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What Are Your Top 5 U.S. Cities/Towns/Spots?


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Alright, based on where you've visited, what are your top five cities, towns, spots, etc. In the United States? Can be based on however you define "top" (top to live, visit, party, etc.).

There are still a ton of places I haven't gotten to go yet that I want to experience, as I'm sure all of us have. But I'd start with (in no particular order)

Seattle, WA
Iron Creek Campground, WA
San Francisco, CA (Haven't been in a loooooong time, so it might have changed from what I hear.)
South Padre Island (Love how low-key it is)
Lummus Park, South Beach Miami

What say you? Silsbee, TX obviously, but we can't all visit paradise.

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San Diego without a doubt #1.

My sister lived there for 4 years when I was in high school. Skiing at Big Bear one day, going to the beach the next.  Perfect weather,  golfing at Torrey Pines.  Would love to be able to afford to live there one day!

2. Denver

3. NYC

4.  Chicago

5. Nashville

 

Edited by Borachio
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Okay I’ll play but this is an impossible question - in a good way. For me:

- NYC - lived here right after school then have left and come back two more times. I can’t escape it’s gravity. Met my wife here. Youngest was born here. It’s unlike anywhere else in the country and, in many ways, the world. I reread EB White’s book “Here is New York” about every six months and it still gives me goosebumps.

- Austin. Duh. But I’ll admit I wish it could have been frozen in time about 15 years ago.

- Marfa. I have a lot of family from west Texas and love the sky out there. Marfa provides some fascination on the ground, too. I might also prefer the Marfa of twenty years ago but then again, way back then I was nearly knifed and robbed standing in the doorway of my Thunderbird hotel room so maybe a little more civilization doesn’t hurt. (And I’m gonna cheat and loop in Big Bend and Marathon to this one).

- Venice/Santa Monica - early career was spent flying back and forth on lots of boondoggles to LA with many fond memories. I eventually lived in Venice for two years and my daughter was born out there so always good memories (cheat #2: close to Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Del Mar on the other side)

- New Orleans - I like food and music and debauchery. And good.

Honorable mention: Boulder, Sundance/Park City, Stowe

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easy top 2:  Denver metroplex and SeaTac

i'd also entertain the larger, high-elevation Southwest cities: flagstaff, albuquerque, etc

curious about Bozeman, Nashville, and the carolina triangle

fuck texas climate, and meh to absolutely everything else

 

 

Edited by 52-80
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Hmm ... off the top of my head:

Charleston, SC

New Orleans, LA

San Francisco/Carmel, CA

Denver, CO

New York, NY or maybe Santa Fe, NM

We are going to a friend's wedding in San Diego this summer. It will be my first trip there. I hear it's amazing. It could very easily crack my top five by July.

Edited by C-Man
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San Francisco--I love that place every time I go.  I could see living there as difficult, but 3-4 days at a time are simply fantastic.

Crested Butte, CO--It's changing.  The word is out about how awesome it is.  But it still has a small ski-town feel.  We go every summer and winter.

NYC--only been twice, and both were for work.  But I found it fascinating.  I can see why people that live there get hooked.

Charleston, SC--I lived the first 6 years of my life here and my dad was from SC, so we visited 2x per year up until I went to college.  I love the town, and I've spent many weeks at Kiawah over the years.  I'll lump Kiawah in with Charleston.

Driftwood, TX--I was going to put Austin, as I've lived the area since I started at UT in 1995 and had no desire to find a job anywhere else.  But there is a reason we moved out to Driftwood 10 years ago.  I'm a bit of a homebody, and I love where I live.  I'm next to nothing, but 10-15 min from anything I want.  It's dark, and it's quiet.  And unfortunately everyone is figuring this out.

I haven't spent enough time in Seattle to put it on the list, but the very short time I've spent there makes me think it would make my list if I could spend some time in the city.

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19 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

What's the big appeal in Denver?  I've only flown in or driven through on my way to ski destinations.  Never spent any time there.

Climate; access to outdoors (like your skiing); beer culture; general outgoing demeanor and vibe of people; and atleast a while ago the city itself was perfectly sized not to have the typical big city “downtown” segregation (no parking, impossible traffic, etc)

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I’ve lived in DFW, Little Rock, Memphis. Jackson MS, San Francisco, Portland, Denver. Have spent lots of time in all of SoCal, Vegas, Chicago, ATL, NYC, New Jersey, Miami, Seattle. We love the high desert, seaside towns, small rivers, old court squares.

My current favorites: New Orleans, Durango to Ouray CO, Lake Tahoe, Monterey-Carmel, Mendocino, Kingman AZ, Jasper AR on the Buffalo River, Apalachicola Bay, Juneau AK, Missoula, MT. Bend, OR.

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Santa Barbara, CA

Austin, TX

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Hermosa Beach, CA

Kapa'a, Kauai, HI

Others that might make the list on a different day:  NOLA; Los Alamos, CA; Ouray, CO; Pasadena, CA; San Diego, CA (particularly the PB/MB area); Driggs, ID; Jackson, WY; Telluride, CO; Taos, NM; Santa Fe, NM; Whitefish, MT

 

 

Edited by Carl Spackler
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In no particular order

Baltimore Inner Harbor area: Army- Navy weekend, Ft McHenry, crabcakes, Little Italy, casinos with 50 craps tables going. ESPN gameday.  Yeah, that was freaking fun.

Chattanooga- saw a minor league baseball game, stayed downtown. Really cool place.

Las Vegas- sorry, it’s like Disneyland for adults and I always have fun.  Multiple themes in the architecture and folks are just there to have a good time. Night time with all of the lights is my favorite.

Rockport/ PA- wife’s family turned me on to them, but it’s where we go to ‘get away and relax.’   I know some folks on here either take it for granted because they can go all the time or for others it’s not glitzy at all.  Hey, my list, and when the wife wants to go there, I’m ready.

Denver metro and rockies- craft brew every where, great food. All of the professional sports.  So many parks- big or little everywhere.  Scenic views and wildlife basically everywhere to go hike and see.  General attitude f folks is be active and have fun.

 

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NYC - no American city truly like it

Seattle - prettiest big city in the US imo

South Denver/Littleton - went to CO for the first time ever in October, loved this area. Seems somewhat protected from forest fires. No idea why it’s a mass shooting magnet. 

San Antonio - lived here for years. Much better than austin. Humble, low key, tons of crime but it’s not usually random. Great place to raise a family. 

South Padre Island - OP nailed it, but it’s more the nostalgia for me. Went every summer growing up. Barrier island so it’ll erode into nothing eventually but not for many many more decades. 

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24 minutes ago, Helobious said:

South Padre Island - OP nailed it, but it’s more the nostalgia for me. Went every summer growing up. Barrier island so it’ll erode into nothing eventually but not for many many more decades. 

 

1 hour ago, slorch said:

Rockport/ PA- wife’s family turned me on to them, but it’s where we go to ‘get away and relax.’   I know some folks on here either take it for granted because they can go all the time or for others it’s not glitzy at all.  Hey, my list, and when the wife wants to go there, I’m ready.

Man, if I could bottle up the feeling I get when I hit spots like this. Nicest beaches? Hell no. Prettiest area? Nope. Culture, history? Maybe Galveston, but not the others.

But damned if I'm not more excited about heading down and spending a few days at the beach way more than going on a major trip.

Edited by FirstTimeCaller
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San Antonio...first place I lived when I moved to the US (my dad grew up there).

Las Cruces - lived here while working at WSMR.  The Mexican food here is WAY better than anywhere else, including northern NM and Tex Mex.  And I LOVE Tex Mex.

North Padre Island - I moved here and bought my retirement home.  One day I hope to retire.  But, at least I live on a canal and my boat is ready to go in just a few minutes.

South Padre Island - My cousin has a condo here.  I have a key.  Enough said.

NOLA - Just a fun place to go.  And the FOOD!  And the DRINKS!  Say no more.

 

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