Ahem, what about San Diego? Pretty conservative town, and most people would consider it fun. San Antonio, which attracts lots of tourists. I'll put in a plug for Kansas City, as well, a pretty happenin' place.

What about some of the southern cities like Charleston and Savannah?

Jocelyn_P,
The first answers that really hit the mark - though I'm not so sure about Savannah proper. The other four definately.

>And also Chicago is unlike many other cities in America, especially those in its size category. Many, many people actually do a "backward" or "suburb to surburb" commute to their workplace now, more than in Eastern cities for sure. Chicago area business is no longer totally in "Chicago" proper.<

The description of a suburb to suburb commute describes the DC area so I don't think Chicago has a lock on this phenomenon.

All the big cities are liberal and all of the suburbs with the big houses that surround them are conservative!LOL

Northern VA and Washington DC are good examples. The city of DC is very democratic. The wealthy suburbs are mostly republican. The south may give you some republican cities.
I live in the suburbs of Richmond though and I would say the city is democratic and the suburbs are republican.
Not enough bible-belters here!!LOL

RBCal, you've obviously never been to Austin, TX!

Wouldn't it be just great if it were far too difficult to distinguish "liberal" vs. "conservative," because everyone had a different mix of views, instead of lock-step, "if you're conservative, you must believe a, b, c, d, e, f, and condemn l,m,n,o, and p," vs. "if you're a liberal, you must believe l, m, n, o, and p, and condemn a, b, c, d, e, and f."

Even better if the labels "liberal" and "conservative" hadn't become fightin' words..... no, I'm not saying "can't we all just get along?" I'm saying, can't we approach the issues without having party/ideological loyalty be the first and only consideration? It's like we've become a nation of battling robots in blue and red, and it's very very unfortunate that it's even possible to identify red and blue enclaves so clearly. And yes, it's also unfortunate that the battle means hostility to non-conforming visitors.

Leveraging off Girlonthego's comments, the city of Houston itself is moderately liberal. The suburbs house the conservative voters. Houston is not as liberal as Austin, also referred to as the People's Republic of Austin. Even people in Berkley think Ausin is out there.

Looking at the USA Today red/blue map, President Bush wone over 5/6 of the land mass of the United States on a county level. Does that mean over 83.3% of the United states is not fun. I doubt it.

girlonthego - The NoVA suburbs of DC are changing. Fairfax County fell in the Democrat's column in the last election. Arlington, Alexandria and Reston have been 'liberal' for years. It's the far suburbs in Prince William and Loudon counties that are staunchly conservative.

I have a semi-related question for everyone... Where is an 'affordable' and 'liberal' city in the US? Someday I'd love to cash out my over-priced home in the DC area and by something for less in another city. Is there anywhere 'blue' that you can buy a decent home for less than $150,000?

In the Northeast, the cities and the suburbs surrounding them are liberal. For instance, I live in Westchester County, a very affluent and liberal county just north of New York City. Long Island to the east also always goes democratic. New Jersey has shifted toward the right recently but is still largely democratic as well. The only real conservative area around here is Staten Island.

Nashville. It is conservative, but the folks are friendly, the beer is flowing, and their is plenty of live music.

Had to jump in....

San Diego is a conundrum. In many respects it's quite conservative-- yet it is very ethnically mixed and has a very large and visible gay and lesbian community. A vast percentage of which seems to be ex-military people. Fascinating....

LDLee: The USA Today map is a vast oversimplification, but in answer to your query if 83.3% of the US land mass is not fun-- yes, that's true.

And jnn1964: The blue areas are super-expensive precisely because that's where people want to live! The progressives are there because they don't want to live in less-vibrant, less-tolerant places-- and the conservatives live there to rail against the libertines and to offer up their suffering as an oppressed people.

Ahh, for the days when "conservative" meant "government out of the people's lives". Ahh, for the days when "government" meant "people in power serving the People, not the Corporations"....

To largescreen: Not sure where in Westechester county you live (it's a big county), but the northern half is anything BUT liberal.

Amen, rjw_lgb_ca!

For tourism, San Antonio is a fun conservative city. Austin, my home area, is very liberal. Any stereotype you may have of Texas as being conservative and cowboy country doesn't exist in Austin. Greatest place to live!

girlonthego neglected dc's maryland suburbs, which are about as strongly democratic as any place in the country.

Funny, Judy24. I agree!

Savannah has a very liberal feel - perhaps due to the SCAD students.

Houston has a very liberal side to parts of it.

I find it very interesting that I have little to no interest in spending my tourist dollars in the "fun conservative" cities being mentioned while the "liberal" cities bardo mentions include some of my favorites.

As a longtime Cincinnati resident, I have to agree that it defintely qualifies as conservative. In fact, any of you who think Chicago and San Diego are conservative clearly haven't spent any time in Cincinnati!!

Regarding it being a fun city for travel, it is a really fun city for families. Not necessarily in the city but lots to do in the outskirs (amusement park, water park, hiking, children's museum, aquarium, major league sports). There is enough to entertain someone not just looking for wholesome goodness as well for a weekend - Freedom Center (undergound railroad museum), Contemporary Arts Center, and some REALLY great restaurants (if you don't beleive me, check out Zagats which rates several Cincinnati restaurants higher than those in cities thought to culinary meccas).

Just had to throw in my two cents since my hometown was mentioned. BTW regarding politics, the county which Cincinnati is in pretty split during the last election, but those outside the city were overwhelmingly republican.

Regarding the Northeast. I really think that we are conservative in that we don't think we belong in other people's business. Don't want to know, don't want to judge, don't care. Pay your taxes, vote, watch out for your neighbors. What more matters?

I vote with Judy24...can any conservative really have fun? Seems to me many are frowning too much as they strive to restrict benefits for the least of these our brethren!

Only kidding...but I refuse to designate any city as being either. Don't most of us live amongst Liberal and Conservative neighbors (and family members)? BTW, what do those terms mean anyway? I say that Geo. Bush is a radical in many ways, meaning the advocating of social policy changes. Just a matter of definition.

Ozarks Bill

I have to agree with the choice of Tucson. Well ok, I live here. But We had one of the first city emploies to have benifits to partners. Also AZ just voted against 107! I know several gay families that have children and are great partents so yes! Phoenix is traditionaly Republican and more conservative than Tucson, but Phx has the great gay bars, alot more than Tucson. Tucson is laid back, lots of hiking, a UofA town. Cool thread. What about Miniapolios? I would like to visit this summer perhaps? Whats the vibe there?