For the homers, what don't you like about your amazing city? (high crime, buying a house)
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We all know that there is a lot of homerism on these forums, especially in the City vs. City sub thread. Inflating the importance and stroking the ego of the place you love/live/are from is natural. But I thought it might help us all keep a healthy perspective if others could see that homers still have issues with their city and that there is no such thing as a perfect city or place.
So my question is simple, but specific to homers or people who are avid proponents of the city they live in. If you hate the city you live in, there's no point in answering this question. I want the answers here to be honest, reflective, and representative of people who, by and large, adore the place they are talking about.
What don't you like about your amazing city, homer?
Since I started it, and happen to be from the Twin Cities (which seem to get called out for having a lot of homers on here), I'll go first.
My Top Five Gripes about Minneapolis/St.Paul:
I'm not going to touch traffic, because it's an issue in some form or another, everywhere.
5. Fair-Weathered Sports Fans
Man, this gets old. We have every major sport represented, but you'd think none of them had ever won a game. If I had a dollar for every time a Vikings fan gave up on the team, I'd be a very rich man. Optimism, hope, and civic pride in our sports institutions is not how we do things here. Minnesota fans always seem ready to abandon ship, and worse yet, often seem to enjoy it.
4. Minnesota "Nice"
Yeah, it gets old. I don't know if it's the heavy Scandinavian/German influence, but our stubborn, passive aggressive nature drives me nuts. There's polite, and then there's just plain disingenuous. This might be the only state where somebody could punch you in the face and you'd end apologizing for it.
3. Lack of "Three I" Culture
I've seen it described on here as "Three I" culture. The Irish, Italian, Israelite immigration that came to define the North East United States in the 1800s/early 1900s. It just doesn't exist in Minnesota, and it's one of the things that I miss the most about living on the East Coast. There are no "Little Italys" here. No Deli culture. No sub and slice shops. No neighborhoods filled with the flare of these cultures. I can think of exactly one good pizza by the slice/cheesesteak shop (Frank & Andrea's in Dinkytown). That's pathetic for a metro with over 3.5+ million people!
2. The Weather
No need to further explain this. We Minnesotans love to tell you "it's not a big deal," but we're either lying or deluded. It's a big deal. Everybody complains about their weather, but Minnesota is living proof it could always be worse. On any given day during the winter it could be as cold as Winnipeg, snowy as Buffalo, or both. What other city of our size in the US has to deal with that? If you're into Ice Fishing or Skiing or playing Hockey, good for you, but most of us aren't.
1. Geographic Isolation
I've said this before, but Minneapolis/St. Paul has perhaps the worst geographic isolation of any major Midwestern City. 60% of the state's population lives in the Twin Cities. Within a five hour day trip by car, you can get to Fargo, Sioux Falls, Des Moines, Madison, maybe Milwaukee, or another part of your own state. Slim pickings as far as driving trips go. You pretty much resign yourself to flying everywhere you want to go, which is pretty why we have an awesome airport.
^always end on a positive note
What say you about your beloved city, homers?
I actually love the winters. Its what made me want to move here from the South. The cold is only brutal for like one or two weeks usually. Some winters harsher than others. I love the snow and love to see it pile up but its a total lie that we get as much as Buffalo. Not even close.
I think the regional isolation is overblown. Personally I think we got a perfect location. Not too far from Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha. Even Winnipeg is only like 7 hours. I am more interested in proximity to natural beauty and we have that aplenty. I am more into day/weekend trips to Duluth and the Northwoods. We don't need to be close to everyone. I like being so far north.
What I don't like about Minneapolis is how bad crime is and how hesitant people are to address it. Sad to see neighbourhoods turning to crap. The police department is horrendous but people need to stop acting like they're the only negative. Something needs to be done about all the shootings, car jackings, etc.
Hopefully crime will go down soon but its shameful how bad its been getting.
Also, people suck at parking here. Street parking in my area is awful as no one gives any room for other cars.
I split my time between Houston and Chicago for work purposes.
Houston - Flat, Hot and Humid, Very Sprawly/Not very walkable outside of a few inner neighborhoods, bad public transit in relation to cities it’s size
Chicago - Flat, very cold, high taxes, massive segregation, as of recently ghost trains and buses have been extremely infuriating, corruption on the city level of governance
I also lived in Atlanta as well and I’d say the list is pretty similar to the Houston one except Atlanta is not flat.
Love all three though for various different reasons.
Since this is only for U.S cities that people have lived in
Miami
1. Crime: Double the national average in terms of murders, lots of violence in general. There's already been two mass shootings 7 days into 2023. You have the media praising Miami as a safe utopia, and then you go there and see that is not the case. My wife has been attacked in SoBe, I've been held at gunpoint there, tourists get beat up in SoBe/Brickell, I've seen shootings happen in broad daylight, etc. There's also the factor that I'm in Canada now, where cities with a homicide rate of 2-2.5/100K are considered dangerous and out of control, which is a testament to how safe it is here.
2. Weather: I love the sun, but swamp-ass half the year is gross, the humidity is unbearable and it gets worse yearly with climate change. At least it's not too bad around this time in all fairness. Then add hurricanes/tropical storms and how Miami can't even handle a simple rain storm. I find it concerning when a city floods from a small rain storm, or cranes collapse in a tropical storm. Imagine when a larger storm hits? Game over.
3. Inequality: Miami is now more unequal than NYC! Wages are still very low, COL is way too high, lots of speculation driving up prices, then you have NYCers and SoCal peeps moving there and doubling prices up, without bringing any high paying jobs. I won't be surprised if the homelessness rate shoots up in Miami in the next 1-3 years, especially now that you need at least $130K to get by minimally/spend 80% of your income on rent. People always say "no state tax" but then you factor in high rents/electricity/property taxes/insurance/groceries, etc.. You actually end up with LESS.
4. Fake it to you make it culture: I know everyone wants clout on social media these days, but Miami has way too many of these shallow, fake it to you make it people. I feel bad for them, societal pressure + Miami being a bling bling city means average people take on so much debt, just to pretend they've made it in life and post it on socials. Then they become broke, get mental health issues and some take their own lives/become homeless.
5. Crappy transit/lack of walkability: Need I say more? It's a major city that has the infrastructure of a small city. I literally walk faster than the Metromover, connectivity city wide sucks and the bus system is garbage. And to think it's $100+ a month for this. Then you add that it's the same urban plan as a sprawling Sunbelt city that tries so hard to be like NYC but without the infrastructure, talent or capital. It's not a walkable city, even in the urban areas, although it has slightly improved.
6. Lack of global diversity: Miami IS diverse, but only with Latin American/Caribbean cultures. When 93% of immigrants come from one region, it just shows that Miami is more of a regional city than a global city. Then again, I've lived in a city with 250+ ethnic groups and 180+ languages (Toronto) and currently live in a city with 200+ ethnic groups and 160 languages (Montreal), so I notice these things quicker. It's also apparent when you see how outside little Havana and little Haiti, there's not many cool or authentic cultural areas left (and gentrification is not helping). But there's no little Italy, Chinatown, Koreatown, North African/Middle-East areas, India, etc..
7. Not the best QOL: There's a reason why 50% of people who move there from elsewhere leave within a few years, it does not have the best QOL. It lacks the cultural entertainment and activities you see in established cities, it's expensive, the vacation feel goes away quickly, people are rude, it's not the best city for families and it's hard to make it by in Miami. In my case, you don't get the bang for your buck.
As a bonus, I noticed Miami has become sort of a safe haven for the far-right and legitimate neo-Nazis. It's worrisome to see and others in person have pointed this out as well, especially during the holiday break.
Since this is only for U.S cities that people have lived in
Miami
1. Crime: Double the national average in terms of murders, lots of violence in general. There's already been two mass shootings 7 days into 2023. You have the media praising Miami as a safe utopia, and then you go there and see that is not the case. My wife has been attacked in SoBe, I've been held at gunpoint there, tourists get beat up in SoBe/Brickell, I've seen shootings happen in broad daylight, etc. There's also the factor that I'm in Canada now, where cities with a homicide rate of 2-2.5/100K are considered dangerous and out of control, which is a testament to how safe it is here.
2. Weather: I love the sun, but swamp-ass half the year is gross, the humidity is unbearable and it gets worse yearly with climate change. At least it's not too bad around this time in all fairness. Then add hurricanes/tropical storms and how Miami can't even handle a simple rain storm. I find it concerning when a city floods from a small rain storm, or cranes collapse in a tropical storm. Imagine when a larger storm hits? Game over.
3. Inequality: Miami is now more unequal than NYC! Wages are still very low, COL is way too high, lots of speculation driving up prices, then you have NYCers and SoCal peeps moving there and doubling prices up, without bringing any high paying jobs. I won't be surprised if the homelessness rate shoots up in Miami in the next 1-3 years, especially now that you need at least $130K to get by minimally/spend 80% of your income on rent. People always say "no state tax" but then you factor in high rents/electricity/property taxes/insurance/groceries, etc.. You actually end up with LESS.
4. Fake it to you make it culture: I know everyone wants clout on social media these days, but Miami has way too many of these shallow, fake it to you make it people. I feel bad for them, societal pressure + Miami being a bling bling city means average people take on so much debt, just to pretend they've made it in life and post it on socials. Then they become broke, get mental health issues and some take their own lives/become homeless.
5. Crappy transit/lack of walkability: Need I say more? It's a major city that has the infrastructure of a small city. I literally walk faster than the Metromover, connectivity city wide sucks and the bus system is garbage. And to think it's $100+ a month for this. Then you add that it's the same urban plan as a sprawling Sunbelt city that tries so hard to be like NYC but without the infrastructure, talent or capital. It's not a walkable city, even in the urban areas, although it has slightly improved.
6. Lack of global diversity: Miami IS diverse, but only with Latin American/Caribbean cultures. When 93% of immigrants come from one region, it just shows that Miami is more of a regional city than a global city. Then again, I've lived in a city with 250+ ethnic groups and 180+ languages (Toronto) and currently live in a city with 200+ ethnic groups and 160 languages (Montreal), so I notice these things quicker. It's also apparent when you see how outside little Havana and little Haiti, there's not many cool or authentic cultural areas left (and gentrification is not helping). But there's no little Italy, Chinatown, Koreatown, North African/Middle-East areas, India, etc..
7. Not the best QOL: There's a reason why 50% of people who move there from elsewhere leave within a few years, it does not have the best QOL. It lacks the cultural entertainment and activities you see in established cities, it's expensive, the vacation feel goes away quickly, people are rude, it's not the best city for families and it's hard to make it by in Miami. In my case, you don't get the bang for your buck.
As a bonus, I noticed Miami has become sort of a safe haven for the far-right and legitimate neo-Nazis. It's worrisome to see and others in person have pointed this out as well, especially during the holiday break.
Idk about Neo-Nazis, but there's definitely been a far right shift in Miami. I see it in my relatives down there that love DeSantis and Trump. Very off putting. Miami has always leaned republican in many ways, but it was never this bad. More moderate when I was growing up.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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Miami:
if you live here and work in a service industry job, learn English. If you are visiting on vacation I will cut you slack but if you plan on living here learn the damn language. Starting to wear on me that I have to repeat myself 3x in many places where I order food or buy something. (And I’m not a right winger).
Red lights and stop signs mean stop and are not to be ignored….oh, and when there is a red light and a green turn signal, you can go. I know 2 different colored lights is the equivalent of taking a Stanford Physics PhD final exam but trust me on this one.
As for comment above about QOL/lack of cultural entertainment….huh?…it is the ONLY North American city and hosts the continent’s most prominent art show-Art Basel, along with the Coconut Grove Art Festival, has adequate performing arts venues (Arsht Center, Fillmore, Frost Museum, Faena, Bayfront Park, Bandshell), Art Deco Weekend, Fashion Week, the country’s largest Food and Wine Festival, Ultra Music Festival, South Beach Jazz Festival, Carnaval Miami, Rolling Loud and more….
as for lack of walkability?, I gave up my car (only drove 3500 miles/year; walk 5-6 miles daily with all my basic needs accessible ) in Brickell and know others who do the same; can get by in other areas without a car such as South Beach, and likely Miracle Mile / Coral Gables…and I’m able to walk in Brickell without seeing homeless tents and smelling human waste. Uber has me within 7-17 minutes from Little Havana, The River, Airport, Arena and Ballpark, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Design District. Much rather take that than subways in other cities.
Last edited by elchevere; 01-07-2023 at 06:34 PM..
Seattle: Homeless tents, vagrants and a ridiculous amount of graffiti. It's getting better though. All the parks are now free of tents and most residential neighborhoods are cleared of them too. They are now largely around interstates and industrial areas. I think we are mostly back to pre-Covid levels. Still high compared to the East Coast, but the weather is more temperate here.
Also, bad Mexican food, slow drivers, passive population, too many techies, too many pale as ghost "anarchists" trying to be edgy in the city while living in their parents basements in the suburbs.
if you live here and work in a service industry job, learn English. If you are visiting on vacation I will cut you slack but if you plan on living here learn the damn language. Starting to wear on me that I have to repeat myself 3x in many places where I order food or buy something. (And I’m not a right winger).
Red lights and stop signs mean stop and are not to be ignored….oh, and when there is a red light and a green turn signal, you can go. I know 2 different colored lights is the equivalent of taking a Stanford Physics PhD final exam but trust me on this one.
As for comment above about QOL/lack of cultural entertainment….huh?…it is the ONLY North American city and hosts the continent’s most prominent art show-Art Basel, along with the Coconut Grove Art Show, has adequate performing arts venues, Art Deco Weekend, Fashion shows, the country’s largest Food and Wine Festival, Ultra Music Festival, South Beach Jazz Festival, Carnaval Miami, and more….as for walkability, I gave up my car (only drove 3500 miles/year; walk 5-6 miles daily with all my basic needs) in Brickell; can get by in other areas such as South Beach, and likely Miracle Mile / Coral Gables.
Compared to established cities in the United States and (in my case) Canadian cities, it's no where close to cultural offerings. This is something important to me and something that weighs heavily on what I find attractive in a city and what makes me want to live there. I'm not saying Miami has nothing, cause that's not true, but compared to other cities, it really lacks that cultural oomph.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CXT2000
Compared to established cities in the United States and (in my case) Canadian cities, it's no where close to cultural offerings. This is something important to me and something that weighs heavily on what I find attractive in a city and what makes me want to live there. I'm not saying Miami has nothing, cause that's not true, but compared to other cities, it really lacks that cultural oomph.
I just listed a bunch including Art Basel—which established cities would bend over to have (Basel and Hong Kong the only other 2 cities in the world)—but that’s fine. I purposely left out sports venues, which I do not necessarily consider cultural, but hard to ignore the fact Miami has hosted more Super Bowls than any other city, Miami Open, International Boat Show (4x the economic impact of a Super Bowl on an annual basis), Formula 1 (1 of only 2 US cities), and a World Cup host site (2026)—something a couple of prominent established cities cannot claim.
People do live and visit here for more than the beach and year round warm weather—I agree with some, not all, of your critiques (would never consider you a Miami homer though) and added a few of my own.
You might not have gotten your bang for the buck and are entitled to your opinion, but I do….I like clean and modern urban living, including walkability, more square footage, often newer, and more building amenities for the money than NYC and CA, and get it in Brickell with 2 different beach options within 15 minutes. I’ve had more than 2 dozen top NYC restaurants (as well as European and elsewhere—not just Latin) open up outposts and come to me.
I understand how some have gotten priced out of the area, some can’t deal with the summer (not an issue for me and I moved from San Diego, just like I can’t deal with extreme cold and snow) and have awful commutes with our crappy drivers—those seem to be the least happiest who end up moving away. In the case of emotionally unstable, a few have opted to take their lives by jumping to their death from high rises.
Glad I moved here established and comfortable….I can see how Miami can suck in some young, impressionable and insecure people and chew them up as there are temptations with material items (exotic cars), nightlife, drugs and booze, and beautiful women. That can be a lethal combination if one does not have their head screwed on properly.
Last edited by elchevere; 01-07-2023 at 07:51 PM..
I'll bite on San Antonio. Gonna preface this by saying the city has come a LONG way in the past 10 years, but I have my gripes.
1. The city does a horrible job of marketing itself. The Alamo/Riverwalk is the image being pushed and people have no clue about the other things the city has to offer.
2. Very segregated in a weird way. The North/NE/NW suburbs are pretty diverse and might as well be a completely different city. If you go to an HEB in Stone Oak for example, you'll see every race under the sun/hear different languages being spoken. The South/West side are almost entirely Mexican.
3. Annexation. Some people use the "7th biggest city" title as a bragging right of some sorts but IMO it hurts the city more than it helps it. It's a Charlotte/Orlando tier city not a Philly/Dallas tier city.
4. Lack of a concentrated entertainment/nightlife district. This is changing with the Pearl and adjacent areas, but prior to the very recent boom in the downtown area, you'd have to drive all over the suburbs to bars/clubs in different areas. Downtown was almost 100% catered towards tourists.
5. AT&T Center location. Kind of nitpicking but throwing the NBA arena in the middle of the hood was a stupid idea. Hopefully they build a new stadium downtown sooner than later.
6. Brain drain? To be fair, this might be the wrong term and I don't exactly have a pulse on the job market (I'm in my mid 20s and work for myself) but I see a lot of people I know that grew up here move away for greener pastures so to speak. This could be a phenomenon in every city, but I notice it here for sure.
7. Unhealthy. Charles Barkley's comments aren't exactly wrong to a degree lol. Obesity is a big problem here (Texas/the south in general) but it's seemingly worse in certain areas of town than others.
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