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I for one don't agree with the quote that the OP Cited. Angelenos AND New Yorkers have no right to bash, talk down to or disrespect those from Chicago or Chicago itself. It's a great city. But I find it amusing how people on this thread are so quick to condem the actions of somebody talking bad about Chicago only to turn right around talk bad about LA (just like every other thread on this site).
Let's make a deal: instead of city-data.com, lets name this place InsultBashandStereotypeLosAngeles.com. Who's on board?
The one thing that i feel is that LA is very underrated in urbanism. You can't tell me you can walk down wilshire or western or various parts of hollywood, pico union, chinatown and you dont get the big city feel.
Have you ever been to New York, Paris or London? Walked around Pigalle or Chatelet? Ever stood outside of Penn Station during rush hour? Ever ride the DC Metro on a workday? Ever walk around the Loop?
Is LA better than Dallas? Certainly. But that's a very low standard to begin with. A funeral home has more life than Dallas' streets. When most people are talking about urbanity in this forum, I think they are looking at cities like London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and then working their way down in terms of intensity. For all intents and purposes, these are the cities most people are using to define "urbanity" whether you like it or not.
New York, London, and Paris are obviously at the top tier. You can just put some goodies in a backpack, put your iPod headphones in, and explore the majority of the city by foot. There's a ridiculous amount of pedestrans everywhere, which provides a very stimulating experience. The intensity of these cities can sometimes reach the point where it's overwhelming (even for the people who live there).
Cities like Chicago, DC, SF, Boston and Philly are waaaaay down the list from the aforementioned cities. Nevertheless, you get a decent taste of the lifestyle offered in those cities. They have an active pedestrian life over a large contiguous area, packed subways (most of them anyway), and bustling downtowns.
Los Angeles is even farther away from the NYC/London/Hong Kong/Paris "gold" standard. Having a few streets with pedestrian life is not the same as having a large, three dimensional geographic area where the majority of people are going somewhere by foot, train or cab. This is what most people call "city" living. Things like walking and riding trains become so unremarkable that no one ever thinks to speak about it. It's as common and second nature as blinking. Good luck finding the "Who Said Nobody Walks in Paris?" thread on City-Data.
When you have multiple threads in a forum titled, "I used public transit today!" then you have a good idea of whether the city has a true urban culture or not.
The hatred for California is out of pure envy. Really California leaves very few things to dislike about it. I can understand not liking a place because the people rubbed you the wrong way, that's fine but the ridiculousness on this forum is even more pathetic. You have people back east that refuse to acknowledge the transit system in the bay even though its one of the most extensive in the country, because it has a few less people riding it, they pretend like we don't even have transit at all. The hatred for LA, and this odd NYC booster squads OBSESSION with LA is out of control, you will be cornered to find Angelenos entering threads about NYC with strong opinions. Oddly after visiting NYC, this carries on even in real life, New Yorkers are just fascinated with the place, its an enigma to them and I can tell most of them see it as a potential place they would live.
Your city Houston is another subject of obsession on this forum, seems like a few folk from the east being most obsessed with it. Your other city Chicago on the other hand is given the free pass over LA in all beings, its ridiculous. At this point LA has far outgrown Chicago in every way save downtown, and that's it. Chicagoans hate being put down below their 3rd place rank to DC and the bay but in turn do the exact same things to LA. What goes around comes around. Chicago is 3rd, that's it. Not 2nd, not 1st, not 4th, not 5th. 3rd. Accept your place and move on, people like BigLake insist on overlooking LA as a wasteland that offers nothing important, influential, powerful, when we both know its surpassed Chicago at nearly everything save that Finance. If you want to talk about Chicago's 2nd qualities, finance, transit, downtown, and maybe the core urban areas but that's it. Beyond that it's 3rd.
Point proven. This is one of the most ridiculous posts I've seen. But then again, this poster is notorious for trying to belittle people.
All of what you said is in your opinion. You don't seem to get that. Your opinion of something isn't more right than anyone elses.
All of what you said is in your opinion. You don't seem to get that. Your opinion of something isn't more right than anyone elses.
Which part was the opinion? Mind telling me that?
Quote:
Point proven. This is one of the most ridiculous posts I've seen. But then again, this poster is notorious for trying to belittle people.
I don't belittle people, what are you talking about. I'm the one that has to deal with easterners obsessively reading into my bio and stalking me and making things personal with me all the time. Which I don't care for, its a forum, read sh-t and move on, Jesus who are you folks that vest your life into this sort of thing? Have a hobby? Career? Family to provide for? Lifestyle?
I just talk about cities and states. Sure, I may have at times belittled some places, which I don't regret doing at all and I meant every single word of it, just so you know. I would do it many times if I have to prove the point that the overhyped places on this forum are no oasis. I also don't believe in this "flyover country" thing, I think that's stupid, great cities can exist anywhere. However lets not exaggerate what I truly do.
Have you ever been to New York, Paris or London? Walked around Pigalle or Chatelet? Ever stood outside of Penn Station during rush hour? Ever ride the DC Metro on a workday? Ever walk around the Loop?
Is LA better than Dallas? Certainly. But that's a very low standard to begin with. A funeral home has more life than Dallas' streets. When most people are talking about urbanity in this forum, I think they are looking at cities like London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and then working their way down in terms of intensity. For all intents and purposes, these are the cities most people are using to define "urbanity" whether you like it or not.
New York, London, and Paris are obviously at the top tier. You can just put some goodies in a backpack, put your iPod headphones in, and explore the majority of the city by foot. There's a ridiculous amount of pedestrans everywhere, which provides a very stimulating experience. The intensity of these cities can sometimes reach the point where it's overwhelming (even for the people who live there).
Cities like Chicago, DC, SF, Boston and Philly are waaaaay down the list from the aforementioned cities. Nevertheless, you get a decent taste of the lifestyle offered in those cities. They have an active pedestrian life over a large contiguous area, packed subways (most of them anyway), and bustling downtowns.
Los Angeles is even farther away from the NYC/London/Hong Kong/Paris "gold" standard. Having a few streets with pedestrian life is not the same as having a large, three dimensional geographic area where the majority of people are going somewhere by foot, train or cab. This is what most people call "city" living. Things like walking and riding trains become so unremarkable that no one ever thinks to speak about it. It's as common and second nature as blinking. Good luck finding the "Who Said Nobody Walks in Paris?" thread on City-Data.
When you have multiple threads in a forum titled, "I used public transit today!" then you have a good idea of whether the city has a true urban culture or not.
I know what you mean. One of my dreams is to live in NYC. I've seen it. But I was around 12. My dad was stationed in Connecticut and we drove cross country. We drove on a highway. IDK if we went on a bridge, if we did, IDk which one. But I do remember seeing NYC from far away. IDk what part it was. I look back and realize how amzing it is knowing that i saw it. It's one of those memories that you have that come back and make you go "Oh s*, I was there!". Like finding an amazing toy in the attic as a kid.
If anything, if you go to the LA forum, I usually criticize L.A. I love the city but I do know it has it's flaws. I wonder how it will change. It has to. LA can only build out so far. They have to get rid of suburbia. I think that was an old mentality that is changing. Suburbia is a joke now. I people see nice front and side yards, I see wasted space. Leave suburbs in the outskirts.
Have you ever been to New York, Paris or London? Walked around Pigalle or Chatelet? Ever stood outside of Penn Station during rush hour? Ever ride the DC Metro on a workday? Ever walk around the Loop?
Is LA better than Dallas? Certainly. But that's a very low standard to begin with. A funeral home has more life than Dallas' streets. When most people are talking about urbanity in this forum, I think they are looking at cities like London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and then working their way down in terms of intensity. For all intents and purposes, these are the cities most people are using to define "urbanity" whether you like it or not.
New York, London, and Paris are obviously at the top tier. You can just put some goodies in a backpack, put your iPod headphones in, and explore the majority of the city by foot. There's a ridiculous amount of pedestrans everywhere, which provides a very stimulating experience. The intensity of these cities can sometimes reach the point where it's overwhelming (even for the people who live there).
Cities like Chicago, DC, SF, Boston and Philly are waaaaay down the list from the aforementioned cities. Nevertheless, you get a decent taste of the lifestyle offered in those cities. They have an active pedestrian life over a large contiguous area, packed subways (most of them anyway), and bustling downtowns.
Los Angeles is even farther away from the NYC/London/Hong Kong/Paris "gold" standard. Having a few streets with pedestrian life is not the same as having a large, three dimensional geographic area where the majority of people are going somewhere by foot, train or cab. This is what most people call "city" living. Things like walking and riding trains become so unremarkable that no one ever thinks to speak about it. It's as common and second nature as blinking. Good luck finding the "Who Said Nobody Walks in Paris?" thread on City-Data.
When you have multiple threads in a forum titled, "I used public transit today!" then you have a good idea of whether the city has a true urban culture or not.
Blah blah blah. Urbanity can take on many forms and Los Angeles happens to have the most unique urban form in the country, possibly the world. It's not the city's fault you can't think outside the box. Once you reach a certain density point, and L.A. has densities that are really surpassed by only one city in this country (there goes the Dallas comparisons), IT CAN LOOK ANY DAMN WAY IT WANTS. The hubris it must take to position Washington DC, a city with half of the density of L.A. over a 5-10 mile radius, as the more "urban, big city" is incalculable.
LA's built environment is like Northern Virginia's, endless sprawl of high rises, apartment complexes, strip malls, single family homes, etc....
Someone open a window! The smell of horsesh.t is unbearable.
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