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View Poll Results: Is the Phoenix Area Urban, Suburban, Rural or something else?
Urban: Yes, Phoenix is a real deal CITY 19 25.68%
Suburban: No, Phoenix is a well planned city, but not quite a CITY as in URBAN 49 66.22%
Rural: No, Phoenix has a long way to go before it feels city 1 1.35%
Other: Please explain 5 6.76%
Voters: 74. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-13-2017, 11:47 AM
 
Location: The big blue yonder...
2,061 posts, read 3,737,566 times
Reputation: 1183

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Recently traveled to Atlanta with my kids and showed them the city.
Daughter's comment about the city made me think...

When asked, "are you enjoying Atlanta?" she replies "I guess, but I'm a city girl..."

Initially I laughed and said "Huh? You don't even like riding the light rail or bus, you're not a city girl. You're suburban..." But now I'm wondering what the consensus is.
I understand Atlanta can have a very country feel to it almost to the core of the city, however Atlanta does also have city in ways that I've always felt Phoenix doesn't. From my perspective, Phoenix to me feels like a well planned suburb all the way into Downtown Phoenix. Doesn't feel "city" to me. But then again, although I am from Atlanta, I've also lived in places like Brooklyn, DC, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. I can agree that my hometown Atlanta isn't "city city" but I don't agree feel that Phoenix is the "city" that Atlanta isn't.
Just feels like a huge suburbia to me.

What do you guys think?
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Old 06-13-2017, 11:50 AM
 
37,882 posts, read 41,956,856 times
Reputation: 27279
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psykomonkee View Post
Recently traveled to Atlanta with my kids and showed them the city.
Daughter's comment about the city made me think...

When asked, "are you enjoying Atlanta?" she replies "I guess, but I'm a city girl..."

Initially I laughed and said "Huh? You don't even like riding the light rail or bus, you're not a city girl. You're suburban..." But now I'm wondering what the consensus is.
I understand Atlanta can have a very country feel to it almost to the core of the city, however Atlanta does also have city in ways that I've always felt Phoenix doesn't. From my perspective, Phoenix to me feels like a well planned suburb all the way into Downtown Phoenix. Doesn't feel "city" to me. But then again, although I am from Atlanta, I've also lived in places like Brooklyn, DC, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. I can agree that my hometown Atlanta isn't "city city" but I don't agree feel that Phoenix is the "city" that Atlanta isn't.
Just feels like a huge suburbia to me.

What do you guys think?
Wow.
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Old 06-13-2017, 11:59 AM
 
Location: The big blue yonder...
2,061 posts, read 3,737,566 times
Reputation: 1183
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77 View Post
Wow.
Well, what's "Wow?"
Care to elaborate?
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Old 06-13-2017, 12:12 PM
 
85 posts, read 86,429 times
Reputation: 102
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psykomonkee View Post
Recently traveled to Atlanta with my kids and showed them the city.
Daughter's comment about the city made me think...

When asked, "are you enjoying Atlanta?" she replies "I guess, but I'm a city girl..."

Initially I laughed and said "Huh? You don't even like riding the light rail or bus, you're not a city girl. You're suburban..." But now I'm wondering what the consensus is.
I understand Atlanta can have a very country feel to it almost to the core of the city, however Atlanta does also have city in ways that I've always felt Phoenix doesn't. From my perspective, Phoenix to me feels like a well planned suburb all the way into Downtown Phoenix. Doesn't feel "city" to me. But then again, although I am from Atlanta, I've also lived in places like Brooklyn, DC, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. I can agree that my hometown Atlanta isn't "city city" but I don't agree feel that Phoenix is the "city" that Atlanta isn't.
Just feels like a huge suburbia to me.

What do you guys think?
In ways she is right.
Phoenix is a larger city then Atlanta, it is the fifth largest in the country. Whereas Atlanta is ninth.
Phoenix is the most suburban of the large cities. Everything is more spread and more planned.

To some people a city is not a city without diversity and Atlanta has more diversity due to it being near the east coast but Phoenix is developing.
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Old 06-13-2017, 12:13 PM
 
37,882 posts, read 41,956,856 times
Reputation: 27279
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psykomonkee View Post
Well, what's "Wow?"
Care to elaborate?
Just hard to believe someone from Phoenix considers herself a "city girl" while implying that Atlanta isn't.

I dunno, maybe it was because of all of the trees.
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Old 06-13-2017, 12:30 PM
 
Location: New York City
9,380 posts, read 9,338,690 times
Reputation: 6510
Atlanta and Phoenix are cities from a traditional standpoint. But when comparing them to NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, they are no where close when it comes to offering the true urban city experience.


I would also say Atlanta has a leg up on the 'city' feeling. I have made it clear in other threads that Phoenix is by means a big city, despite its population.
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Old 06-13-2017, 12:54 PM
 
190 posts, read 211,930 times
Reputation: 305
I think sprawling cities feel more urban to people who live there than to visitors because residents know the "hotspots" and can mentally connect those together while tuning out all the drive-through areas. I live in Houston and I'm an expert at moving around the city traveling just through the beautiful or exciting areas. When we host visitors from out of town we take great care in planning not just the places to visit, but the routes we will take to get there, in order to convey that sense of a big exciting city. If you were just showing yourself Houston with no familiarity for the city you'd more than likely see lots of strip centers and parking lots and you'd leave with the impression that your are in a giant suburb. Older urban areas are like a pile of gold ore melted down into bricks, whereas newer urban areas are more like giant ore-bearing rocks with veins of gold running through them.
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Old 06-13-2017, 01:01 PM
 
9,480 posts, read 12,294,079 times
Reputation: 8783
They are both cities. I don't get the point of this thread, honestly. Hopefully it is NOT to stir the pot and get angry Atlanta people over here like in another recent thread comparing to another city!
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Last edited by ElleTea; 06-13-2017 at 03:34 PM..
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Old 06-13-2017, 01:23 PM
 
9,091 posts, read 19,223,544 times
Reputation: 6967
So obnoxious

Phoenix had a suburban and spread out layout, but is very much a real city

Urban does not define real - it defines urban and even within that score there is a giant spread.
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Old 06-13-2017, 01:31 PM
 
9,091 posts, read 19,223,544 times
Reputation: 6967
True urban experience?

People would urinate frequently on the door/steps of my row house in Philly....... I've had zero for peeing incidents in Phoenix

Not everyone values the same things you do. To me living in NYC holds zero appeal. It is overpriced, crowded, difficult to move around in and a whole bunch of other items that don't fit with what I'm looking for...... I don't even really like to visit

I also understand there are options opportunities and items within the city that people value more than I do and it can be a good home for them

To each their own

Stop being so insecure and trying to drag other places down to pump up your own self worth, frankly no one really cares
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