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"I never been there but I've heard" is what most people say when they haven't experienced something for themselves. Cities are no different there some people who do or don't visit certain cities based on hearsay. I feel that media and social media can play a huge factor in shaping people's view of certain cities. Is it true that media and/or social media help shape people's perception of cities? Why or why not?
I cant speak for all, but Los Angeles is like totally shaped by media and/or social media. Many people see LA as glitz and glam from all the movies, TV shows, reality shows, all the celebs that live in LA. And on top of that all the award shows like Grammys and Oscars that show life is full of celebs walking around glamours streets driving exotic cars. And they have all the fun at Universal and Disneyland. And the run on the beach in slo-mo with their fake water balloon boobs bouncing up and down.
On travel forums most people want to see certain parts of LA. Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Blvd/Walk of Fame, Santa Monica and Venice and Malibu Beaches, Universal and Disneyland. And also the Party scene of the Sunset Strip, and TV tapings and movie studio tours. Runyon canyon for celeb sightings. Oddly despite many museums, Museums are like way down on people's list of things to do. Also architecture as well. No time for all that stuff.
On the flip side, the really dark side of LA of gangs and shootings mainly seen in movies like Menace2Society Boyz in the Hood, and all the famous gangster rappers. You have notorious hoods and cities that are well known for it like Compton, Inglewood, Watts, Long Beach, East LA.
I come across once in a while of tourist people wanting to visit places like Compton and ask is it safe to drive through.
In reality, I think most people are somewhat disappointed that what they think of LA is not what they expected initially.
I cant speak for all, but Los Angeles is like totally shaped by media and/or social media. Many people see LA as glitz and glam from all the movies, TV shows, reality shows, all the celebs that live in LA. And on top of that all the award shows like Grammys and Oscars that show life is full of celebs walking around glamours streets driving exotic cars. And they have all the fun at Universal and Disneyland. And the run on the beach in slo-mo with their fake water balloon boobs bouncing up and down.
On travel forums most people want to see certain parts of LA. Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Blvd/Walk of Fame, Santa Monica and Venice and Malibu Beaches, Universal and Disneyland. And also the Party scene of the Sunset Strip, and TV tapings and movie studio tours. Runyon canyon for celeb sightings. Oddly despite many museums, Museums are like way down on people's list of things to do. Also architecture as well. No time for all that stuff.
On the flip side, the really dark side of LA of gangs and shootings mainly seen in movies like Menace2Society Boyz in the Hood, and all the famous gangster rappers. You have notorious hoods and cities that are well known for it like Compton, Inglewood, Watts, Long Beach, East LA.
I come across once in a while of tourist people wanting to visit places like Compton and ask is it safe to drive through.
In reality, I think most people are somewhat disappointed that what they think of LA is not what they expected initially.
I've actually never thought of LA by either extreme, I've assumed it was just like any other big city with everything from rough neighborhoods to swanky neighborhoods.
I think what might surprise people, from the East Coast at least, is how suburban much of the city is.
I've visited LA three times, and it all comes down to exactly where you are. Not all of the metro is like the Westside, the Hollywood Hills, or coastal OC, especially given its huge size. But then I was also aware of certain movies and crime shows that venture into some of the seedier neighborhoods/districts, such as south and east sides, showing how cities have multiple faces on one another. It also is surprisingly dense in sections despite what many others have mentioned. Sure, there aren't any sections with large areas of residential housing abutted against the sidewalks like in east coast cities, but a decent transportation network along with relatively few vacant properties shows how the land is better managed.
Washington, DC for example still comes across by some who've never visited in awhile as a collection of monuments and museums surrounded by some government buildings with a little Chinatown surrounded by an arena, but otherwise outside a couple neighborhoods like Georgetown or Dupont Circle, doesn't have much else to offer, when in reality, there's lots to offer, not just in the city itself but in surrounding suburbs, many with their own downtown or mini-downtown.
"I never been there but I've heard" is what most people say when they haven't experienced something for themselves. Cities are no different there some people who do or don't visit certain cities based on hearsay. I feel that media and social media can play a huge factor in shaping people's view of certain cities. Is it true that media and/or social media help shape people's perception of cities? Why or why not?
More then media.... is stereotyping of cities that hurt them most. If that city does not improve significantly enough to reverse it.
In PA Philly has had a regional stereotyping of "Philthadelphia". That still has some tarnish. But it still can Toray tout a growing skyline and downtown with a high professionals population. Cleveland's downtown still needs this larger upswing.
It isn't just National but regional that a city has to fight stereotyping either in its state and region alone. For Cleveland .... you complain gets media bashing still? I see or hear none of that in PA. Old decades ago events really are not relevant today. All know a burning river event..... decades ago. Has generations today .... it has no relevancy for them.
But what Cleveland lacks is ..... much news media coverage period outside of sports. It has a gentrifying core but you never hear of
- skyscraper projects or its skyline touted? That Hurts positive recognition.
- more nations worthy events like the 2016 Republican convention that should have had a HUGE MEDIA POSITIVE ADVERTIZING of the city in commercials at least?
Last big thing I heard was the Rock n Roll museum built downtown in Cleveland on the lakefront. That was looooong ago. Seems much more could have been built off of and opportunities missed in tourism coming to the city nabbing this museum?
Chicago went for promoting and building venues to promote tourism and won. TV shows even filmed there help recognition despite in news reporting of gangland shootings that does not hurt the city worst luckily? Since it is seen as limited as its bad neighborhoods effected and one race on race crime. Also political affiliation to Democrats and blamed politically for the rise of Obama some demonize and mock the city for .... to gun control as a political hate. Still the city has its bumming core that it can overcome most of these blemishes.
Overall Cleveland needs MORE NATIONAL EXPOSURE PERIOD. For more then a Ball game and winter lake-effect snow hammering it that I hear in wintertime weather reports in PA. Because storm fronts generally move west to east. For Cleveland's core ..... I'd like more of your top companies (in the suburbs) to invest in new downtown headquarters.... as a Chicago lured from its suburbs so many and more known for a GROWING SKYLINE other cities tout on C-D. So Cleveland can too.
Though you ask in this thread if CITIES IN GENERAL suffer media negativity? From your past post and threads? You clearly see Cleveland that way. But -- I don't see the media mocks or demeans your Cleveland in any significant way outside of sports wrangling? It just sees little there to mock or promote.
I want to see more being done and built in Cleveland to promote with the Rock n Roll museum it got then did not do much more to feed off of it with...... Even a Pittsburgh gets more even if not much more. Detroit gets much negativity. But at least you here its downtown is bouncing back more then you hear about Cleveland's? Is it really just the media's fault, or up to them to do the promoting of Cleveland more?
NYC/LA/Miami = glamorous, center of everything
Chicago = Poor man's NYC
Portland/Seattle/San Francisco/Denver/Austin = Millennial/hipster paradise
Indianapolis/Kansas City/Columbus = Anywhere USA
Detroit/Cleveland/Pittsburgh = Rust belt/in decline
Dallas/Houston/Atlanta/Phoenix = Suburban sprawl, New South paradise i.e. typical Sunbelt
Anywhere else in the South = Hicksville USA
I think both the good and bad of Chicago are exaggerated. No, we're not one of the most dangerous cities in America, nor do we have the coldest or most unpredictable weather. At the same time, we're not anywhere close to NYC or LA in terms of glamor and activities and sights that a typical tourist would enjoy, and even some much smaller cities like Boston, Miami, and New Orleans would give us a real run for our money in that regard. What stands out most about us is probably our corruption.
NYC/LA/Miami = glamorous, center of everything
Chicago = Poor man's NYC
Portland/Seattle/San Francisco/Denver/Austin = Millennial/hipster paradise
Indianapolis/Kansas City/Columbus = Anywhere USA
Detroit/Cleveland/Pittsburgh = Rust belt/in decline
Dallas/Houston/Atlanta/Phoenix = Suburban sprawl, New South paradise i.e. typical Sunbelt
Anywhere else in the South = Hicksville USA
You're right on a lot of the perceptions the media paints of certain cities and regions. The East Coast and West Coast are considered glamorous, center of the universe and Millennial or the hipster capitol of the world. The South is sprawl, Sunbelt, Hicksville to some and paradise while the Midwest outside of Chicago is The Rust Belt, declining, full of backwards poor people who don't have nothing going or aren't well-informed.
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