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.
Haha. With 150,000 workers, ~45,000 residents, numerous amenities, including stadiums, concert venues, clubs, bars theaters, restaurants, grocery stores, retail, etc... it's hardly dead. It's not a 24-hour downtown but the vast majority of US downtown areas are not.
Serious question. Never been to Minneapolis but I'd like to visit. What's the closest to a 24 hour neighborhood in Minneapolis? I.e. The Loop is quite dead after working hours (though it's improving), but the neighborhoods with actual locals and activity nearly 24/7 would be like Boystown, Wrigleyville, and maybe Wicker Park. Maybe not 24/7, but vibrant late nights and weekends.
Friend of mine had a similar reaction to Denver. His sister moved there a year ago, and he went out there when she made the move to offer some assistance (although I think it was mostly an excuse for a vacation). A couple days after his arrival, I received the following message from him on Facebook: 'The revolution won't be starting here.' He went on to say that he found Denver to be a decent but rather bland and everytown-ish place. Denver's had some hype in recent years so I found his assessment interesting.
That hardly fits in to the thread title of "Cities you were impressed with at first, then your opinion changed", though, if it was two days!
He's both right and wrong. Denver has professional sports in all the major leagues, e.g. basketball, baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse and soccer, plus a minor league hockey team nearby. There are also numerous college sports teams, including some that are generally highly ranked such as CU football in Boulder, University of Denver hockey, lacrosse and gymnastics. There is professional theater. Denver was on the first round of "Hamilton" which is coming back again in 2020. Lots of community theater. Lots of festivals. Live music with the fantastic Red Rocks Amphitheater, museums, the zoo, two botanic gardens. Bars for those who like them. Then there are the mountains for skiing and various other mountain sports. Not boring, not knock your socks off, either.
Denver checks a lot of boxes (active, getting good infill, has trains though they're suburb-focused), but I find it kind of bland too.
MSP has also built a lot of very good infill lately, which will help give it a critical mass and character over time. But I found it bland as well. The skyways are an added problem in what should be a good core...the lunchtime and convenience-retail crowds favors the skyways (which often close in the mid-dinner hours), taking away a lot of street level activity, while the dinner and mom & pop types favor the sidewalks and limited skywalk areas around hotels etc. The skyways are inherently bland and part-time, and the sidewalks don't have a critical mass of people or diners to support an activity level that would be normal for a core of that size.
I still like both of them in their own ways. The both have a lot of neighborhoods full of old houses and big trees with scattered little retail cores.
My opinions have actually improved over time though, due to infill.
MSP has also built a lot of very good infill lately, which will help give it a critical mass and character over time. But I found it bland as well. The skyways are an added problem in what should be a good core...the lunchtime and convenience-retail crowds favors the skyways (which often close in the mid-dinner hours), taking away a lot of street level activity, while the dinner and mom & pop types favor the sidewalks and limited skywalk areas around hotels etc. The skyways are inherently bland and part-time, and the sidewalks don't have a critical mass of people or diners to support an activity level that would be normal for a core of that size.
This is fair. I think downtown has a decent amount of people but it doesn't give the impression of tons of activity. I can see why someone coming from a bigger city would find it "dead" because there aren't as many people out and about.
It reminds me of, but better than, another Southern, car-oriented city that I won't mention by name so this thread can remain open.
This is fair. I think downtown has a decent amount of people but it doesn't give the impression of tons of activity. I can see why someone coming from a bigger city would find it "dead" because there aren't as many people out and about.
It reminds me of, but better than, another Southern, car-oriented city that I won't mention by name so this thread can remain open.
I think we know EXACYLY what city you refer to. Big inferiority complex it seems.
Seattle doesn't have much of an issue with that, at least where I go. I walk 10 minutes through the edge of Downtown twice a day and go months without seeing that. That includes alleys I walk through a couple times a day.
Seattle doesn't have much of an issue with that, at least where I go. I walk 10 minutes through the edge of Downtown twice a day and go months without seeing that. That includes alleys I walk through a couple times a day.
I'm sure its different in other areas of course.
But you’re even seeing it in months spurts? And that’s not bad? Wow this is surprising given the otherwise boomtown news all over the media.
So the two poster cities of progressivism are having a human poop in public areas issue? That’s really nasty and sounds like a medieval European urban problem.
Maybe once or twice a year. I realize that even once is pretty bad though.
Even the once or twice is because I walk in places many people don't...alleys and under a viaduct and so on.
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.
Big inferiority complex it seems. 
