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Interesting that almost all of these "boring" cities are in Sunbelt territory. Toledo and Lousville are not, but the two Jersey cities are close to New York. So that's like 98% of boring places are Sunbelt places. It must be the heat! I knew there was a reason I loved New York, Chicago and San Francisco!
Their methodology emphasizes two factors (18-34 population and density) that are only tangentially related to how boring a place is, which is how a city like Anaheim can make the list, because while millions of people repeatedly visit and are obviously not bored enough by it to stay away with their tourist dollars, the actual residents of the city skew older and suburban. This is also why so many Sun Belt cities are listed, because guess where all the retirees have gone.
As others have noted, this method did seem to nail the top of the list, though.
That's a strange list, as I don't consider any of those cities to be "large" by any means. If we define "large" as the primary city in a metro area with a population of at least 1 million, then, based on my experience and observations (and I could be wrong), I would say these metro areas are considered to be boring:
Hartford
Rochester
Richmond
Raleigh
Jacksonville
Birmingham
Oklahoma City
Cleveland
Indianapolis
Kansas City
Milwaukee
Phoenix
Riverside
Sacramento
San Jose
So basically, Phoenix and Riverside are the most boring large metropolitan areas.
I agree that Phoenix is one of the most boring metros. The issue with Southwest cities is that land is so cheap, and they developed largely after the car came into existence. Arizona and Texas are very conservative and allergic to urban planning, so they just let developers do whatever they want. That results in sprawl, lack of a community feeling, and no real gathering places with walkable restaurants, bookstores, and cultural attractions.
To boot in Arizona, people come here to escape — you can't shovel snow! <barf> —*and tend to avoid the type of civic participation that would make this area better. The sun, I think also has an impact. Places with good weather are much less likely to be intellectual. San Fran and the entire Northeast are home to the nation's best cultural institutions and universities.
That intellectualism creates culture. In Phoenix, people just go hike, get heat exhaustion and pass out. Or maybe they're hanging out in the pool drinking beer all day. That's not the type of community that results in a vibrant society.
Even in New Jersey, where I grew up, you could drive to the high speed line and be in Philadelphia in 20 minutes. Museums, Rittenhouse Square, lovely cafes, all in walking distance, I could go on.
In Phoenix, if and when they build a light rail near my house, it will take me to Phoenix. But Phoenix itself is so spread out that you still need a car to get around.
I agree that Phoenix is one of the most boring metros. The issue with Southwest cities is that land is so cheap, and they developed largely after the car came into existence. Arizona and Texas are very conservative and allergic to urban planning, so they just let developers do whatever they want. That results in sprawl, lack of a community feeling, and no real gathering places with walkable restaurants, bookstores, and cultural attractions.
To boot in Arizona, people come here to escape — you can't shovel snow! <barf> —*and tend to avoid the type of civic participation that would make this area better. The sun, I think also has an impact. Places with good weather are much less likely to be intellectual. San Fran and the entire Northeast are home to the nation's best cultural institutions and universities.
That intellectualism creates culture. In Phoenix, people just go hike, get heat exhaustion and pass out. Or maybe they're hanging out in the pool drinking beer all day. That's not the type of community that results in a vibrant society.
Even in New Jersey, where I grew up, you could drive to the high speed line and be in Philadelphia in 20 minutes. Museums, Rittenhouse Square, lovely cafes, all in walking distance, I could go on.
In Phoenix, if and when they build a light rail near my house, it will take me to Phoenix. But Phoenix itself is so spread out that you still need a car to get around.
This is 100% accurate of Phoenix. Most people just... drink. Or hide in their houses with A/C which is what I'm currently doing, haha.
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which is what I'm currently doing, haha.
