What’s the best city you’ve ever been to? Not necessarily to live, but it could be, and not necessarily just to visit. But it could be. I’ve gotten to do some travelling this year and last year and each time was blown away by one of the cities I visited.
Runner Up: Kyoto, Japan.
I took a trip to Japan and actually hadn’t planned on leaving Tokyo. I’m so glad that people convinced me to at least see Kyoto – Tokyo was neat but too much, while Kyoto is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. It felt as if you could walk down any block and eventually hit a beautiful temple or garden. The people were relatively friendly, especially considering that I was a total outsider travelling alone and don’t speak Japanese. The mass transit system was efficient and complete but completely manageable. And the city center was lively without being overwhelming – if you’re looking for peace and tranquility or noise and nightlife, you can get it there.
The only reason it’s not my first choice is that I feel like I’ve seen everything I can there; until I know the language it’d be impossible for me to feel at home.
First Place: Dublin, Ireland
I thought I’d learned my lesson from Japan, so planned to spend just a day in Dublin and the rest touring the Irish countryside. I ended up doing the opposite – I got less than halfway across the country before I wanted to head back to Dublin. This city rocks. Almost everything worth seeing is in walking distance. You can just walk down a street in Temple Bar and hear live music coming out of every other pub door. And when people say the Guinness tastes better over there than in the US – I was skeptical at first, but it’s the God’s honest truth.
The people were astoundingly friendly. I was talking to a couple of Dubliners in a bar, and mentioned that Americans have the impression that the people in Ireland are all really friendly. They said, “No, that’s just an image the tourist board tries to get across.” Then they spent the next two hours talking to me, answering my questions about the city & the country, and buying me drinks. (I said over and over again that they shouldn’t be paying for my drinks, but they insisted, saying, “If an Irishman ever offers to buy you alcohol, you’re better off just not arguing.”)
It’s tough to call it a “beautiful” city, in particular when there was so much construction going on (I’m assuming from E.U. money). But I was there two days and it felt like home.
I think the historic district of Savannah has to be one of the most charming places I’ve ever been. It is a city of squares with about twenty of them made into beautiful parks. Huge old live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Mystery. Tradition. Out of this world food. The coast. Love it! This is the best of the South!
I’ll just jump back in and say that San Francisco and Savannah are both on my list, too. Savannah’s mostly nostalgia for me since we used to visit there all the time on the way to the coast. If I ever find out they’ve closed the Pirate House I’ll be really upset.
San Francisco’s my second runner-up, knocked out because of the traffic and difficulty getting around (for me, anyway), and the superior attitude that just pervades everything. I’ve seen guide books that describe it as a “theme park for adults,” which sounds trite and stupid but makes more sense every time I head into the city. Especially if you go to Lombard St. and see all the cars lining up to drive down the hill. I can’t count all the times I’ve just been walking around and seen random fireworks shows, parades of all types, Blue Angels demonstrations, street concerts, whatever. And it gets extra bonus points just for having the Mechanical Museum and Sutro Point.
I’d have to say my dad’s hometown of Waupaca, Wisconsin. It’s a small city that I’ve visited twice in my life. It seems so peaceful and so friendly. It’s quite a contrast from Houston, where I’ve lived all my life.
I haven’t been many places.
Lockport, NY
Johnstown PA
Provo Utah
Indianpolis
Daytona Beach
Buffalo
I
ll have to say Buffalo.It was a weekend leaf looking trip.
We stayed at this wonderful hotel by a ollege and there were lovely stores and restuarants all down the street.
Even a theater which was showing Rocky Horror.
I really love my hometown of Montreal. There is so much to do here that it never gets boring. Although I wish our mountain was just a little bit bigger so Europeans would stop lauging at us when we show them “Mont Royal”.
I haven’t had the chance to travel much (yet) so I haven’t seen very many cities… but I’ve taken three trips to Boston, and I find I like it better than NYC. It’s still a big bustling city, but the people there seemed less rushed and stressed. If I was forced to pack up and head someplace new, I’d probably try Boston. But then, I haven’t seen the West coast yet, except for Seattle, so we’ll see.
[ul][li] San Francisco, California[/li]
[li] Copenhagen, Denmark[/li]
[li] Vancouver, B.C.[/ul][/li]There are many others, but these are three of my top favorites.
I haven’t been to all that many big cities, even inside the US, but I have to nominate Sydney Australia. Gorgeous setting on the harbor, some historical stuff, some touristy stuff (nice zoo, good aquarium), good weather at least when we were there, huge number and variety of restaurants and pubs. The main selling point is really the harbor though. You get great vistas everywhere you go.
vanilla your nomination of Buffalo makes me smile. I went to school there and have some fond memories of the place but…best city? Oh well, maybe it is nicer than Provo.
