I think that both Pittsburgh and Baltimore have some good attractions to see along with their general cityscape. However, I think that instead of pointing the visitors to more cities, I would suggest some other areas of the northeast to vist. Big cities have a certain sameness to them even though the particular attractions differ. A visit to something other than a city would provide variety to their trip.

There are a lot of good places to visit in the northeast corridor. I would recommend a visit to a beach, since we are at the height of the summer season. Cape Cod would be easily accessible from Boston; the Jersey shore from either NYC or Philadelphia.

Maybe another short getaway would be to a scenic area and/or historic attraction - from NY it could be the Hudson River valley. From DC, the Shenandoah Valley or Charlottesville, Va.

I would not put Baltimore or Pittsburgh at the top of any list of American cities to tour. I think they might get more out of touring Washington DC for a couple days with side trips to places like Monticello in Charlotteville, VA. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are filled with decent folk but both are old industrial towns in a so-called post-industrial age. Ironically, the major hospitals in each city are the top private employers of both cities.

Although I haven't visited Pittsburgh and Baltimore, I researched possible trips there and have not been convinced to go to either. But there are things to see if just passing through (e.g. Baltimore Inner Harbor).

Just got back from Philadelphia and enjoyed touring the Independence National Historical Park and activities along Ben Franklin Pkwy. Traffic is horrendous during rush hours.

I think these are more ``if you are passing through'' kind of places. But it is not too hard to get to Baltimore from DC, if they want to try a smaller city. It has a very nice harbor area with museums and restuarants. A day trip would work.

Pittsburgh would be more out of the way. But it is just as great as Philly, IMHO.

I agree that it might be fun to get out of the city. They could take the Fast Ferry from Boston to Provincetown (Cape Cod), then use the trolley to get around to the National Seashore beaches. That would be a great day or overnight trip.

From Philly, they could get to Ocean City NJ (boardwalks, beaches, arcades) or parts thereabouts.

As a Baltimore native, I would certainly recommend that you spend some time in our city. I am a proud volunteer at the National Aquarium in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor. there is also a Science Center with Imax theater and plenty of restaurants and shops in the area to entertain you. Baltimore has many ethnic areas (Little Italy for example) that are close to the downtown area. Please consider a visit to my home town.

As a Baltimore resident, I'm thrilled that they have interest in our great city. I think Baltimore gets a bad rap at times and it's really a great city with so many fun areas and culture. It's an easy stop if you are headed to/from DC.

I must first address putting LA in front of Chicago and San Francisco (even Las Vegas) as a must see. For architecture and wonderful sights(man-made or natural), the two beat the heck out of LA, in my opinion. After living in both Pittsburgh and Baltimore I wouldn't recommend Pitt, but Baltimore has so much history (Ft. MCHenry etc.) and and great neighborhoods and many great restaurants. The Inner Harbor is fun, but, Fells Point Mt. Vernon, Federal Hill, for a start, have lots to offer from food to wonderful historical architecture. Also, although the Orioles are #%?1, Camden Yards is the best baseball park (new one) and a fun way to people watch (can even get good Crab cakes)

No. Just no.

No one has mentioned the incredible Frank Lloyd Wright home, FALLINGWATER. It is two hours outside of Pittsburgh. I just visited there and thought it was spectacular. People from all over the world (including many celebrities and dignitaries) visit there.

Another overlooked gem is the Walters Museum in Baltimore. It is one of the great small museums in America, similar to the Barnes in Philly. Most European visitors gravitate to art museums and architectural sites.

Funny, polaris, as a tourist who's been to both Baltimore and Pittsburgh several times each, I'd recommend Pittsburgh a thousand times over Baltimore. Pittsburgh's a great city with soooo much to do!
I love Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Fell's Point and Mt. Vernon, but outside of that...there's not much to do. And I've never felt safe there after dark.

Hello,

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for being so kind to provide me such substantial feedback. Secondly, I would like to respond to some of the postings. Howard, the girls’ trip will involve more than cities. However, we have already decided which nature-oriented destinations they will visit (Grand Canyon, Yosemite, etc.). Specifically, I am simply addressing towns and cities they should visit on the ‘east side’. With that said, what do you think of Baltimore and Pittsburg from the perspective I addressed?

GeorgeW, thank you for your candor. It is appreciated. LG2, what exactly turned you off to Baltimore and Pittsburg? Capxxx, although I appreciate your input, I was nonetheless confused by it. I understand where you stand in regard to Baltimore. However, in regard to Pittsburg, do you think it is anywhere as impressive as Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, etc?

Polaris, I think there was a misunderstanding. I was not implying that LA is a ‘must-see’. I live here in LA and nevertheless, I think this place is a dump. Ha. As to your recommendations, Baltimore yes and Pittsburg no. Got it. Thanks. Celfan, could you please elaborate? FlyingMaltese, thank you for your input. Nonetheless, could you please respond directly to my inquiries? SuCo27, although you’d recommend Pittsburg over Baltimore, nonetheless, would you rank Pittsburg on the same caliber as the other ‘must-see’ destinations I listed?

Greek ---- how long do these girls have to stay in each place? I have not even been to all the suggested cities. What types of things are they interested in? How much history can one person stand? I live in Pittsburgh and while it has a lot to offer a tourist, it's not a must-see (having been a tourist in Baltimore ---- it's far from a must-see either).

My advice would be to spend more time in Boston, DC, and Phil getting a really good flavor of those cities than skip-hopping around to catch Pittsburgh and/or Baltimore as well. Unless of course their time is unlimited.

Pittsburgh has a huge Slovenian immigrant population (from back at the turn of the century) and their social/fraternal society seems to be quite active here. I'm wondering if that is why they would even bother to ask about Pittsburgh - otherwise, we are not on anybody's top 5 list.

I did not mean to be off-point. I have had several relatives visit me from Europe, and most found U.S. history sites to be relatively boring. They preferred to visit museums, architectural sites, and places of natural beauty.

I have been to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and like both of those cities. I just mentioned the standout attractions of those cities not mentioned before.

Restaurants I would consider in Baltimore are Charleston for fine dining and the Blue Agave for Mexican.

greekness, Pittsburgh is just a whole different experience than the rest of the cities on your list. It is more spread out and laid back. It doesn't have the same hustle and bustle/rushed feeling you get in other metropolitan areas. I don't think you can really compare it to the others. I wouldn't say it's among the top 'sightseeing destinations' tho. Just a great and beautiful city to see and relax in.

swaymock, you underestimate your own city! I've been to the others on greekness' list (except San Fran and Boston's next month), even lived in a few, and Pittsburgh has always been my No. 1!

Swaymock, the girls have 1 ½ months in total in the US. Being that Slovenia is a country of 400,000, they naturally want to see America’s most dynamic, impressive, sightseeing/monument/architecture-oriented destinations. As to why they are considering Baltimore, because it is close to DC. As to Pittsburg, yes you guessed it-the Slovenian population. Thanks for your honest input.

To everyone else, thank you so much for your responses and as always, I continue to welcome feedback.

Wait a second.

>> the girls asked me about Pittsburgh and Baltimore

Why?

Why, of all the places in the USA, did they ask about my original hometown of Pittsburgh?

Probably has something to do with the good chance that they have relatives there. They've heard about it. There great-great-great-grandfather's brother moved there 100 years ago along with others from their village. Something like that.

They may know about a dance group from Pittsburgh:
http://www.tamburitzans.duq.edu/overview.html
They have a Slovenian number on their current program.

If the timing is right you could go to Kennywood Park on Slovene Day.

Read thru this blog to the part about SNPJ.
http://nycslav.blogspot.com/2006/08/slavs-of-pittsburgh.html
Interesting, the group was in a dry county so they seceded. I've heard about the Slovene Club growing up in Pittsburgh.

The girls may have met or been aware of Pittsburghers visiting Slovenia on their "roots" tour.

Or maybe they just saw the cities' names on the map and wondered what was there.

But there is a community of Slovenes in Pittsburgh and I am sure that there are people there who would love to meet visitors from the "old country".

One point to keep in mind... Americans find Philly and DC fascinating because we have a deep connection to the historical/political meaning of everything we see. I have found that many Europeans don't have the same appreciation for seeing the liberty bell, Jefferson Memorial, etc. because they were just not raised with these images as cultural icons. There's nothing wrong with that... it's just a different perspective and something to consider when planning for visitors.

In other words, think carefully about what THEY would find interesting. For example, while Pittsburgh might not top my list, it sounds like the Slovene connection might be of particular interest to your friends. The Andy Warhol museum in Pitt is a great place to visit too. Baltimore is just a hop and a skip from DC, so it makes sense to go there if they'll be in DC anyway. Seems to me like Philly could come off the list if you need to eliminate something (although there are many nice things to see and do in Philly too... great art museum!)

Another point I should have added... be careful of packing too much into one trip. Although there are lots of great places to see in our country, none of them are enjoyable if you spend more time getting there than actually enjoying the location. I'd suggest allowing a minimum of 3 days in each spot (more if you can) and at least 5 days in NYC.

Baltimore:
One of America's most beautiful cities? Nope.

Just ordinary? Absolutely not. Ever seen an early John Waters movie? You’d know that Baltimore ain’t ordinary ‘hon. Baltimore has a unique accent and history that is older than much of the US. Lexington Market is like nowhere else I've been in America, Federal Hill, Mount Vernon and Fell's Point are fun neighbourhoods with interesting architecture. Inner Harbour is ho-hum (Aquarium aside) with usual chain stores and tourist schmaltz in my opinion.

Skip it? They could, but let me tell you, a Canadian friend went with me to NYC, Baltimore and DC... and she found Baltimore the highlight of the trip, opening her eyes to a less-seen side of America.

Pittsburgh:

Went once on a weekend, pretty bus ride/drive from DC area.

One of America’s most beautiful cities? IMO not like San Francisco is but topography and Victorian architecture sloping up the hillsides give it an interesting look.

Just Ordinary? No, never been anywhere that looks quite like it.

Different feel and look from east coast cities, downtown’s quieter than the east coast biggies (including B’more) although not dead either, funiculars are fun with views of the city below and there’s some funky older neighbourhoods.

Skip it? Baltimore and Pittsburgh “must see”? Baltimore and Pittsburgh both have a sense of civic pride and identity, offering images of America that one does not find in the 4 cities you wrote. I’m equally glad to have seen Baltimore and Pittsburgh as I am to have seen New York City and Boston. If they don’t go because of time and need to make a decision, that’s fine; if they do go, even if they don’t like B’more and Pgh, they will have a bit of a sense of these 2 urban communities.

Have been to all of the cities you have mentioned, and while both Pittsburgh and Baltimore offer interesting things to see and do, I have to honestly say they would not be on my list of must sees. They aren't close to the top of my list of most beautiful/greatest cities personally, but to each his own.

Besides NYC, DC Philly and LA, if it were me, I would definitely consider Chicago. Chicago would actually be my second pick, after NYC. The suggestion that Swaymock recommended would be what I would consider....spending more time in the prime cities that you did select.

If I were to pick another city, to mix things up a bit (depending on THEIR interest), I would go with something different and radical like Miami.

Mrwunrfl: Yes, the girls know of the Slovene population there and this simply sparked interest.

Msteacher: The Europeans I know found NYC, Boston, DC and Phili charming, even though the history isn’t as strong, those cities are still dynamic, architecture and monument-filled and charming. I am surprised that you think of Phili any less than the other cities I listed. Anyways, I agree with your position that it is imprudent to cram too much into a trip. Lastly, what do you specifically think of Baltimore?

Daniel_Williams: Although I appreciate your input, I am nonetheless confused. At the end of the day, would you rank Baltimore among America’s ‘must-see’ cities for the reasons I previously described? As to Pittsburg, you gave me a pretty good visual. Thank you.

Chasechow:

I agree with you on Chicago, but as to Miami, I must admit. I do not find the city itself interesting. However, I will say that its nightlife kicks butt and the people there are GOOD-looking. Ha.

Greekness - LOL, I agree with you that Miami doesn't (at least to me) have the cultural and historical aspects like Chicaco, NYC, DC,; but I was thinking "Hey, they're girls, take em to the beach!"

It's just a different vibe. They may like the beaches, the art deco area, the shopping, the clubs and defnitely the people.

chasechow:

Good thinking. However, as to the people, I hate to say this, but I found them to be some of the rudest and most materialistic people in America. I know everyone is going to attack me on this one, but I've been to Miami 3 times and all 3 times I had the same experience. What do you think?

Greek, I've definitely had that experience, especially with service oriented people. It really aggravated me that a lot of the places in Miami tack on a gratuity automatically because that just seemed to give them free license to treat you badly. My second trip there was like that in a lot of the places I went. My last visit though (don't know if I was lucky or what), but my overall experience with people was great. I just take the good with the bad. For me (and this is just my personal opinion and of course everybody is going to have their own), I would choose to go to Miami over Pittsburgh or Baltimore any day.

I "think" I've been to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, but would have to go back to my trip notes to remember for sure. They may be interesting cities in their own right - but with limited time and a country worth of cities to visit, I wouldn't go to either.

However if there is still a Slovenian section of Pittsburgh, they would probably enjoy going there to see it.

I would definitely include Las Vegas because it is different from anywhere else.

We just got back from Miami. I didn't notice any specific rudeness. The people at the ball park were especially friendly. I did think the "included gratuity" for a part of 3 was odd. I've never seen that before. The bill also included a separate spot for a tip and I wondered if they hoped you wouldn't notice the included gratuity and would pay the tip twice.

Have you considered including a small midwestern town just for the difference in feel? Whenever we got to small-town Iowa for a family reunion, I think to myself that it would be a nice place to live.

Debbie

If you want to get a little sense of Pittsburgh, go to http://community.webshots.com/user/bookhall?vhost=community and select the last (Pittsburgh) album on the left.

It's a few years old, but revisiting it again makes me want to go back....

Baltimore is a must see city especially if your in the area. It's right on the way D.C. and has lots to do in one central area, the Inner Harbor. It has a world class aquarium surrounded by naval ships that are now floating museums. There is one of the best baseball parks around, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore is probably the best seafood they will find, nothing like Maryland Blue Crab with Old Bay.

I would also like to mention that Ft McHenry is located in Baltimore, a 15 min water taxi from Inner Harbor. Ft. McHenry is the ONLY site to be designated a National Historic Monument and Shrine. It's the birth place of the Star-Spangled Banner. It was the Battle of Baltimore that prompted Francis Scott Key to write what would become our national anthem. The first 50 star flag was flown here and is still located here. So if they want to get some great seafood and see one of America's true treasure's then tell them to stop by Baltimore!

I live in north of Baltimore, it's a nice town, but it really depends on what type of thing they would like to see and do. Baltimore has wonderfull things to do here and see here, but it isn't NY or DC by any stretch.

My friends who visit love comming here, but it's because they see they have the grand tour. They see little italy, and the harbor ( don't miss the Acquaium), we take in a game at the Oriole Park. We stroll through Fells point and see why John Water's made us famous.

yes we have a nice museum, and and Federal hill and nothing beats a trip to the a home town resturant that servers hot steamed crabs with a pint of bear, or having breakfast at the Hon Cafe and seeing the quarky shops that are up and down that street. Fort McHenry is great as it is near the down town area. One can spend a day and see Little Italy, the harbor, fells point, Fort Mechenry, federal hill and still have time to have time to have crabs Maryland style and if you plan it right see a game at Oriole park. You can't do that all in one day in DC or NYC. but Baltimore is small enough to spend a day and see all those sites and have a different experience at each.

Yes, we show them that my home town has paunch of it's own, and my state has more to offer, if your going to see the whole state. Anapolis, OC ( a must) with Cheateque Island to boot. We have great mountains in our state, we have a beatiful beach where one can hop on a ferry and see the quiant towns of NJ. What makes us great is we are close to DC, as well.

Is it the spot someone wants to visit while staying near by in DC. I don't koww as it would depend if what one wants to see, but it is not without it's charm.

so maybe what makes us worth a trip is that you can really do a lot in a small space of time here, and really say you saw a lot in a short amount of time, and each place you saw had a different look an experience in each place you visited in Baltimore. Canton doesn't resemble / litle italy, and the harbor doesn't look like fort Mchenry and no where anywhere else has seafood like we have here, Crabs servered on a table, eaten with a mallet washed down with a cold beer and scrumptus to boot.

Barbie

I think the girls would do best by focusing their time in the cities you mention, rather than side-tripping to either Pittsburgh or Baltimore. We have spent a fair amount of time in Baltimore, and it's a very interesting city, but not as much so as DC, IMHO. And, unless you know your way around Baltimore, it's possible to get into a rather unsafe area. Because the city feels like a patchwork quilt of good and bad neighborhoods. It's a city of contrasts-- really poor and really chic. If they do go, tell them to try Ixia (sp?) and Red Maple for really cool nighttime scenes for twenty-somethings.

It sounds like they are making their way through the northeast, and Baltimore, DC then Pittsburgh are pretty natural choices on the map.
The summer months are great for a drive from DC to Pittsburgh. The beautiful green rolling hills and the countryside that you can drive through are spectacular at this time of year. One poster mentioned Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water which is a great idea. Once into the Pittsburgh area, there is a lot for them to see including the Andy Warhol museum, the Carnegie Museum, beautiful churches, PNC Park - one of the nicest baseball parks in the country, the universities of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon, downtown Pittsburgh and the Golden triangle rivers that meet to form the Ohio river. Pittsburgh is made up of many small thriving neighborhoods, very similar to the cities in Europe.
I think there are some great cities in the US outside of NYC, LAX, BOS and Chicago. Your visitors can see all of what the US has to offer instead of just focusing on our larger cities.
Think about it like this...Americans all flock to London, Paris and Rome...there are many fascinating cities in Europe that I want to see. Probably some of those in Slovenia