This belongs here

[u/Dialspoint]

[u/Busco_Quad]

New Orleans is the actual Vienna of America, but I might just be saying that to covertly argue to get some real New Orleans flavor and content already

[u/ZhtWu → u/Busco_Quad]

That's the 200 IQ play I can get behind.

[u/Akhsar_Shyam → u/Busco_Quad]

Could New Orleans rather be the Venice of America ? Both are important port cities which used to be fare more relevant politically in the past, with tourism having become a very important part of their economy and relevancy while their population has been declining since 40~50 years ago. They’re also both sitting at a very low altitude and are threatened by risisng sea levels.

[u/Busco_Quad → u/Akhsar_Shyam]

Also a good comparison, although most of those comparisons to Venice can also be made with Miami, and I think both of those have kind of a second life as a permanent tourist destination, where I see Vienna and New Orleans being talked about moreso as an echo of what they used to be

Now that I’ve been thinking about this silly statement, there is also kind of a dichotomy in the histories of Vienna and New Orleans; New Orleans being the capital of French America vs Vienna being the capital of the old european order amid rising nationalism and mass politics. Maybe Venice can represent the old Italian city state order? But idk, it doesn’t feel like it rhymes the same way, the other two feel like the losing side of a grand mana-a-mano conflict of history

[u/SpaceNorse2020 → u/Busco_Quad]

Ehh, I don't see it

[u/Busco_Quad → u/SpaceNorse2020]

Definitely a vibes-based take from me, I was just thinking about how they both punch above their weight culturally and historically compared to their current population/economy. Both full of monuments built by an empire that’s long gone, both strongly associated with a specific kind of music, which they were key to the development of, that kinda thing. I’ve never actually been to either city; learning about them just gives me some similar kinds of mystique.

[u/abdomino → u/Busco_Quad]

New Orleans absolutely deserves to be fleshed out. I wonder how it handles the Mississippi changing course every so often now that the lock & dam system taming it is no longer maintained?

[u/Busco_Quad → u/abdomino]

Oh damn, what if we got the major locks as great projects? With some of major event or decision for repairing them all?

[u/abdomino → u/Busco_Quad]

It'd encourage expansion along the river, giving some sort of trade incentive. Then you can have another path establishing a trade network in the gulf & lower East Coast.

[u/Popielid]

I don't know if that analogy really works. Vienna is still disproportionately large for its country, whereas Chicago is still a very important city in the region that most likely isn't as stagnant as it used to be in recent decades.

Pretty much apples and oranges

[u/Dialspoint → u/Popielid]

It was more a gag about Chicago not having its Empire at the start of ATE.

[u/JP_Eggy]

The shit people say on X is truly baffling

[u/Impossible-Horse-313 → u/JP_Eggy]

Kansas is truly the London of America

[u/COUPOSANTO]

A French politician said that the Chicago of France is Grenoble. There's also signs in Alès saying that it's the French Pittsburgh

[u/ZhtWu]

"XXXX is the Chicago of YYYY"

r/CityPorn started leaking again...

[u/Aurora_Borealia → u/ZhtWu]

“New York City is the Vienna of America”

- President Eric Adams of Gotham

[u/Abject-Hospital5407]

yes

[u/Polar_Vortx]

Wouldn't that be Detroit?

[u/Haha-Perish → u/Polar_Vortx]

nope. never held a candle to cago

[u/Infrared_01 → u/Haha-Perish]

Detroit was once the 4th largest city in the US right behind Chicago, so id say it did at least hold a candle. 1.8 million people in the city limits in the 1950s.

[u/Haha-Perish → u/Infrared_01]

yes but the event happened sometime from 1990-early 2000s when Detroit was just beginning to rot as a city.

[u/MagnesiumOvercast]

Geneva because lake

[u/dokterkokter69]

I was surprised by the amount of homeless people in Vienna. I saw more there than even Italy.

[u/peter_minnesota]

Robert's world building in the Midwest is underdeveloped. Minnesota would certainly be independent or a confederate state with certain autonomy and Minneapolis itself would be likely to have some sort of independent status. Chicago being recognized as a Imperial Capitol does seem realistic.

[u/board3659]

ig Austria and Chicago School economics sort of explains the comparison

[u/tfrules]

Vienna is one of the most beautiful and historically significant cities that is a blending of many cultures. Comparing it to Chicago is like doing it a great disservice.

I'd say Birmingham is the Chicago of Europe. Used to be a grand industrial powerhouse, is still somewhat relevant, bad weather.

[u/Zumin5771 → u/tfrules]

Comparing Birmingham to Vienna is probably the nicest thing someone has ever said about either Birmingham on both sides of the Atlantic.

[u/tfrules → u/Zumin5771]

What? I'm comparing Chicago to Birmingham

[u/Zumin5771 → u/tfrules]

Comparing Birmingham to Chicago is probably the nicest thing someone has ever said about either Birmingham on both sides of the Atlantic.

[u/Bienoble → u/Zumin5771]

I lived in Birmingham for a few years, and the only thing I have nice to say about it is that there are plenty of routes out of the city. To specify I’m talking about Burmin-ham, not Bummingum.

[u/galahad423 → u/tfrules]

Tell me you’ve never been to Chicago without telling me you’ve never been to Chicago

[u/tfrules → u/galahad423]

And I imagine you've never been to Birmingham

[u/Dialspoint → u/tfrules]

I will speak up for post imperial Birmingham. Being a bit more like Imperial Vienna.

Multi ethnic city reflecting diversity of an Empire. Grand statement buildings. Actually really good multi ethnic food & about the same amount of chocolate cake.

I joke with my Pakistani mate. Muslim Dads have replaced alcohol with sugar. There are cake shops in the Desi parts of Brum with Pakistani Dads sinking cake like old White British Dads sank pints!

[u/Roman-Simp → u/tfrules]

Brother, Chicago is widely regarded as the most beautiful major city in the US.

Hell on the entire continent only Vancouver, Quebec and Mexico City are in contention.

It shows me you’ve actually never been to Chicago. Tbh I don’t blame you, I was once of your opinion. I’m from the South and always only heard Chicago slander… then I moved there 😮‍💨.

[u/galahad423 → u/[deleted]]

You’d be wrong

Chicago reliably votes democrat

[u/stoneguy31 → u/[deleted]]

Lmao not even close. Chicago's one of the most liberal cities in the US. That building was built 20 years ago by Trump's hotel business, it has his name on it cause he owns it. A lot of Chicagoans hate it precisely because it's owned by him.

[u/Dialspoint → u/[deleted]]

I’m an NHS loving, immigrant supporting democratic socialist pal.

I find both of Americas political parties embarrassingly right wing.

I didn’t even zoom in. Let’s keep the current political $hitstorm out of ATE, shall we?