What Makes a Great City?

I choose to live in Omaha because I think it’s a great city!  My travels have taken me to dozens of major cities around the United States – some great, and some not so much. 

There are certain things that cause me to like a city:

• Friendly people
• Big enough to offer decent shopping and entertainment
• Small enough to find my way around
• Streets that are logically laid out
• Clean and well-maintained
• Clean air and water
• Affordable housing
• Cultural opportunities
• Favorable to small business
• More than one season

There are other things that make me dislike a city:

• Traffic jams
• High crime rates
• Unreasonable bureaucracy
• Nasty people
• No change in season

I’ve learned that it all depends on the perspective of the observer.  Those who move from Detroit to Chicago are amazed at how much less crime there is.  Those who move from Omaha to Chicago, on the other hand, may be horrified by the crime statistics.  Those who move from New York to Los Angeles might comment on how well the traffic moves.  If you move from Omaha to Los Angeles, you might be overwhelmed by the number of cars, and the lengths of time spent in traffic jams.  One person’s “great city” may well be another person’s “last place I’d ever want to live.”

Of course, I’ve never been a real city-dweller.  I’ve never lived in a brownstone, a walkup, or a high-rise.  I’ve never depended on a bus, subway, train, or taxi for daily transportation to work.  I’ve never lived for any length of time where lights and noise continue 24 hours per day.  I guess I’m a life-long suburbanite.

And maybe that’s what makes a city great – it has great suburbs!