Why are American cities so ugly?

[Melanie31]

The cities are very soulless and plain. Likewise, some people are very angry and rude.

[Lliam]

They didn't used to be. Public spaces were once beautiful, uplifting and awe inspiring. But then the age of unadorned glass, steel and concrete boxes came along. There is no color or decoration.
I'm sure it is about saving money on unnecessary frills.

So I agree with you. Modern cities are ugly. They are dull and gray, and art is non existent except for the remaining of older examples of beautiful architecture.

[Lliam]

Thanks for the MHO, Melanie.

[robocop666]

I was in New York, horrible place.

[DrPepper12]

Which neighborhoods? If you were only in midtown you would get that impression and that's where the tourists go. If you explored Chelsea the village the meatpacking district, Soho, Chinatown, battery Park, upper West side, you would get an entirely different experience

[lightbulb27]

USA is falling apart from the inside. Truth is, it is what we all choose to make it. But there's no mistaking the "soul" has been diminished.

compare the big apple... an older city to something like Osaka, or Taipei... and it's night and day difference. the difference is the peoples behavior, not the buildings, but as well, it's old and outdated infrastructure and systems.

Some people are very happy and doing well, others are not.

Then again I'm here in Thailand and people sitting on sidewalk sifting through vegetables, fairly content. It is all what you make it, everyone wants better, and you get to make it what you want within your realm of influence.

There is no mistaking though that USA has expectations and as we "lose" our power by way of money printing and losses in war and social division, it's going to look less friendly. Church used to bring us together, now it somewhat divides.

The media doesn't help. Turn it off, engage with real people.

[molonski2]

I certainly dont think of New York as bland , and sure things are tougher for the guy / girl on the streets due to hyper inflation..

I would not consider LA as bland either , history dictates to a degree..

I prefer to Melbourne Australia that everyone goes on about , however Sydney is spectacular due to the harbour , but now incredibly expensive. All is relative..

And id comparing USA to Europe ( vastly different history ) , look to what the USA has created compared to Europe , whichever way you look at it an incredible success story.

[AviatorTom]

That depends where you are, nit fair to generalize. Charleston SC is a beautiful city, and many cities have friendly helpful people. Maybe you should travel more, make sure to experience each city and its people, don't just hit the tourist spots.

[DrPepper12]

Well said!!

[Sevenpointfive]

because architecture took a step back and it makes sense. to save on space they just cookie-cut the same buildings and houses and restaurants. plus, no architecture costs other than buying and building.

it's curious though... i live in a city where we have some awesome new housing going up ALL OF THE TIME CONSTANTLY and i don't know why. we don't have a growing population or economy and no one can afford the rent regardless of the location. why would they be doing this?

[ProbablyClueless]

It's because almost nobody owns anything in cities, so no one wants to bother taking care of anything. It's not something they are invested in, so why would they bother? Also, American cities are poorly designed, so people get stressed and frustrated.

So the result is that cities are just full of a bunch of overworked, stressed, pissy people who don't have any reason to put effort into improving things.

[exitseven]

DING DING DING We have a winner here. Nobody is invested in cities. Absentee landlords own everything. Tenants do not care about their property. My uncle owned real estate in New York City. He lived in a fancy town in New Jersey and had a couple of guys that looked after his buildings. He was always either suing somebody of getting sued. He was the first person I knew that had an unlisted phone number.

If I was the person that wrote this question I would make you MHO

[ProbablyClueless]

@exitseven Friggin absentee and corporate landlords, man... Unfortunately the property is just too expensive for private landlords.

Back before the pandemic, I had a dream of owning property on Roosevelt island. I figured that it would be the perfect blend of city living while also detached from the main beehive of activity. And I figured that Roosevelt Island probably had more people actually owning their buildings.

Maybe my perception was just a dream. But it seems like NYC has overall really gone to shit

[KostasKouvalis]

Okay. A lot of them didn't start growing until the industrial revolution, and by that time, people cared about practicality and not aesthetics. They didn't think about tourists visiting their city. Also, some cities like Chicago example did have an old town but completely burned down. There are still a few pretty colonial cities in New England and the South, but most unfortunately are modern. It was in America that the skyscraper was invented.

[RavVid]

I was only in the US for an afternoon (Niagra) but I thought it was picture postcard perfect. Everything movies led me to expect. Even saw a squirrel scampering across a lawn. How good was that!

[Bricealan]

I felt that way in London, when I was there in 2008, and would never go back there again UNLESS I was meeting @elizamichale1 for lunch or dinner or a ride on the London Eye.

[elizamichale1]

Awww thanks honey 😘😘😘😘
But hey how come u felt that way in London huhh people here r so friendly n sweet plus we love having fun

[Bricealan]

@elizamichale1 I don't know know, Eliza, the people I met there, who worked there, were not very friendly... never encountered that in Paris?

[elizamichale1]

Aww i feel so gutted that u had a totally indifferent experience than what we normally are

[strateguy632]

Obviously they are angry our money is too weak to buy stuff.

But buildings are buildings in every city new york is same as paris unless you presuppose hate and project that on america.

[patois]

The funny part is America invented sky scrapers, so every country that builds them is just trying to be like the USA.

[Quigly]

Lack of architecture, There are so many examples of tearing down beautiful old buildings and replacing them with square boxes. It Makes you wonder why they have schools for Architecture at all. Anyone can draw a square box.

[Lliam]

Exactly.

[MicahRaine]

bruhhhhh

Cambridge, MA
Arlington, VA
LA Proper, CA
Anchorage, AL
Nashville, TN
Naples, FL
Charleston, SC
Newport, RI
Telluride, CO
Carmel, CA

That's just to start lol

[DrPepper12]

Agreed. No soul, spirit or vitality. I WILL except a lot of neighborhoods in NYC that retain their heritage and architecture. Truly unique and walkable the way a city should be

[Lynx122]

Because they ignore pedestrians and build everything for drivers. There are efforts being made to change that but they still have a long way to go.

[DrPepper12]

Closing down Times square was one of the best decisions that New York City ever made and just opening it up to pedestrians.

[EmmaMary]

FORUM WARNING

Guy in Disguise

[on_my_knees]

We've only been here about 400 years. It takes at least 1000 years to have a soul.

[msc545]

Aside from San Francisco, they are all ugly because they were meant to conduct business, not to be good to look at or live in. Welcome to Capitalism.

[DrPepper12]

Really not true at the city centers yes but on the perimeter and in communities that maintained their own heritage that's not the case at all. Boston New York Philadelphia Baltimore all have absolutely beautiful neighborhoods

[OddBeMe]

If you’re European it could be because some building there are 1000s of years old. We’re only hundreds.

But I’ve been to both, and when you get past tourist shit, cities are cities.

[Alchemizt]

I think places like the New Orleans look beautiful.

[worldscolide]

Compared to what exactly? Cause there are a lot of places on the planet that are far worse.

[Anonymous]

Because they don't need to be. You savages still want to sneak in here.😆 we're the shining city on on the hill.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

That's your opinion. American cities to me look nice.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Republicans are rude and mean to outsiders and other races.

[Bklynbadboy12]

What cities do you think are beautiful cause where I live is beautiful especially at night

[patois]

Where have you visited?

[Agape93]

As opposed to... what exactly

[Dargil]

democrats ruin everything they touch.

[andreasderjuengere]

You haven't seen Thailand yet? :D

[Iron_Man]

You haven’t seen Miami Florida have you

[legalboxers]

Guess you been to Staten Island...

[OhLongJohnsoning]

Depends on what city you're in

[turnpost]

Look inwards

[noohair]

So name a soul city

[eagle1951]

excuse me