You’re an American. What city should your good foreign friends visit for their first trip to America?
Options deliberately limited to make the poll manageable.
You’re an American. What city should your good foreign friends visit for their first trip to America?
Options deliberately limited to make the poll manageable.
Hmmm, I listed Nashville twice. Uh, vote for the first one if that’s your choice.
And I suppose I should add don’t vote for a city just because you live there.
I live near Washington DC so maybe I’m biased, but DC with all its monuments and museums has always seemed like a great place for tourists (both US and international).
I think so, too. Although I voted for Chicago.
It’s a toss up between NYC and D.C. There’s no real other option. Those two are by far the most well known cities outside the States, and hold the most famous tourist attractions.
Vegas - how can you not have fun there?
If one must visit cities, DC first, followed by NYC, then either San Fran or LA.
I live in the Houston area, but I’d have to say its world class tourist attrractions are, well, a bit limited.
It depends on what they want out of the trip. Do they want to see amazing things, or do they want to get a feeling for what it’s like to live in America? New York is certainly full of amazing things, but most Americans don’t live like New Yorkers do.
I voted other, citing Baltimore. Certainly not the one I would take a visiting dignitary to, but if my friends were visiting and wanted to really see what this America thing was all about, that’s what we’d do. Between the Paradox throwing a probably illicit show, the Inner Harbor, the various college communities, Fells Point - they’d realize that while our west may have been settled, there is still many a cowboy to find in our cities.
The next night we’d all shower off and go to DC.
NYC, hands down.
If they’re good foreign friends, presumably I want to invite them to visit me, whichever city I’m in. And I’m not in any of the cities in the OP.
After that, my next suggestion also isn’t on the list, not even being a city at all: Everyone should, at least once in their life, visit Yellowstone National Park. At present, this could also be neatly combined with the first point, since the park is within day-trip distance from Bozeman (though it really deserves more than a day).
Only after that would I then recommend a trip to Washington, DC.
If my good foreign friends were outdoorsy types, I’d send them to Moab.
I considered Washington and New York for historical and/or popularity reasons…then I came to my senses and voted for San Francisco. Because it’s a world-class city that can match up against any other, and because if my foreign friends are visiting, I want to take them someplace where I can show them around.
What, Buffalo isn’t an option???
I voted for Los Angeles, but NYC and San Fran are close. LA is unique, and way underrated as a place to visit. Great food, cultural offerings better than any place in the country besides NYC (and perhaps DC), and plenty of glitz if you like that kind of thing.
Venice Beach, the studios, Malibu, Universal, Catalina, Little Tokyo, the Getty Center, Mulholland Drive… the list goes on and on.
Honestly, is there any other city quite like Los Angeles in the world? I’m serious - I can’t think of one. The closest I can think of is San Diego, which really doesn’t count. Sydney?
I went with D.C… The Mall, the White House, and the Capitol are (like Big Ben/Buckingham Palace/Houses of Parliament for England) literally used as stock footage for anything having to do with America as a superpower so it’s nice to see them in person. In addition it’s a much easier city to navigate than D.C., and if the many Smithsonian museums (Air & Space, National Gallery, American History, Natural History, American Indian, etc.) and the Library of Congress and numerous other free attractions don’t hold your interest for a couple of days then really, you just need to stay at home.
After that I’d go with NYC, but since I’ve only ever been to the airport and train station I couldn’t personally recommend anything a Fodor’s guide couldn’t. Orlando would also be in the top 3 strictly for “I don’t want to learn anything today, I just want to have a damned good time” purposes.
Depends on if your friends drive. If they don’t wish to rent a car, LA is impossible. And even if they do wish to rent a car, LA is impossible. I’ve visited friends there and spent hours in traffic.
New York, Washington and Chicago are great cities that also have excellent public transit. You might get crushed a bit on a bus or train, but at least you won’t spend the hours of your vacation in a traffic jam.
I’m voting for St. Louis, MO. I feel this city would give the foreign visitor a real taste of what America is.
Here are the reasons:
**Size **- It’s small enough to wrap your mind around the whole thing. It’s not so big like Chicago, New York.
**History **- It has an important place in the history of the US as the “gateway to the west” - the jumping off point for westward migration.
Middle America - It would give the foreign visitor access to what “Middle America” is all about. Unlike New York, or Washington DC, or Los Angeles, that are their own unique cultures.
Ethnic Division - It would also give the foreign visitor a good taste of the still present cultural segregation of blacks and whites in America.
Tourism/Culture - The Mighty Mississippi, the Arch, good University, Pro Sports, etc.
If they are my good friends they’ll come first to my own home and town.
Well, I’d take a Houston visitor out to eat a couple of times; we have some great choices. Then we could all go to San Antonio!
Otherwise, I pretty much agree with your choices…
What, no Cleveland? I’ve been there more than in any other US city.