Name a world famous city you've visited where you cannot seem to find what is so great about it? (city hall, amusement park)
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Actually in my opinion Australia, Canada, and a lot of the US have these very sterile cities, often sprawling, suburban, devoid of culture.
At times visiting some cities in those countries I feel like I am in a giant golf course rather than a city.
The shopping malls - cookie cutter mcmansions - awful chain restaurants - neverending highways. It is so awful for me.
What are you basing this opinion on? Have you been to all these cities? I haven't been but I would be VERY surprised if Sydney or New York or New Orleans or Melbourne are nothing more than 'sterile cities, devoid of culture'!?
What is it that Sydney or New York lack that 'other cities' have? You can't give relatively new cities history, that's impossible but that doesn't mean they're 'sterile' or lacking a culture. New York and Sydney are among the most exciting cities on the planet no?
What are you basing this opinion on? Have you been to all these cities? I haven't been but I would be VERY surprised if Sydney or New York or New Orleans or Melbourne are nothing more than 'sterile cities, devoid of culture'!?
What is it that Sydney or New York lack that 'other cities' have? You can't give relatively new cities history, that's impossible but that doesn't mean they're 'sterile' or lacking a culture. New York and Sydney are among the most exciting cities on the planet no?
Totally Agree.
The US does have cities with a lot of beauty and charm, including the likes of New Orleans, and cities such Charleston, Savannah or bigger cities such as Boston and parts of NYC such as Greenwich Village. San Francisco also has a lot of great architecture and is set in fantastic natural surroundings, and many areas are also renowned such as New England or the California Wine region or part of Florida etc.
Australia also has some fantastic cities, Melbourne has some beautiful areas, and Sydney is another city set in a fantastic natural setting, and which has a very good restaurant and night life scene. Whilst the Australian coastline and beaches are stunning.
In Canada, Ottawa has a lot of history, whilst Vancouver is yet another city full of amazing greenery and in an amazing natural setting, whilst Toronto is Canada's Chicago, both sit upon the Great Lakes, Chicago on Lake Michigan and Toronto on Lake Ontario. Whilst the cities share a similar topography and population.
The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have some fantastic cities and some amazing natural settings.
As for the so called awful chain restaurants, all of these countries have cities with superb local food markets, which serve all kinds of food, as well as having great local restaurants from diners to fine dining and they all have a good selection of cuisine from around the globe.
In terms of the US each city has it's own ethnic type food, which would draw on the cities ethnic roots whether Polish, German, Italian etc.
Last edited by Brave New World; 08-16-2021 at 05:33 AM..
Luckily that's starting to change a little bit with the new US administration. I love the fact that the Prez is a big Amtrak fan and that the new infrastructure bill includes billions of new dollars for transit. It's not perfect but a start - we can't build roads forever.
To answer the OP, Rome was ok (like the history was amazing!) but I was so underwhelmed. I much prefer Lisbon to Rome.
Yes, and some of that transit money is coming to LA.
The US does have cities with a lot of beauty and charm, including the likes of New Orleans, and cities such Charleston, Savannah or bigger cities such as Boston and parts of NYC such as Greenwich Village. San Francisco also has a lot of great architecture and is set in fantastic natural surroundings, and many areas are also renowned such as New England or the California Wine region or part of Florida etc.
Australia also has some fantastic cities, Melbourne has some beautiful areas, and Sydney is another city set in a fantastic natural setting, and which has a very good restaurant and night life scene. Whilst the Australian coastline and beaches are stunning.
In Canada, Ottawa has a lot of history, whilst Vancouver is yet another city full of amazing greenery and in an amazing natural setting, whilst Toronto is Canada's Chicago, both sit upon the Great Lakes, Chicago on Lake Michigan and Toronto on Lake Ontario. Whilst the cities share a similar topography and population.
The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have some fantastic cities and some amazing natural settings.
As for the so called awful chain restaurants, all of these countries have cities with superb local food markets, which serve all kinds of food, as well as having great local restaurants from diners to fine dining and they all have a good selection of cuisine from around the globe.
In terms of the US each city has it's own ethnic type food, which would draw on the cities ethnic roots whether Polish, German, Italian etc.
Excellent positive response to counter negativity. Everything said here is spot on. Boston looks nothing like New Orleans, and Seattle looks nothing like Miami. Even in my home state of California, Los Angeles looks different than San Francisco, there is nothing sterile about them. Also Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Quebec City are all glorious in their own unique way.
Excellent positive response to counter negativity. Everything said here is spot on. Boston looks nothing like New Orleans, and Seattle looks nothing like Miami. Even in my home state of California, Los Angeles looks different than San Francisco, there is nothing sterile about them. Also Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Quebec City are all glorious in their own unique way.
Hmm.. I never heard of Calgary being described as glorious, but who knows? Maybe it is.
Hmm.. I never heard of Calgary being described as glorious, but who knows? Maybe it is.
Went up there for The Stampede, and just loved the place! Another visit saw my Philly Flyers play the Flames at the magnificent Saddledome. Plus being so close to the majestic Canadian Rockies, and Lake Louise is another plus.
The US does have cities with a lot of beauty and charm, including the likes of New Orleans, and cities such Charleston, Savannah or bigger cities such as Boston and parts of NYC such as Greenwich Village. San Francisco also has a lot of great architecture and is set in fantastic natural surroundings, and many areas are also renowned such as New England or the California Wine region or part of Florida etc.
Australia also has some fantastic cities, Melbourne has some beautiful areas, and Sydney is another city set in a fantastic natural setting, and which has a very good restaurant and night life scene. Whilst the Australian coastline and beaches are stunning.
In Canada, Ottawa has a lot of history, whilst Vancouver is yet another city full of amazing greenery and in an amazing natural setting, whilst Toronto is Canada's Chicago, both sit upon the Great Lakes, Chicago on Lake Michigan and Toronto on Lake Ontario. Whilst the cities share a similar topography and population.
The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have some fantastic cities and some amazing natural settings.
As for the so called awful chain restaurants, all of these countries have cities with superb local food markets, which serve all kinds of food, as well as having great local restaurants from diners to fine dining and they all have a good selection of cuisine from around the globe.
In terms of the US each city has it's own ethnic type food, which would draw on the cities ethnic roots whether Polish, German, Italian etc.
I think his point was less on Boston, parts of NYC, Chicago, Savannah, Charleston, San Francisco, etc... and more on the cities that were sterilized, gutted and redlined. Large swaths of once prosperous cities such as Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City were ruined by the Freeway system and systematic racism to split off communities. Then the white flight. Then the war on drugs. America really f*d up alot of its cities. Im in urban planning now and it really is a sad tale. They mght now have developing downtown centers, but this is late.
Then we enter a new ballgame of the fast-growing cities that are sterilized on a development basis like Irvine, Orlando, Cary, Houston, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, etc. These cities were either crushed due to white flight ad/or fell victim to poor car centric urban sprawl post Reagan Administration.
There are GREAT cities in America. But a lot of American cities suffered greatly at the hands of our politicians. We ruined a lot of our cities and continue to build sterilized ones. Like Detroit could have been a Chicago... Cincinnati and Kansas City were once icons of grid street europeanesque communities. St. Louis had bulldozed over 3 square miles of brownstones, brick buildings, and historic architecture in the name of 'urban renewal'. There could be MORE cities like Boston, NYC, and Chicago... but f history and racism. Ims till appalled at how many cities and neighborhoods we demolished.
I think his point was less on Boston, parts of NYC, Chicago, Savannah, Charleston, San Francisco, etc... and more on the cities that were sterilized, gutted and redlined. Large swaths of once prosperous cities such as Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City were ruined by the Freeway system and systematic racism to split off communities. Then the white flight. Then the war on drugs. America really f*d up alot of its cities. Im in urban planning now and it really is a sad tale. They mght now have developing downtown centers, but this is late.
Then we enter a new ballgame of the fast-growing cities that are sterilized on a development basis like Irvine, Orlando, Cary, Houston, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, etc. These cities were either crushed due to white flight ad/or fell victim to poor car centric urban sprawl post Reagan Administration.
There are GREAT cities in America. But a lot of American cities suffered greatly at the hands of our politicians. We ruined a lot of our cities and continue to build sterilized ones. Like Detroit could have been a Chicago... Cincinnati and Kansas City were once icons of grid street europeanesque communities. St. Louis had bulldozed over 3 square miles of brownstones, brick buildings, and historic architecture in the name of 'urban renewal'. There could be MORE cities like Boston, NYC, and Chicago... but f history and racism. Ims till appalled at how many cities and neighborhoods we demolished.
I agree with you that many mistakes were made, and bad policy enacted. I can still find charm in Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Fort Worth, and many others that you think are to late to be "saved".
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