Cities of the Americas - what's your cities most European-like neighborhood/district?

destroycreate · #1 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 8:53 PM**

*Mods can you update title to say what's your city's*?

Kind of a challenge because I know many cities in the US or Canada don't apply, but let's give it a shot. What are the qualifying factors?
- Super densely packed in, narrow winding (if possible) streets
- Preferably much older architecture
- Lots of walkability/street life

I'm from Southern California, and in all honesty neither LA or San Diego have anything really remotely European in vibe so I won't even try. Santa Barbara and La Jolla hint a little at somewhere in the Mediterranean, but it still looks too modern with the perfect street grids and wide streets and lack of true historical architecture.

With that said, I'll reach and reference San Francisco since I lived there for a number of years.

I would say the closest thing to a European atmosphere and aesthetics is the following areas of SF:

South Park Neighborhood with its unusual circular park and surrounding townhomes/retail

Really anywhere in Chinatown -- this may be a stretch but its as dense and packed in as places I've seen in photos in say, Naples, Italy, minus the fact they are winding.
Alleyways of Chinatown

Alleyways of Chinatown

I would also argue a lot of places in North Beach feel very European like--very narrowlike alleyways with retail/cafes etc/lots of sidewalk seating.

MonkeyRonin · #2 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 9:03 PM**

Probably one of the commieblock areas.

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show....php?p=6906274

Obadno · #3 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 9:18 PM**

Um... Nothing lol

Unless you want to compare our suburbia with like "rural" southern Italy/Sicily or the far flung suburbs and towns of the more arid parts of Spain.

But generally speaking no, not really anything. You can find climates/geographies that roughly match but the built form is so different its almost impossible.

The only areas I can find in all of Europe with similar built form are some UK towns and suburbs but the climate is so different from the Southwest that it doesn't fit either.

James Bond Agent 007 · #4 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 9:26 PM**

Boston:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3514...7i16384!8i8192

London:
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4917...7i16384!8i8192

James Bond Agent 007 · #5 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 9:28 PM**

Philadelphia:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9431...7i13312!8i6656

Rotterdam:
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9135...7i13312!8i6656

Buckeye Native 001 · #6 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 9:36 PM**

Nothing in Phoenix or Flagstaff.

Cincinnati: Over the Rhine

Pedestrian · #7 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I'll reach and reference San Francisco since I lived there for a number of years.

I would say the closest thing to a European atmosphere and aesthetics is the following areas of SF:

South Park Neighborhood with its unusual circular park and surrounding townhomes/retail

I would also argue a lot of places in North Beach feel very European like--very narrowlike alleyways with retail/cafes etc/lots of sidewalk seating.

Most people would probably say North Beach:

Images: https://www.google.com/search?rls=en...D4M518Vahvh09M

but I'd argue it may be the Marina:

Images: https://www.google.com/search?rls=en...s6Huoy4-WiQoGM

BnaBreaker · #8 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 10:18 PM**

Nashville:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1459...7i16384!8i8192

Madrid:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4633...7i16384!8i8192

Yuri · #9 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 10:31 PM**

São Paulo is Downtown (although there are many European-like blocks over the city):

Lisbon, London, Paris and others:

iheartthed · #10 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 10:50 PM**

In New York, the most "European-like" neighborhoods are probably all in Manhattan or Brooklyn, mostly in neighborhoods built before the 1900s. I doubt there is much in the way of a pre-20th century neighborhood in other parts of NYC:

For Manhattan, the West Village, or the Financial District are probably the top contenders.

For Brooklyn, the most "European-like" will be in northwest Brooklyn, closest to NY Harbor and Manhattan's Financial District, such as Brooklyn Heights, or parts of Gowanus.

SIGSEGV · #11 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 11:17 PM**

This is cheating, but the UChicago Main Quadrangles:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7883...!7i9728!8i3242

edale · #12 Posted **Jul 8, 2020, 11:44 PM**

For Cincinnati I'd say it's the Findlay Market area of Over the Rhine:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1153...7i16384!8i8192

Or the suburb of Mariemont, which was modeled after an English village when built in the 1920s-30s:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1466...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Th...1!4d-84.375311

benp · #13 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 12:32 AM**

In Buffalo, Mayfair Lane is an old English throwback village of 20 houses, hidden in the middle of the Elmwood/Allentown community.

Steely Dan · #14 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 1:43 AM**

Nothing in Chicago feels very european to me.

It's a pretty thoroughly Midwestern kinda city.

Comrade · #15 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 1:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Nashville:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1459...7i16384!8i8192

Madrid:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4633...7i16384!8i8192

Checks out.

Absolutely nothing in Salt Lake feels European.

The only thing that can even come a tiny bit close to feeling European, I guess, are these apartments next to the Greek Cathedral here:

...and those are about to be demolished for this:

So, even that is about to not count.

James Bond Agent 007 · #16 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 2:15 AM**

Leavenworth, Washington:
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5955...7i13312!8i6656

Oberammergau, Bavaria
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5980...7i10240!8i5120

Martin Mtl · #17 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 2:21 AM**

Old Quebec City for Quebec (obviously).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBMMvhVnREV/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBRgguDsJkg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBSx8c8FNLE/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBeEXZfnV1s/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBmMUcDJ6oK/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBn5pu4Hnpf/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBt4g79nbvK/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB0mxyPntAo/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2fQsJB2Rs/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4W2bIntvt/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4bPvvhnHi/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8PEtzgp-f/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB-3KCNpBoU/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCDnQ5pJLf6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCFQcBEnP1t/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI6x47lhlo/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJXS9nnM8z/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCLpLLEHLmJ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCSPhe_Hpj-/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCAPIQ1H9KI/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCM9j1dn8Sh/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBHD-c1H-Z2/

LA21st · #18 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 3:02 AM**

It's very, very small but

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0458...7i16384!8i8192

Is the closest thing I can think of.

BnaBreaker · #19 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 3:35 AM**

Obviously old neighborhoods that were literally built by the English or French have very clear similarities to English or French neighborhoods.

SIGSEGV · #20 Posted **Jul 9, 2020, 4:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Nothing in Chicago feels very european to me.

It's a pretty thoroughly Midwestern kinda city.

Wasn't the White City for the Columbian Exposition built in a Beaux Arts style? Jackson Park / MoSI, if ignoring the backdrop of highrises, could be mistaken for a European scene.

But yeah, other than things like that (and faux-gothic university campuses), nothing looks very European in Chicago. Maybe some of the rowhomes in South Loop / University Village might age into a more European-looking state with enough time.