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This is why I choose to live in a large city, despite a lower cost of living and other benefits of living in a smaller city or the countryside (latter being whe

This is why I choose to live in a large city, despite a lower cost of living and other benefits of living in a smaller city or the countryside (latter being where I spent most of my young adult life). In cities there is competition to be above the rest. Whether in restaurants, art, nightlife, retail, sports, museums, grocery stores, whatever. In my experience cultural and even mundane experiences and activities are of a higher quality in larger cities because of competition.

WillPostForFood 5y ago
The problem in cities is that as they get more expensive, it is harder for businesses like small restaurants or boutiques to afford rent and labor. They get replaced by larger chains with big economies of scale that can absorb those costs. You end up with the same chains in every city. Larger cities still may be the best, but the best stuff can often be found on the peripheries, not the expensive core. Tyler Cowan makes a good case for dining at strip mall restaurants in the suburbs. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/six-rules-for-dining-out/308929/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/six-rul...
- pfraze 5y ago
  Generally good advice there- Some products have price sensitivity among buyers that stops them from maintaining margins when the environment is too high cost. If you can’t go upscale, you’re going to have to cut costs to the bone and/or leverage scale economics.
- lowkey_ 5y ago
  If you’ve been to NYC, L.A., London, and so on, this definitely isn’t true — this seems true of smaller cities like Cleveland, Tampa, and San Diego. The largest cities are almost entirely void of most chains, as nobody who lives there wants to eat chain food. (There’s usually some chains in the tourist central area, like Times Square in NYC).
  - WillPostForFood 5y ago
    I've lived in LA and it is 100% true. You don't get good Chinese food in the city, or even in Chinatown, it is 20 miles east in Monterey Park. If you want great Vietnamese food, it is 20 miles south in Westminster. Tell me where you think locals hang out in LA and I'll show you the chains that have displaced the smaller businesses. Especially true as Covid shutdowns have hammered smaller businesses. I was just in NYC and Soho which at one point was an interesting part of town, is now dominated by chains. Uniqlo, Nike, Sephora, Sketchers, Ray-Ban. It is a suburban strip mall with better architecture. Do you get better Chinese food in Manhattan or Flushing? The largest cities are almost entirely void of most chains 241 Starbucks in NYC, and they aren't all there to serve locals. https://www.statista.com/statistics/306896/cities-with-the-largest-number-of-starbucks-stores-us/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/306896/cities-with-the-l...
    - lowkey_ 5y ago
      I was going to add a note that Starbucks is basically the one exception to the rule, in almost any city in the world. :) Look at the number of other big chains in NYC, like Chick-Fil-A, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, and so on, and you'll see what I mean. If you ever visit NYC again, I can provide a long list of amazing local restaurants that will beat anything in suburbs regardless of neighborhood! I've lived in many places, and the idea that suburbs food will beat city food, or that cities are all 'big chains,' feels like a distinctly small-American-city sentiment. It literally couldn't be further from the truth with regards to NYC.
      - WillPostForFood 5y ago
        the idea that suburbs food will beat city food, or that cities are all 'big chains Whatever, no one said that - that's just a straw man. Do you think there is more interesting and authentic Chinese food in Manhattan or Flushing? I can provide a long list of amazing local restaurants that will beat anything in suburbs Ok, how about the best places for jianbing or lagman?
        5y ago
- thomasahle 5y ago
  > They get replaced by larger chains with big economies of scale that can absorb those costs. Why are the larger chains better able to absorb the costs? Don't they still have the same rent and labor costs? Besides, smaller towns seem to suffer from chains just as much in my experience. It feels like a particular problem in the US, though Europe has too many chains for my liking as well. I wonder what laws/regulations are part of this problem, and how they might be changed if we want more independent shops.
rowanG077 5y ago
Oh I have completely the opposite experience. Cities generally have less quality. Precisely because of the massive nature of cities. There is no local quality foods for example because mega-corps are much more efficient and most people choose price over quality. Most forms of entertainment suck because of overcrowding. Just look at nightclubs with their bouncers.
- CharlesW 5y ago
  > Cities generally have less quality. […] There is no local quality foods for example because mega-corps are much more efficient and most people choose price over quality. If you've visited large cities and only found mega-corp food chains and no local quality foods, that's 100% for lack of trying.
  - rowanG077 5y ago
    Not only. But it's much harder to find anything in larger cities.
- only_as_i_fall 5y ago
  What large cities don't have quality food available? I grew up in the deep suburbs and currently live in one of the largest cities in the US. The difference in variety when it comes to both supermarkets and reasturants is hugely in favor of the city. Growing up there were three grocery stores within half an hour and they all had basically the same items. If you wanted something unusual you'd have to order it. In the city I can head to the Asian market or one of multiple farmers markets or one of the multiple Co ops around me. There are at least 50 reasturants I can get delivered to my house and while some are large chains or fast food, most are not. When I visit my friends in the suburbs the options are basically limited to American style Chinese, Pizza, or a large chain like Applebee's.
  - WillPostForFood 5y ago
    What large cities don't have quality food available? https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/ https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/ Chicago – More than 500,000 residents (mostly African-American) live in food deserts, and an additional 400,000 live in neighborhoods with a preponderance of fast food restaurants and no grocery stores nearby. New York City – An estimated 750,000 New York City residents live in food deserts, [27]while about three million people live in places where stores that sell fresh produce are few or far away. [28] Supermarkets throughout New York City have closed down in recent years due to increasing rents and shrinking profit margins, but the disappearance of urban grocery stores has had the most serious impact on low-income communities, especially those that are predominantly African-American (such East/Central Harlem and North/Central Brooklyn).

WillPostForFood 5y ago

The problem in cities is that as they get more expensive, it is harder for businesses like small restaurants or boutiques to afford rent and labor. They get replaced by larger chains with big economies of scale that can absorb those costs. You end up with the same chains in every city. Larger cities still may be the best, but the best stuff can often be found on the peripheries, not the expensive core. Tyler Cowan makes a good case for dining at strip mall restaurants in the suburbs. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/six-rules-for-dining-out/308929/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/six-rul...

pfraze 5y ago
Generally good advice there- Some products have price sensitivity among buyers that stops them from maintaining margins when the environment is too high cost. If you can’t go upscale, you’re going to have to cut costs to the bone and/or leverage scale economics.
lowkey_ 5y ago
If you’ve been to NYC, L.A., London, and so on, this definitely isn’t true — this seems true of smaller cities like Cleveland, Tampa, and San Diego. The largest cities are almost entirely void of most chains, as nobody who lives there wants to eat chain food. (There’s usually some chains in the tourist central area, like Times Square in NYC).
- WillPostForFood 5y ago
  I've lived in LA and it is 100% true. You don't get good Chinese food in the city, or even in Chinatown, it is 20 miles east in Monterey Park. If you want great Vietnamese food, it is 20 miles south in Westminster. Tell me where you think locals hang out in LA and I'll show you the chains that have displaced the smaller businesses. Especially true as Covid shutdowns have hammered smaller businesses. I was just in NYC and Soho which at one point was an interesting part of town, is now dominated by chains. Uniqlo, Nike, Sephora, Sketchers, Ray-Ban. It is a suburban strip mall with better architecture. Do you get better Chinese food in Manhattan or Flushing? The largest cities are almost entirely void of most chains 241 Starbucks in NYC, and they aren't all there to serve locals. https://www.statista.com/statistics/306896/cities-with-the-largest-number-of-starbucks-stores-us/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/306896/cities-with-the-l...
  - lowkey_ 5y ago
    I was going to add a note that Starbucks is basically the one exception to the rule, in almost any city in the world. :) Look at the number of other big chains in NYC, like Chick-Fil-A, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, and so on, and you'll see what I mean. If you ever visit NYC again, I can provide a long list of amazing local restaurants that will beat anything in suburbs regardless of neighborhood! I've lived in many places, and the idea that suburbs food will beat city food, or that cities are all 'big chains,' feels like a distinctly small-American-city sentiment. It literally couldn't be further from the truth with regards to NYC.
    - WillPostForFood 5y ago
      the idea that suburbs food will beat city food, or that cities are all 'big chains Whatever, no one said that - that's just a straw man. Do you think there is more interesting and authentic Chinese food in Manhattan or Flushing? I can provide a long list of amazing local restaurants that will beat anything in suburbs Ok, how about the best places for jianbing or lagman?
      - 5y ago
thomasahle 5y ago
> They get replaced by larger chains with big economies of scale that can absorb those costs. Why are the larger chains better able to absorb the costs? Don't they still have the same rent and labor costs? Besides, smaller towns seem to suffer from chains just as much in my experience. It feels like a particular problem in the US, though Europe has too many chains for my liking as well. I wonder what laws/regulations are part of this problem, and how they might be changed if we want more independent shops.

rowanG077 5y ago

Oh I have completely the opposite experience. Cities generally have less quality. Precisely because of the massive nature of cities. There is no local quality foods for example because mega-corps are much more efficient and most people choose price over quality. Most forms of entertainment suck because of overcrowding. Just look at nightclubs with their bouncers.

CharlesW 5y ago
> Cities generally have less quality. […] There is no local quality foods for example because mega-corps are much more efficient and most people choose price over quality. If you've visited large cities and only found mega-corp food chains and no local quality foods, that's 100% for lack of trying.
- rowanG077 5y ago
  Not only. But it's much harder to find anything in larger cities.
only_as_i_fall 5y ago
What large cities don't have quality food available? I grew up in the deep suburbs and currently live in one of the largest cities in the US. The difference in variety when it comes to both supermarkets and reasturants is hugely in favor of the city. Growing up there were three grocery stores within half an hour and they all had basically the same items. If you wanted something unusual you'd have to order it. In the city I can head to the Asian market or one of multiple farmers markets or one of the multiple Co ops around me. There are at least 50 reasturants I can get delivered to my house and while some are large chains or fast food, most are not. When I visit my friends in the suburbs the options are basically limited to American style Chinese, Pizza, or a large chain like Applebee's.
- WillPostForFood 5y ago
  What large cities don't have quality food available? https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/ https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/ Chicago – More than 500,000 residents (mostly African-American) live in food deserts, and an additional 400,000 live in neighborhoods with a preponderance of fast food restaurants and no grocery stores nearby. New York City – An estimated 750,000 New York City residents live in food deserts, [27]while about three million people live in places where stores that sell fresh produce are few or far away. [28] Supermarkets throughout New York City have closed down in recent years due to increasing rents and shrinking profit margins, but the disappearance of urban grocery stores has had the most serious impact on low-income communities, especially those that are predominantly African-American (such East/Central Harlem and North/Central Brooklyn).