Indianapolis's population estimates are out! (Bloomington, Columbus: homes, tax, to live)

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

A Californian telling a Chicagoian to learn something about Chicago, Classic!

I take that back, a Californian telling a Chicagoian to learn about Chicago on and Indianapolis forum

[Broadrippleguy]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

I take that back, a Californian telling a Chicagoian to learn about Chicago on and Indianapolis forum

even better lol!

[indy18]

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

How are MSA areas drawn or defined any more precisely than city boundaries?

The list of the largest MSA's gives you a fairly accurate ranking of the largest and most important areas of this country from a business/cultural/size/population/commerce perspective. The list of largest "cities" doesn't. That's why MSA's are better.

The 15 largest MSA's consist of the "Big 3" (NYC, LA, Chicago), the influential east coast areas (Philly, Boston, DC), the large west coast areas (SF, Seattle, Phoenix), the two massive Texas areas (Dallas and Houston), two southern areas that have rapidly grown (Atlanta and Miami), and a place that still has a large impact on manufacturing in this country (Detroit). It does also gives you Riverside, which is the only place on here that really doesn't have it's own identity as most people usually think of it as being part of LA. Overall though, it seems like a pretty legit list to me.

As I mentioned above, the ranking of largest "cities" generates a list that ranks places like Indy, Jacksonville, Columbus and Nashville as being larger than Denver, Boston, Atlanta, and Miami. Any list that generates such a goofy ranking of cities is extremely arbitrary and unreliable when it comes to trying the rank the most important areas in this country. Indy has almost double the "city" population of Atlanta, yet Atlanta's urban core is infinitely larger than that of Indy. That's because Downtown Atlanta is the center of a metro area that is home to millions and millions of more people. People from all over the Atlanta metro area work there every day even though they live in suburbs that aren't technically in Atlanta.

Of course the boundaries between Indy and Carmel/Greenwood matter on a local level as far as schools, government, taxes, etc are concerned. No one would ever argue otherwise. But from a national perspective, the metro area is what counts. If you meet some people on a cruise, are you going to say that you are from Greenwood, Indiana? Or are you going to say the Indy area? The cities in this country that people view as being the largest are those at the center of dynamic metro areas (Atlanta, Miami, Boston) which are home to millions and millions of people and exert a large influence on the rest of the country. The fact that Indy annexes it's entire county might inflate it's "city" size, but no one in their right mind would ever view Indy as being an overall bigger place than Boston. That has been the point all long as to why MSA's are better.

I went to undergrad at IU Bloomington and a TON of people from the Chicago area live there. People from Downers Grove, Naperville, or Evanston would simply tell you they were from "Chicago" when you first meant them. If you asked specifically then they would tell you the suburb, but they say "Chicago" first. Obscure suburbs matter from a local perspective, but when you are meeting someone from a different area of the country you simply tell them you are from the namesake of the major metro area. If you meet someone in LA on a business meeting, are you going to say you are from Stockbridge, Georgia, or Atlanta? Would you say Lynn, Massachusetts or Boston?

Everything is going to be somewhat arbitrary - just look at how our 50 states vary in size and scope. MSA's might not be perfect, but when compared to "city populations" they generate an infinitely more accurate ranking of the largest areas in this country from a business/cultural/size/population/commerce perspective. Indy could annex the entire 9 county region and claim that it's city population is 1.7 million, but it wouldn't do a thing to change the rest of the country's perception of how big Indy really is.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

I take that back, a Californian telling a Chicagoian to learn about Chicago on and Indianapolis forum

You have no idea what I am, but like I've told you a bunch before, you are not, in any way, a Chicagoan.

[Craziaskowboi]

Oh hai, GregHenry!

What, trolling the Pittsburgh board wasn't enough for you?

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

You have no idea what I am, but like I've told you a bunch before, you are not, in any way, a Chicagoan.

Guarantee more of one than you SS represent!

[tollfree]

Indianapolis might surpass Tokyo once the entire US moves to Indianapolis!

[tollfree]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

I've noticed that people with horrible reasoning skills have a tendency to create bizarre pretend theater in their heads. I doubt you've ever been to Bridgeport, and I'm certain you have no idea how anyone down there lives or thinks.

Cry all you want, but Kenosha is the last stop on the North Metra Line.

But it would never say that. When you're in LAX, the Weather Channel merely flashes Indy weather for a brief moment so you'll know the weather in Indy. Either Greenwood or Carmel weather would be sufficient for that report.

They usually grab the airport weather, wherever that airport might be located. They don't care too much about which part of town is the reporting station, because anywhere in the city gets the point across to someone 2,000 miles away. The Weather Channel Cincinnati report, for example, uses a station at Lunken Field, hardly downtown.

Your insistence on specificity comes across as silly to people who "get" cities. Nobody cares about Greenwood as opposed to Indianapolis or Carmel. It's all "Indy."

Kenosha isn't really viewed as part of "Chicago" metro, because it's in Wisconsin. Same with NW Indiana.

Yet, you don't see such frivolous arguments about that on the Chicago forum about "what's considered the metro", and if they do, people don't get mad over it. It's something Narnian cities do, and Indianapolis is the undisputed heavyweight champion of Narnian cities.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

Oh hai, GregHenry!

What, trolling the Pittsburgh board wasn't enough for you?

That's one of your lamer trolls, thus far. It's disturbing how trolling and lying comes so easy to some people.

Jealousy, perhaps?

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

Kenosha isn't really viewed as part of "Chicago" metro, because it's in Wisconsin. Same with NW Indiana.

State lines really don't matter in metro discussions.

Yet, you don't see such frivolous arguments about that on the Chicago forum about "what's considered the metro", and if they do, people don't get mad over ti. It's something Narnian cities do, and Indianapolis is the undisputed heavyweight champion of Narnian cities.

Very true.