Does the Midwest have any of those "special" cities? - Page 3

TheKansan · September 11th, 2005, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReddAlert

Alot of stuff. Have some Madison forumer post some pics.

Never been to Lawrence have you? Lawrence is as unique as they come.

oshkeoto · September 11th, 2005, 05:24 AM

"So, no, it is not unique. Again, I can't think of any city in the midwest that would qualify as a N.O."

You've been there; I assume it was for a short period of time. If it wasn't, then you just really sucked at doing things and exploring the city.

In any case, I lived there for two years, and though I won't call myself an expert, I will say I have a feel for the city.

Madison is "the Berkeley of the Midwest," "sixty-four square miles surrounded by reality"--on State Street, on Willy Street and its environs, you will see things you're not gonna see in practically any other small city in America. For that matter, plenty of large cities, too. It is much more than its physical environs, which, as you said, are also quite nice--but which are really just a bonus.

goonsta · September 11th, 2005, 06:15 AM

there is no city in the states as unique as N.O.

cwilson758 · September 11th, 2005, 06:28 AM

"Berkley of the midwest"...you just made my point, it's not unique! Duh..

oshkeoto · September 11th, 2005, 10:24 AM

^ Yes, because by "Berkeley of the Midwest," I mean that they literally transplanted Berkeley into south central Wisconsin.

milwaukeeunseen · September 15th, 2005, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

"Madison, it's a college that happens to be a state capitol. What is so special about that?"

You've obviously never been to Madison. It is without a doubt a unique city.

"There isn't too much "uniqueness" in the midwest."

And there is other places? We have as much as anyone. I think the national attitude towards the Midwest has crept into you guys. Where has regional pride gone?

Madison is about as unique to this world as Ann Arbor, Boulder, Bowling Green, Bloomington, Santa Cruz, Ithaca, Lexington ......

I went to school in Madison, I had a great time at UW, it's a great college town, but there are a lot of college towns in the US. This one happens to be a state capital. There are 49 other state capital cities. So that's not unique.

milwaukeeunseen · September 15th, 2005, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

"Madison is "the Berkeley of the Midwest," "sixty-four square miles surrounded by reality"--on State Street, on Willy Street and its environs, you will see things you're not gonna see in practically any other small city in America. For that matter, plenty of large cities, too. It is much more than its physical environs, which, as you said, are also quite nice--but which are really just a bonus.

Seriously is there something in the water that makes people think "things happen" in Madison that "happen nowhere else?" I lived there for five years. I was bored to tears during the fifth year. The Isthmus is unique. The lakes are pretty. But how many times can you entertain yourself with a lake before you start looking for something new? Every single thing I experienced in Madison I have experienced in my time in Milwaukee. Even the hippies. It's a pretty city that's great to live in and raise kids if you don't mind a lifelong career in government or education. No thanks.

UrbanSophist · September 15th, 2005, 01:51 AM

I spent about a week in Madison once upon a time. It's basically the ideal college town, but it isn't anything totally unique. Unique, maybe, in the midwest (though that's very disputable).

Avian001 · September 16th, 2005, 12:47 AM

My impression of the question revolves around the mystique and Romance of a city like New Orleans. In reality whether is is mystical or Romantic (in the classical sense of the word) is another issue. But the perception exists that it is a city like very few others.

Can you imagine "Interview With a Vampire" set in Madison? It doesn't quite conjure up the same feelings does it?

When I think of New Orleans, I think of smoky jazz, thick damp nights, buzzing insects and the moon above the swamps. I don't think of shopping malls and freeways, even though they exist in New Orleans too.

No city in the Midwest has a romantic feeling on a par with New Orleans in my mind, though some of you may certainly think differently. But hey, few cities in the world have it either. In the US I can only think of San Francisco and New York as having strong identities in the same vein. Perhaps Miami as well but in a much different way.

Lmichigan · September 16th, 2005, 02:05 AM

I think you may be selling the entire region short. Perhaps, it is just that you know more about New Orleans than the Midwest. I don't know. I wouldn't go so far as to wholey skip over a region that is just as diverse and complex as the next region.

A lot of it has to do with age. There are established cities all over the world, and even in this country. I'm not trying to say this city is the one you are looking for, but like New Orleans, Detroit is over 300 years old, but has done a much worse job of preserving it's history. Even so, there are areas of the city where you can feel the history of the old french city. Though none of the structures remain, you can see and feel the history and heritage in the layout of the eastern riverfront.

I'm sure this can be said of any city. What makes New Orleans feel so much more romantic, for lack of a better term, is that all of its history is relatively concentrated and smashed together.

mhays · September 16th, 2005, 02:18 AM

Not that I've seen.

That's not an insult. I've visited and liked cities like MSP and Chicago, and a number of smaller places.

Every city has local vernacular and culture and a different sort of flair (15 pieces at least). But nothing I've seen in the Midwest is iconic in a New Orleans or San Francisco kind of way.

I'm not sure about San Antonio either though I love the riverwalk.

PR is much of the story. NO didn't get where it is by letting word get out organically. They tooted their horn very loudly. They also have a lot to toot about -- the French Quarter is a truly outstanding district, it's home to a truly great and unique cuisine and music culture, and the mossy southern thing works as well. Not that pursuit of tourism and its poverty wages is necessarily the best approach.

goonsta · September 16th, 2005, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avian001

My impression of the question revolves around the mystique and Romance of a city like New Orleans. In reality whether is is mystical or Romantic (in the classical sense of the word) is another issue. But the perception exists that it is a city like very few others.

Can you imagine "Interview With a Vampire" set in Madison? It doesn't quite conjure up the same feelings does it?

When I think of New Orleans, I think of smoky jazz, thick damp nights, buzzing insects and the moon above the swamps. I don't think of shopping malls and freeways, even though they exist in New Orleans too.

No city in the Midwest has a romantic feeling on a par with New Orleans in my mind, though some of you may certainly think differently. But hey, few cities in the world have it either. In the US I can only think of San Francisco and New York as having strong identities in the same vein. Perhaps Miami as well but in a much different way.

The thing is, I can mention how every major urban city is different from another, and summarize it. I feel a city such as Philadelphia is as unique to NYC as San Francisco is to NYC and I can rationalize it in the same way you did. This can be said for a handful of cities, mainly the ones that were big pre-war.

Culturally, NO is a step above the others though. I can transplant a NYC, SF, or Chicago native into another city and nobody would know the difference besides the accents, well, SF really has no accent, but New Orleans residents have different customs, religions, and many even look different.

oshkeoto · September 16th, 2005, 04:23 AM

"Seriously is there something in the water that makes people think "things happen" in Madison that "happen nowhere else?" I lived there for five years. I was bored to tears during the fifth year. The Isthmus is unique. The lakes are pretty. But how many times can you entertain yourself with a lake before you start looking for something new? Every single thing I experienced in Madison I have experienced in my time in Milwaukee. Even the hippies."

I'm from Chicago; I only lived in Madison for two years.

And I don't know where you spent your time there, but I did find things there that I haven't found in Chicago.

Look, I'm not saying it's some unbelievable city. I'm saying that as medium-sized cities go, it sticks out.

milwaukeeunseen · September 16th, 2005, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

"Seriously is there something in the water that makes people think "things happen" in Madison that "happen nowhere else?" I lived there for five years. I was bored to tears during the fifth year. The Isthmus is unique. The lakes are pretty. But how many times can you entertain yourself with a lake before you start looking for something new? Every single thing I experienced in Madison I have experienced in my time in Milwaukee. Even the hippies."

I'm from Chicago; I only lived in Madison for two years.

And I don't know where you spent your time there, but I did find things there that I haven't found in Chicago.

Look, I'm not saying it's some unbelievable city. I'm saying that as medium-sized cities go, it sticks out.

Really the only thing I discovered in Madison that I'd never seen before is people not locking their doors. Then panicking when there's a "rash" of burglaries (like three in one night). Then saying "well, that goes to show you Madison is becoming a big city." Then six months later, doors still unlocked, freaking out at the next "big crime spree." The cycle continues.

I also discovered that I could walk right past a cop with an open intoxicant, being obviously underage, and the cop would look the other way. I thought that was pretty cool when I was 19. But I think if I was a homeowner in the isthmus area I'd want the cops to crack down on drunken kids in the street, especially on a Wednesday night. I guess that means I'm old. Oh well.

oshkeoto · September 16th, 2005, 11:34 PM

^ Sure. There are plenty of annoying things about Madison. I wouldn't choose to live there again, frankly. But if you asked New Orleanians (especially now, but even a month or a year ago) whether they thought their city was perfect, I'm sure they would give you a laundry list of unromantic problems.

Where I found special things in Madison was in the neighborhood around Willy Street and State Street, especially, in the case of State, during holidays or celebrations. Did you not spend much time there?

louisville playa · September 16th, 2005, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

^ Sure. There are plenty of annoying things about Madison. I wouldn't choose to live there again, frankly. But if you asked New Orleanians (especially now, but even a month or a year ago) whether they thought their city was perfect, I'm sure they would give you a laundry list of unromantic problems.

Where I found special things in Madison was in the neighborhood around Willy Street and State Street, especially, in the case of State, during holidays or celebrations. Did you not spend much time there?

Everybody knows New Orleans isn't perfect, But it had to be doing something right to keep it's large "City" population for this long.
Also New Orleaniers are the definition of culture which kept this wonderful city going for CENTURIES.
No offense but New Orleans has more culture than any of those midwestern cities. And I'm pretty sure there ain't many problems in dullison,WS.

Jennifat · September 17th, 2005, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louisville playa

No offense but New Orleans has more culture than any of those midwestern cities. And I'm pretty sure there ain't many problems in dullison,WS.

And most Midwestern cities have more culture than Louisville, Kentucky.

milwaukeeunseen · September 17th, 2005, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

^ Sure. There are plenty of annoying things about Madison. I wouldn't choose to live there again, frankly. But if you asked New Orleanians (especially now, but even a month or a year ago) whether they thought their city was perfect, I'm sure they would give you a laundry list of unromantic problems.

Where I found special things in Madison was in the neighborhood around Willy Street and State Street, especially, in the case of State, during holidays or celebrations. Did you not spend much time there?

OK, I will concede that Halloween on State Street is unlike anything else I've experienced in my life. But I used to think State Street itself was a one of a kind, then I walked down Telegraph in Berekely. Now that place is special.

louisville playa · September 17th, 2005, 06:08 AM

[QUOTE=Jennifat]And most Midwestern cities have more culture than

Louisville, Kentucky.
Hell no ,yall just think that a city's culture is determined by how urban it is.

oshkeoto · September 17th, 2005, 06:32 AM

I love how everyone here thinks their city is the one exception to the Midwest's otherwise unrelenting dullness. Might we conclude that our region is slightly more valuable that we've been giving it credit for?

September 11th, 2005, 06:15 AM	#43
goonsta re Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: swine merchant Posts: 485 Likes (Received): 0	there is no city in the states as unique as N.O. __________________ Hell no Hell yes

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September 11th, 2005, 05:24 AM	#42
oshkeoto Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 565 Likes (Received): 0	"So, no, it is not unique. Again, I can't think of any city in the midwest that would qualify as a N.O." You've been there; I assume it was for a short period of time. If it wasn't, then you just really sucked at doing things and exploring the city. In any case, I lived there for two years, and though I won't call myself an expert, I will say I have a feel for the city. Madison is "the Berkeley of the Midwest," "sixty-four square miles surrounded by reality"--on State Street, on Willy Street and its environs, you will see things you're not gonna see in practically any other small city in America. For that matter, plenty of large cities, too. It is much more than its physical environs, which, as you said, are also quite nice--but which are really just a bonus.

September 11th, 2005, 06:28 AM	#44
cwilson758 Cory Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Cleveland via Indianapolis Posts: 3,411 Likes (Received): 3	"Berkley of the midwest"...you just made my point, it's not unique! Duh..

September 11th, 2005, 10:24 AM	#45
oshkeoto Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 565 Likes (Received): 0	^ Yes, because by "Berkeley of the Midwest," I mean that they literally transplanted Berkeley into south central Wisconsin.

September 15th, 2005, 01:51 AM	#48
UrbanSophist Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Aberdeen, UK Posts: 2,874 Likes (Received): 0	I spent about a week in Madison once upon a time. It's basically the ideal college town, but it isn't anything totally unique. Unique, maybe, in the midwest (though that's very disputable).

September 16th, 2005, 12:47 AM	#49
Avian001 Mostly Sane Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Earth. For Now. Posts: 1,140 Likes (Received): 15	My impression of the question revolves around the mystique and Romance of a city like New Orleans. In reality whether is is mystical or Romantic (in the classical sense of the word) is another issue. But the perception exists that it is a city like very few others. Can you imagine "Interview With a Vampire" set in Madison? It doesn't quite conjure up the same feelings does it? When I think of New Orleans, I think of smoky jazz, thick damp nights, buzzing insects and the moon above the swamps. I don't think of shopping malls and freeways, even though they exist in New Orleans too. No city in the Midwest has a romantic feeling on a par with New Orleans in my mind, though some of you may certainly think differently. But hey, few cities in the world have it either. In the US I can only think of San Francisco and New York as having strong identities in the same vein. Perhaps Miami as well but in a much different way.

September 16th, 2005, 02:05 AM	#50
Lmichigan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 2,724 Likes (Received): 6	I think you may be selling the entire region short. Perhaps, it is just that you know more about New Orleans than the Midwest. I don't know. I wouldn't go so far as to wholey skip over a region that is just as diverse and complex as the next region. A lot of it has to do with age. There are established cities all over the world, and even in this country. I'm not trying to say this city is the one you are looking for, but like New Orleans, Detroit is over 300 years old, but has done a much worse job of preserving it's history. Even so, there are areas of the city where you can feel the history of the old french city. Though none of the structures remain, you can see and feel the history and heritage in the layout of the eastern riverfront. I'm sure this can be said of any city. What makes New Orleans feel so much more romantic, for lack of a better term, is that all of its history is relatively concentrated and smashed together.

September 16th, 2005, 02:18 AM	#51
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,369 Likes (Received): 118	Not that I've seen. That's not an insult. I've visited and liked cities like MSP and Chicago, and a number of smaller places. Every city has local vernacular and culture and a different sort of flair (15 pieces at least). But nothing I've seen in the Midwest is iconic in a New Orleans or San Francisco kind of way. I'm not sure about San Antonio either though I love the riverwalk. PR is much of the story. NO didn't get where it is by letting word get out organically. They tooted their horn very loudly. They also have a lot to toot about -- the French Quarter is a truly outstanding district, it's home to a truly great and unique cuisine and music culture, and the mossy southern thing works as well. Not that pursuit of tourism and its poverty wages is necessarily the best approach.

September 16th, 2005, 04:23 AM	#53
oshkeoto Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 565 Likes (Received): 0	"Seriously is there something in the water that makes people think "things happen" in Madison that "happen nowhere else?" I lived there for five years. I was bored to tears during the fifth year. The Isthmus is unique. The lakes are pretty. But how many times can you entertain yourself with a lake before you start looking for something new? Every single thing I experienced in Madison I have experienced in my time in Milwaukee. Even the hippies." I'm from Chicago; I only lived in Madison for two years. And I don't know where you spent your time there, but I did find things there that I haven't found in Chicago. Look, I'm not saying it's some unbelievable city. I'm saying that as medium-sized cities go, it sticks out.

September 16th, 2005, 11:34 PM	#55
oshkeoto Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 565 Likes (Received): 0	^ Sure. There are plenty of annoying things about Madison. I wouldn't choose to live there again, frankly. But if you asked New Orleanians (especially now, but even a month or a year ago) whether they thought their city was perfect, I'm sure they would give you a laundry list of unromantic problems. Where I found special things in Madison was in the neighborhood around Willy Street and State Street, especially, in the case of State, during holidays or celebrations. Did you not spend much time there?

September 17th, 2005, 06:08 AM	#59
louisville playa Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Louisville Posts: 547 Likes (Received): 0	[QUOTE=Jennifat]And most Midwestern cities have more culture than Louisville, Kentucky. Hell no ,yall just think that a city's culture is determined by how urban it is.

September 17th, 2005, 06:32 AM	#60
oshkeoto Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 565 Likes (Received): 0	I love how everyone here thinks their city is the one exception to the Midwest's otherwise unrelenting dullness. Might we conclude that our region is slightly more valuable that we've been giving it credit for?