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21. Memphis-St. louis
22. Charlotte
23. Sacramento tie (23)Ft. Worth
24. Salt Lake City-Kansas City
25. Houston & Dallas
Just curious, how many of these cities have constant, everyday, street activity? Enough people, that let's say riding a bike pretty fast on the side walk on most days in most areas of downtown would be difficult without crashing into someone or something.
Chicago was home to the first skyscraper and it was the first city to innovate "riverfront development". It was also the first city that showed a clear skyline and was the first to have more than two downtown districts (The Loop, North Side, and Sout End).
New York is bigger, but came to alo of this about a decade later. At first, New Yorkers on Manhattan stayed away from the Jersey River shoreline and didn't develope multi level construction near it until the 1890's. New York didn't get it's first skyscraper until the 1900s but Chicago had it's in 1889.
Washington DC's downtown would bore me to tears if I lived there. Sure there are the monuments, etc., which I guess are good to go look at once, especially if you are a tourist, but that whole area with the Washington Monument, Mall, Lincoln statue, etc. provides no real urban energy. Outside of that, the built environment is urban in that there are dense street walls and very few parking lots. It's sort of like Paris, but in Paris the buildings are lined with stores, restaurants, bars, etc. on the ground floor. Many of the big (footprint-wise) buildings in DC have little or no retail at all. Downtown DC has no world-class shopping streets or neighbourhoods. It has no real dance club district. It has no bohemian flare. It's a great big bore of 10 story buildings with huge footprints, and the "postcard" buildings/structures/monuments/museums that are nice to visit once in a blue moon, like maybe when showing out-of-towners around.
Washington DC's downtown would bore me to tears if I lived there. Sure there are the monuments, etc., which I guess are good to go look at once, especially if you are a tourist, but that whole area with the Washington Monument, Mall, Lincoln statue, etc. provides no real urban energy. Outside of that, the built environment is urban in that there are dense street walls and very few parking lots. It's sort of like Paris, but in Paris the buildings are lined with stores, restaurants, bars, etc. on the ground floor. Many of the big (footprint-wise) buildings in DC have little or no retail at all. Downtown DC has no world-class shopping streets or neighbourhoods. It has no real dance club district. It has no bohemian flare. It's a great big bore of 10 story buildings with huge footprints, and the "postcard" buildings/structures/monuments/museums that are nice to visit once in a blue moon, like maybe when showing out-of-towners around.
Most of downtown IS NOT government buildings. What do you mean downtown DC has no neighborhoods? If your saying all of DC has no interesting neighborhoods, then your crazy. It's about as urban as you can get. DC has plenty of shopping areas, but it's not downtown. Georgetown and Friendship Heights are two of the bigger neighborhoods with shopping. There are still plenty of storefronts, restaurants, and bars downtown. Especially in Penn Quarter and Chinatown. Foggy Bottom is very nice as well. Then on top of that you have all of the museums and monuments. I'm not sure what other downtowns have that DC doesn't.
Wow those pictures of San Antonio look SOOO much like Milwaukee it's not even funny.
It's a crime not to list Milwaukee in a "Top 25 Downtowns" list BTW. It's very urban, walkable, and is right on the shore with a great river running through it complete with a fantastic riverwalk, market, etc. It's like a mini Chicago. I'm from North Carolina BTW and although Charlotte is nice, putting it on a top 25 list for downtowns and missing places like Milwaukee is a true crime.
Someone tell Jimmy that Penn Quarter & Chinatown are vibrant sections of downtown. If you cant find retail or restaurants there, then you have issues. DT DC has so many spots. 14th & K is always crowded with club goers. 18th Street from N to L Streets have great restaurants and clubs. 18th & Connecticut (south of Dupont Circle) is also a party spot. 17th, 18th & I has some good bars. F Street from 7th to 14th has great restaurants and clubs. Jimmy, the big footprint buildings are all Federal. Because of security reasons, Federal buidlings cannot have retail. Can you imagine stores at the State Department? You need to stay off the mall!
Washington DC's downtown would bore me to tears if I lived there. Sure there are the monuments, etc., which I guess are good to go look at once, especially if you are a tourist, but that whole area with the Washington Monument, Mall, Lincoln statue, etc. provides no real urban energy. Outside of that, the built environment is urban in that there are dense street walls and very few parking lots. It's sort of like Paris, but in Paris the buildings are lined with stores, restaurants, bars, etc. on the ground floor. Many of the big (footprint-wise) buildings in DC have little or no retail at all. Downtown DC has no world-class shopping streets or neighbourhoods. It has no real dance club district. It has no bohemian flare. It's a great big bore of 10 story buildings with huge footprints, and the "postcard" buildings/structures/monuments/museums that are nice to visit once in a blue moon, like maybe when showing out-of-towners around.
Whoa.. Washington DC has some of the most amazing neighborhoods in the USA. Although, I don't really like to categorize DC by it's downtown.. since there are many other small neighborhoods that bring the entire region together. I really HOPE you are basing your opinions on ignorance and not personal experience - because I'd then consider you CRAZY!
Someone tell Jimmy that Penn Quarter & Chinatown are vibrant sections of downtown. If you cant find retail or restaurants there, then you have issues. DT DC has so many spots. 14th & K is always crowded with club goers. 18th Street from N to L Streets have great restaurants and clubs. 18th & Connecticut (south of Dupont Circle) is also a party spot. 17th, 18th & I has some good bars. F Street from 7th to 14th has great restaurants and clubs. Jimmy, the big footprint buildings are all Federal. Because of security reasons, Federal buidlings cannot have retail. Can you imagine stores at the State Department? You need to stay off the mall!
Look two posts above yours. I already told him for you the Penn Quarter and Chinatown are vibrant.
New York is #1 from my experience, Philadelphia and DC are kinda close. DC has a larger downtown area full of midrise buildings, where Center City Philadelphia is smaller in area but very compact as well. I'd put Philly ahead of DC because of hometown bias and along with bustling street activities, we have a skyline on top of that.
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