Major North American City-Best Surroundings (crime, parks, metro)

[theurbanfiles]

So, some would say less or more, but for a 2 day weekend, I would say a good rule of thumb for long end of distance one would be willing to drive for a weekend trip would be-5 hrs. (give or take).

I know that Google Maps doesn't necessarily reflect reality, so you can play that in mind here. But-these are generally the places you can drive to within five hours of the 10 cities classified as Alpha in the most recent GAWC grouping. Which do you think has the most advantageous location for this?

Within 5 Hr. Drive range, per Google
Chicago: Downtown Des Moines/Downtown Cleveland/Exit 91 of I-65 (Kentucky)/Point Pelee NP (Canada)/Exit 199 of I-70 (Missouri)

Houston: Mexican Border (just into Nuevo Laredo)/Exit 412 of I-10 (TX)/Exit 40 of I-35 (Oklahoma)/Downtown New Orleans/Exit 30 of I-30 (Arkansas)

Los Angeles: Mexico (Coastal Highway 1-50-60 miles south of Ensenada)/Exit 138 of I-10 (Arizona, near Phoenix)/Virgin River Gorge Scenic View-I-15 (Arizona)/Exit 498 of I-5 (CA)/7 National Parks

Mexico City: Heroica Veracruz (on Gulf) 4:53/Acapulco (on Pacific) 4:25/Pico Orizaba NP/Outskirts of Guadalajara and Oaxaca Metros

Miami: Key West (3:14)/Exit 423 of I-75 (Near I-10)/Exit 373 of I-95 (Last Exit in FL)/3 National Parks

Montreal: Downtown Portland (ME)/Exit 15A of I-87 (New York)/Scarborough Bluffs/New Brunswick border/Downtown Hartford (CT)

New York City: Montauk (2:54)/Exit 42 of I-95 (Maine)/Downtown Plattsburgh/Shenandoah NP/Punxsutawney PA

San Francisco: Exit 161B of I-5 (Near LA Aqueduct)/6 National Parks/Exit 129 of I-80 (Nevada)/Oregon Border (I-5)

Toronto: Exit 130 of I-94 (Michigan)/Exit 161 of I-90 (Past Cleveland)/Downtown Pittsburgh/Exit 29A of I-90 (New York)/Montreal-Trudeau Airport

Washington DC: Assateague Island NS (2:42)/Exit 40 of I-95 (CT, near New Haven)/Exit 25 of I-95 (North Carolina)/Exit 199 of I-70 (Ohio)

[theurbanfiles]

I went perhaps somewhat against the grain here and picked Montreal. You can be in outstanding mountain and coastal areas, both Ocean and Great Lake, and to a really interesting variety of cities/regions/etc.

[pnwguy2]

San Francisco got my vote. Not only the Bay Area, but The Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, The Monterrey Peninsula, Napa Valley, and The Redwoods. I think other major cities also offer great surroundings, including Seattle, Denver, Vancouver...but I will stay true to the original list.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

San Francisco got my vote. Not only the Bay Area, but The Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, The Monterrey Peninsula, Napa Valley, and The Redwoods. I think other major cities also offer great surroundings, including Seattle, Denver, Vancouver...but I will stay true to the original list.

Commenting only on the US cities on the list, seems to me that it would be virtually impossible for any city to exceed San Francisco and, as such, I'm fairly sure LA gets the second place honors here.

The way I see it: SF, LA........the rest

[Vegabern]

It was a close call but I'd put the top three in this order

1. San Francisco
2. Los Angeles
3. Montreal

[theurbanfiles]

Were the roads/certain areas not so plagued with crime and such (highways in particular are targets in a number of states) Mexico City would be a surefire winner I think actually. From a walkable center/historic site/biodiversity/mountains/coast perspective.

[Enean]

For Chicago, I'm kind of thinking that Lake Geneva or Door County, WI, might be better than Cleveland or Des Moines, for some pretty cool surroundings. Also, many points in Michigan, on Lake Michigan.