What is the most "European" city in the US?

[TDAS04]

I was thinking New Orleans or Portland. 

[H. Ross Peron]

Boston and San Francisco also rank pretty high up.

[Crumpets]

Leavenworth, WA - at least insofar as being a rip-off of a Bavarian town makes it European.

[RI]

Leavenworth, WA - at least insofar as being a rip-off of a Bavarian town makes it European.

Lynden is very Dutch. Not sure if that counts.

[Cranberry]

^ Bavarian towns look many things, but this picture up there clearly is none of those. If anything, this town looks like Disneyland to me; but like a proper, real Bavarian town? Lol, no.

[TDAS04]

Crumpets, you're from Seattle.  How "European" would you call your city?

[MasterJedi]

Possibly Madison, WI.

[RI]

I think Boston's probably the best answer.

Crumpets, you're from Seattle.  How "European" would you call your city?

Seattle's much more like an Asian city than a European one.

[Crumpets]

Crumpets, you're from Seattle.  How "European" would you call your city?

Seattle's much more like an Asian city than a European one.

That's probably true. I've heard a joke that goes something like

"-Wow, your China Town is really big!
-We're not in China Town."

And I have actually had a conversation with someone from out of town that went roughly like this.

But at the same time, there's still some amount of Europeanness in Seattle. Like in most cities, each neighborhood is pretty much a reflection of the first people that lived there. Ballard used to be very Scandanavian, both in look and in culture, but has become less so in recent years. There's a strong Eastern European area in Bellevue, and Queen Anne definitely has some British aspects to it, particularly in the architecture. My neighborhood likes to pretend it's Italian, but I really don't know where that comes from.

Anyways, a European probably wouldn't feel much more at home in Seattle or Portland than they would in New York or Chicago, even if we like to act like we're all politically "enlightened" here. Someone from Hong Kong, however, would.

[VPH]

I'd vouch to say New Orleans. In all of North America, I'd say Montreal.

[Crumpets]

^ Bavarian towns look many things, but this picture up there clearly is none of those. If anything, this town looks like Disneyland to me; but like a proper, real Bavarian town? Lol, no.

What?! Next you'll be telling us they don't go to work in lederhosen with feathers in their hats!

[Mr. Smith]

Boston of the big cities

Solvang, CA of any city.

[Joe Republic]

Right here in Vegas we have our own Eiffel Tower and Venetian canals.  You know, Sin City could easily be confused for Bruges or Budapest.  We got history and culture and sh**t like that right up to our assholes.

[angus]

among cities with over 50 thousand residents...


Most European:  Plantation, FL

Most African:  Detroit, MI

Most Asian:  Monterey Park, CA

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I'd vouch to say New Orleans. In all of North America, I'd say Montreal.

In all North America I'd say Quebec City easily.

[Badger]

Solvang, CA of any city.

[afleitch]

'Physically'? - DC after visiting. Architecture, planning, plus low rise buildings.

[DC Al Fine]

I'd vouch to say New Orleans. In all of North America, I'd say Montreal.

In all North America I'd say Quebec City easily.

Been to Quebec and Montreal, and shua is right. Quebec City definitely feels more Euro.

[afleitch]

For what it's worth, in terms of 'most American city in Europe' (in terms of looks and layout) Glasgow often gets mentioned.

[ingemann]

Solvang, CA of any city.

It's the "Danish" town in USA (it's means sun/sunny field in archaic Danish). Of course the town is as Danish as Leavenworth is Bavarian.

Solvang; California


Aarhus "Gamle by (Old City)"; Denmark


Køge; Denmark

[bedstuy]

Definitely NOT Portland.  That is a very normal American city similar other western cities like Denver and  Seattle.

The answer is probably New York or Boston or Philadelphia.  What defines European-ness compared to American-ness in cities is age when the city was built up.  Many American cities are basically designed around the car, as opposed to European cities.  The big Eastern cities were large in the 19th century so they have a more pedestrian level, dense character.

[ingemann]

Definitely NOT Portland.  That is a very normal American city similar other western cities like Denver and  Seattle.

The answer is probably New York or Boston or Philadelphia.  What defines European-ness compared to American-ness in cities is age when the city was built up.  Many American cities are basically designed around the car, as opposed to European cities.  The big Eastern cities were large in the 19th century so they have a more pedestrian level, dense character.

While there's some truth to that, there's some problem. Old New York especially follow a grid pattern, which was common in European architecture in the early modern and colonial era. You see it in many European colonies, but it's relative uncommon in Europe, where you mostly see it former fortress cities and a few planned tradings cities. Most major European cities are older and a centre more based on the more traditional organic structure of the medieval cities, sometimes mixed with areas with grid structures. But it's these weird mixes of style which make European major cities, major European cities simply have a age which make them distinct from their American counterparts, even old American cities like New York or Boston. I think the youngest capital in Europe is Saint Petersburg and even that was founded in the early 18th century and had 100 000 inhabitants before 1750, and more or less no major European cities haven't been besieged, sacked, seen revolution, been occupied etc. That have a permanent effect on a city.

[bedstuy]

Definitely NOT Portland.  That is a very normal American city similar other western cities like Denver and  Seattle.

The answer is probably New York or Boston or Philadelphia.  What defines European-ness compared to American-ness in cities is age when the city was built up.  Many American cities are basically designed around the car, as opposed to European cities.  The big Eastern cities were large in the 19th century so they have a more pedestrian level, dense character.

While there's some truth to that, there's some problem. Old New York especially follow a grid pattern, which was common in European architecture in the early modern and colonial era. You see it in many European colonies, but it's relative uncommon in Europe, where you mostly see it former fortress cities and a few planned tradings cities. Most major European cities are older and a centre more based on the more traditional organic structure of the medieval cities, sometimes mixed with areas with grid structures. But it's these weird mixes of style which make European major cities, major European cities simply have a age which make them distinct from their American counterparts, even old American cities like New York or Boston. I think the youngest capital in Europe is Saint Petersburg and even that was founded in the early 18th century and had 100 000 inhabitants before 1750, and more or less no major European cities haven't been besieged, sacked, seen revolution, been occupied etc. That have a permanent effect on a city.

Yeah, but it's a matter of what is the most similar, not what is actually similar.  And, downtown Boston isn't a grid, so by your definition it would be Boston.

[Hillary pays minimum wage]

Tuscon, AZ

[Famous Mortimer]

Tuscon, AZ

Are you serious? Have you only been to like 2 cities? I guess it's more European than Phoenix but that's not saying much.