What sunbelt city has the most "big city" feel? (America, bigger)

[adavi215]

LA without a doubt.

[jsimms3]

Not to try to claim Atlanta feels larger than LA, but take LA out of the equation and from the highways Atlanta easily rivals Houston, Miami, and Dallas. And Atlanta's highways are far wider than Miami's, and seemed wider than Dallas's. I can't compare to Houston as I have never been there. Atlanta has 16-18 lanes through town on 75/85, 18-20 lanes on 75 in Cobb County, 16 lanes on 85 in Gwinnett, and I-20 is 10-12 lanes. I think Texas has some of the biggest stack interchanges, though (Atlanta only has a couple...but Atlanta does have two awesome highway tunnels...one through Buckhead on 400 and one on 285 by the airport, 285 is a loop that averages around 10-12 lanes).

Here are a few pictures, taken from two different cameras: one really crappy, and one pretty decent.

Vinings Skyline (probably 20-25 buildings over 20 stories):

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/TheGeorgianTerraceHotelTour001.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/WhiteChristmasandTechTour166.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/CutcoandAtlanta199.jpg (broken link)

Sandy Springs Skyline with a point and shoot (3 buildings over 400 ft and about 15 more that are at least 20 stories):

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Viewfrom3630Peachtree021.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Viewfrom3630Peachtree022.jpg (broken link)

Buckhead Skyline (one of the largest secondary skylines in the country with several buildings over 500 ft and maybe around 10-15 buildings over 400 ft and around 30 over 300 ft):

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Viewfrom3630Peachtree007.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/AroundAtlantaPart2on3-20-10109.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Winter2010006.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Winter2010013.jpg (broken link)

Some views looking north toward Buckhead:

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/CutcoandAtlanta205.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/TheGeorgianTerraceHotelTour021.jpg (broken link)

Some views of Atlanta from various points:

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Viewfrom3630Peachtree024.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/AroundAtlantaPart2on3-20-10085.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/WhiteChristmasandTechTour089.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/WhiteChristmasandTechTour167.jpg (broken link)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/Winter2010009.jpg (broken link)

Just a few shots around the city:

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/WhiteChristmasandTechTour169.jpg (broken link)





http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/jsimms3/WhiteChristmasandTechTour191.jpg (broken link)

[adavi215]

I would say aside from LA, Miami, DFW, Houston, and ATL all seem pretty close. Although I've heard that Houston feels bigger than ATL.

[Trae713]

It definitely feels bigger than Atlanta and feels larger than Dallas, too. I've been to Atlanta and though it has many skyscrapers, the Inner Loop of Houston has as much as the entire Atlanta area. Downtown + Midtown Atlanta alone doesn't equal Downtown Houston. Then, you add in Uptown, Greenway Plaza, Neartown, the Texas Medical Center and it's not even close. Dallas-Fort Worth does a little better. As far as the freeways go, Houston and Atlanta's freeways are about the same in width, though Houston has more freeways. Atlanta's freeways are definitely wider than DFW's freeways, but DFW makes up for it by having a lot more freeways. Plus, traffic patterns in DFW are different since it's so multi-polar. For Atlanta and Houston, everything revolves around them in their metro areas. Both Houston and Dallas have great secondary road systems (grid patterns), while Atlanta has more country roads that twist and turn (this is why Atlanta's freeways have to be so wide...to make up for the lack of a arterial road system).

[SEAandATL]

I would say LA, since it actually is the largest city in the sunbelt. Its also the American Tokyo, lol.

[suburban_boy]

I would have to say New Orleans (especially before the flood). The housing is pretty dense throughout much of the city's center. It has a pretty big downtown (the not as many sky scrappers as the other cities). The French Quarter is really urbanized, dense, walkable and with distinct architecture. It almost feels like you're in a European city at times and yet in other parts of the city it feel like you're in the Bahamas. Also, its a more walkable city then most of the cities on this list. I've been down there a few times during Mardi Gras and New Years Eve and it really has a "big city" feel then.

Hurricane Katrina nearly sucked the life out of this city's people, culture and nearly ruined its status as a major city. However, as more people move back and new people move in, the city will eventually come back to life. They don't call it the big easy for nothing.









http://api.ning.com/files/FSDYcVvvJQvKXGwrz4aoEOkV9dvpftVs7rl3jrqyrNgLGfhsvY y8jbX61WGQeuuYJMQixJSxNNzOQAM09skpely-9ihmaQHi/NewOrleansSaints.jpg (broken link)

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

I would have to say New Orleans (especially before the flood). The housing is pretty dense throughout much of the city's center. It has a pretty big downtown (the not as many sky scrappers as the other cities). The French Quarter is really urbanized, dense, walkable and with distinct architecture. It almost feels like you're in a European city at times and yet in other parts of the city it feel like you're in the Bahamas. Also, its a more walkable city then most of the cities on this list. I've been down there a few times during Mardi Gras and New Years Eve and it really has a "big city" feel then.

Hurricane Katrina nearly sucked the life out of this city's people, culture and nearly ruined its status as a major city. However, as more people move back and new people move in, the city will eventually come back to life. They don't call it the big easy for nothing.

I wouldn't say New Orleans felt bigger than Houston, Dallas or Miami. If this was about urbanity; I'd agree. However, I still think the other cities offer more of the big city feel.

New Orleans is more laid-back.

[JJG]

L.A.... no question.


- Houston or Miami would be a distant 2nd.

- The fact that you had to combine Dallas AND Fort Worth in this list instantly knocks that out as "MOST big city feel".

- New Orleans only feels like a big city when you're in the French Quarter

- Atlanta actually feels bigger to me than it is, but still, not close.


All the other cities.... NO.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

Not to try to claim Atlanta feels larger than LA, but take LA out of the equation and from the highways Atlanta easily rivals Houston, Miami, and Dallas. And Atlanta's highways are far wider than Miami's, and seemed wider than Dallas's. I can't compare to Houston as I have never been there. Atlanta has 16-18 lanes through town on 75/85, 18-20 lanes on 75 in Cobb County, 16 lanes on 85 in Gwinnett, and I-20 is 10-12 lanes. I think Texas has some of the biggest stack interchanges, though (Atlanta only has a couple...but Atlanta does have two awesome highway tunnels...one through Buckhead on 400 and one on 285 by the airport, 285 is a loop that averages around 10-12 lanes).

Here are a few pictures, taken from two different cameras: one really crappy, and one pretty decent.

Vinings Skyline (probably 20-25 buildings over 20 stories):







Sandy Springs Skyline with a point and shoot (3 buildings over 400 ft and about 15 more that are at least 20 stories):





Buckhead Skyline (one of the largest secondary skylines in the country with several buildings over 500 ft and maybe around 10-15 buildings over 400 ft and around 30 over 300 ft):









Some views looking north toward Buckhead:





Some views of Atlanta from various points:











Just a few shots around the city:

I'm feeling those Atlanta pics. Especially the ones with the mountains in the background, and the last one with those apartments and the snow.

[MikeandIke27]

Houston feels a little bigger than Atlanta, but not by a wide margin..