Favorite of America's Second-Tier Cities

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

It's fairly well established that America's top five metro areas are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, and San Francisco, and as such, they've been polled to death. However, America's second-tier cities, those with PSA populations ranging from four to eight million people, haven't been given the same attention on the forum, so let's rank them.


Personally, I have to go with.
1. Miami
2. Seattle
3. Philadelphia
4. Houston
5. Boston
6. Atlanta
7. Phoenix
8. Dallas
9. Detroit

[OSR stands with Israel]

Personal Favorite: Seattle

Objectively : Dallas

[HillGoose]

If I had to rank them on where I'd prefer to live:

1. Atlanta
2. Miami
3. Houston
4. Dallas
5. Phoenix
6. Seattle
7. Philadelphia
8. Boston
9. Detroit

[Lechasseur]

Detroit Metro (Atlanta in second spot)

Philadelphia City (Atlanta in second spot)

Boston would probably be a serious competitor had I been there, but I've never been to Boston so I can't judge.

Then if in my book Detroit Metro beats Atlanta Metro, it's because I know Detroit better than Atlanta so I can judge better (basically Detroit Center sucks but its suburbs are the best out of those I've seen in America).

(I voted Detroit ftr)

[TDAS04]

Seattle, followed by Boston.

[dead0man]

gross, what an oddly sh**tty list.  Boston is too racist and too full of people from Boston.  Dallas is too full of Texans, obviously not as bad as Bostonians.  Philly is just Boston with a slightly less stupid accent.  Miami is too hot and it too is too filled with people from the North East...too.  Houston wins by elimination.  Atlanta is too crowded.  Detroit is too depressing (plus I hate the Red Wings), Seattle is too expensive and nobody should live in Phoenix, least of all me.

[DINGO Joe]

Philly
Boston
Atlanta
Detroit
Seattle

the rest.

I prefer old cities to new.  Wouldn't leave New Orleans for any of them even if money was no object.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Detroit is a first tier city.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Houston since I was actually there and it was pretty nice.

[Santander]

Um... the top 5 metros are NY, Chicago, LA, Houston, Dallas...

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

In order, not based on partisanship, but simply based on silly personal opinion you shouldn't take too seriously:

   1. Houston, TX
   2. Philadelphia, PA
   3. Phoenix, AZ
   4. Atlanta, GA
   5. Miami, FL
   6. Seattle, WA
   7. Dallas, TX
   8. Boston, MA
   9. Detroit, MI

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

Um... the top 5 metros are NY, Chicago, LA, Houston, Dallas...

I'm using CSA data, which makes more sense because SF-San Jose are a unit as are DC-Baltimore. Plus these five cities are economically and culturally dominant over the rest.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Absolutely stunned that Boston is not OP's number one, if not Seattle.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

Absolutely stunned that Boston is not OP's number one, if not Seattle.

Too damn cold.

[Santander]

Um... the top 5 metros are NY, Chicago, LA, Houston, Dallas...

I'm using CSA data, which makes more sense because SF-San Jose are a unit as are DC-Baltimore. Plus these five cities are economically and culturally dominant over the rest.

Houston is the center of the world's energy industry?... Plus, Texas is far more culturally relevant than DC or SF, especially if your definition of those areas go all the way out to San Jose or Baltimore...

Certainly, both Houston and Dallas are soulless sh**tholes that have tourism industries the size of Cleveland (which certainly detracts from their cultural relevance, true), but that doesn't make them physically smaller, and culturally speaking, NY and LA are the only relevant cities in America anyway.

[The Arizonan]

gross, what an oddly sh**tty list.  Boston is too racist and too full of people from Boston.  Dallas is too full of Texans, obviously not as bad as Bostonians.  Philly is just Boston with a slightly less stupid accent.  Miami is too hot and it too is too filled with people from the North East...too.  Houston wins by elimination.  Atlanta is too crowded.  Detroit is too depressing (plus I hate the Red Wings), Seattle is too expensive and nobody should live in Phoenix, least of all me.

Phoenix happens to be my hometown.

[Beet]

Um... the top 5 metros are NY, Chicago, LA, Houston, Dallas...

I'm using CSA data, which makes more sense because SF-San Jose are a unit as are DC-Baltimore. Plus these five cities are economically and culturally dominant over the rest.

Houston is the center of the world's energy industry?... Plus, Texas is far more culturally relevant than DC or SF, especially if your definition of those areas go all the way out to San Jose or Baltimore...

Certainly, both Houston and Dallas are soulless sh**tholes that have tourism industries the size of Cleveland (which certainly detracts from their cultural relevance, true), but that doesn't make them physically smaller, and culturally speaking, NY and LA are the only relevant cities in America anyway.

Yeah, CSA is too broad. Culturally, Washington is thought of as distinct from Baltimore, and I may be wrong but most people don't think of San Jose as a part of San Francisco. MSA is a better measure if we're talking identifiable cities. In that case, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth round out the top five.

[Mr. Smith]

Philly!

[Del Tachi]

Definitely Atlanta

I would argue that Miami and the South Florida agglomeration is at least as culturally dominant as D.C., so the proper "top" tier ranking should be:

1) New York
2) LA
3) SF
4) Chicago
5) Miami
6) D.C.

Also, the "Texas Triangle" probably collectively represents a distinct enough culture to be considered a "city" in this regard, and it's probably the #4 most influential ahead of Chicago, TBH.

[RINO Tom]

I have only been to Miami and Philadelphia of this list, but both were brief/forced trips, and I will try to remain unbiased by that:

To Visit:
Boston
Seattle
Philadelphia
Detroit
Miami
Atlanta
Houston
Dallas
Phoenix

To Live In:
Miami
Seattle
Dallas
Houston
Philadelphia
Boston
Atlanta
Detroit
Phoenix

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Since I only want to live in Sunbelt stack: Phoenix, Denver and Honolulu

[Del Tachi]

Since I only want to live in Sunbelt stack: Phoenix, Denver and Honolulu

Since when is Denver the Sun Belt?  By NWS standards Denver only has 115 days of sunshine a year. 

[RINO Tom]

Since I only want to live in Sunbelt stack: Phoenix, Denver and Honolulu

Since when is Denver the Sun Belt?  By NWS standards Denver only has 115 days of sunshine a year. 

In a state that used to vote Republican?  Check.
In a state that now votes Democratic or is a toss-up?  Check.
Has suburbs?  Check.

There you go, Sun Belt Stack!

[courts]

detroit

[Cokeland Saxton]

Dallas, by far. I would love to live in Texas someday.
Boston is too liberal.
Atlanta is too cramped and the traffic is a nightmare.
Philadelphia is boring.
Houston is ok, but I prefer DFW.
Miami is too hot.
Seattle is too expensive.
Detroit is a s***hole.
And Phoenix exists only because someone thought it'd be a good idea to put a settlement in the middle of a f***ing desert.