Time Out lists the 'world's best' cities for 2021

[Steely Dan]

My boomer parents freaking LOVE NYC. I couldn't even tell you how many times they've visited, even in the "bad old days" of the 70s/80s.

Maybe it's because they're born and raised life-long Chicagoans who don't have that typical anti-big-city baggage that many other Americans seem to possess.

Originally Posted by Centropolis

my guy here obliterating st louisans and midwesterners. this is my favorite architype of st. louis expat just absolute red hot disgust that lasts decades

Hell hath no fury like the former Midwest kid who moves out to Bos-Wash or Cali.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Crawford

And, yeah, growing up in MI, boomer friends of my parents still give them the "how can you have a grandchild in NYC, isn't it DANGEROUS"? It's like Taxi Driver and Midnight Cowboy are their guides to urban America, or at least NYC.

Ha. My boomer parents used to go down to NYC almost every weekend when they were young. My mom then moved down here after they divorced. My dad and his wife still go there all the time and love it. I was married there a few years ago and we flew everyone in but my mom still had NYC circa 1976 in her head. Even though she watches Law & Order all the time. She got a crash course in how much it changed from the Ed Koch era.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by sentinel

The message from the quote above is still very true - there is really, legitimately no difference between me "and a random guy from Missouri." As Steely echoed, the internet makes information available to anyone, anytime, and yes, that includes making it easier to get around NYC, regardless of whether or not you're from Chicago, Missouri, or "Sexcriminalboat" whatever state that's in.

There is a big difference being from Chicago and being from the, say, Ozarks.

Coming from a major urban city like Chicago, navigating New York would be far easier since you are likely used to getting about by walking, transit, using cabs or ride share, as well as recognizing panhandlers and having experience dealing with them.

….As opposed to a guy from small town America who may never have experienced any of these things. Google only takes you so far

[Centropolis]

[nito]

Originally Posted by badrunner

I obviously meant that Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe are physically connected - with contiguous high density development, by definition making it a single contiguous urban area - not that they merely had transit connections.

A physical urban link exists between the two cities, it just isn’t broad or take a direct route, more a result of historical accident than lax sprawl development. Far more relevant is the level of connectivity and interaction which is where a lot of people miss the point. Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe has none of the anti-sprawl barriers of the UK, but far more importantly it has the excellent connections that bring about high-level interaction between polycentric area.