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Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
10,138 posts, read 16,035,535 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmac9wr
Miami seems to be a bustling town...but it's a resort town. Let's not get confused and think of Miami as a city which operates in the same manner as others around the country. Its skyline is almost purely condos. The office space in Miami's CBD is pretty pathetic.
Miami has a lot of dense areas, but downtown doesn't appear to be one of them. Most of the time seems to be spent near Miami Beach sippin daquiris. Can't say I blame people for doing that though.
Oh no, I agree. Miami isn't really like that. But the title is "busiest downtown" and I thought up Miami because of the residence there.
Where are your stats from? I see the source but it's got it wrong, even though it claims to be 2010. Hmmm, let me get you a source that's a bit more accurate. Well after lunch. The one for The H is wrong. It's 43 million in downtown, and uptown is 23 million.
Location: Boston (for now! Will be back in NY by spring '11)
42 posts, read 129,377 times
Reputation: 62
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmkcin
For Boston, it depends on how one defines downtown. Many Bostonians may not include the land west of the Boston Common as "downtown." This land is of course the Back Bay-which is one of the largest CBD's in the country.
But yet in terms of land area, the historic core of Boston is only about 2 square miles (the land within a half mile radius of City Hall), when the Back Bay is included it becomes about 4 square miles.
That 4 square miles is home to about 100,000 people. Each neighborhood is home to about 25,000 people (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, North End, Financial District/Chinatown).
Certainly Boston is on the same scale as Philly and SF. But Chicago is number 2, with then Boston/Philly/SF. Notwithstanding Boston is one of the largest financial centers in the US (after NYC and Chicago). This is due to the city's insurance and venture capital and hedge fund firms. Many of which are headquartered between the Finacial District and the Back Bay.
I think Boston -- the Back Bay area, Beacon Hill, the North End, and "Downtown" itself -- all *look* very urban, and certainly there is always a decent and consistent amount of foot traffic in these areas.
But compared to Philly and San Francisco? I've never seen the sheer number of people walking around in Boston at any given place or time as I have in Center City Philadelphia and downtown San Francisco.
When you think about it, this makes sense -- Boston consists mostly of mid-rise 4 to 5 story buildings. As such, business, retail stores and restaurants are naturally more spread out. This means it's less congested than the likes of Philly and SF, and, by extension, I think has to be less busy.
I think Boston -- the Back Bay area, Beacon Hill, the North End, and "Downtown" itself -- all *look* very urban, and certainly there is always a decent and consistent amount of foot traffic in these areas.
But compared to Philly and San Francisco? I've never seen the sheer number of people walking around in Boston at any given place or time as I have in Center City Philadelphia and downtown San Francisco.
When you think about it, this makes sense -- Boston consists mostly of mid-rise 4 to 5 story buildings. As such, business, retail stores and restaurants are naturally more spread out. This means it's less congested than the likes of Philly and SF, and, by extension, I think has to be less busy.
I can't really speak for SF, but Bos has always seemed like a streched out version of Philly.
Philly at its busiest feels more crowed than Boston. But, that is only a very small area of CC Philly. Boston is build up and active over a wider area, where as CC Philly quickly gives way to quiet 3-story rowhouse neighborhoods.
I think if you were to look at maybe a 4 mile slice of Bos vs a comprable area of Philly they would have roughly the same amount of activity. Just Philly's activity would be concentrated in a couple small areas, while Boston would be more evenly distributed.
He has described Downtown Atlanta as a suburban office park in the past.......
You DID just base your opinion on DT DC on whether or not it has a department store downtown which is kind of weird considering that has absolutely nothing to do with how busy a downtown is.
BTW... It does. There's shopping around the Metro Center area. That's about it, but that's fine with me. Department stores aren't too popular in big cities anyway.
I think Boston -- the Back Bay area, Beacon Hill, the North End, and "Downtown" itself -- all *look* very urban, and certainly there is always a decent and consistent amount of foot traffic in these areas.
But compared to Philly and San Francisco? I've never seen the sheer number of people walking around in Boston at any given place or time as I have in Center City Philadelphia and downtown San Francisco.
When you think about it, this makes sense -- Boston consists mostly of mid-rise 4 to 5 story buildings. As such, business, retail stores and restaurants are naturally more spread out. This means it's less congested than the likes of Philly and SF, and, by extension, I think has to be less busy.
Huh?
Well I've never personally set foot in Philly (and not that I really want to). So I can't say that I can agree with you.
Those areas in Boston have bascially the same population density as Center City, Philly and SF. I've been to Boston on plenty of occasions and it has been tremendously crowded. Don't forget, a large portion (50 acres) is a park-Boston Common. Then there is Government Square/City Hall-a scar on the face of the city. But these two places break up the urban fabric of "downtown" Boston.
In about 8,000 feet you can go from the North End to Haymarket to Government Center to Beacon Hill to the Common to Boylston to Copley. That's 7 neighborhoods in a very short distance. I think it needs to be pointed out-the shear diversity of "downtown" Boston.
Notwithstanding-Fanueil Hall is the 4th most visited place in the US, some 20,000,000 people visit it every year-that is the heart of "downtown."
Boston is an odd city. You only need to throw a stone across the Charles to Cambridge. Which has it's own skyline and is home to 110,000 people plus another 40,000 college students in about 5 square miles. There is a reason why Boston and Cambridge are always lumped together.
And like Twa pointed out-Boston's downtown (and Back Bay) have 65,000,000 square feet of office, and in the z/yen study, Boston is global financial center.
Huh?
Well I've never personally set foot in Philly (and not that I really want to). So I can't say that I can agree with you.
Those areas in Boston have bascially the same population density as Center City, Philly and SF. I've been to Boston on plenty of occasions and it has been tremendously crowded. Don't forget, a large portion (50 acres) is a park-Boston Common. Then there is Government Square/City Hall-a scar on the face of the city. But these two places break up the urban fabric of "downtown" Boston.
In about 8,000 feet you can go from the North End to Haymarket to Government Center to Beacon Hill to the Common to Boylston to Copley. That's 7 neighborhoods in a very short distance. I think it needs to be pointed out-the shear diversity of "downtown" Boston.
And BTW - tnpot theNotwithstanding-Fanueil Hall is the 4th most visited place in the US, some 20,000,000 people visit it every year-that is the heart of "downtown."
Boston is an odd city. You only need to throw a stone across the Charles to Cambridge. Which has it's own skyline and is home to 110,000 people plus another 40,000 college students in about 5 square miles. There is a reason why Boston and Cambridge are always lumped together.
And like Twa pointed out-Boston's downtown (and Back Bay) have 65,000,000 square feet of office, and in the z/yen study, Boston is global financial center.
Basically if you like Boston you would also like Philly - Philly in some ways is a bigger Boston - though sometimes it has some aspects closer to NYC but on the whole to me closer to Boston
the student population in Philly is as large it not a little larger too
You really should make the trip - I think most people are very surprised by Philly
I know Boston well - north end is one of my favorite neighborhoods but there are neighborhoods that are right on top of Phillys downtown - like Rittenhouse (where I call home) to me also one of the best city neighborhoods in the country.
and your bolded above - you are missing out - but to that end stay in your little myopic Boston world - I like your city (a lot) but on the whole - Philly kicks Boston a$$ - reminds me of the Bruins and Flyers really
Basically if you like Boston you would also like Philly - Philly in some ways is a bigger Boston - though sometimes it has some aspects closer to NYC but on the whole to me closer to Boston
the student population in Philly is as large it not a little larger too
You really should make the trip - I think most people are very surprised by Philly
I know Boston well - north end is one of my favorite neighborhoods but there are neighborhoods that are right on top of Phillys downtown - like Rittenhouse (where I call home) to me also one of the best city neighborhoods in the country.
and your bolded above - you are missing out - but to that end stay in your little myopic Boston world - I like your city (a lot) but on the whole - Philly kicks Boston a$$ - reminds me of the Bruins and Flyers really
the egg's on your face, I'm not from Boston, nor do I consider myself a Bostonian. And I hate hockey, haha, nice try, lol. Just because it says MA, doesn't mean Boston.
I really didn't want to start a whole Philly/Boston debate. Two great cities dominated by New York, of all places.
All I know is, I've met and went to school with people from Philly, who will go on record saying Philly is one of the worst, and they moved to the Boston area, and find it quite better, in terms of city life and QoL. But that's second hand info.
But a word of advice, and you can ask the three people in my graduating class who hail from Philly, do not ever, ever say Philly is better than Boston-it's like writing a check you can't cash.
chicago easily, the number coming into cbd each day is actually 650K. there are 200k employees just within a 1x1 mile block radius.
cdot runs pedestrian counts...
highest 15 minute pedestrian counts
the most intense short term pedestrian traffic, as well as the highest 10 hour totals exists on two bridges across the south branch of the chicago river, one near union station and the other near ogilvie transportation center. The sites peak 2200 pedestrians and 1800 pedestrians in 15 minutes respectively, the loop there are another half dozen sites exceeding 1000 pedestrians per 15 minutes.
you can get all this data, they give it out to businesses to plan location and for urban planning.
anyway, 3rd would be sf/dcetc.
kidphilly already had the best post:
NYC
decent margin to
Chicago
decent margin to
San Fran (slightly ahead of these below)
Philly/DC/Boston
Downtown Houston looks pretty dead during the week days but that has a lot to do with everyone using the tunnel system. No one wants to walk outside in a suit with our heat and humidity.
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