Places outside the U.S. that most resemble the U.S.

[hauntedheadnc]

Two photos I took of downtown Tokyo, Japan, masquerading as Omaha:

[dimondpark]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Outside North America, Johannesburg is definitely the most similar.

I say Australia or New Zealand but Johannesburg is a good one too--well the suburban areas at least.

I've lived in Sandton and Pretoria East and they do remind me of California somewhat. Even the freeways but of course, they drive on the right.

Otherwise, imo walk inside a McDonalds anywhere in the world and you feel like youre back in the US lol

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by BG918

I flew over the Argentinian pampas from Buenos Aires to Mendoza and looking out the window it looked like I was flying over Texas. The little towns even looked similar with street grids, grain silos, small town centers surrounded by low density homes.

Yeah, the Patagonian desert region feels a lot like the American southwest. So does the desert area inn southern Spain, outside of the cities.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by dimondpark

I say Australia or New Zealand but Johannesburg is a good one too--well the suburban areas at least.

I've lived in Sandton and Pretoria East and they do remind me of California somewhat. Even the freeways but of course, they drive on the right.

Otherwise, imo walk inside a McDonalds anywhere in the world and you feel like youre back in the US lol

Johannesburg, is very remarkable as a huge chunk of the city, suburbs and CBD, looks more a major US city than many US cities themselves. lol

I'd say though their suburban houses, in general, are a bit better built than in the US. South African gardens strike me as more elaborate.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by Commentariat

I remember getting a weird sense of deja vu driving around near La Jolla, it was like I was back home in Australia. I think it was because of all the eucalyptus trees. This could be any random road in Australia: https://goo.gl/maps/QiCX4kWWyTHSEZ5N8

Australia is def on my list to visit. Wish it was closer though lol.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by BG918

I flew over the Argentinian pampas from Buenos Aires to Mendoza and looking out the window it looked like I was flying over Texas. The little towns even looked similar with street grids, grain silos, small town centers surrounded by low density homes.

The Pampas geographically and climatically is pretty close to the lower great plains so its not too surprising really

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by Commentariat

As a resident of Perth, I feel obliged to point out that the city was founded in 1829, six years before Melbourne. Although Melbourne obviously grew into a big city much earlier than Perth. Nevertheless, there are some historic parts of Perth, eg:

High Street, Fremantle, leading up to the Roundhouse (built in 1830): https://goo.gl/maps/2Wq3pWzVdPfqa5JL6. In fact I can't really think of anywhere in the US that looks exactly like this, but I'm sure there must be?

King Street, Perth: https://goo.gl/maps/bmaQmjPvfm45Exbq9

The Rose and Crown pub, Guildford, operating since 1841: https://goo.gl/maps/TsJshgg3jhxAEZDh9

Hey man you dont need to explain that to me I live in Arizona where the cities in some cases were founded before the USA was a country but were nothing more than tiny towns or missions until 1960

[Omaharocks]

Hmm, in Europe I'd echo others that have said Berlin, but also Rotterdam.

Both feel somewhat like a mix of Montreal and Milwaukee.

[BG918]

Originally Posted by Obadno

The Pampas geographically and climatically is pretty close to the lower great plains so its not too surprising really

Right I knew this was an area similar to the Great Plains with parts that were agricultural (wheat and corn fields) and parts that were more for cattle ranching, very similar to the difference between Kansas/Nebraska and Oklahoma/Texas. I was surprised even the cities and towns looked the same. We drove through a couple and you saw big pick up trucks with guys in cowboy hats.

Unlike in Middle America though you didn't see a bunch of big box and fast food places on the fringes the towns were relatively compact with the agricultural/ranching land starting relatively quickly.

They even have a tornado season in Argentina and sometimes have some of the nastiest severe storms in the world outside of the U.S./Canada. The only F5 tornado recorded in the Southern Hemisphere was in San Justo, Argentina in 1973. One of 7 F5 tornadoes ever recorded outside of North America.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07268-2

[niwell]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Johannesburg, is very remarkable as a huge chunk of the city, suburbs and CBD, looks more a major US city than many US cities themselves. lol

I'd say though their suburban houses, in general, are a bit better built than in the US. South African gardens strike me as more elaborate.

Yeah I was going to nominate Joburg in particular as quite American looking (probably more Australian, but still) across a very large swath of the city. Even townships are laid out in the stereotypical manner of a North American suburb.

This was one of my first views of the city on my first trip to South Africa and I remember thinking it looked very much like southern California:




Outside of the suburbs the CBD actually looks a bit similar to older parts of downtown LA, despite being intentionally stylized after NYC: https://goo.gl/maps/dGhj8Y6551Ngk3CX7

Strangely enough the suburban commercial nodes like Sandton and Rosebank may be more dissimilar from a built-form perspective as there's relatively little suburban parking and most complexes are interconnected. The architecture is certainly familiar though. Older residential areas probably looked more American before the walls went up, but there's a massive amount of Art Deco as well as styles like Arts and Crafts.

Not sure I'd say suburban houses are more well built, but they are quite solid as cinderblock tends to be the primary wall material. The finishing can range from incredible to atrocious in new housing complexes of a similar price point. Gardens tend to be quite nice as it's generally expected to pay for a gardener to visit at least twice a week if you live in a suburban home (if you rent it's almost always included).

[destroycreate]

Wow, some of the architecture in Oz with the ornate balconies have a lot in common with builds in NoLa and the French quarter. I actually wonder why NoLa's architecture so distinct compared to its other neighbors in the coastal deep south.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

Wow, some of the architecture in Oz with the ornate balconies have a lot in common with builds in NoLa and the French quarter. I actually wonder why NoLa's architecture so distinct compared to its other neighbors in the coastal deep south.

I don't understand your question I don't believe. It's the difference between French colonial architecture and the colonial architecture of other cultures as I thought was well understood.

But, in fact, residential streets like this from old St. Augustine (a Spanish colonial settlement comparable to New Orleans) are not so different. The places settled by the British differ more than the continental European ones:


https://www.tripsavvy.com/top-things...lorida-4165929

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Commentariat

I remember getting a weird sense of deja vu driving around near La Jolla, it was like I was back home in Australia. I think it was because of all the eucalyptus trees. This could be any random road in Australia: https://goo.gl/maps/QiCX4kWWyTHSEZ5N8

If it were, there'd probably be a car crash coming up.

[edale]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

Wow, some of the architecture in Oz with the ornate balconies have a lot in common with builds in NoLa and the French quarter. I actually wonder why NoLa's architecture so distinct compared to its other neighbors in the coastal deep south.

Funny you say that. I had a similar thought about the linked view of Perth resembling the French Quarter. Very impressive neighborhood in Perth, btw. I don't know much of anything about the place, but assumed it was mostly a new city.

As far as other cities not resembling Nola, I think it's partly to due with the fact that New Orleans is really the only city of note in that area. Just as all urban areas have more intricate, decorative collections of architecture than the smaller towns that surround them, due to greater concentrations of wealth in cities.

That said, I think Mobile, AL looks somewhat similar to New Orleans in parts:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6950...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Br...1!4d-88.044439

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6917...7i16384!8i8192

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by edale

Funny you say that. I had a similar thought about the linked view of Perth resembling the French Quarter. Very impressive neighborhood in Perth, btw. I don't know much of anything about the place, but assumed it was mostly a new city.

As far as other cities not resembling Nola, I think it's partly to due with the fact that New Orleans is really the only city of note in that area. Just as all urban areas have more intricate, decorative collections of architecture than the smaller towns that surround them, due to greater concentrations of wealth in cities.

That said, I think Mobile, AL looks somewhat similar to New Orleans in parts:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6950...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Br...1!4d-88.044439

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6917...7i16384!8i8192

Is this a house or a mausoleum? https://goo.gl/maps/to9cWkuQEvc6kLAu6

It reminds me of this place: https://goo.gl/maps/Bi5VrA6T5PTwg4FeA

[kool maudit]

Sometimes these guys give me just a bit of that good ol' early-20th USA feeling...

[muppet]

Glasgow doubled as Philly in World War Z


https://glasgowonfilmdotcom.files.wordpress.com

https://peoplemakeglasgow.com

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by edale

Funny you say that. I had a similar thought about the linked view of Perth resembling the French Quarter. Very impressive neighborhood in Perth, btw. I don't know much of anything about the place, but assumed it was mostly a new city.

As far as other cities not resembling Nola, I think it's partly to due with the fact that New Orleans is really the only city of note in that area. Just as all urban areas have more intricate, decorative collections of architecture than the smaller towns that surround them, due to greater concentrations of wealth in cities.

That said, I think Mobile, AL looks somewhat similar to New Orleans in parts:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6950...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Br...1!4d-88.044439

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.6917...7i16384!8i8192

if you “get really drunk in shanghai on a warm night” theres a bit of new orleans there to be hallucinated. maybe dragging yourself around the bund...the huangpu weighing it all down

st. louis has its moments with creole architecture rotting in the wet heat

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by niwell

Yeah I was going to nominate Joburg in particular as quite American looking (probably more Australian, but still) across a very large swath of the city. Even townships are laid out in the stereotypical manner of a North American suburb.

This was one of my first views of the city on my first trip to South Africa and I remember thinking it looked very much like southern California:

(...)

Speaking about South Africa and as people mentioned New Orleans and its balconies, Cape Town's Long Street is very similar to Bourbon Street: https://www.google.com/search?q=long...w=1366&bih=667

They even perform the same role, an important Downtown street with a strong nightlife.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Speaking about South Africa and as people mentioned New Orleans and its balconies, Cape Town's Long Street is very similar to Bourbon Street: https://www.google.com/search?q=long...w=1366&bih=667

They even perform the same role, an important Downtown street with a strong nightlife.

speaking of africa, the former capital of french west africa saint-louis senegal is a new orleans cousin..i mean like almost literally with some very similar architecture to boot.


overlandingwestafrica.com