X is the Y of Z

September 24, 2013 9:32 PM

metropho.rs (You can zoom in)
posted by gwint (20 comments total)

Well, I just learned that California is the Philly of Dallas. So thanks, I guess!
posted by aubilenon at 9:38 PM on September 24, 2013

It's broken, they need to locate "Y" in the "X,Z" instead of searching for the most prominent X. Z is almost the most important part! That said, apparently Oregon and Massachusetts share a few city names.
posted by rhizome at 9:45 PM on September 24, 2013

I was rolling my eyes at most of these until I got to "Rockville is the Paramus of Maryland," which is pretty much the most apt comparison I've seen between DC places and NJ/NYC places.

No, Arlington is not the Hoboken of DC, nor is Cranford the New Orleans of NJ. What is wrong with you...
posted by schmod at 9:49 PM on September 24, 2013 [1 favorite]

The "Z" is not always a place -- apparently Brazil is the Liverpool of international football, and Iceland is the China of porn.
posted by Rangi at 11:23 PM on September 24, 2013

Hey! I made that! Projects link is here and a nice write up from Atlantic Cities is here.
posted by creade at 11:29 PM on September 24, 2013 [8 favorites]

Huh, I had a twitter account called "x is the y of z" wherein I planned to post a witty, thoughtful or otherwise brilliantly aphoristic thing once per day. I got as far as "car windows are the internet of dogs" before running out of ideas. It totally is, though.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:17 AM on September 25, 2013 [6 favorites]

Burbank is the Paris of the East Valley

What
posted by Hairy Lobster at 1:44 AM on September 25, 2013

Clemson is the Harvard of the South
Atlanta is the Dubai of pizza
Hickory Point is the WaWa of the South
Nicholas county is the North Pole of West Virginia
Texas is the Bangladesh of the US
Tokyo is the New York of Asia

These are not even things! I reject this link.
posted by sonic meat machine at 4:12 AM on September 25, 2013

For those who don't feel like messing with a (weirdly unnecessary, IMO) world map interface, I suggest The Rosa Parks of Blogs.
posted by Rykey at 4:43 AM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

But it's pretty
posted by sweetkid at 6:58 AM on September 25, 2013

"Richford is the Harlem of Vermont."

I... what? I can't even imagine where that came from.
posted by maryr at 8:39 AM on September 25, 2013

...Maybe someone saw two black people.
posted by maryr at 8:57 AM on September 25, 2013

ME: 'Wait, what is Jerusalem doing near Seattle..."

::click::

"mercer island is the jerusalem of washington"

lololol
posted by Tevin at 9:04 AM on September 25, 2013

Cadillac: The Rolls Royce of cars.
 
posted by Herodios at 11:37 AM on September 25, 2013

"Pelee Island is the Jamaica of Canada"? Really?

Also: Isn't every college between the Rockies and the Hudson River the "Harvard of the Midwest"?
 
posted by Herodios at 11:44 AM on September 25, 2013

Metaphors are the simile of analogy. My brain hurts now.
posted by bobjaben at 12:58 PM on September 25, 2013 [3 favorites]

Poking around with this, I'm seeing some errors. Berea, Ohio, for example, is showing a tweet referring to Berea, Kentucky.

Maybe I just shouldn't have very high expectations of data auto-parsed from Twitter.
posted by Rykey at 12:58 PM on September 25, 2013

Red hook is indeed the Red Hook of Brooklyn.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:06 PM on September 25, 2013

We play this game all the time up in Canada.

McGill.... it's the Harvard of Canada!
Montreal... it's the Greenwich Village of Canada! (but better)
Bay St... it's the Wall Street of Canada!
Ron Sexsmith... he's the Rufus Wainwright of Canada!
Alberta... it's the Texas of Canada!
The Tragically Hip... they're the R.E.M. of Canada!
Hamilton... it's the Armpit of Canada!
Michael Buble... fuck that guy!

And so on, and so forth.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:15 PM on September 26, 2013

Apparently both Kansas City and St. Louis are the New Jersey of the Midwest.

This seems accurate.
posted by RainyJay at 10:40 AM on September 27, 2013