Describe some great, vibrant neighborhoods (city hall, condos, low crime)
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This is a knock-off of the best downtown thread, except without having to go into any discussions about whether or not "official" downtowns and only "official" downtowns should be included (which means allowing the Vegas strip, and not including only the rather dreary but improving downtown LA for all of Los Angeles).
The criteria for this is fairly loose--a mix of public spaces, thriving shops and businesses, delicious foods of all kinds, supportive local community, easy access, walkable streets, a variety of events both public and private (that are open to the public), low crime rates (high crime rates are another kind of vibrancy that I'm not a big fan of), and interesting cultural institutions both within the neighborhood or in close (and accessible) proximity. The most important thing is to explain WHY the neighborhood is great.
Of the nabes that I've been to, I'd say the one I like best is:
- Park Slope in Brooklyn is a great neighborhood also filled with both discount and boutique-y shops in a beautiful brownstone nabe. There are bars and eateries galore, and on almost any given night, at least one of them is hosting some event. The streets are very walkable and bikeable, and public transportation serves it very well. As far as public amenities go, Park Slope is flatout amazing. It borders beautiful Prospect Park and is very close to cultural institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Central Library of the Brooklyn Library system, Brooklyn Conservatory, and the Brooklyn Museum (little-known compared to its Manhattan brethren, but one of the finest museums in the nation) all of which host a great number and variety of events throughout the year. And yes, I am gushing.
A couple of other ones I really liked are:
- the Vegas Strip. It's gotten a lot pricier and a lot less gimmicky (which I like), but it's still a fantastic and vibrant place to be. Most of the casinos have a lot to offer in terms of bars and food, and the strip is bustling all day and especially all night. There's so much to do on the strip aside from gambling, and going up and down the strip is fairly easy as long as you aren't using your own car. As for the people, there probably isn't much in terms of a local community, but you'll find a lot of people from all over the states and sometimes the world--many of them hell-bent on having a good time.
- Center City, Philadelphia. I love the layout of the numerous squares, and the variety of shops and eateries is great. The city hall is beautiful as is all the colonial architecture that abounds in the city. I wasn't too keen on the public transportation, but at least it's there. I didn't really join in on any events there, but I've been assured that they're there.
- Westwood, Los Angeles. Home of the Hammer, an outstanding museum as well as a host of classic movie theaters that are still running. The shops and eateries there are also good and varied, though often pricier than one would expect. And of course, there's UCLA which plays host to many events. The whole area is very walkable, and the public transportation is surprisngly good, though driving there is just awful.
Other places I've been to and liked: Santa Monica (it's its own city, but it's tiny given that half of its area is water), Silver Lake, Hollywood and Venice in Los Angeles. Telegraph Avenue (or Southside in general) stretching from Oakland to Berkeley in California. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Lower East Side, Manhattan (I especially love the Tenement Museum). If anyone wants to explain these, go right on ahead.
Places I've read about, but sound great: downtown Austin, Oakland (in Pittsburgh).
This is the last bump I'll make if no one posts, but I figured someone must love a neighborhood enough to want to share it. Though I guess that "worst neighborhood" topic is a fair bit more exciting. Ah well.
Well for NY I can think of Astoria, Forest HIlls, Park Slope, Ft. Greene as some neighborhoods in the outerborughs that are great and vibrant. But I don't know enough to comment on them.
Alright I'll play..since I'm in Long Beach at the moment and it's not very well recognized I might as well say some stuff on it.
It has a fairly vibrant and improving downtown which to some might be considered "Dicey"..right downtown you have the Long Beach Performing Arts center
Which hosts numerous different events..you have the Long Beach arena which plays hosts to concerts and supposedly has the worlds largest mural on it painted by Wyland.
Past the arena you have the pike which is a shopping/entertainment area with a ferris wheel
Across the street is Rainbow Harbor which is more touristy but is a nice place to walk and has some good restaurants and also houses the Aquarium of the Pacific. Back into downtown you have Pine AVE that has a lot of nice restaurants with outdoor seating,movie theatre,great clubs (it's the main street for LB night life)
Going Up Pine and to the right you will run into City Place which is basically an outdoor mall and if you keep heading south you'll be in the east arts district which I believe is in a renaissance but is still very nice you have the art influence of course with a lot of nice boutiques and bistros with art stores and local clothing stores. If you feel like it you can take the 3 mile walk on the beach pathway to Belmont Shores 2nd street which is a vibrant upper class nabe lined with high end shops and boutiques and restaurants and the walk is very relaxing and beautiful. I couldn't find pictures of Belmont or the walkway though sorry..but overall in between everything Long Beach is a pretty vibrant place with nice walkable neighborhoods a lot to see and a lot of culture with the Museum of art the Museum of Latin American Art great nightlife great local stores great people and a beautiful setting. I did leave out a lot but I tried to focus on a couple of the main neighorhoods but it's only the tip of the ice berg.
We in Baltimore have several (Roland Park, Federal Hill, Bolton Hill, Canton, Fells Point) but they all pale in comparison with what Washington, D.C., has to offer.
Everyone knows about Georgetown, a mixture of the well-heeled and tourists. Ditto for Dupont Circle. And, of course, Capitol Hill.
My money, though, is on the Sixteenth Street corridor, which is full of vibrant neighborhoods. Adams Morgan is a melange of American, Latin and African businesses and restaurants. The more Adams Morgan has been discovered, the more desirable (and pricey) have its condos become, The result: Gentrification has spread to new areas. While much of the stretch between Adams Morgan and Howard University is still sketchy, the U Street corridor has experienced an astonishing injection of investment and vigor. In fact, all the northbound arteries that were devastated during the 1968 riots are showing great improvement. Something was starting to perk up even along Georgia Avenue, the last holdout, before the economy collapsed.
S'funny, I grew up in the suburbs of LA, and I don't recall ever hearing anything particularly good about Long Beach. Did I just completely drop the ball or is Long Beach just recently a great place?
Back Bay in Boston is amazing. I recently began working in the John Hancock Tower which is located there. There's plenty of beautiful sights and it's a very vibrant area. Copley Square, Trinity Church, Newbury Street, Boston Public Library, the Prudential Center, Hynes Convention Center, many absolutely beautiful churches, and the Copley Square Mall all make the Back Bay a great place to be. Of course, it's expensive as hell.
I'm pretty pumped because I'll be able to see the Boston Marathon finish from my building on April 20th .
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Look at D.C.
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