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I'm sure it depends where you are. I've done a lot of traveling by boat in and around the Caribbean and Latin America and several different times when clearing in the agent would ask where our home port is or where we are from, we might as well have said Pluto or Mars because they would write in Miami.
From what I've seen the US consists of Miami (which takes up about 80 percent of the US) and then NY and LA which split up the other 20% evenly.
"Where do you live?"
"MD on the mid atlantic coast of the US."
"Ah Miami"
"No, by Washington, the capital"
"Ohhhhh, Miami"
"Uh OK"
"Where is this boat documented?"
"Dover, Delaware"
"UH, Miami?"
"NO, DE"
"AHHHH I have cuzin living in Miami. It very cold there."
"Uh yea, I think they have about a foot of snow now!" (sarcasm)
Last edited by marlinfshr; 10-10-2013 at 04:57 PM..
Chicago's profile is from the 20's, Miami has none.
All cities except NYC, DC and LA are totally neverheard to most people, and everyone except NY totally irrelevant.
I want to see if I understand this: LA and DC are irrelevant despite being a major source of popular culture consumed throughout the world and the seat of political power that has an immeasurable impact on geopolitics, respectively. Do I have that right, or am I missing something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by InsaneTraveler
Miami! Miami has also almost passed Chicago's skyline even.
No it hasn't. It hasn't even come close.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariete
Yeah! Miami Vice!
But the truth is that the American cities have no leverage in the world despite their size. If I meet a Frenchman and start the discussion saying "what do you think about Miami", the other one replies "dunno, couldn't care less".
It might come as a surprise to some Americans, but for most Europeans, not to mention Asians, not a single city except NYC has any leverage in peoples' minds. Cities like Miami might as well be as unknown as the rural village up north. And asking even a European, the typical reply is 'never been to Chicago and don't intend to, know nothing about the place'.
Quite of sad, actually. Like some Chicagoers think their metropolis is a vibrant and interesting hub for everything, but 99% of the world's population can't even place it on the map. And those who do, couldn't care less.
And 99% of the world probably couldn't name another Finnish city besides Helsinki. And I'd hope a similar percentage wouldn't think much the opinions of someone who thinks LA and DC, two cities with an undeniably profound impact on global popular culture and current events, are "irrelevent."
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah
I would say Miami, but it depends also where we are talking about. For example in Asia I am pretty sure Chicago is much more well known. In Latin America it's definitely Miami. In Europe it's probably even.
While that's undoubtedly true for Carribean Latin America, maybe a bit more even for continental Latin America. At least, if one is to judge by the size of Chicago's Latino population and where most of them come from.
I want to see if I understand this: LA and DC are irrelevant despite being a major source of popular culture consumed throughout the world and the seat of political power that has an immeasurable impact on geopolitics, respectively. Do I have that right, or am I missing something?
And 99% of the world probably couldn't name another Finnish city besides Helsinki. And I'd hope a similar percentage wouldn't think much the opinions of someone who thinks LA and DC, two cities with an undeniably profound impact on global popular culture and current events, are "irrelevent."
I understand my original post was provocative, and it was meant to be as such. But it wasn't anti-American or anything of the sort, like some posters have claimed.
LA has most certainly had an effect on popular culture, but what has it taught about the city? I've seen hundreds of Hollywood-movies, but can't name a single street in LA. Or is there a one called Malibu Drive? I know the Hollywood-sign and Compton, but that's about it.
And what sources of popular culture are from DC? Tell me, I honestly don't know. Yes, I know the White House, Arlington cemetery and... well, that's it.
But I know a lot about Baltimore, because one of the greatest tv-shows ever done is based in that city.
I'm not claiming to be ingnorant on purpose or overplaying it, but my knowledge of the US cities is probably as bad as for any other member of the world who hasn't ever been to the US.
My point is that if you haven't visited say, Chicago or Miami, your knowledge is probably very limited about the cities. You don't know how life really is there, what the restaurant scene is, which parts of the city are good or bad, because those things aren't discussed in everyday life. Not in the media or in coffee table conversations.
Americans sometimes tend to believe that because of their size and the global importance of the US, people on other continents thousands of miles away should have some in-depth knowledge about most of the large cities in the US. But that isn't true. And if people think they do, they are often filled with old boring stereotypes.
To have an accurate opinion of the cities, you'd have to visit at least once or have a special interest in them. I'm sorry, but the majority of people haven't and don't.
That being said, I don't claim that cities like Chicago would be boring, uninteresting or not worth discussing, but they are by the end of the day quite irrelevant. Why do you think everyone has an opinon of Guantánamo? Because that place has been covered in the media a lot.
How about cities like Prague or Vienna? How many Americans have an in-depth opinion about them? Not probably very many. How do you expect that Europeans should have one about Chicago or Houston?
I claim that 99% of the people don't know a single city in Finland. And why should they? Every single one is quite irrelevant on an global scale.
I understand my original post was provocative, and it was meant to be as such. But it wasn't anti-American or anything of the sort, like some posters have claimed.
LA has most certainly had an effect on popular culture, but what has it taught about the city? I've seen hundreds of Hollywood-movies, but can't name a single street in LA. Or is there a one called Malibu Drive? I know the Hollywood-sign and Compton, but that's about it.
And what sources of popular culture are from DC? Tell me, I honestly don't know. Yes, I know the White House, Arlington cemetery and... well, that's it.
But I know a lot about Baltimore, because one of the greatest tv-shows ever done is based in that city.
I'm not claiming to be ingnorant on purpose or overplaying it, but my knowledge of the US cities is probably as bad as for any other member of the world who hasn't ever been to the US.
My point is that if you haven't visited say, Chicago or Miami, your knowledge is probably very limited about the cities. You don't know how life really is there, what the restaurant scene is, which parts of the city are good or bad, because those things aren't discussed in everyday life. Not in the media or in coffee table conversations.
Americans sometimes tend to believe that because of their size and the global importance of the US, people on other continents thousands of miles away should have some in-depth knowledge about most of the large cities in the US. But that isn't true. And if people think they do, they are often filled with old boring stereotypes.
To have an accurate opinion of the cities, you'd have to visit at least once or have a special interest in them. I'm sorry, but the majority of people haven't and don't.
That being said, I don't claim that cities like Chicago would be boring, uninteresting or not worth discussing, but they are by the end of the day quite irrelevant. Why do you think everyone has an opinon of Guantánamo? Because that place has been covered in the media a lot.
How about cities like Prague or Vienna? How many Americans have an in-depth opinion about them? Not probably very many. How do you expect that Europeans should have one about Chicago or Houston?
I claim that 99% of the people don't know a single city in Finland. And why should they? Every single one is quite irrelevant on an global scale.
You're trying to have a completely different conversation. Nobody is talking about having an "in-depth knowledge" of cities they've never even visited.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac15
Miami. We never hear anything about Chicago.
Interesting since Chicago is one of the major Plastic-Paddy cities in the U.S. Which is probably more relevant in the Republic than in Northern Ireland.
You're trying to have a completely different conversation. Nobody is talking about having an "in-depth knowledge" of cities they've never even visited.
Ok, but I was only trying to explain my original post.
But well, I follow the serious media quite closely, I have friends and family and I consider myself being somewhat educated, and I can't remember when Chicago was discussed the last time, if ever. Miami I remember, as I had relatives visiting there recently. We discussed mostly how huge the food portions are, nothing about the actual city, though.
But, I remember discussing Barcelona, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Tallinn, Stockholm, Copenhagen and many others.
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