# What's the third best skyline in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434 "2010-01-25T22:53:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/21 "2010-01-27T02:56:20Z")
I am kind of partial to the [Calgary skyline](http://www.van-vliet.org/images/calgary-skyline.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/22 "2010-01-27T03:16:30Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I am kind of partial to the [Calgary skyline](http://www.van-vliet.org/images/calgary-skyline.jpg). I know Albertans desperately want to be like Texans, but I don’t think you can wiggle Calgary into “the US” just yet (p.s. isn’t that picture missing the [best part](http://www.tazentertainment.com/images/skyriver.jpg) of the skyline?) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/23 "2010-01-27T03:49:18Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I’m biased towards Portland, OR, but San Fran and Seattle are both better than Chicago. I grew up in San Francisco and I think you’re bonkers. Chicago’s is much more impressive, especially when viewed from the lake. Other than that, I don’t care enough about this topic to answer the OP’s question. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/24 "2010-01-27T13:31:14Z")
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the jewel of the midwest, [Cleveland!](http://www.clevelanddatacenter.com/sitebuilder/images/Cleveland_Skyline_Aug_2006-780x240.jpg) It’s not that spectacular but it’s home. and I’ve been to Dubai. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/25 "2010-01-27T16:44:13Z")
Does the Las Vegas strip count as a skyline? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/26 "2010-01-27T16:58:19Z")
I quite like the [Detroit skyline](http://www.flickr.com/photos/redmann/68274621/), since you can view it from south of the border, in a foreign country. Closer up, Detroit is not so pretty. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Nene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/da6949/32.png) [@El\_Nene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Nene)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/27 "2010-01-27T17:34:14Z")
I live in Dallas and I agree with Salt Lake that our skyline has no business in this list. Granted what’s there is nice and has been expanded over the last few years but not enough to merit consideration. However, if you include the buildings uptown then we can talk. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/28 "2010-01-27T21:46:25Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I grew up in San Francisco and I think you’re bonkers. Chicago’s is much more impressive, especially when viewed from the lake. Agreed. I love SF’s skyline, especially the more it develops, but Chicago has it and most others beat, even with that [giant block of rust](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNA_Center). ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/29 "2010-01-27T21:54:06Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > Agreed. I love SF’s skyline, especially the more it develops, but Chicago has it and most others beat, even with that [giant block of rust](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNA_Center). Watching the sun set on the San Francisco skyline from atop the lawn section of U.C. Berkeley’s Greek Theater (while drinking an Anchor Steam and listening to Van Morrison channel an ancient celtic muse) was one of the most sublime experiences of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/30 "2010-01-28T01:48:41Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Here’s [one list,](http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=skyline_ranking), but I’m not sure I’d agree with it. Dubai is #3 in the world, but it seems too seperate to be a skyline. Nor would I put downtown Los Angeles over downtown San Francisco. I think the list you refer to is just based on numbers of skyscrapers in the downtown area. We probably have more by now than San Francisco does, though I have to admit that in terms of overall aesthetic effect, SF comes before any other city in America. I do think L.A. deserves an honorable mention, at least when it’s clear and you see the towers against the backdrop of mountains and the Observatory. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/31 "2010-01-28T02:27:47Z")
I’d have to go with SF as third, Seattle as fourth, and Pittsburgh as fifth. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/32 "2010-01-28T02:44:02Z")
Wait, isn’t the best Skyline in Cincinnati? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/33 "2010-01-28T19:24:02Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I think the list you refer to is just based on numbers of skyscrapers in the downtown area. We probably have more by now than San Francisco does, though I have to admit that in terms of overall aesthetic effect, SF comes before any other city in America. I do think L.A. deserves an honorable mention, at least when it’s clear and you see the towers against the backdrop of mountains and the Observatory. No NYC? The Chrysler Building alone beats that little cluster LA calls downtown. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/34 "2010-01-30T10:49:56Z")
Philly is best, for sure. [Take](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Philadelphia_skyline_August_2007.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_skyline_August_2007.jpg&h=648&w=974&sz=607&tbnid=czRi5aq-RDf-WM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=149&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphiladelphia%2Bskyline%2Bphotos&usg=__-Bz_RruqNo-h6e20IbEu6sqFehM=&ei=BA1kS8PXOYPi8QbPqoCcAw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBMQ9QEwAw) [a](http://www.philadelphia-reflections.com/images/philadelphia_skyline.jpg) [look](http://www.drexelhamilton.com/images/phila-skyline-night.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434/35 "2010-01-31T03:59:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, isn’t the best Skyline in Cincinnati? > 😉 That’s what I was thinking. Around these parts, everyone thinks Cincinnati has the best skyline (not to mention the chili). That’s why the best restaurants on the river are on the \*Kentucky \*side… you can view the Cincinnati skyline as you dine. The same is (obviously) not true for the Ohio side of the river, hence the reason the restaurants on the Ohio side have never done as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-third-best-skyline-in-the-us/526434.md?page=1)