jerry

My wife and I are planning our 2002 vacations like we do each January. We'd like to do one big city and one smaller city this year.

I'd love input - what is the best big city in the USA to visit, and how about a good suggestion for a smaller, cozier setting too.

ilyce

I am a sucker for New York City, as far as a larger area.

For a smaller town, try Santa Fe if you have never been there.

bennie

Big - NYC - just got back and am liking it more and more each time I visit. Museums, restaurants, shopping - all the stuff cities are great for.

Small - San Diego - been twice and loved it both times. Ocean, nice hotels, lots of outdoor activities, the zoo, sailing, fishing, Balboa Park is lovely.

annie

big: NYC (of course)
small: Stonington, CT Right outside of Mystic. Beautiful, Grown up and quaint.

DougD

Best big city - Montreal. I know this is not in the USA, but it's probably the most fun city in North America - cheap, safe, with lots of French ambience, and always some kind of festival going on.

steve

Big: New York (alternatives: Chicago, San Francisco and Boston)
Small: Charleston, SC or Santa Barbara CA.

mia

Big-NYC..there is nowhere like it
Small-Charleston SC.charming,atmospheric

rocky

Big - New York, NY. But don't forget about New Orleans or Chicago.

smaller - Savannah, GA, is perfect for a more relaxed vacation.

Doris

Big: NYC already has been mentioned too many times. San Francisco is my favorite city, but Seattle is great, too.
Small: Santa Fe, Carmel, Mendocino, Tucson

Liam

My favorite big cities are (in no particular order):

NYC - the US's only Global City. I cannot expand on it more than what others have already said (need I?).

San Francisco - the slope and color of the GG bridge, Coit Tower, Alcatraz hovering out in the fog, the sound of the fog horns, the view from Twin Peaks, the Sutro Baths, the green hills dotted with white houses ... SF just has this lyric quality to it that is unmatched in the US.

Boston - the only US city on a human-scale; bay-windowed Georgian brownstones, swan boats in the Public Gardens, the crack of a wooden bat in Fenway Park on a clear summer night, the maritime feel of the waterfront, sidewalk cafes, cobblestones and brick sidewalks, riverside concerts at the Hatch Shell. At once it's both the most European city and the most American city in the US.

Favorite small cities (I will only give those in proximity to the larger ones above):

Nyack, NY - great antiquing, doubles as downtown "Stuckeyville" on NBC's "Ed"

Stonington, CT/Watch Hill (Westerly), RI - each rests on opposite sides of the bay; great seafood and beaches; very quaint

Edgartown (Vineyard), MA - the ultimate New England coastal town (with perhaps the exception of Chatham, MA); great beaches, seafood, shopping

Providence, RI - has come a long way since my college days; really good restaurant scene, RISD museum is remarkably good

Liam

forgot another favorite small city - Carmel/Monterey (what can I say, I have this thing for the ocean!)

ed

Large: There is no place like Manhattan, but Chicago is very cool. I think the city of Chicago defines America. Plus, it's civic pride rivals only cities like New York and Boston.

Mid-Size: Minneapolis-St. Paul is a great medium metro area. All the lakes and the arts scene give it a laid back attitude.

Small: Santa Barbara is great, as is Key West and Vail.

c

Liam-how were your holidays and how is your wife? Did you give her the gift of the trip? Hoping all is well-C

Liam

CDF - Thanks for asking; the holidays were great (hope yours were, too) and my wife and I are gearing up for her upcoming hospital stay.

I did not give the "Trip of a Lifetime" as a gift, but she loved her present all the same (I had a sapphire/diamond/emerald ring made; our daughters' birthstones are sapph & emerald). I am single-handedly trying to revive the economy.

We'll still go on our Europe trip someday after I give my Visa card a chance to rest!!

Take care, Liam.

Howard

To mention some that haven't been yet

Big - Washington, DC

Small - Portsmouth, NH; Saratoga, NY; New Castle, Delaware

c

Liam,the ring sounds wonderful..having you and the children are a gift that many would love to have~good luck on the upcoming procedures,and keep those articles about Paris/Rome/wherever..you will both be there someday soon!C

wes fowler

For a fascinating small city, consider Annapolis, MD. It would tie in nicely with visits to the larger cities, Washington, Baltimore or Philadelphia.

The historic part of Annapolis is easily walkable and assuredly historic. There are more original examples of Georgian architecture in Annapolis than the city of London. You can stay in inns and dine in restaurants that were frequented by Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, George Washington and many of America's early patriots.

Home to four signers of the Declaration of Independence, one of whose homes is now a museum with a lovely garden (the Paca House). Home too to the U. S. Naval Academy with its magnificent chapel and fascinating museum as well as the world's largest dormitory, housing over 4,000 midshipmen.

Dan

Big cities; New York, it's our only true world class city. Don't complain, there are only about 6 world class cities anywhere. But if you're into:

Food: New Orleans
Architecture:Chicago (hands down)
Museums: Washington

Small cities:

Asheville
Colorado Springs
Annapolis
Providence (Boston with less congestion)