If you could choose, what city would you like to see crushed by a giant monster?

[NattyLud]

Having lived in LA for 12 years I can attest that, yes, it is a city and therefore has typical city problems. But however unnerving it generally feels to be enveloped in what feels like an inescapable expanse of concrete, atrocious air, and a sizable population that thinks celebrity and affluence are be-all/end-all, the city is not without its charms. It does in fact have a laid-back vibe as compare to every other major city I've known, the weather is nearly ideal, and the variety of life and culture available there is remarkable.

Monster, please instead step on San Francisco...

 

[Trenchfriend]

Having lived in LA for 12 years I can attest that, yes, it is a city and therefore has typical city problems. But however unnerving it generally feels to be enveloped in what feels like an inescapable expanse of concrete, atrocious air, and a sizable population that thinks celebrity and affluence are be-all/end-all, the city is not without its charms. It does in fact have a laid-back vibe as compare to every other major city I've known, the weather is nearly ideal, and the variety of life and culture available there is remarkable.

Monster, please instead step on San Francisco...

Nope, SF is excused. SF bore Levi's and type III-trucker jacket.

 

[Worf]

As for L.A. (not Lower Alabama) I've been there only once. Coming from "back east" where "historic" structures often date from the 1700's it was very interesting to see what left coaster's think is "historic". I had a good time there and it was one of those rare Spring periods where I could see the mountains from where I was staying. I didn't "love it" but I didn't hate it either. One thing all who would love to see the city flattened or hate the new "modern" glass and steel erections... just wait.... mother nature may be straightening that out for you sooner than you think. "Shake. Rattle and Collapse".

Worf

 

[OldStrummer]

I'd prefer a neutron bomb. Leave the buildings and take the people.

Then, the list would be nigh on endless.

 

[Zombie_61]

Having lived in LA for 12 years I can attest that, yes, it is a city and therefore has typical city problems. But however unnerving it generally feels to be enveloped in what feels like an inescapable expanse of concrete, atrocious air, and a sizable population that thinks celebrity and affluence are be-all/end-all, the city is not without its charms. It does in fact have a laid-back vibe as compare to every other major city I've known, the weather is nearly ideal, and the variety of life and culture available there is remarkable...

The weather used to be nearly ideal, but over the last 10-15 years the heat and high humidity during the summer and autumn months seem to grow worse every year and get rather uncomfortable if, like most native Californians, you're not used to it. It still beats having to deal with snow during the winter months, but I won't be too surprised if even that becomes the "new norm" here within my lifetime since the winters are slowly getting colder.

...Monster, please instead step on San Francisco...

I like San Francisco, but my opinion might change if I were a resident instead of just an occasional visitor.

As for L.A. (not Lower Alabama) I've been there only once. Coming from "back east" where "historic" structures often date from the 1700's it was very interesting to see what left coaster's think is "historic". I had a good time there and it was one of those rare Spring periods where I could see the mountains from where I was staying. I didn't "love it" but I didn't hate it either. One thing all who would love to see the city flattened or hate the new "modern" glass and steel erections... just wait.... mother nature may be straightening that out for you sooner than you think. "Shake. Rattle and Collapse".

Worf

You've pretty much covered two major aspects of the "history" issue in a single post. You're absolutely right, the west coast of the U.S. doesn't date as far back as the east coast because of the way the country was developed over the decades, i.e. east to west. And the earthquakes we experience from time to time are part of the reason we have difficulties retaining that "physical" history; the ground moves, and the oldest structures literally fall apart.

Whittier, California, my home town and where I currently live, experienced a devastating earthquake on October 1, 1987. At the time a very good friend was living in a two-story apartment building that was built in 1888; the oldest building in Whittier at the time. It started out as a livery stable, at some point was used as a warehouse, then was converted to apartments during the Great Depression. Long story short, the building was severely damaged in the earthquake and as I was helping my friend gather and move his belongings the landlord stopped by to see how his former tenants were progressing with their evacuation. To emphasize the need for absolute caution he took us into an adjoining apartment, reached into a crack in the wall, and pulled out a handful of sand. As he showed it to us he said, "This is the mortar that's holding this place together." I won't bore you all with the number of stories I could tell, but suffice it to say major earthquakes are no joke.

Add to that the population problems we have here, the need for all types of structures to support that population, and greedy overzealous developers, and you begin to understand why we have so little physical history here. There are conservation groups who fight diligently to save older structures if it's at all possible, but sometimes the expense doesn't justify the desire. And I've seen a buildings that were only 10 years old torn down and replaced by nearly identical buildings because they either weren't in compliance with the latest earthquake codes, or simply because someone wanted it.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

"Real cities have something else, some individual bony structure under the muck. Los Angeles has Hollywood -- and hates it. It ought to consider itself damn lucky. Without Hollywood it would be a mail order city. Everything in the catalogue you could get better somewhere else."

...Raymond Chandler

 

[belfastboy]

"Real cities have something else, some individual bony structure under the muck. Los Angeles has Hollywood -- and hates it. It ought to consider itself damn lucky. Without Hollywood it would be a mail order city. Everything in the catalogue you could get better somewhere else."

...Raymond Chandler

And now that Hollywood's shenanigans are exposed it is not so much of an asset any longer.

 

[Zombie_61]

And now that Hollywood's shenanigans are exposed it is not so much of an asset any longer.

Hollywood (the industry, that is, not the city) stopped being an asset to California the moment they realized it was more cost effective to film almost anywhere else.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Hollywood is a place where people from Iowa mistake each other for stars." -- Fred Allen

 

[HanauMan]

Sorry, I'm sticking up for LA.

I have never visited the place but my all time favorite TV series was made there: Starsky & Hutch. Loved that TV show and the LA (I think they called it Bay City) backdrop to the action. Plus Hollywood gave me most of my popular junk culture as I grew up, all those bad movies and terrible TV shows I used to enjoy watching (still do, actually) . (NYC gave me my musical education).

 

[Trenchfriend]

Köln, and we would be rid of the carnival-idioty.

 

[belfastboy]

Hollywood (the industry, that is, not the city) stopped being an asset to California the moment they realized it was more cost effective to film almost anywhere else.

Like Vancouver.....Hollywood North......tax incentives and a cheap dollar.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Köln, and we would be rid of the carnival-idioty.

It's only at Carnival time in Germany that we can see the Germans actually have a sense of humor.
Bartender edit: given house rules, I think it best we lose the photo!

 

[TimeWarpWife]

Washington, D.C. and I'd also like for every lying, greedy, worthless scumbag politician to actually be working in their offices the day it happened. There has to be a special place in hell just for politicians! I heard a psychiatrist say on a program one day that every politician he'd ever seen displayed characteristics of being a psychopath. Frankly, I believe him.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Hollywood (the industry, that is, not the city) stopped being an asset to California the moment they realized it was more cost effective to film almost anywhere else.

"I'll take Geography for $500."
"It is the Movie Capital of the World"
"What is Canada?"
"Correct!"


Which is becoming true in many ways because not only is a lot of film and TV production being done there but for years many of the well-known movie and TV stars were and are Canadian -- particularly in the field of comedy.

 

[Just Jim]

I'm not sure DC has ever done anything so bad as to call for total destruction. How about we just take away all their air conditioners and require the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority to cease operations? That ought to do until we can persuade Godzilla and Mothra to visit.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'd much rather see Darien, Connecticut get stomped. Any town with more country clubs than schools is just begging to be flattened.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Stupid cyberpunk-city.

 

[Bugguy]

Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Stupid cyberpunk-city.

I was leaning toward Itaewon, Seoul as a top runner for a blight on humanity award, but then I remembered how much I dislike Atlanta GA and Philadelphia, PA. I need three monsters!

 

[Trenchfriend]

Frankfurt am Main.

No one in Germany really needs it. I don't know, what to do with...