Most American city

[Dan]

My nominee: Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding metropolitan area. KC is truly the "most American" of American metros, IMHO. Why?

* Mid-sized metro with slow but steady growth. Not a boom town, not a Rust Belt basket case, but still healthy.
* Diverse mix of white and blue collar industries (auto manufacturing to many Fortune 500 companies),
* "Kinder gentler" sprawl (at least on the eyes; low density 'burbs with very strict architectural design, landscaping and signage standards) but with urban neighborhoods that, with some exceptions, remain fairly vibrant,
* Wide variety of architecture
* Gently rolling landscape; not too flat, not too hilly.
* Hot summers and cold winters; typical of North America's more extreme climate.
* Ethnically diverse, as still attracting immigrants from around the world.
* Home to many American food and music traditions.
* Native "newscaster accent".
* Politically moderate; somewhat more conservative on the Kansas side, somewhat more liberal on the Missouri side.
* Not a high-profile region, not much hipster cred, and not much planner cred.
* Bonus points for being in the Midwest, probably the most iconically "American" region of all parts of the country.

[hilldweller]

I say Cincinnati, OH.

[Planit]

My nominee: Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding metropolitan area. KC is truly the "most American" of American metros, IMHO. Why?.

Plus its basically smack dab in the middle of the country.

[HomerJ]

Well I'm clearly being biased on this issue but I say KC as well

'Murica!

[Richmond Jake]

Sacramento CA. Just to provide a western perspective.

[Masswich]

Well it all depends on what you mean by American. I vote for the unorthodox New York City because in many ways it epitomizes what like about the USA.

If you mean "middle American" than I think the Kansas City/Saint Louis/Denver group wins out.

[ISny17]

I totally agree with Masswich. In my opinion New York embodies the "American" spirit more than any other. The city is the center for opportunity in all industries, and as a city made up of many cultures, no one in America is really a native in terms of ancestry unless ur of native American descent. So my vote goes to Gotham!

[mgk920]

I totally agree with Masswich. In my opinion New York embodies the "American" spirit more than any other. The city is the center for opportunity in all industries, and as a city made up of many cultures, no one in America is really a native in terms of ancestry unless ur of native American descent. So my vote goes to Gotham!

I agree on NYC, or, for that matter, Chicago. And going far enough back, the Indians' ancestors also immigrated, so their influence in both cities also counts (the city name 'Chicago' is derived from an Aboriginal term, too).

Mike

[DetroitPlanner]

I vote for Toledo Ohio.