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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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I spent an overnight in Omaha one time, and was very pleasantly surprised how nice and attractive the waterfront parkland and landscaping was along the Missouri River. They've also got a nice modern pedestrian bridge link if you want to walk over to the Iowa side of the river.
I think San Antonio and Miami are oversights. San Antonio has the famed "riverwalk" which other cities have studied and copied. The Miami river runs between Downtown and Brickell, like an urban canyon, with lots of small boats and yachts adding to the ambience.
I picked Chicago simply because it is such a material part of the city in combination with the skyscrapers. Pittsburgh also feels like it should be up there. And then a quick note about Jacksonville...what makes it special is the size of the river itself. Right at downtown it squeezes to only 2-3k feet across, but if you go to the outskirts of downtown it quickly widens and in fact between Avondale and San Marco, two popular urban core neighborhoods, the river spans more than 2 miles across. Looking over to the other neighborhood looks like a faraway island.
The river is cool to look at in Chicago, though I never really ate/drank/did any sort of physical activity on it. It always felt more aesthetic than anything, though the city is constantly adding to make it a destination.
I will say that I love the Charles- Continuous bike and run paths all the way through the suburbs. Free sailing. Great kayaking. New beer gardens and restaraunt pop ups. The hat shell. Duck boats. Playgrounds throughout for families. And, especially down towards the Back Bay, it’s really really beautiful.
So, I’m going Boston over Chicago and then the field.
Have only seen the riverfronts in the East Coast cities and Chicago from this list and I have to say Chicago's was on a tier of its own. The way the city is built around the river is so aesthetically pleasing I don't think any other city compares
Quote:
Originally Posted by WestCobb
I’ve been to roughly half of the cities listed and live in one of them. From what I’ve seen it’s Chicago by a magnificent mile.
It really is in a league of it's own, which is not to take away from other cities but Chicago is quite magnificent. Not only beautiful, it is vibrant as well.
Chicago Riverwalk
Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to complete the Chicago Riverwalk along the main branch of the Chicago River, which will build a continuous walkway and recreational amenity connecting the lakefront with the heart of downtown.
The design plans include conceptual ideas for each of the six blocks from State Street west to Lake Street with distinctive identities and purpose, thematically named: The Marina (from State to Dearborn); The Cove (Dearborn to Clark); The River Theater (Clark to LaSalle); The Swimming Hole (LaSalle to Wells); The Jetty (Wells to Franklin) and The Boardwalk (Franklin to Lake).
Many of these rivers are man made or over glorified creeks.
Which of these are man-made? I haven't actually heard of any significant river in Indianapolis, and I'm not sure why its on this list, so if its a canal maybe that one is. but the others?
I would have to agree with a few of the previous posters re: Chicago River. Objectively, and experiencing the various cities, not sure how/why one would vote otherwise.
The Chicago River is now a bustling "avenue" that meanders right down the middle of the city, filled with tourist boats, taxi boats, kayaks, personal craft, etc., and lined with groundbreaking architecture and a new Riverwalk with dining, drinking and other attractions. It really is a pretty special place, and will evolve as developments continue. (That said, 10 years ago, it would have been a different story). The entire walk is bustling at the seams during lunch and just after work.
I think other interesting candidates would be San Antonio (the River Walk *is* charming). Milwaukee should also get a mention as they are beginning to incorporate the Wisconsin River more into the downtown fabric. Boston and DC also have nice riverfronts. I view Baltimore as more of a bay front.
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