What are your top three cities?

[FromCityToRural]

Simply put, what are your three favourite cities which you have visited? Why?

For me:

Washington, DC. It's a surprisingly chic, urbane, and multicultural city with tons of hidden eateries and a fantastic feel. It includes lots of priceless vistas and plenty of romantic nooks too. Nevermind the politicians and low skyline, I was taken with this city almost instantly. Lots of architectural character. You can have rowhouse, high-rise, or suburban living. Just over the river in Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia it felt just as tight and polished as in DC. Plenty of history here, too. Get a vista from above and much of the cityscape flirts with you, partially hidden behind mature trees. Plus the beach is not a terribly far drive away, nor is some sailing and a fantastic golf course in the Potomac.

Chicago, IL. Another very urbane city. Granted the Loop feels deserted after dark, this is still a bustling city with a great transit system and some really great neighborhoods (Wicker Park, Logan Square, Near North). It's a hub of architecture (Burnham + Root, Frank Lloyd Wright, among others), has tons of charming brick buildings and plenty of old-growth trees. Inner-ring suburbs take the most advantage of this. Grant Park, situated in the heart of the downtown waterfront, is attractively nesled between the built environment and the water, offering a relatively short trek to many of the city's attractions. I also love the city's gritty feel.

SF Bay Area, CA. OK, this is because it's home, where I was born and raised. The region itself was born of the gold rush, San Francisco quickly growing into one of the most dense cities in the nation. But it offers more than that. It was raised during the era of the suburb. Everything from urban to suburban living, to hilltop ranches are available in the area. It's surrounded by hills, so while the smog is bad during the summer, the vistas can be equally good, as are the driving roads. It may be arguably the most ethnically diverse metro area in the US, and there is no shortage of...just about anything you could want. Silicon Valley keeps it young and restless, meanwhile ToD's are popping up next to expanded and more integrated modes of public transit.

Edited October 14, 2012 by FromCityToRural

[Neo]

1. New York City - How can it be beat? It has sheer mass, the best transit system in the world (IMO) and everything you want is within walking distance. Awesome parks, restaurants, shopping...
   
2. Chicago - This place holds a special place in my heart as I used to live and work right downtown. It has amenities that lets it play with the really big boys (e.g. New York) but IMO it has a bit of a small town feel. Again, everything you want/need is within walking distance and there's just something about being next do Lake Michigan that gives me the chills (literally in the winter).
   
3. Charleston (SC, not WV) - So much history has been preserved in this place! All of the cemeteries, 'haunted' locations and the best southern food anywhere make this a truly awesome place.
   

[FromCityToRural]

I love your third choice. From what I have seen on TV, Charleston looks like a really charming place.

[Abdul]

Char

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[Virginia Barton]

Medellin, Colombia. I dreamt of going there since middle school when learnt it was called the city of spring. It indeed is beautiful, even though I wasn't lucky to see its famous lighting storms. What's more, it is very secure and has this vibe of community, you know. You can see people gathering to sing, dance and celebrate every evening; most cafes have live music etc.

Austin, Texas. Went there for a conference from AssignmentExpert.com. Just the right amount of chaos for me:) 

Kyiv, Ukraine. Cheap, nice, people are great, cuisine is tasty. Yes, they lack a lot in terms of economical benefits and personal safety (though the only issue I personally observed is the necessity to watch your pockets in crowded areas), but I just like it there.

[dcluley98]

SanFran, Toronto, Asheville. Although it is pretty subjective. 

[NcSc74]

World cities-Tokyo, NYC, London in that order.

Vacay cities-Barcelona, New Orleans, Kingston

Where I want to live cities-Charlotte, Tampa, Dallas in that order.

[wkiehl101]

Pittsburgh - was home

Des Moines - great city for its size

Charlotte - continuously up and coming, pretty exciting