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I think we've explored the "yes, buts" thoroughly.
I was born in the U.S. and lived in its cities of various sizes since I went to college in 1958. I liked my life in each of them. I can remember when the entire issue/controvery of sidewalk cafes hit NYC in the 70's because I was living in an area that had gentrified and they were springing up fast...too fast for some tastes.
Whether its Boston (which I love), Manhattan, Chicago or wherever, these sidewalk restaurants - which is what the overwhelming majority of them are - have definitely added a lot to American urban life. And I enjoyed some of them, in some places.
Having lived in Europe for more than a decade, I do feel that our sidewalk cafes and street life are different. But perhaps the difference - for me, at least - is not the cafes, but the social environment they are in. I lived in Manhattan for over forty years, and yet when I returned to the U.S. for the first time in ten years (to the West, not the East) I found it incredibly stressful. Even the most casual social dealings were conducted at a vocal level several decibels too loud, and with a level of in-you-faceness that was really wearing. I was worn raw by it after a month.
It may simply be the case that after forty plus years of letting it all hang out, and experiencing NYC and other cities to the limits, and being thoroughly immersed in various U.S. social and political upheavals, causes, etc. that I have arrived a mental space that needs a different environment.
Be it cafes or countries, different strokes for different folks, no doubt.
Below is a cafe around the corner, it was August and the street was filled with kids going to the beach.
Fukuoka is probably my favorite city in japan (in terms of living not tourist).
I visited Japan back in 2005 and I will always remember my time there. I did not get a chance to try the Kobe beef unfortunately. In comparison to US cities I thought Japanese cities were cleaner and better constructed because they are flatter. I did not see any curbs actually. Thanks to the Japanese politeness and hospitality, I have a very deep appreciation and respect for them. I just thought I might let you know that and brighten your day. I will always admire and respect the Japanese people. They are beautiful both on the inside and outside. In this day and age, I believe that people should come together and support each other. Life is so valuable that it is best to live and appreciate the beauty of things and people
I know I can send you a direct message if I have any questions about Japan. Have a nice day
Last edited by AliveandWell; 09-20-2009 at 01:47 PM..
Reason: to add text
Regarding the OP's question; Yes, but only compared to a handful of superior cities. On the whole, some US cities make the top-5 or top-10 world cities list in my book.
Of the cities I've lived in or visited for a significant period of time, I would rate them as follows (from best to worst):
--Love--
Taipei
Tokyo
San Francisco
Hamburg
NYC
Brussels
--Enjoy--
Bangkok
Berlin
London
Florence
Budapest
Barcelona
Kuala Lumpur
Chicago
--Like--
Shanghai
Kyoto
Munich
Hong Kong
Lisbon
--Dislike--
Paris
Bern
Chongqing
Los Angeles
Geneva
--Strongly Dislike--
San Diego
Rome
Beijing
So there's a major US city in every category for me. There are walkable cities in the US and unwalkable ones in other countries. There are also some really great (and really awful) small towns in the US and worldwide which I can't include.
I visited Japan back in 2005 and I will always remember my time there. I did not get a chance to try the Kobe beef unfortunately. In comparison to US cities I thought Japanese cities were cleaner and better constructed because they are flatter. I did not see any curbs actually. Thanks to the Japanese politeness and hospitality, I have a very deep appreciation and respect for them. I just thought I might let you know that and brighten your day. I will always admire and respect the Japanese people. They are beautiful both on the inside and outside. In this day and age, I believe that people should come together and support each other. Life is so valuable that it is best to live and appreciate the beauty of things and people
I know I can send you a direct message if I have any questions about Japan. Have a nice day
I have picture thread of tokyo that I'll send you in PM since it's against rules of this forum to link to another forum.
NYC is the "city never sleeps". The subway systems works 24/7 and you find diners (American-style restaurants) and grocery stores that are open round-the clock. There is also a lot of nightlife that goes past 2AM in Manhattan.
True, but that is NYC. Not many places are like that. If more USA cities were like NYC, that would be great.
I'll just have to add one more thing. Most of us Europeans are not arrogant and rude snobs who travel to the other side of the world and expect it to be just like back home. In fact, most of us try to concentrate on the positive things.
See I don't think its fair to try and lump a lot of people into one group.
I don't think you can really speak for all/most Europeans because I've encountered a lot of snobby-type Europeans all over the United States whether it be in New York City, Orlando, Los Angeles, etc.
Regarding the OP's question; Yes, but only compared to a handful of superior cities. On the whole, some US cities make the top-5 or top-10 world cities list in my book.
Of the cities I've lived in or visited for a significant period of time, I would rate them as follows (from best to worst):
--Love--
Taipei
Tokyo
San Francisco
Hamburg
NYC
Brussels
--Enjoy--
Bangkok
Berlin
London
Florence
Budapest
Barcelona
Kuala Lumpur
Chicago
--Like--
Shanghai
Kyoto
Munich
Hong Kong
Lisbon
--Dislike--
Paris
Bern
Chongqing
Los Angeles
Geneva
--Strongly Dislike--
San Diego
Rome
Beijing
So there's a major US city in every category for me. There are walkable cities in the US and unwalkable ones in other countries. There are also some really great (and really awful) small towns in the US and worldwide which I can't include.
If I may ask: what in the world do you do that allows you to spend time in so many cities?
I think it comes down to urban planning. Europeans have history and age on their side and seem to have perfected the urban vibe. The other huge factor is the car and cost of gasoline, which in Europe is prohibitively expensive which encourages people to live near where they work and walk everywhere which in turn encourages sidewalk cafes, squares, etc. American gas is cheap relative to Europe, so people live in suburbs and travel to cities only to work. Also, roads in the U.S. tend to be wider and no thought is given to the pedestrian, cyclists etc. In turn, people are discouraged from walking when there are too many cars or large streets to cross. Some American cities are seeing the light and are beginning to encourage bikers and walkers by building or widening lanes and sidewalks. However, it is few and far between. European cities will subsequently have a quality of life advantage when in comes to living in the city for a long time to come.
The US was mainly an agrarian society up until the Industrial Revolution so cities really weren't that big in the lives of early Americans. The nation was essentially one giant farm with small town centers and several larger towns that would eventually become the major cities.
Any industry at that time were small businesses producing clothes, farm implements, etc. Basically anything that an agrarian society needed.
There were also some larger manufacturing businesses producing items for trading with Europe and educational institutions popping up but it was not that prevalent.
The Industrial Revolution changed everything. Cities grew and people started flocking to them for work. At the same time, land was becoming scarcer and populations grew. Basically American cities only started to become cities in the early 1800's. Before that they were really only large towns.
This country is and always has been a very mobile country.
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