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1. New York
2. Chicago
3. DC
4. San Francisco
5. Boston
6. Philadelphia
7. Seattle
8. Pittsburgh
9. Baltimore
10. Atlanta
11. LA
12. Houston
13. Dallas
14. Minneapolis
15. Miami
16. San Diego
17. Cleveland
18. Milwaukee
19. New Orleans
20. Denver
21. Portland
22. Nashville
23. Cincinnati
24. St. Louis
25. Detroit
Whoa...what are you ranking this on??? Feeling safe?
Glad you asked. I'm ranking it on what I find enjoyable. Now let me itemize what I find enjoyable in a downtown.
Top Tier Items:
A riverwalk or canalwalk or baywalk with greenery incorporated
A pedestrian mall
A pedestrian bridge over a river
Architectural interest and monuments
Ability to walk and bike around without feeling like a human sardine or like I'm about to get hit by a car.
Second Tier Items:
A street with a prominent bar/restaurant/music scene
Sufficient greenery (not feeling like I'm just surrounded by concrete and steel and asphalt)
A unique visual aspect not typical of most downtowns (like SA's 2 tier riverwalk or Denver's rolling hill Commons Park on the river and connecting 16th St. bridge and little waterfall/rapids or Nashville's Shelby Street pedestrian bridge descending over the top of buildings into downtown and ending at the Greek-architectured Schemmerhorn building or West Palm Beach's Cityplace)
The only things keeping SF from being somewhere in my top 3 is that its hilly section (Lombard, Hyde area) isn't what I'm considering downtown and its Palace of Fine Art (Marina area) isn't what I'm considering downtown. I'm considering the South of Market/Financial District/Union Square area to be downtown.
Glad you asked. I'm ranking it on what I find enjoyable. Now let me itemize what I find enjoyable in a downtown.
Top Tier Items:
A riverwalk or canalwalk or baywalk with greenery incorporated
A pedestrian mall
A pedestrian bridge over a river
Architectural interest and monuments
Ability to walk and bike around without feeling like a human sardine or like I'm about to get hit by a car.
Second Tier Items:
A street with a prominent bar/restaurant/music scene
Sufficient greenery (not feeling like I'm just surrounded by concrete and steel and asphalt)
A unique visual aspect not typical of most downtowns (like SA's 2 tier riverwalk or Denver's rolling hill Commons Park on the river and connecting 16th St. bridge and little waterfall/rapids or Nashville's Shelby Street pedestrian bridge descending over the top of buildings into downtown and ending at the Greek-architectured Schemmerhorn building or West Palm Beach's Cityplace)
The only things keeping SF from being somewhere in my top 3 is that its hilly section (Lombard, Hyde area) isn't what I'm considering downtown and its Palace of Fine Art (Marina area) isn't what I'm considering downtown. I'm considering the South of Market/Financial District/Union Square area to be downtown.
Anyway, there you have it.
Why do you rate San Antonio's Riverwalk second tier?
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