BootsnAll Travel Community

It has to be San Diego. I've lived in San Diego for the last four years with my wife who's a San Diego native. It's a beautiful clean city with so much to offer.

There's a beach to suit any taste and the weather is wonderful all year round.

And then there's the baja Mexican food which I miss so much whilst away.

For more on San Diego - check out the WorlRamblers travel blog

Oh boy, I get to be a contrarian! I really, really, really don`t understand the love for San Francisco. I lived there for two years and think it`s highly overrated.

So...for larger cities, I`d have to go with Minneapolis and Montreal. Though there`s no way I could tolerate winter in either place.

For smaller places, I`d have to go with Savannah and Hilo, Hawaii.

as for canada, i must add another notch to my lover MONTREAL. as for america, NYC is in a leauge of its own, but i'd imagine NEW ORLEANS or AUSTIN at the top, and as for mexico, never been, tijuana? ha

New York--I still miss it and I moved from there six years ago. I could never live there again though, too stressful for me, but still amazing.

San Francisco, I agree...

And Zacatecas, Mexico--beautiful, low key, arty, no malls or chain joints to be found, great markets, perfect weather, and non touristy for the most part.

quote:

Originally posted by escapadora:
Again, I have to qualify this with the "limited experience" claim. But why do people always talk about Portland as if it's the only Portland? What about Maine, guys?! Admittedly I'm biased as a native, but the Maine coast (Castine, more to the north is nice if you can stand the ritziness) is amazing. And the smaller Portland, USA does have something to offer! Go to the Pepperclub (restaurant) and obviously go to the beach. Any of them.

PWM is a gem of a little city. Ocean views, smell and activities. Great restaurants - many ethnic and seafood widely available. The symphony. Decent popular music acts at the civic center and city hall auditorium. Minor league baseball and hockey - the baseball stadium has a Fenway Green Monster wall. Good mall AND a vibrant downtown!! Good night life at the bars and some interesting coffee houses. Skiing and hiking 2 hours away. 105 miles to Boston when you need to get away. Minimal traffic issues for almost any commute.

1) Montreal, Canada (also my No. 2 in the world)
2) Chicago, USA (my No.6 in the world)
3) Vancouver, Canada (my No. 7 in the world)

If you are interested, you can see my Top 50 favorite cities in the world list here...

http://www.saricie.com/destiny_en_2008.htm

San Diego overall. I operated out of there in varying modes and IDs for 35 years. Too big today and while in the past a city run by half wits was fun, now they are just overwhelmed by events. Follow up... Oaxaca is my favorite for sitting around the plaza with a beer and snack. Now I'm only a couple hours from SF but have no interest given it's current leadership. I really like where I live now. But to most folks it wouldn't classify as a city... a post office and country store. But 100% crime free (unless you count the bears tearing up your trash) and I have overlapping fields of fire from my house. Why the fascination with living in cities? Done it so long but the benefits often are outweighed by the minuses.

the city. all that needs to be said.

quote:

the city. all that needs to be said.

You are quite correct, though I usually capitalize it.

Interesting choices for best city...

I am going to go with Asheai who nominated Vancouver, BC pronounced Vahn-coo-vah dontchat know?

You can enjoy a great Sunday breakfast in Granville Market after your run/bike ride in Stanley Park.

Less than hour away, you can be at Twassenen (sp?) to embark on a ferry to Gulf Islands - Magic.

You can go north over Lions Gate Bridge (an awesome bridge to bike or run, btw), mosey north past Whistler and find some prime hiking trails. Nope, won't name them here. lol

There is Gaslight area, Chinatown also.

Lots of museums.

On a side note, one of my favorite "cities" is "small town North America" where there is just one cafe where you can sit down and get a feel for the town and its people who move to beat of a different drummer than big city residents.

There ya go!

Highcountry

Allow me to repeat previous sentiments.
Best Metro North American city? Montreal hands down
Best Smaller North American city? Victoria BC

I've been traveling my home country extensively since January and am conflicted with opinions.
Most memorable cities that...

I've called home: Portland, OR. for the beauty, backyard, and book toting yuppies enjoying a low cost of living.

I hope to call home: NYC / Brooklyn because the heartbeat of the world resonates in even the rats.

I've passed through: Santa Fe, NM. Nowhere have I felt more detached from everyday America and more in touch with a history long since forgotten.

Adding to my earlier reponse, two mid sized cities that I really like are Davis, CA and Santa Cruz, CA.

quote:

Originally posted by Gonzo_Kerouac:
Allow me to repeat previous sentiments.
Best Metro North American city? Montreal hands down
Best Smaller North American city? Victoria BC

Definitely. Lazy evenings spent around Montreal are incomparable, and are only helped by the fantastic people and static french air. Having lived in Canada my entire life, coming to Vancouver for the first time was an odd experience. It's unlike almost every city! A completely different ecosystem, Light House Provincial Park outside the city is a must; hiking between enormous redwoods and gazing at the ocean really connects you with your surroundings.

I've got to go for my current city of residence - San Diego! It has great beaches, good nightlife, access to LA, Mexico, the desert, and so much more. The mexican food is the best, it has energy without feeling crowded, and you simply can't beat the weather.....

I love San Diego. It has wonderful year round weather. It's a clean safe city and there are so many fun things to do in and around San Diego. It's a large city that doesn't seem so large because it is spread out into many smaller communities.

http://www.sandiego-romantics.com

Oh, well, Cleveland, Ohio!

Wellll - I love Seattle and couldn't imagine living or raising my kid anywhere else. BUT...

New Orleans, baby! The best food, cheap drinks, big outdoor party with great music and scantily clad people every night, the history, the heat, the friendly people....And the best food!!! Ever!

I just spent a few days here in Vancouver and LOVE it. I would have to say:

1) NYC (Manhattan)
2) Vancouver

...Annnnd I will be visiting the west coast in the next few months so hopefully will be able to add more to the list.

Poor Mexico ... she's not getting enough love in this thread! NYC, San Francisco, and Montreal are easily tops of my list also, but Guadalajara (the City of Roses, the "San Francisco" of Mexico) and Mexico City aren't too far behind. One of the things that struck me about Mexico City was how much her residents absolutely loved their city. Everyone had their favorite cantina and tacqueria, every neighborhood had its secret histories, people were passionate about art and politics and music ... it's a world-class city just across the border that most of us yankees rarely even notice!