destroyed most of the uniqueness that it once had so it has to try to establish a brand. With the backdrop of a long time negative national perception, that isn't going to be an easy thing to do.
For Question 2, I want to say far and away Oklahoma City. OKC has a negative perception nationally and tries to hard to compensate with a "look at us, we're cool too" attitude but it comes across as cheesy and people don't buy it. This video is a perfect example.
While there are other cities that do the same thing, I don't think any do it quite to the extent of Oklahoma City. Then again, development practices in OKC have destroyed most of the uniqueness that it once had so it has to try to establish a brand. With the backdrop of a long time negative national perception, that isn't going to be an easy thing to do.
OKC tries too hard to be Dallas. The promo left out the tornado issue. I got a kick out of all of those water sports too. That is Tulsa. They might as well have said, "Move to Tulsa. It will save you from the drive."
Question 1 - Buffalo,Savannah,Atlanta,Houston,The Florida Keys. Possibly Boston, NYC, and Baltimore.
Question 2 - Charlotte,Austin,Nashville
Question 3 - No. Most cities change once revitalization hits.
Me, personally, I would take Atlanta off of that first list. In my experience the city is definitely developing an image; one that seems to draw more influence from outside Georgia than within it.
OKC tries too hard to be Dallas. The promo left out the tornado issue. I got a kick out of all of those water sports too. That is Tulsa. They might as well have said, "Move to Tulsa. It will save you from the drive."
The tornado issue is a little overblown. It's a very real threat, and one reason I really dislike living in OKC, but people who don't live here tend to overhype it. OKC gets hit a lot but most of them are weak and don't do much real damage. About once per decade, there is a major one like the 2013 Moore tornado.
I wish the video would have showed a little more of the more unique parts of OKC (what's left anyways) and would have been a little less "hey hipsters, we aren't as bad as you think we are!"
As for Tulsa, in most aspects it blows away OKC despite being smaller. While it has its problems and won't suit somebody looking for city life, Tulsa definitely feels like the "real" city in Oklahoma when you are there. It's more compact, more diverse, and not near as conservative.
Question 1 - Buffalo,Savannah,Atlanta,Houston,The Florida Keys. Possibly Boston, NYC, and Baltimore.
Question 2 - Charlotte,Austin,Nashville
Question 3 - No. Most cities change once revitalization hits.
I have to say I imagine Nashville as having a pretty unique identity, but I've only ever driven through the area. Unfortunately, it seems like your answer to Question 3 is likely. I guess that makes it pretty bittersweet when these incredibly unique cities like Austin blow up into something less culturally distinct.
Being from the Chicago area, I'm curious how people feel about it in this regard. On one hand, I feel that Chicago is Chicago and will never try to be anything else. On the other hand, a lot of Chicago is pretty typical "big city" plus Chicago does sometimes have a bit of a chip on its shoulder due to (probably unfair) comparisons with NYC. I still don't think Chicago/Chicagoans really try to emulate New York, but I could understand an argument that Chicago isn't all that unique.
Another city that I feel could go either way is Seattle. Do you guys think it is trying too hard to be the next Bay Area/Silicon Valley, or is it maintaining what makes it Seattle?
I spent some time in Cincinnati growing up, and while not all that unique architecturally (minus OTR), I feel like it has a pretty unique culture regarding its cuisine, accent, and place at the southern edge of the Midwest and northern edge of Appalachia. It might be a good example of a city that hasn't had a population boom and therefore has more easily retained its unique attributes.
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.
