Which city impressed you on the first visit?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

DC. When you're on the expressway (95) and go over that hill - wow.

[The_sandlapper]

Boston, Portland, and DC in that order.

[NCB]

Some other Southern cities that I was impressed with on my first serious visit's through the years include Shreveport, Little Rock, Houston, Birmingham, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Atlanta.

I also really would like to visit Seattle, Portland, Omaha, Cleveland, Boston and Greenville in the near future. And I want to get back to Dallas, Memphis, Nashville, and Charleston soon too.

[urbanbna]

for me, it would have to be Washington DC. My partner and I planned a trip, but couldn't decide where to go, so we (he) decided we should go to DC. I didn't have high expectations, but when I got there, I was amazed!!! It was one of the best cities I have ever been too, the subway is clean, the people are nice, and the city is just amazing to be in, rich in history and all.

[dimebag1980]

They're trying to get a line out to Tysons as well. Had that happened much earlier, it would probably resemble a denser Ballston today.

Oh, and to add to suburban skylines, Silver Spring is another good example:

That's not bad either! Less height than the other one, but not bad at all. Reminds me of many of the Dallas suburbs.

[NcSc74]

My first is Greensboro. Not much too look at downtown but within the city there is a lot to do. It even impressed my wife who is a die hard Jersey girl. My second is Norfolk. It has a gritty urban feel for a city of its size. I think that is what impressed me though. The grit and the industrial infrastructure put it ahead of lot southern cities when it comes to identity. It also helps that it sits on the James and Elizabeth rivers. IMO it is highly underrated.

[krazeeboi]

Norfolk IS highly underrated. I visited back in '97, but didn't really have a chance to explore the city. I hope to make another visit soon.

Greensboro is cool as well.

[Plasticman]

Memphis - it just exudes southern charm

Columbia - Nice clean downtown with nice walkability

Charlotte - Driving through for the first time about twelve years ago, I saw BOA sticking up all alone and couldn't believe it. What an awesome tall. Now it just keeps on getting denser and infilling.

Atlanta driving south to north straight through DT. While I had lived in Atlanta area (50 miles away), I had never driven through it since the highrise boom. There is one point just just south of midtown where you can see a seemingly endless line of skyscrapers and yet also look out on the horizon and see other clusters circling the city.

[cooperdawg]

Portland and Seattle stand out to me. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest on a week's visit out there year's ago. Conversely, how can anyone stand to live in Tacoma, WA is beyond me. The smell is just awful.

Toronto also stands out with how clean it was downtown and impressive skyline.

Charleston is great. Annapolis too. Chattanooga surprised me a bit.

Loved DC when I lived there. Yeah, they have the height restrictions, but I love the density downtown. Ditto for Boston. There are so many neat and interesting little spaces created with that kind of density.

And of course, Charlotte. I wouldn't have moved here if I hadn't been impressed on my first visit. Quite a change from DC, but it's fun watching it grow up.

[distortedlogic]

A city that suprised me quite a bit was Huntsville Alabama. I thought it was a smaller town, but it seemed to have a lot of growth and the neraby hills and low mountains were much prettier than i would have thought. Beautiful area! I think Huntsville is up and coming. Chattanooga is nicer than I would have thought. Chicago is more impressive and pretty than I would have thought. Buffalo NY also surprised me. San Antonio is also a place that I really liked, though I would not have thought it before hand.

Some Cities that disappointed me were LA, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Sante Fe

[krazeeboi]

You hate the West I see?

[BHCav]

I'll be the first to say Miami. Nothing but construction cranes downtown. The place is really booming at the time being.

[distortedlogic]

You hate the West I see?

Actually no, those just happen to be some of the cities I was "disappointed" in that you hear a lot about. There are other cities in the West that I like very much.

[rocky top buzz]

No Gatlinburg lovers here?

[goodbye]

No Gatlinburg lovers here?

Absolutely NOT! Growing up, I had heard great things about the town, but when I first visited as a teenager, I was completely disappointed. To sum it up in two words: "TOURIST TRAP." What I did find extremely impressive was Cade's Cove, just a short mountain drive away from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

A couple small mountain towns that left a positive impression on me upon first visiting were Bryson City, NC, and Sylva, NC.

[scman473]

I wasn't impressed with Gatlinburg when I first visited it either. It was too much like a mini Myrtle Beach.

[monsoon]

Forgetting that this thread is about cities that impressed you and not lets bash some cities (some of you just can't seem to resist), I will say that I have enjoyed Gatlinburg for what its. It offers a lot of unique entertainment in the mountains and are a nice diversion to more traditional places that one might visit in the smokies. Gatlinburg also has one of the very few cable cars in the South (if not the only one) and is also the location of Tennessee's only ski resort and one of the very few in the South outside of NC. Gatlinburg is also a very walkable city. You can get out and walk most of it, including very nice pedestrian venues against the river that runs through the city. They have done a great job of making it this way and it should not be dismissed. I find the best time to visit this place is during the winter months then they really go out of their way to welcome people there and the summer crowds are gone.

Gatlinburg has a lot of great things going for it and it certainly impressed me during my first visit.

[goodbye]

I merely responded to the question above. Had I included my later impression of Gatlinburg, you would have read something different. Honestly, my first impression was quite negative. As well honestly, my impression since then has gotten much better since I can appreciate the town for what it is. That being said, I hope these two towns stay small and don't destroy the natural beauty around them in the Smokies. That is the best part about visiting that area, IMHO.

[sunshine]

City that impressed me is St Augustine, Fla. A place that you dont hear much, and when u finally go there, it is surprised to see that they have a very vibrant downtown.

[GamecockEngineer]

Absolutely NOT! Growing up, I had heard great things about the town, but when I first visited as a teenager, I was completely disappointed. To sum it up in two words: "TOURIST TRAP." What I did find extremely impressive was Cade's Cove, just a short mountain drive away from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

A couple small mountain towns that left a positive impression on me upon first visiting were Bryson City, NC, and Sylva, NC.

I've always refered to Gatlinburg as the "Myrtle Beach of the Mountains". Several of the attractions are simm.

[Fear of Heights]

I agree with you about St. Augustine. More going on than I expected the few times I've been. I was impressed by Jacksonville too for that matter. My brother lived down there for several years and I always liked that place. Probably my favorite larger city in Florida.

Although it's not a city, I also have to include the Little River Canyon/DeSoto State Park area near Ft. Payne, Alabama (northeast Alabama). Drove up there one chilly overcast winter day. Drove into Ft. Payne and on my way up Lookout Mtn. hit some snow as well as accumulating snow that had already fallen(once I got above about 1,500 ft in elevation). The canyon at Little River Canyon was much more dramatic and deep than I had ever expected (nearly 800 feet deep in some places from the cliff ledge to the river in the canyon floor below).

Also blown away by a recent detour trip from Charlotte to Cashier, NC. I knew Cashiers would be great but wasn't quite expecting to hit such dramatic scenery just west of Shelby, NC.

[goodbye]

I agree with you about St. Augustine. More going on than I expected the few times I've been. I was impressed by Jacksonville too for that matter. My brother lived down there for several years and I always liked that place. Probably my favorite larger city in Florida.

Although it's not a city, I also have to include the Little River Canyon/DeSoto State Park area near Ft. Payne, Alabama (northeast Alabama). Drove up there one chilly overcast winter day. Drove into Ft. Payne and on my way up Lookout Mtn. hit some snow as well as accumulating snow that had already fallen(once I got above about 1,500 ft in elevation). The canyon at Little River Canyon was much more dramatic and deep than I had ever expected (nearly 800 feet deep in some places from the cliff ledge to the river in the canyon floor below).

Also blown away by a recent detour trip from Charlotte to Cashier, NC. I knew Cashiers would be great but wasn't quite expecting to hit such dramatic scenery just west of Shelby, NC.

Highlands-Cashiers is one of my favorite getaways from Greenville. These are fabulous mountain arts and crafts villages with plenty of things to see and do.

[Tennesseestorm]

I would have to say Wilmington as well. We have not been since late July of 1994, but I remember it as impressive, even then. I am sure it has flourished since July of 94'. I yearn to go back.

We've all been somewhere that we didn't expect much before we arrived, but ended up being totally charmed by:)

For me, I'm still blown away by Wilmington. Before I ever visited there, I just knew of it as the home of the USS North Carolina.

When I first visited I was blown away with the city. The architecture, history, geography, lovely people, terrific food and service........wow!

Even though lots of people have discovered Wilmington, it's still not well known nationally. That's too bad because you couldn't ask for a nicer city to visit:)

[northernbizzkit1]

Wilmington, NC and Washington D.C. are two of my favorite cities that I have visited recently. Wilmington was just amazing!

[Brent]

I don't care for Wilmington at all. I've been twice and I must say that I hated it, couldn't wait to leave. The strip malls in the suburbs are nice, really great landscaping and the live oaks are beautiful, but I find the city creepy and depressing and the river looks dead, not at all inviting for a river city.