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Atlanta all day long!! Inner City population is below 475,000 but the Metro Population is well over 5 1/2 Million... It's suburbs definitely hold most of the weight...
Atlanta all day long!! Inner City population is below 475,000 but the Metro Population is well over 5 1/2 Million... It's suburbs definitely hold most of the weight...
It takes a lot more than a big population difference between the core city and the overall metro area to qualify here. For instance, the OP mentioned Phoenix (although I'm not sure if it should be mentioned since I'm unfamiliar with it) and other cities like DC and Miami also have big population differences with their overall metro areas. I wouldn't mention Atlanta in this context at all; the core city is strong with some select strong suburbs as well.
This is actually harder than it sounds. There’s not many cities that have an expansive or active metro area similar to that of Greater Phoenix....
LA, Miami, Atlanta, and Dallas are the first to pop up in my head, but even with active suburbs, they all have great core areas. I actually think there’s more cities with decent Downtowns and mediocre suburbs, than in vice versa.
I guess you could say Phoenix, Jacksonville, Tampa, and etc.
It takes a lot more than a big population difference between the core city and the overall metro area to qualify here. For instance, the OP mentioned Phoenix (although I'm not sure if it should be mentioned since I'm unfamiliar with it) and other cities like DC and Miami also have big population differences with their overall metro areas. I wouldn't mention Atlanta in this context at all; the core city is strong with some select strong suburbs as well.
Can see your point with the Downtown/Midtown and maybe say Buckhead area as far having a strong core for Atlanta, which I was initially thinking. As far as the rest for me and this is my opinion, not so much for the city proper and that's even some neighborhoods surrounding DT which I have seen much stronger and better in other cities around the country, but again this is my opinion...
This is actually harder than it sounds. There’s not many cities that have an expansive or active metro area similar to that of Greater Phoenix....
LA, Miami, Atlanta, and Dallas are the first to pop up in my head, but even with active suburbs, they all have great core areas. I actually think there’s more cities with decent Downtowns and mediocre suburbs, than in vice versa.
I guess you could say Phoenix, Jacksonville, Tampa, and etc.
I have been in Tampa and the city itself is very impressive for a population of 350,000 people in my opinion.
Florida cities that I have been to have all been impressive for their population. I have never been to Jacksonville but would assume that as a city that represents a vast majority of it's metro population that it would have some decent vibrant areas just not maybe the core.
I know my hometown Colorado Springs has a weak core for a city of 450,000 people but since the city annexes everything and there are only a few small suburbs, most of the areas amenities are in the city itself just not contained in a vibrant center.
The have the Channel District next to downtown, Ybor City is a huge area of former warehouses and factories that is a massive entertainment area and the massive University of South Florida is in the city limits.
Tampa is above it's weight on amenities for it's size population. I have heard that about Jacksonville though.
Phoenix is in a class of it's own though for being such a low-amenity city of 1.6 million people. I am sure the suburban areas are glad that Phoenix is so weak for a city of it's size.
The Mayo Clinic is in Scottsdale, Arizona State Main Campus is in Tempe and pro-football is played in Glendale.
The nightlife is bustling on the weekend in Glendale, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Tempe. By contrast unless the Diamondback's are playing, downtown Phoenix is about as vibrant a small college town in the middle of nowhere after rush-hour.
At least the state of Arizona has been generous enough to be very progressive on interstate construction so residents can get to Scottsdale and Tempe for a more entertaining and vibrant climate.
I doubt there is another devoloped city anywhere in a first-world country that has core neighborhoods and a core city as unvibrant as Phoenix. The suburbs luckily are glad to make the difference in a big way and there are many great, lively and fun suburban areas.
The best they can do in Phoenix is the area around 24th and Camelback which has a couple of mid-rises and small shopping mall and a few grocery stores.
Last edited by lovecrowds; 01-02-2018 at 12:18 PM..
Detroit, ATL, Baltimore, Cleveland come to mind immediately. ATL based on population and size, the rest based on economy.
Every one of those cities is unquestionably the economic and cultural engine of its metro. Middle-class families people may have chosen to move out of the city, but the city is still the show.
As far as the rest for me and this is my opinion, not so much for the city proper and that's even some neighborhoods surrounding DT which I have seen much stronger and better in other cities around the country, but again this is my opinion...
But it's not about the core neighborhoods of Atlanta versus the core neighborhoods of other cities; it's about the core neighborhoods of Atlanta versus those in the Atlanta suburbs. Sure there are some that are more blighted than any in the suburbs (e.g., English Ave/Vine City) but there are several others that are more popular and hsitoric than any in the suburbs also.
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