KimberlySayWhat Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 I thought this might be fun. Since people here are always comparing cities in one way or another, I'm going to list several cities and you put the first image that comes to mind: Here's mine: Chicago - the color orange, "Good Times" (the TV show), White Sox (only since they beat the Astros. Seriously, since before the World Series '05, I would have told you the White Sox were in Boston) Atlanta - Rap Stars and the color purple Dallas - the color brown, Houston VS Dallas feuds, Texas, my cousin who lives there, residents (not all by any means) who want everyone to believe they're all J.R. and Sue Ellen up there, but in reality the majority are Ray Krebbs ) Miami - People in skimpy clothing dancing, latino women with a lot of makeup New York - Snobs who want to be like "Sex and the City" L.A. (and southern C.A.) - Blonde, fun, blue Orlando - pasty happy people wearing t-shirts New Orleans - It's Katrina news footage now Seattle - Rain, cold and coffee (I hate all three) Austin - the color brown, hills, guys with brown t-shirts and wavy hair, music, drinking, Libs San Antonio - Riverwalk, the Spurs, my aunt's house and fun I had there (she no longer lives there) San Fran. - loud, people walking around, libs San Deigo - Perfection. Makes me feel good to think about it Palm Springs - comfortable, July 4th and fireworks (because I was there one 4th), Bob Hope, desert, nothing but love for Palm Springs Jacksonville, FL - the color yellow, Rednecks and I don't know why. Detroit - freezing white ice blasted cold, Eminem, automobiles and the smell of exhaust because of it, steam visible coming from buildings on account of the cold Las Vegas - Las Vegas Houston - the color orange. Since I live here and have forever, it's a combination of everything I've experienced or known. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmm Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Good topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 LOVE this topic. OOOOOH, don't get me started, yo! This is just da first thing that comes to mind... ArlingtonSmall town with two sports teams and Six Flags over Texas Atlanta MLK, hosted the Olympics, CNN, Ted Turner, Jeff Foxworthy, big hip-hop names Austin University of Texas, 6th Street, Austin City Limits Baltimore Baltimore House music Boston Red Sox, Too many Fox t.v. shows (Boston Public, Boston Legal, Ally McBeal) ChicagoSears Tower, Millenium Park, Oprah, Jerry Springer Colorado Springs Kobe Bryant. Cinninati riots Cleveland Rock & Roll hall of Fame Dallas has only two sports teams (Stars and Mavericks), former tv show Dallas, Cotton Bowl Des Moines Mad Playboy subscribers. That's all I can think of. Detroit Poor city that hosted a Super Bowl, Motown, Eminem, White Stripes, Kid Rock, Madonna El Paso Badass salsa Green Bay Packers. Um, Packers... Houston Badass shopping, underrated ladies, clubbing scene held back by the politically correct. Jersey City Sopranos. Or somewhere around there. Las Vegas Great hotels and lighting Los Angeles TV land, overexposed, scene run by wanting to see celebs Miami GREAT club scene, great skyline with great lighting at night, beautiul ladies, perfect clothes New Orleans Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, Super Bowls, screwed by FEMA New York City Times Square, down-to-earth celebs, WTC, countless Morning TV shows, tv networks Newark never even seen a picture. Heard they have an airport. Maybe even Prudential. Oakland Run. Keep running. Don't stop yet. Can't even watch a football game without a riot afterwards... Orlando Theme parks. Anything else to do? Philadelphia Independence Hall, cheese steaks, Rocky screaming "Adrian!"... Pittsburgh didn't know the city had a beautiful skyline 'til the Steelers and Pirates built stadiums with great views. San Antonio Riverwalk, two theme parks, and the Alamo San Fransisco Golden Gate Bridge, Full House, Monk, but skyline seen more in movies then on tv Seattle Space Needle, Microsoft, Starbucks, Nirvana, Sound Garden, and like, 50 other bands Washington D.C. U.S. Capital, more poverty there than I expected to see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Of Texas cities only:Houston: oil & gas, downtown skyline, Port of Houston, the gulf freeway, GalvestonDallas: lawyers, investment bankers, and accountants (a.k.a. lions, tigers, and bears)Ft. Worth: Abandoned grain silos, buildings rendered useless by tornadoes, Marvin's ElectronicsAustin: south Austin, Congress Ave., and the view of the capitol building from S. Lamar Blvd.San Antonio: tourist traps of every sort, military bases, and a Taco Cabana on a street that i cannot remember the name ofCorpus Christi: naval bases, an odd sense that their bay was less green than our bay, and the lack of any traffic whatsoeverBeaumont: Sardi's and I-10Waco: an odd sense that it shouldn't exist as it doesTemple: amazing economic development programPalestine: pine trees, red dirt, railroadsJasper: surprise that such an otherwise pleseant town could have managed to create such a horrible reputation for itselfKountze: inexpensive mom & pop buffetVictoria: who was the genius to order the construction of what had to be a prohibitively expensive barge canal?Rockport/Fulton: this will one day be big-time real estateAransas Pass: mid-century-blue-collar-vacations, the Tarpon Inn, tiny cinder-block single-room motel unitsKingsville: also shouldn't exist as it doesMcAllen: complete lack of freeways within the city, sitting through four cycles of stop lights on Nolana at a single intersection in normal traffic, the anxious need for a desperate escape, and congestion in a mall parking lot after a family of Mexican nationals parked their car in front of an entrance, turned on the blinkers, and went inside for over three hours (by the time I left, their car was still there). At the risk of making careless religious references, I'd have to say that even though satan may not live there, he bought himself a condo.South Padre Island: causeways hit by barges, wealthy Mexican nationals, and helping a cop get unstuck from the sand in implicit exchange for overlooking the fact that all of my friends were high off their asses...it worked.Brownsville: Never been there; "Smoking in the Boys' Room" by Brownsville Station.Laredo: drugs, border patrol, vomitDel Rio: McAllen's local culture without the other stuff, planned parenthood and other pregnancy-related NGOsSabinal: Pay phoneRock Springs: the next KerrvilleKerrville: paradise lostFredericksburg: paradise lostSan Marcos: the most annoying kind of college studentsGeorgetown: slightly less annoying college studentsNew Braunfels: Gruene, the memory that it was somehow becoming more like Old Town Spring in that it's just going to get swallowed by San Antonio and become another tourist trapThree Rivers: Valero refineryCopperas Cove: the thought "I didn't know the Hill Country came this far north!"Belton: "Damn their multiple business parks!"Bastrop: SH 71 bridge over Colorado River, quaint and active downtown, Home Depot, the road between Bastrop and Buscher State ParksLa Grange: paradise lost, ZZ Top, and a diner off the old highway and near the Colorado RiverColumbus: the many bridges over the Colorado River, live oaksNavasota: Ruthie's BBQTaylor: Mueller's BBQ and abandoned buildings fronting an overpassLongview: The best cajun I've ever had (and I'd just spent several days eating nothing but seafood in several Louisiana cities).Jefferson: alligator on a stickDumas: communicable skin disease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 I'm going to edit mine and add a few more cities, since you all did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 I thought we were supposed to go off of the original list. I'll try...Chicago - Cold, beautiful, flat, architectural triumph over site, baseball.Atlanta - Stopover on your way to somewhere more interestingDallas - Vibrant, self-promotional, too caught up in its own hype to realize it isn't as big as it thinks it is, which actually makes it feel just that big. Chain restaurants.Miami - Storms, drugs, Cubans, decadenceNew York - High culture, urban renewal, energy -- at once the most vital and yet most oppressive city in the world. NY is its own animal. It embodies everything there is about urban life.L.A. (and southern C.A.) - late night traffic jams, lack of focus, In-n-Out Burger, A look into the future for about 5-6 other cities, who know who they are.Orlando - a city as theme park. Unappealing in every wayNew Orleans - Poverty, corruption, a city that thinks of itself fondly as a whore. Unsafe at any speed, but was a must-see before the storm. Food as life.Seattle - Sparkling liberalism. Natural beauty. One of the few places in America that is truly somewhere else.Austin - Faux liberals and beautifully kept burgeoning urban areas. Ultimately Austin is a small town that fails to impress a well-traveled urbanite who enjoys a true big city, but wows and mesmerizes college-aged people and those who never cross state lines.San Antonio - Underrated tourism(really), smaller than it really is, poorer than it would like you to know. Willing to bet that theme parks and pro sports are its future. They're wrong.San Fran. - Wildly expensive, fiercely beautiful. Too many homeless, beautiful architecture. One of the few cities in the country with enough juice to trump the LA lifestyle trend and come out far more appealing than that mess. SF is like Mecca West for urban enthusiasts over the age of 27.San Deigo - Beautiful weather and scenery -- the better LA. Too sleepy at night, though -- laid-back to the point of making me drowsy.Palm Springs - Desert resort town. A place where people who already live in luxury go to be pampered.Jacksonville, FL - Drab, boring place that fails to capitalize on its Florida lifestyle. A Midwestern city on the Atlantic coast.Detroit - Crime, poverty, urban decay, failed comebacks. Cars that don't work.This is the poster child of the rust belt. Las Vegas - Larger than life entertainment, casinos, indulgence. Playground for wealthy and everyman alike.Houston - The perrenial underachiever, both hampered by and bolstered by its lack of planning and order. Unlike other Sun Belt cities, this is one that is very comfortable in its own skin and shuns the notion of being more LA-like or NY-like, despite rising popular opinion that it should be. Ultimately, the city is satisfying as a place to live and work, but not to visit. It can't make up its mind how it feels about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethanra Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Chicago - Annoying Cubs fans, always chasing NY, CaponeAtlanta - Huge airport, GhettoDallas - Great city at marketting herself, The biggest little town in the country, Money, Always hosting an event somewhere in the metroplex New York - Capital of the world, Exciting, Words can't even justify the feel of the best city in the worldMiami - Beautiful people and beach front area, Huge gap between the few rich and many poorN.O. - Poor, people who don't work, welfare, French Quarters, bull dozerSeattle - Natural Beauty, high unemployment rate, suicide, starbucks, hippiesSan Francisco - The most beautiful city in the country, gay, hippies, homelessHouston - Anyone can make money, Big and ugly freeway system, unique and cozy neighborhoods, Always something to do, Great art and music scene, Inside loop - real city, outside loop - sprawl and ugly Austin - fake, trying to hard to be cool, thinks she is S.F., over rated by to many know-it-all college kids, beautiful lake, great queso S.A. - Tourist trap, Brags about any development, clean D.T.San Diego - Beautiful weather, nice D.T. but reminds me of the fake D.T. like in the Woodlands or SugarlandVegas - Adult Disney World, very exspensive play ground, fun fun funThese are the cities I've visted for fun or family, and are truly what I thought of first when the city is mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 S.A. - Tourist trap, Brags about any development, clean D.T.To clarify, what is the definition of a tourist trap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 chicago - skyline, oprah, trains, ferris bueller, about last night, machine tool & technology convention, mies van der rohe, frank lloyd wright, wax trax, jesus people usa, atlanta - hot, sucky olympics, b-52s, remdallas - overrated in every way, i pass it on the way to fort worth, miami - south beach, art deco, pretty people, shallow peoplenew york city - claustrophobic, expensive, dirty, skyline, david letterman, romantic (at least in the movies), vibrant, broadway shows, fashion, 9/11, LA - la la land, nice weather, fake people, movies, traffic, mary ray, disney concert hall, riots, fires, landslidesorlando - close to disney worldnew orleans - disaster, creole, ann rice, crawfish, cajun, mardi gras, grand historic architecture, subculture, corruptionseattle - wet, great skyline, street culture, crusty angry youth, starbucks, stacy d., austin - great topography, overeducated underworked populace, sixth street, crowded, liberal to a fault, crusty angry youth,san antonio - tourists, immigrants, alamo, riverwalk, smelly downtownsan francisco - golden gate bridge, beautiful topography, street culture, the 60's, armisted maupin, street cars, gay friendly, pet friendly to a fault, earthquakessan diego - the navy, touristspalm springs - resorts, spasjacksonville - laurie a. used to live there. university of florida, gators, gatorade,detroit - rust belt, industrial music, rap, las vegas - laurie a.'s mom, casino culture, prostitution, lots of money with no tastehouston - home, the new american city, flying under the radar, diverse, unique culture all it's own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 New York City romantic (at least in the movies), There are few things I hate more than a romantic comedy set in NYC. There's way too many of them and it's such cliche of setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethanra Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 To clarify, what is the definition of a tourist trap?The River Walk is scenic, outside of that its exspensive bad food, gift shops selling crap, the shopping is similar to any other mall. The Alamo has alot of history (I love this place, I have very close personal history to it, I will tell the story if anyone wants to know) has to many ties with all the cheesy shops. S.A. gets tourist here with great tourism marketting but it is a trap to buy over price food and crap on a walkable creek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 The River Walk is scenic, outside of that its exspensive bad food, gift shops selling crap, the shopping is similar to any other mall. The Alamo has alot of history (I love this place, I have very close personal history to it, I will tell the story if anyone wants to know) has to many ties with all the cheesy shops. S.A. gets tourist here with great tourism marketting but it is a trap to buy over price food and crap on a walkable creek.How about the missions and the Mexican market downtown? Like you mention, The Alamo is worth the trip, by itself, for any Texan. The weather is nice in the evenings and there are tons of patio bars with live music and margaritas. The Riverwalk may be a bit overrated, but not much. It is great and worth the premiums you pay to eat and drink, listen, dance and shop your way along it.I like SA a lot. I wish they were smarter about how they should grow and to which tourists they should cater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 The River Walk is scenic, outside of that its exspensive bad food, gift shops selling crap, the shopping is similar to any other mall. The Alamo has alot of history (I love this place, I have very close personal history to it, I will tell the story if anyone wants to know) has to many ties with all the cheesy shops. S.A. gets tourist here with great tourism marketting but it is a trap to buy over price food and crap on a walkable creek. Curious to what your tie to the Alamo is. Honorable mention: San Diego The California city I most want to visit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 chicago - skyline, oprah, trains, ferris bueller, about last night, machine tool & technology convention, mies van der rohe, frank lloyd wright, wax trax, jesus people usa,What's jesus people usa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 What's jesus people usa?jpusa is a group of post 60's jesus freaks in chicago. they sponsor homeless shelters for whole families, halfway houses, back to work programs, daycare for single parents, etc. they like to get their hands dirty. they are what one might consider "crunchy christians", (highly educated, anti-religious, post modern friendly, most likely not republicans or democrats). the christian rock group "resurrection band" is closely related. jpusa sponsors a large annual christian music festival in chicago which includes lectures, raves, punk, goth, metal, electronic music and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Well, the very First Image that comes to mind is: New York City - The Empire State Building Los Angeles - Hollywood sign Chicao - The Skyline Houston - The Uptown/Galleria Skyline @ night with the Beacon on the Williams Tower I'd do more, but is 4:40 in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heights_yankee Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Chicago - The L, political machines and OprahAtlanta - Southern belles and plantationsDallas - Primo's Tex Mex, too many drunk nights to recallMiami - The Birdcage, hot pink art deco buildingsNew York - food and people and fashionL.A. (and southern C.A.) - casual clothes and wiiiide highwaysOrlando - DisneyNew Orleans - Katrina news footageSeattle - waterAustin - hippie wanna-bes who don't know what it really means to be hippie.San Antonio - Alamo Heights- great shops and yummy foodSan Fran. - hills and walking around. great food and lots of fun. San Deigo - my 2 very best friends and their wonderful kiddosPalm Springs - old peopleJacksonville, FL - I'm at a loss on this one...Detroit - America's Poorest Metro Area. sad and desolateLas Vegas - brain overloadHouston - my life, my husband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 Houston - City that definitely can be, but just can't seem to get it together, sprawl.Philadelphia - Nice 'centre city', great ethnic mix, Constitution Plaza, great suburbsDallas - Snobbish city that is hooked on itselfPortland - Laid backSeattle - Coffee and Microsoft, rain, gruunge and alternative, coffee housesMiami - Rich folks, cocaine, style, art decoNew York - Where everything happens first, great skyline, super city, museumsChicago - Incredible skyline, food, and cold, ethnic mix, the bluesMemphis - BBQ and blues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
713 To 214 Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 houston - . . .unique culture all it's ownYou obviously haven't been to Southern Louisiana.Many of the comments posted here are very telling with regard to how many HAIFers have actually been outside of Houston, or Texas, or the US for that matter. Those comments explain a lot of other comments made in other threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 You obviously haven't been to Southern Louisiana.Many of the comments posted here are very telling with regard to how many HAIFers have actually been outside of Houston, or Texas, or the US for that matter. Those comments explain a lot of other comments made in other threads.Exactly. But it was a thread about what 'comes to mind' not necessarily fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 You obviously haven't been to Southern Louisiana.Many of the comments posted here are very telling with regard to how many HAIFers have actually been outside of Houston, or Texas, or the US for that matter. Those comments explain a lot of other comments made in other threads.Since you seem to elude that your a well traveled person, why don't you give us your list. And for that matter, why don't you explain why the initial post that you responded to offends you so much.I have traveled for years, it's my job (musician), and I didn't find the Houston has a unique culture comment to be off at all. Remember that this thread was about what "first comes to mind" when thinking of a city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webdude Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 Cities that comes to mindSeattle: Beautiful but very cloudy all the time, coffee, alternative music, booksPortland: Beautiful, also cloudy, healthy, bicycles, treesSan Francisco and Northern CA: Most beautiful places, best mild weather, wine country, gay culture, tech companies, super damn expensive, pacific ocean, roadtrips down to southern CA with great cities in between.Las Vegas: Hot, dry, fun, a place to one must visit but not stayLA: Traffic and sprawl, like Houston but with beaches and mountains, hollywood and other tourist stuff, expensive, roadtrips up to northern CA with great beachtowns in between.Chicago: Big, pizza, cold, museums. Lilies?New York: A real urban city, stylish, has everything good but also everything bad, damn expensiveAustin: College town, laid back, rolling hills, music, techy smart stuffSan Antonio: Alamo, riverwalk, Texas tourismSan Diego: Nice, stepford wives, super expensiveMiami and florida: beaches, disney, fun, old folks, hurricanesBoston: lots of colleges, cold, expensiveHouston: oil, flat, sprawl, ugly, like LA but without the good beaches, mountains and other tourist stuff, but we have space center, and much cheaper place to live than other cities.New Orleans: when will it get back to its former selfDallas: not diverse like HoustonOklahoma: Had to go help out a friend who went to OU, never went back again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Grande Valley Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Seattle: Spaceneedle, rain, rain, rainSan Francisco and Northern CA: Golden gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Rice a RoniLas Vegas: Wayne Newton, Lights, Adult playgroundLA: sprawled out, disconnected, small downtown for its size, Hollywood, ComptonChicago: Al Bundy, COLD, massive skylineNew York: Skyscraper capital, Empire State Building, subwaysAustin: College town, laid back, rolling hills, music, techy smart stuffSan Antonio: Alamo, riverwalk, Texas tourismSan Diego: Nice, stepford wives, super expensiveMiami and florida: beaches, disney, fun, old folks, hurricanesBoston: lots of colleges, cold, expensiveHouston: Several skylines, sprawled out, can do attitude, AstrodomeNew Orleans: When the saints come marching inDallas: the jealous brother of Houston.Oklahoma: Native Americans, flat, boringTokyo: VERY BIG, VERY CONGESTED, VERY sprawled out, 4,000 pedestrians in one crossing, Shinjuku Skyline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Denver - great mountain views, hills, lots of snow, clean and modern downtown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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