Favourite cities...

[UvaGirl]

What are your favourite cities in the world & why? In no particular order here are mine:



London: Great galleries and museums, cool city. Better in summer though.

New York: So much to see and do. Great shopping. And I love Central Park.

San Francisco: Beautiful. Great harbour location. A very aesthetic city.

Melbourne: Very European. Great restaurants (and close to NZ!)

Venice: Hard to imagine until you’ve been there. It totally lived up to my expectations. I can’t wait to go back.

Dublin: Compact and easy to get around. Friendly people. Great bars!

New Orleans: Like being in a foreign country. Great food and fantastic atmosphere. Love it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Florence: The most amazing sense of history anywhere, the most beautiful architecture and art in the world, and a lively city even today. I could spend a lifetime there

Madrid: Peaceful, relaxing, beautiful, metropolitan. It's stunning during Christmastime

Seattle: Big city attraction, small city attitude. Plus it's beautiful, and I love the weather

Paris: It's just beautiful, there's little better than having a meal at a sidewalk cafe.

New York: The sites, the sounds, the culture, and the food!

London: The theater alone is enough of a draw.

San Francisco: Like Seattle, it's got all the plusses of a metropolitan city, but the people have a small town attitude.

That's more or less in order of preference, with the top few being more of a solid order than the last few. Of the places I've been, Florence wins, hands down.

New Orleans: Like being in a foreign country. Great food and fantastic atmosphere. Love it pssst, you WERE in a foreign country, unless you're talking about New Orleans, NZ http://www.loungeoftomorrow.com/LoT/images/smilies/buxter1.gif

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

In no particular order, some favorite cities I've been to or lived in:

Montreal: Beautiful. Clean. Amazing art and architecture history. Cool people.

New Orleans: Strange, almost like a dream. Pretty. Dirty. Creepy. Lovely. Sex, sex, sex. The food! The friendly people. Great mix of people. Dangerous. Comfortable. Loved the homes and apartments. The trolleys to the Garden District. The artistry and smallness of the place. You can walk all over the city, but you might just get stabbed if you walk down the wrong street.

Philadelphia: Haunted, in a way. So old yet so contemporary. AMAZING MUSEUMS!!!! Mutter. Mercer. The Philadelphia Museum of Art (great Duchamp collection). Lovely old streets. Graveyards. Old prisons. And it's all there together, smashed up against each other. Life. Death. Wealth. Poverty. It is truly a great and sad and beautiful and hopeful and tragic and strange American city. I'd love to live there someday, for a time. Great pubs, too! This might be my favorite American city.

New York. Seems to need no explanation. I fell in love with the concrete jungle but it broke my heart. And now it's that relationship that haunts me when I dream. And I always want to revisit it, but I doubt I'd ever want to fall in love with it again. I'm too weak a person for NYC, I think. When I thrived there, I really thrived. But when I was down, I'd never been so down before. Those tall buildings just rob me of happy inducing sunshine. Then again, free museums, and the museums that aren’t free? Still fantastic. Great dive bars (Blue & Gold!). The Lower East Side. The ballet. So much to do there.

Los Angeles: Home sweet home.

[UvaGirl]

Yeah, the little-known, oft-visited New Orleans, NZ:D

What I meant albeit not very coherently, was that it feels so different from the rest of the States. Actually, I'm sure there are plenty of other places in the US where that's also true, I just haven't travelled enough.

LOL:)

[Gemini Cricket]

London

Paris

New York

Boston

DC

San Francisco

I have a special place in my heart for London and Paris after having so much fun there. I have a feeling I will ultimately end up in one of these two places in the future. I enjoy NY, DC, Boston and SF because there's so much to do there and this girl loves her big cities.
:)

[mhrc4]

first off, UvaGirl and GD, i hate you both for all the places you have been :p

Anyhow, heres my list....in no order

Paris - the sense of history and architecture, and one of the most confusing yet somewhat efficient public transportation systems

Napa Valley - I love the wineries and vineyards of the area, as well as the architecture that the land allows, simply beautiful

Monterrey - Mostly the bay area and cannery row, but it is small ans quaint, with some beautiful Beaches and highways nearby

thats about it, i havent travelled extensively yet, but NY, Italy, and Australia are next!

[Gemini Cricket]

I forgot Edinburgh. Beautiful.

:)

[mousepod]

New York - Lived in the 'burbs til I was 16 - then lived deep in the heart of NYC until 1996. I am going back.

Florence - I have to agree with the Firenze fans here. What a great city. (a little Jesse trivia: when I fronted a punk band in the '80s, I wandered into a record label office in Florence with my demo tape - the suckers actually released our album).

London - It's got a familiar vibe. A nice place to hang. Plus Heather likes the chocolate.

Tokyo - I've only been to Japan a couple of times - but WOW!

[blueerica]

My favorites are NYC & Madrid.

Each has a rhythm pulsating throughout...

There are many other cities I love. I'd love each city in the world, if given the chance.

That's why I need to travel more.

[Not Afraid]

This may just be in order, but I'm not positive (all of the top I've been there more than once):

Paris - hands down my favorite. The atmosphere, liviliness, people, charm, culture, food, lifestyle, fahsion - the all appeal to me. Je t'adore Paris.

Chicago - my favorite stateside big metropolatin city. It has everything. Style, culture, great neighbourhoods, the most INCREDIBLE restaurants, varried weather, great musaums, fabulous archicture, incredible atmosphere. I really love this city.

New Orleans - Completely different! Laid back, cultural, balmy, romantic, great, no fabulous food, great people, lovely architecture, hostoric, different from any other US city.

Seattle - Varried, small-town feel, clean, lots of parks, Good eats influenced by all over the world, fresh fish, great shopping of a different time, great art scene, lots to do both culturally and with nature, easy drive to some of the fabulous spots in the US (Olympic Natural Park, Mt. Ranier). Plus, the BEST bookstore on the West Coast.

San Fransisco - I love this city, but my love is severly diminished by the COL. It is clean, beautiful vistas, great food, art, variety, archicture, terraine, fresh air. But, that COL just gets me.

Florence - like a movie set. Incredible food memories, shopping, romantic, great daily timeline - nothing like a nap during the day. Some of the best tastes and smells ever experienced in my life.

We've traveled a lot. Venice is also wonderful just for its surprises around every corner. Switzerland is the cleanest, most beautiful place I've ever seen - but almost oo clean. Austria is an odd country culturally - somewhat harsh. Germany is fun and boisterous and happy. New York, which I've visited at least 6 times, left me cold and sad each time. Arequipa, Peru was a wonderful city! Not that anyone ever goes there.

We've visitied much more, but this isn't our travelogue, just the favorites. I'd go back to most.

[MerryPrankster]

My favorite cities:

New Orleans

Seattle

Waikiki or the North Shore of Oahu

Lake Tahoe, the various cities along the shore

San Francisco

Berkeley, CA

Victoria, BC

London

NYC

Spain, Australia and NZ are at the top of our future travel list.

[AllyOops!]

I'm goin' with an island..

I will always have a special, secret place in my heart for Bali. :)

Actually, all of Indonesia! :cheers:

[€uroMeinke]

First there are the places I’ve been that I instantly felt so comfortable that I know I could live there:

Paris – Hands down favorite, A place of expats, philosophers, and censored writers. Café culture, art, appreciation for beauty and all things creative – music everywhere. And the language and the accent – saying something in French makes it ten times sexier. Everyone is ten time sexier when in Paris.

Berlin – Cosmopolitan island in eastern Europe, brash, independent, unashamedly decadent and just a bit nihilistic. Street actors mocking their patrons, the Love parade, antiquities, and expressionist wonders. Berlin my Weimar Wonderland.

Chicago – Delightfully urban with everything you need a quick walk away. Public art abounds, while it’s museums and art institute continue to set standards. It’s a place with it’s own aesthetic represented in its architecture. Beauty is everywhere, and everyone looks sophisticated wandering down Michigan avenue in tailored suits and furs. This is a city for a cocktail in a smoky lounge where a breathy chanteuse cries you a river.

Then there are the vacation locals I love so much I keep wanting to back:

New Orleans – Another island of decadence tucked deep in Southern repression. Extraordinary food with music in every corner. Hot steamy summers to live out your Tennessee William’s fantasies, sipping bourbon as the heat lightning lights up the sky.

San Francisco – A taste of the East Coast on the West, nicely contained in its peninsula. City Lights Books a link to the beat generation, North Beach and its Italian food, The quintessential Chinatown, Carol Doda’s breasts on Columbus Avenue (oh how I miss them), The Presidio and Fort Point to experience your Hitchcockian fantasies. That and a cup of clam chowder and a loaf of sour dough – how could you go wrong?

Montreal – a slice of France in North America, cobblestone streets in the old town, and French voices singing out like seductive sirens. Outdoor cafés and a Maple Leaf flag – you are definitely not in America.

Seattle – Images of David Lynch and an abundance of Swedes, the Pike Place Market the ultimate shopping place to find the best seafood, wild mushrooms, and forest honey.

Then there are the adventure spots:

Peru, Arequepa was beautiful and our hotel so much like the village (I am not a number, I am a free man!). Even the young terrorist boy was a charming fellow sharing his notions of freedom. But Iquitos was the pirate town, they’d cut you down in an instant if you weren’t careful, smugglers and the anonymous melee of third world market places.

But, I’ll always treasure the bar of the Hotel Crillon in Lima, where we shared drinks with a Saudi prince whose Spanish was so much better than our own, Ceasar, our host whose bribes kept us out of lines and who could get us anything we wanted, drugs, girls, or boys; and the American pilots still in their flights suits just back from another mission in the war against drugs. Sitting in the dark, under martial law, because the terrorists bombed the power lines that night – you just can’t plan a vacation like that.

[Freaky Tiki]

Wellington New Zealand hands down.

I love it, it's a city but its still relatively small. It's just so perfect. If I could choose to live anywhere that would be it. I love the atmosphere there.

[Gemini Cricket]

Oh, I guess I should give an honorable mention to Honolulu. It was a great diverse city to grow up in as a child.
:)

[Prudence]

London -- just the way it feels.

Bellingham, WA -- views over the Bay

Adel, Iowa -- because it reminds me of family. Good Iowa dirt, the sounds of crickets at night, Victorian-style houses, the corner Ben Franklin store, the absolutely beautiful courthouse, and people who know who you are, even if you've never met them. Deep down I'll always be a farmgirl.

[Jazzman]

Mes villes favoris, huh? Where do I begin? Or more to the point, where do I stop?

Seattle: Favorite town stateside. Good vibe, and if you’re in the know it has some really wonderful hidden little places to enjoy. Big city, small town; all at once. Plus, its zoo has gorillas. Sweeeet.

Portland: Yes, P-Town is pretty dear to my heart. I always describe it to out of towners as a “city with training wheels.” Large enough to have big city intrigue, but is really just a small town with big buildings. Cool place, and plenty of Bohemian charm to make even Ned Flanders feel hip.

London: Haven’t spent a lot of time in the Queen’s back yard, but what little I have was enough to get me hooked. Plus, I want to go back and look for the phone booth to the Ministry of Magic. :D

Paris: Ahhh, Paris. C’est ma ville favori dans tout le monde. I can’t even begin to describe my love for this place. An entire world of cultures in one city, all easily and quickly accessible via le Metro. There is no better day than spending the early afternoon at the Louvre, then strolling through the Tuileries and having chocolate ice cream at the Place du Concord. Comment j’adore Paris.

Puerto Vallarta: So much charm and such a perfect retreat. I can’t think of any other place in the world (other than maybe Hawai’i) where I’d rather escape to. Plus, real blue agave tequila and margaritas the size of aquariums all readily available; who couldn’t love it?

Shanghai: A truly remarkable city in a truly remarkable land. While other Chinese cities are gripped with pollution, the residents here have gone to great lengths to preserve their cities beauty. Parks abound and the entire freeway through town is lined with green planter boxes while underneath is mounted a continues series of multi-color neon lights, turning it into a long green ribbon by day and a dazzling light show by night. There is even a Disneyland-esque quality to the waterfront (the Bund) with it’s Victorian buildings and sparkling lights. Almost like a storybook.

Geneva: Of all the people in Europe I love the Swiss the most. And not just because of their chocolate, either. They are the most welcoming, kindest and sweetest people one could ever encounter, and unlike many Europeans they have open arms for visitors from other lands. Quite a difference from the French.

Honolulu: A place I could spend the rest of my days. Everywhere there is a sense of culture and connection. The spirit of Aloha grabs you and never lets go. With this and the ability to have real Kalua Pork, actually cooked in the sand, and you have the perfect paradise. Though, avoid the strip clubs. Scary stuff there.

[CoasterMatt]

My favorite town on the face of the earth is Santa Cruz - everything that keeps me happy within a 3 hour drive.

[Name]

I am not going to put too many cities on this list, only the state side ones, like Nawlins, New York, Seattle, other then that I am a fan of the little resort towns of southern Spain. The little resort islands of Greece(Mykonos being one of them); Souda Bay, Crete; Australia, basically any of the smaller European areas that are either party towns, or extremely quiet towns(what can I say, I'm a gemini, I like both ends of the spectrum). I also had a great time partying in Odessa, Ukraine. I think that about rounds out my favourites, at least for now.

[sleepyjeff]

.

Chicago - my favorite stateside big metropolatin city. It has everything. Style, culture, great neighbourhoods, the most INCREDIBLE restaurants, varried weather, great musaums, fabulous archicture, incredible atmosphere. I really love this city.

New Orleans - Completely different! Laid back, cultural, balmy, romantic, great, no fabulous food, great people, lovely architecture, hostoric, different from any other US city.


San Fransisco - I love this city, but my love is severly diminished by the COL. It is clean, beautiful vistas, great food, art, variety, archicture, terraine, fresh air. But, that COL just gets me.


My 3 favorite right there(and in order).....thanks for making it easy :D

Two others I really like are San Diego and Vegas(baby) :cool:

[Claire]

Grandview, WA.....I know it as Grandma's town, you might know it because about ten years ago the wrestling team faced charges for taping a new wrestler's ass cheeks together on the bus....plus it's in the shadow of Hanford and no one likes a three-eyed fish more than me. http://www.grandview.wa.us/

Speaking of three-eyed fish...... http://www.orcity.org/ Oregon City, OR is full of not-so-purdy folks. I don't get it...it's the weirdest assortment of trailers that has a city government and its own school district! Big bangs, stretch pants, and scrunchies are still all the rage here. Ditto Gresham and Estacada, too. It's like stepping into 1987. So weird!

Yreka, CA.....why? Why not just move it all up to Oregon and be done with it? Y'all Yrekans don't really fit in with Californians anyway...it's like you're missing the point of living IN California! http://www.yrekachamber.com/ Ditto Redding. White stretch pants are NOT okay!

Dallas, OR.....ugh. Why DALLAS??? And why is it that you assume everyone else in the country should know that there's a Dallas, Oregon?? Hello? Dallas, TEXAS is the Dallas people most associate with the name DALLAS. And WHY must you all name your freaking children DALLAS?? And the fact that the town was founded by the KKK really adds in your favor. Go Dallas Dragons!! http://www.ci.dallas.or.us/

I also really love New Orleans and NYC. ;)

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I so wish that this post could be more internationally flavored but that will have to wait for the future...

NYC - Where to begin. I guess with the food. The pizza, the knishes, italian ices, hot dogs, steak, chinese food. It's all so delicious and plentiful. The Museum of Natural History. Greenwich Village, Central Park, Broadway, the Jazz clubs. Damn, I could go on forever. I love California but there is truly nothing like New York.

Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur - Overwhelming natural beauty everywhere you look. There are wonderful sights like the 17 Mile Drive and the Monterey Aquarium and nothing quite beats a fresh cup of crab and a cold beer on Cannery Row. Still, it is the overwhelming beauty of the region that bring me back time and time again.

San Francisco - I've not spent as much time here as I would prefer but what I have seen, I have adored. It's a charming and welcoming city with plenty to keep one occupied. I wish it wasn't so expensive to live there.

Washington DC - While the city is not without its problems, the historical aspects make it a fascinating place. The Smithsonian alone could keep me occupied for a very long time.

[Jazzman]

The Smithsonian alone could keep me occupied for a very long time.

I've always longed to go there. I'm a bit of a history nut, and I'm sure I'd get lost in there for weeks.

[sleepyjeff]

Grandview, WA..... Oregon City, OR Gresham and Estacada, too. It's like stepping into 1987. So weird!
Dallas, OR.....[/url]

I also really love New Orleans and NYC. ;)

Hey, you left out Pacific City, Gervais, Scapoose, and Dufur ;)

----------------------------------------

Can't believe I left our Hialeah, Florida..............lived there for 2 months with a Cuban family(and I don't speak a lick of Spanish). .....I did a Zest commercial for a show called Sabo Igante so I guess I spoke a little Spanish(but I don't know what I said) :D

[scaeagles]

Napa Valley - I love the wineries and vineyards of the area, as well as the architecture that the land allows, simply beautiful

I grew up in the Napa Valley - Napa High School grad, class of 1986. An absolutely perfect place to grow up. The grape vines in October when changing are breath taking when you drive through the Valley. Would love taking bike rides from Napa to Yountville or even St. Helena.

I'm more of a small town guy than a city guy. Went to school in Flagstaff, AZ. While I despise cold, the snow over the largest Pine forest in the world is amazing, as are the San Francisco peaks both when snow capped and when the Aspen trees are changing in the fall.

[sleepyjeff]

I'm more of a small town guy than a city guy. Went to school in Flagstaff, AZ. While I despise cold, the snow over the largest Pine forest in the world is amazing, as are the San Francisco peaks both when snow capped and when the Aspen trees are changing in the fall.

Never been to Northern Arizona, but it sounds great.

[wendybeth]

Grandview, WA.....I know it as Grandma's town, you might know it because about ten years ago the wrestling team faced charges for taping a new wrestler's ass cheeks together on the bus....plus it's in the shadow of Hanford and no one likes a three-eyed fish more than me. http://www.grandview.wa.us/

Speaking of three-eyed fish...... http://www.orcity.org/ Oregon City, OR is full of not-so-purdy folks. I don't get it...it's the weirdest assortment of trailers that has a city government and its own school district! Big bangs, stretch pants, and scrunchies are still all the rage here. Ditto Gresham and Estacada, too. It's like stepping into 1987. So weird!

Yreka, CA.....why? Why not just move it all up to Oregon and be done with it? Y'all Yrekans don't really fit in with Californians anyway...it's like you're missing the point of living IN California! http://www.yrekachamber.com/ Ditto Redding. White stretch pants are NOT okay!

Dallas, OR.....ugh. Why DALLAS??? And why is it that you assume everyone else in the country should know that there's a Dallas, Oregon?? Hello? Dallas, TEXAS is the Dallas people most associate with the name DALLAS. And WHY must you all name your freaking children DALLAS?? And the fact that the town was founded by the KKK really adds in your favor. Go Dallas Dragons!! http://www.ci.dallas.or.us/

I also really love New Orleans and NYC. ;)

Lol! I've actually been to all these places, and you give great descriptions!:snap:

[scaeagles]

Dallas, OR.....ugh. Why DALLAS???

I thought it was because you loved Texas because GWBush hails from there. :p

[Baileykat]

Right now I'm painfully homesick for Texas! It realized yesterday it's almost bluebonnet season! Whaaaa! There are few things more beautiful than a field of bluebonnet's...SIGH!

So with that...I'd say Fredricksburg, Tx is one of my favorite towns. Great German food, great shopping, great little honkytonks with great German beer!


New Orleans - the history, the culture, the beauty. I even love the smell!

[blueerica]

Anyone ever listen to Mel Torme's California Suite? In Part II, they argue why the West Coast is the Best Coast. Teehee -- They say bialys -- So what?

But I must say, I do love New York City....

[mousepod]

Anyone ever listen to Mel Torme's California Suite? In Part II, they argue why the West Coast is the Best Coast. Teehee -- They say bialys -- So what?

But I must say, I do love New York City....

I am so homesick right now.

http://www.ped-xing.com/newyorkmel.jpg

"New York on Sunday,
Big City taking a nap!
Slow down, it's Sunday!
Life's a ball, let it fall in your lap!
If you've got troubles,
Just take them out for a walk.
They'll burst like bubbles
In the fun of a Sunday In New York!
You can spend time without spending a dime,
Watching people watch people pass!
Later you pause, and in one of those stores
There's that face next to yours in the glass!
Two hearts stop beating,
You're both too breathless to speak!
Love smiles her greeting,
Then the dream that has seen you thru the week
Comes true on Sunday In New York!"

[Stan4dSteph]

I enjoy Christchurch, NZ quite a bit. Great cafés, generally good weather. It's close to nice beaches and my super cute nephew lives there. :)

[libraryvixen]

San Francisco: The people in the city are so nice and the flavor is so unique and rich. I love the way that the city has evolved over the years. It has everything that I enjoy in a big city.

Ubud, Bali: One of the most beautiful little villages I've ever visited. It's a thriving small villages with some of the most inspiring crafts and artwork I have ever seen. The food isn't too bad either!

NYC: a small town girl's dream of a big town. Bright lights, teeny Times Square (I saw it when I was still ripe with adult entertainment), and delicious bagels. Mmmmmm

Las Vegas: where my heart is and where there is action 24/7. Also, the standard of beauty is very skewed there. One of my favorite things to do there is people watch. Sad thing.... whenever I visit Vegas and come back home, everything is dark and quiet again.

[AllyOops!]

I thought it was because you loved Texas because GWBush hails from there. :p

....And because I hail from there. ;)

[BarTopDancer]

I love Las Vegas. The lights, the constant action, the bars I can dance on... I can only take it a few days at a time or I get sensory overload. One of the most peaceful things I've experienced there was watching the sun rise over the Strip infront of the NY NY. I can't stand the way the strip looks during the day, it just looks so scuzzy to me. But watching the sun rise was beautiful.

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Beautiful sleepy fishermans town. I went there every summer as a kid, never appriciated the beauty of it until my last trip (at 19). This sleepy little town where hardly anything is open on a Sunday and few things are open past 7pm every other night. People know their neighbors and people still help each other out.

I know the Grand Canyon isn't a city but damn I loved it there. And the little 1 horse town that was your last stop of populated civilization. They had a dummy in a police car to deter speeders and stop light runners. I wonder how many residents still fall for it.

[Olympicnut]

Drudging up an old thread, because I can ;)

Vancouver, BC. It's the one city I would have no qualms about moving to. The scenery is amazing with the ocean water right next to the snow capped mountains. The people are SO NICE! It's very gay friendly. YVR is one of my favorite airports in the world. And the Olympics will be there in 4.5 years!