Cities Worth Seeing That I Have Not Already Been To
 

I just got back from a fabulous trip to Seattle and Vancouver and was wondering what city/cites (US and/or Canadian)I should visit for my next trip that I have not already seen. I am sure that you will have great ideas!

So far I have visited:

1. NYC (I grew up on Long Island and now live by the Queens/Long Island border)
2. Boston
3. Washington, DC
4. Philadelphia
5. Chicago
6. Phoenix
7. Albuquerque
8. Santa Fe
9. Seattle
10. Toronto
11. Montreal
12. Ottawa
13. Quebec City
14. Vancouver

In terms of requirements,

1. Good public transportation or ability to walk to attractions- I prefer not renting cars and not driving in cities
2. safety- I am very much a suburbanite and prefer not encountering aggressive street people
3. availability of direct flights from NYC- not a requirement, but I would find this to be a big plus

In terms of what I like:
1. I love museums- natural history, art, cultural, etc.
2. laid back/casual area- I may live on the Queens/Nassau border, but I am not a fan of fast paced, very crowded cities. In case this clues you in, Seattle is one of my favorite cities I have ever been to.
3. nice, but casual restaurants- I prefer not spending more than $25 for an entree and like going to restaurants where I can wear jeans.
3. pretty scenery- I am not much of a hiker, but I like pretty scenery (nice parks, etc.)
4. zoos/aquariums
5. interesting food markers- like Pike Place Market in Seattle
6. friendly people
7. ideally not very hot

Thanks for your input!

Portland OR
San Francisco

You might consider

San Diego, Gas Lamp district.
I can't wait to return and explore more. Such a beautiful place.

St. Louis, Mo. Great city!
Great dining, baseball, football, the Arch, museums, zoo, public transportation, etc;

Why not try Vegas? During a low season? I resisted going, but when I did visit, I loved it and have now been there 5 times. There are lots of transportation options and dining can be had on the cheap.

Have fun!

bk

Denver, CO

Unique buildings, a walking street with free shuttle bus; The Colorado History, and Art Museum; Bistro Vendome and Panzano to eat at;

Frontier and UAL fly direct; check out the Curtis Hotel; we have an aquarium and zoo and botanical garden; minutes from Boulder bike and hike trails; 40 min drive to the Rocky Mountains or ski areas - that are lovely without snow

Honolulu.
Miami.
Portland.
San Fran.

I'm in seattle right now and understand your enchantment with it. Definitely check out San Francisco and then Portland.

Hi there ncounty, I love Seattle, have a wonderful time!

1nytraveler, I too would suggest San Francisco and Portland. I think both cities would meet your criteria.

The answer I would like to give you is New Orleans. Such a fantastic city. Since you just returned from a trip, let's hope that by the time you're ready to go again, New Orleans might be ready for you.

Honolulu
San Francisco

Halifax

Cleveland.

A huge surprise to me.

High speed rail from the airport to city center

Great art museum

Great classical music in a great Art Deco hall plus Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Amish country within easy drive if you want to rent a car; in the other direction the Lake Erie shoreline can be very picturesque

I second Cleveland!

...Quick flight from NYC, art museum, orchestra, fun neighborhoods (Little Italy, Tremont, Ohio City), great market (West Side Market), lots of incredible restaurants, and the MetroParks system is amazing!

Portland, OR. fits the bill (a terrific city to get around, clean and lots to see and do) I also enjoy San Antonio - great walking city, great food for a quick weekend.

It looks like you haven't spent much time in the South East - What about..

Charleston
St. Augestine

for starters. They don't necessarily have the best transportation systems - but you can do a lot of walking and see a lot of sights.

Cincinnati

Atlanta

Both have wonderful zoos, pro ball teams (if that is an interest).

Cincinnati has great art and natural history museums.

I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for just a couple days and really enjoyed it. Went to the Tennessee Aquarium, the IMAX 3D theater, shopping, and to a dinner theater. It was a blast. Would like to go back sometime and experience their other attractions.
http://www.chattanoogafun.com/
http://www.tnaqua.org/

Forgot to mention about Chattanooga - an electric shuttle runs downtown (can't remember if there was a charge, if so, it wasn't much). I think there was bus service also.

Cleveland may indeed be exactly the city you want to visit. But before you head for the Cleveland Art Museum, check this URL for projected dates for its permanent collections to re-open:
http://www.clevelandart.org/building...ilestones.aspx
I planned to go to this museum last year, but held up when I found the entire permanent collection had been closed since 2005. Some parts (not all) have since been re-opened, but final work is not scheduled to be done till 2011.

San Francisco
San Diego

Another vote for San Francisco. I'm prejudiced, of course, since I live just actoss the Bay.

Savannah is absolutely wonderful! So much interesting Revolutionary and Civil War History. Great museums, wonderful food, easy to get around.

Victoria, B.C. is another favorite of ours. Beautiful in the summer with all the hanging flower baskets and lovely gardens. Great museum. A couple places we went for jazz. Butchart Gardens. Whale Watching. Lots to see and do.

We haven't been there for a long time, but really enjoyed San Antonio. The Riverwalk is fun, visited the Missions (starting with the Alamo).

If you would like more detail on any of the above with specific names, etc. e-mail me. I have a long file on Savannah I compiled when planning our trip.