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The reality of Omaha does not match the perception. It has interesting stuff in the downtown, it has some historic neighborhoods in the south side area. It is also one place that is doing pretty well economically in the US.
Phoenix; nation's largest art walk, one of the nation's largest modern arts exhibit at PAM (Phoenix Arts Museum), 2 Fashion Weeks (Phoenix, Scottsdale), immense sports culture (spring training, college, all major leagues except soccer until 2012), huge Hispanic/Latino culture arts and learning center, nation's largest single Native American Art/History/Cultural/Tolerance Museum (The Heard Museum), world renowned schools of design and architecture established by Frank Lloyd Wright (Taliesin West), HUGE historic neighborhoods (Coronado, Alhambra, Encanto-Palmcroft, Willo, F.Q. Story, Roosevelt, and dozens upon dozens more), and on and on...
AmericanUrbanite is ignorant to claim the Midwest cities are bland. Midwest cities don't get talked about by costal media elite. Mostly due to the fact of convince, it is much easier to write about, talk about local, regional places than places that are distant, "foreign", unknown. Kind of like how the "uglyAmerican" stereotype says your typical American doesn't know a thing about global affairs, I find that many coastal elites are simply ignorant of a large portion of the US. This absence of knowledge can be called naive by some; I see it as more willful ignorance.
The real "ugly American" is the one that displays little or limited interest in oneself.
Midwest cities are some of the most historic in America, there is rich culture, and it is more abundant than assumed. The east in America has been putting down the rest of America culturally since the start of manifest destiny drive pioneers out west in search of more liberty. The east was opposed to woman's emancipation. The east put down booming industry.....the east has always had a chip on its shoulder when comparing itself to the rest of America. This largely remains.....it is part of its culture.
There are treasures in most places in the US. This is a great country, rich, culturally vibrant places are found in all 50.
Funny, but I live in the NYC metro these days. Right now I see Manhattan as the Wal-Mart of counter-culture. It has an incredible cultural history, but let me tell you, today there is as much manufactured culture as there is authentic.
I'm from Milwaukee and we used to drink Pabst for real, still do, before it was ironic. You will find real counter culture in places like Memphis, Omaha, St Paul, Bosie, Birmingham....
Yet, my point isn't just counter culture, but America's variety and richness. It is abundant, not limited. Not bland...You aren't looking hard enough if you see bland. You might not know what to see or worse, you might only look to others to help you decide what you have seen.
Almost any major/semi-major city in the US that's not know for arts/entertaining areas/interesting neighborhoods is under-rated. There's a lot to see in a lot of cities even if they aren't NYC/SF/Chicago/Boston/DC/LA/Miami/New Orleans/Nashville/etc.
Also, there's nothing wrong with meat-packing. Omaha should be proud of its meat-packing days and hope for a future where everyone packs meat with their head held up high.
Orlando FL. Mainly because of the theme parks. People usually just stay in the tourist corridor when they visit Orlando and dont venture out around the actual city of orlando and its 2 million + metro area. Orlando has a lot more to offer, than just theme parks.
Both Lous are underrated -- Louisville and St. Louis.
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