The 21 most influential cities in the world

[10023]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

The U. of Iowa has a very good creative writing program. Evidently they sit around writing, creatively.

My experience of Iowa City mostly involved lots of heavy drinking. But that was my experience in most Big Ten college towns that I visited as a student.

Des Moines, tough... what do you do?

[dimondpark]

*UN 2016 Per Capita GDP by Country, $30,000+
*MSAs with 1 million+population and/or $50B+ GDP

Per Capita GDP, 2016
Monaco $168,004
Liechtenstein $164,437
San Jose $127,594
Bridgeport $108,455
Luxembourg $101,835
San Francisco $100,558
Bermuda $99,363
Boston $88,156
Seattle $86,974
Washington $83,044
New York $82,241
Switzerland $79,609
Des Moines $79,161
Los Angeles $75,254
Hartford $74,578
Macau $73,187
Salt Lake City $71,511
Philadelphia $71,005
Dallas $70,729
Houston $70,671
Norway $70,617
Minneapolis $69,469
Denver $69,387
Chicago $68,456
Portland $67,822
Indianapolis $67,577
Baltimore $67,159
Nashville $66,607
Omaha $66,320
Chatlotte $66,134
Austin $65,653
Honolulu $65,238
San Diego $64,906
Ireland $64,497
Milwaukee $64,146
Columbus $64,049
Cayman Islands $63,261
Richmond $62,964
Atlanta $62,830
Baton Rouge $61,586
Cleveland $61,374
New Orleans $61,166
Raleigh $61,002
Cincinnati $60,970
Iceland $60,966
Qatar $59,324
Detroit $58,797
Louisville $58,412
United States $57,808
St Louis $56,960
Albany $59,352
Tulsa $59,003
Pittsburgh $56,813
Grand Rapids $55,835
Birmingham $54,695
Miami $54,147
Australia $54,069
Virginia Beach $53,753
Denmark $53,730
Sacramento $53,290
Memphis $53,208
Singapore $52,814
Orlando $51,939
Las Vegas $51,534
Rochester $51,373
Buffalo $51,255
Oklahoma City $51,146
Sweden $50,687
Providence $49,644
Phoenix $49,354
Jacksonville $48,349
San Marino $47,910
San Antonio $47,963
Tampa $47,039
Netherlands $45,753
Austria $44,857
Hong Kong $43,943
Finland $43,339
Germany $42,456
Canada $42,154
Belgium $41,199
Greenland $40,469
United Kingdom $40,249
New Zealand $40,233
Israel $38,788
Japan $38,640
United Arab Emirates $37,622
Andorra $36,987
France $36,826
Tucson $36,449
New Caledonia $34,641
Riverside $32,920
Virgin Islands, British $31,677
Italy $31,279

[Baronvonellis]

I don't think you can compare GDP per capita across different countries. When the 1% of the US control 40% of the wealth. Norway at 70k is much more egalitarian than Houston and Dallas at 70k. The oil wealth of Norway goes to the Norwegian people, while the oil wealth of Texas goes to very few ultra-rich people. Texas is closer to an African dictatorship with regards to the distribution of the oil wealth.

Germany, Belgium and Austria around 40k are a much more equal society with more people well off than Orlando at 52k.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by 10023

My experience of Iowa City mostly involved lots of heavy drinking. But that was my experience in most Big Ten college towns that I visited as a student.

Des Moines, tough... what do you do?

Raise a family?

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Germany, Belgium and Austria around 40k are a much more equal society with more people well off than Orlando at 52k.

I think that's highly debatable as median household incomes in the U.S. are higher. The typical American household makes more money.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Boisebro

behold... the triple Habenero Pizza from Flying Pie in Boise... a pizza so hot, you have to sign a waiver to order it:
...
story here

it's not pizza. it's pain.

As I was born in Boise and still have family there, I will come to the defense of Flying Pie - it is good pizza that, with its sourdough crust is a great representative of pizza form the Mountain West region.

I, personally, strongly dislike the habanero pizza for the reasons others cited - it's simply too hot, without enough balance.

But Flying Pie's other pizzas are very good, and I really do think the sourdough crust adds something unique to it.

[Baronvonellis]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I think that's highly debatable as median household incomes in the U.S. are higher. The typical American household makes more money.

Alright, the typical household makes more money in the US, but has to pay for the government and employer benefits that they get in Europe. Although some benefits are impossible for most people in the US to even get from their employer. They get guaranteed 6 weeks paid vacation. While companies here will actually block you from trying to take that much vacation time. With our great Puritan work ethics and all. Have to always be working. Free university. Up to 2 Years paid maternity leave, that can also be split with both parents if desired. Germany is running a government surplus, as opposed to the US with a huge deficit. Which eventually everyone in the US will have to pay for.

[10023]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Raise a family?

My question stands.

This isn’t something to do. It’s just existing.

[10023]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I think that's highly debatable as median household incomes in the U.S. are higher. The typical American household makes more money.

Well, there is a cost of living argument. And healthcare costs in America can really eat into after tax income for an American household at the median income.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by 10023

But it’s not just Chicago’s per capita GDP that’s growing, but its aggregate GDP that is growing as fast as Dallas’. That means per capita GDP is increasing faster.

It also means that it’s replacing less productive people with more productive people, which for a city is a good thing.

But this means that Chicago's growth rate is lower than Dallas's.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by 10023

Well, there is a cost of living argument. And healthcare costs in America can really eat into after tax income for an American household at the median income.

I don't think the U.S. would fare worse by most COL comparisons, which tend to be default housing value comparisons. Healthcare costs are high in other first world nations too, just pretax.

[SFBruin]

Originally Posted by 10023

But it’s not just Chicago’s per capita GDP that’s growing, but its aggregate GDP that is growing as fast as Dallas’. That means per capita GDP is increasing faster.

It also means that it’s replacing less productive people with more productive people, which for a city is a good thing.

Maybe this is the non-capitalist in me, but if a city is "replacing" people because they are not productive enough, then this is not a good thing.

[SLO]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

he was born and raised in new orleans, but he's been living in LA for the past 4 decades.

Why do you know this!?

Anyway yeah, SF does have great pizza and should be top ten if not right after the first four.

Otherwise the list is garbage....

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by SLO

Why do you know this!?

wikipedia knows EVERYTHING.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Alright, the typical household makes more money in the US, but has to pay for the government and employer benefits that they get in Europe.

Govt. benefits are better in Europe, but employee benefits are better in U.S. You obviously get your healthcare from employer in the U.S., which is an enormous cost.

[10023]

Originally Posted by SFBruin

Maybe this is the non-capitalist in me, but if a city is "replacing" people because they are not productive enough, then this is not a good thing.

Cities are, or should be, the most productive locales in human civilization. There are greater opportunities but also higher costs. If you have a job (or a life, but essentially these are the same thing) that can be done/proceed just as effectively in some inexpensive small town as in NYC, then there is no reason for you to be in NYC. It just doesn’t make economic sense. High cost cities are for people with ambition who need and want things that aren’t available outside of those high cost cities.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by 10023

My question stands.

This isn’t something to do. It’s just existing.

I know it's hard to imagine, but some people actually prefer to live in small cities and they actually entertain themselves without having to go bar hopping in Iowa City.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by 10023

My question stands.

This isn’t something to do. It’s just existing.

I guarantee, your average Londoner lives more or less the same life your average Des Moiner (or whatever the hell they are called)...i.e., not very exciting.

[Kenmore]

Originally Posted by 10023

And nothing to do.

leaves plenty of time for making 15k posts on a message board

[austlar1]

^^I've always wondered about that myself. Seems like it would cut into productivity a bit.