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Let's be real. By scenery people generally mean natural surroundings. By a large margin - San Francisco had that covered. Even if we're only talking city limits.
Everything else - I agree. Chicago wins. Never liked The Bay Area (except maybe Oakland).
You didn't say "for me". It would completely change your statement if so. Do so next time, it will make your posts a bit less hyperbolic (i.e. as if comparing SF to Chicago is some sort of crazy thing to do). My main point was you were laying out all of these things in such a definitive way suggesting there is "no debate"...when there very much is a good one to be had.
You're also listing plenty of things that are hugely debatable and subjective as if they are factual statements ("culture"? What does that even mean? I'm sorry, this is incredibly subjective).
Also, side note: you might be right that Chicago as a city (as in the 7X7 city limits of SF vs. Chicago's city limits) might offer more in many areas. But as a visitor, one doesn't limit themselves to just SF...For instance, it's very difficult to decouple many Bay Area tourist spots from "SF" (e.g. Marin Headlands/Muir Woods and Napa/Sonoma)...so I see no reason why one should limit themselves to that in this discussion.
In regards to this thread topic: I love Chicago - been hundreds of time. Always have a blast when I go. But before I was a resident of SF (and the Bay Area), I once was a visitor...and it was just an overall better and more enjoyable experience for me.
I didnt?..
Quote:
Originally Posted by amirite
Chicago pretty easily.
SF only matches Chicago in food for me. It has the better scenery clearly, but any advantages end there.
Here are Forbes' Five and Four Star Hotels and Restsurants for 2016:
Chicago Area
Five-Star Hotels: 4
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
The Langham, Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
Five-Star Restaurants: 3
Alinea
Grace
Sixteen
Four-Star Hotels: 4
Hotel Arista
Park Hyatt Chicago
The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Four-Star Restaurants: 4
Everest
Les Nomades
NoMI Kitchen
Shanghai Terrace
Tru
San Francisco Bay
Five-Star Hotels: 4
Auberge du Soleil
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco
Rosewood Sand Hill
The St. Regis San Francisco
Five-Star Restaurants: 3
The French Laundry
Manresa
The Restaurant at Meadowood
Four-Star Hotels: 15
Bardessono Hotel and Spa
Calistoga Ranch, An Auberge Resort
The Carneros Inn
Meadowood Napa Valley
Napa River Inn
Solage Calistoga
Garden Court Hotel
Hotel Nikko San Francisco
JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square
Loews Regency San Francisco Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
Taj Campton Place
Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto
Rosewood CordeValle
Four-Star Restaurants: 13
Auberge du Soleil Restaurant
Lucy Restaurant & Bar
Terra
Campton Place
Gary Danko
La Folie
Madera
Meritage at the Claremont
Michael Mina, San Francisco
Navio
Parallel 37
Quince
Spruce
This one for me is a tough one. I think they are basically tied. The only thing that can put one over the other:
If natural beauty is very important to you, then SF has the edge. If urban activities like nightlife, shopping and having multiple neighborhoods and places to explore within the city then Chicago has the edge.
Michelin Three-Star Restaurants: Three stars reward exceptional cuisine where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients. Worth a special journey.
San Francisco 5
Chicago 2
Michelin Two-Star Restaurants Two stars denote excellent cuisine, skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality. Worth a detour.
San Francisco 7
Chicago 3
Michelin One-Star Restaurants One star indicates a very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. A good place to stop on your journey.
San Francisco 38
Chicago 19
Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurants The Bib Gourmand designation denotes good cuisine at a reasonable price in a variety of comfort categories. Defined as “Inspectors’ Favorites for Good Value,†Bib Gourmand restaurants offer two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less (tax and gratuity not included), and are often of most value to a city’s residents, who regularly dine in neighborhood restaurants.
San Francisco 74
Chicago 59
Here are Forbes' Five and Four Star Hotels and Restsurants for 2016:
Chicago Area
Five-Star Restaurants: 3
The French Laundry
Manresa
The Restaurant at Meadowood
Every one of these restaurants is at least an hour away from downtown SF. I know we love comparing MSAs (and for the Bay, many of you prefer CSA), but not many tourists are going to travel an hour outside the downtown for dinner. Visiting Napa is not the same thing as visiting SF.
EDIT: Only 7 of the 4 -Star restaurants are in the city.
Last edited by gladhands; 10-18-2016 at 08:58 AM..
San Francisco: 24.6 million visitors total (2015 numbers)
-18.9 million leisure visitors
-5.8 million business travelers
-10.18 million overnight visitors
-2.85 million international overnight visitors San Francisco Travel Reports Record-Breaking Year for Tourism | San Francisco Travel
(The link I found for SF didn't differentiate between overnight business and overnight leisure visitors)
Chicago: 50.97 million domestic visitors / 52+ million estimated after international numbers are later confirmed (2015 numbers)
-39.31 million leisure visitors
-20.57 million overnight leisure visitors
-11.65 million business visitors
-7.92 million overnight business visitors
-1.3 million international visitors (estimate) https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/e...rism-2015.html http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...tourism-record
Here are Forbes' Five and Four Star Hotels and Restsurants for 2016:
Chicago Area
Five-Star Hotels: 4
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
The Langham, Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
Five-Star Restaurants: 3
Alinea
Grace
Sixteen
Four-Star Hotels: 4
Hotel Arista
Park Hyatt Chicago
The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Four-Star Restaurants: 4
Everest
Les Nomades
NoMI Kitchen
Shanghai Terrace
Tru
San Francisco Bay
Five-Star Hotels: 4
Auberge du Soleil
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco
Rosewood Sand Hill
The St. Regis San Francisco
Five-Star Restaurants: 3
The French Laundry
Manresa
The Restaurant at Meadowood
Four-Star Hotels: 15
Bardessono Hotel and Spa
Calistoga Ranch, An Auberge Resort
The Carneros Inn
Meadowood Napa Valley
Napa River Inn
Solage Calistoga
Garden Court Hotel
Hotel Nikko San Francisco
JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square
Loews Regency San Francisco Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
Taj Campton Place
Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto
Rosewood CordeValle
Four-Star Restaurants: 13
Auberge du Soleil Restaurant
Lucy Restaurant & Bar
Terra
Campton Place
Gary Danko
La Folie
Madera
Meritage at the Claremont
Michael Mina, San Francisco
Navio
Parallel 37
Quince
Spruce
This is a great list... if you make 6+ figures. You got anything for the rest of us?
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