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ive only been to one of the cities you have listed and that's Minneapolis. Ive been there three times to visit family. minneapolis is a nice modern looking city with plenty to do and it has nice parks and a nice zoo. It also has a massive mall and awesome pro sports teams. A new stadium for their baseball team will be completed soon and there are plans to double the size of their huge mall. Minneapolis is also near St. Paul which has a decent and lively downtown as well. The neighborhoods in the twin cities are very appealing and both cities are extremely clean. Minneapolis isn't really known for being a cultural center and the winters are harsh which leads to lots of summer road construction, but when the weather is reasonable, there are lots of lakes and parks to hang out at.
Ive never been to Pittsburgh, but from what I know about it, I would say its somewhat comparable to Minneapolis. Both have a river running past downtown. Pittsburgh also has a stunningly beautiful downtown with all the yellow bridges crossing over the river(s) into the city, one that even leads to PNC park, which is one of the nicest baseball stadiums in America. Pittsburgh also has a football and hockey team. The Pittsburgh area isn't as populated as the Twin Cities area, but from what I know, its more urban and denser and easier to get around.
Providence, all I can say is, a friend of mine wants to move there cuz he thinks its really nice and he's from san diego so that does say something. Its a lot smaller then the previous two metros, but it is close to NYC and Boston, two of America's darlings.
Sorry, I can't comment on the other two. I really don't feel that you would get a great American experience if you went to either of them solely because they are too small to keep you interested, although I hear Portland, Maine is a very nice town with great lobster fishing.
Chattanooga - whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River...a few hours' drive from either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico...not far from the Smokey and Blue Ridge Mountains...University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, plus UTKnoxville a couple of hours away, plus several other colleges close by. Beautiful views! Who cares if it's hot and humid? You appreciate the Tennessee River and the Ocoee, or even a nice pool!
I do love east Tennessee, but given Chattanooga is only 1800' elevation it doesn't get much relief from summmer heat as lets say Appalachian State university in Boone, NC where they're at 3400' elevation... Twin Cities no doubt very vibrant. Great place for singles and shopping. St.Paul is a very safe place.
Since others were mentioning your only hours away from the atlantic if you would stay in Chattanooga, I will mention Twin Cities is only 4 hours away from Ely, MN canoe capital of the world, Lake Superior isn't much farther.... Either way both cities are within a couple hours drive from awesome bodies of water....
I'm biased towards Pittsburgh (which most certainly doesn't "suck"...the opinions of people from L.A. about anywhere else in the country east of the Inland Empire can be immediately discounted), so put that at number one. Lake Erie is 2 hours away. My second choice would be Portland, ME aka the "real" Portland. Chattanooga is a perfectly nice city, but I have my problems with the South (as an ex-Southerner) so it goes to the bottom of the list. The Twin Cities are nice, but probably the most expensive cost of living from your list. As far as location goes, Providence wins, if you care about proximity to NYC and Boston. I've heard it's a little depressed/depressing but I'm not that familiar with it.
How about looking at some pros and cons? Agreed, Dixie and Steve-O, Pittsburgh and the Twin Cities would be best for the cities themselves, since they're quite a bit larger than the other cities on the list, though Portland is a fairly lively smaller city. I don't have the stats in front of me, so take this with a grain of salt, but I believe you'd find a generally younger population in the Twin Cities than Pittsburgh, though I'm sure you'd find plenty of people of all ages in a city the size of Pittsburgh.
The best for its proximity to other cities nearby is Providence, which would be better than Portland. Providence lies between Boston and NYC, only about an hour from Boston and at most three hours from NYC, while Portland is two hours north of Boston, with NYC another 3-1/2 to four hours beyond that.
Nice pleasant summer weather in the Twin Cities and Portland. Providence is most likely third best for summertime weather.
When it comes to outdoor activity, it may depend on what you most want for scenery and possible forms of recreation. In Pittsburgh, you've got rivers running right through the city, and lots of green hills all around. In the Twin Cities, there's the Mississippi in the cities themselves, and lots of lakes all across the countryside in the vicinity. Chattanooga puts you right in the mountains. Portland and Providence are at the heads of bays opening into the ocean. I wouldn't underrate the Great Lakes as large bodies of water, but in the TC you're several hours from Lake Superior, rather than being right on the coast as you are in Portland and Providence. Of all your choices, Portland offers the greatest variety of outdoor venues. In the local area, or close enough at least for a day trip, you can find mountains, lakes, rocky coastline, sandy beaches (cold water, though, pretty brisk for anything more than a quick dip), lakes, and whitewater rivers. Providence is near a few lakes, and is within an hour or so of some gorgeous sandy beaches, with relatively mild water temperatures for New England.
So, maybe it depends on what details you find most important, and how you'd prefer to mix them.
Pittsburgh is a fantastic city that offers everything that you are looking for. Pittsburgh has a breathtaking skyline, world-class museums, universities, and recreational opportunities. All of the activities mentioned by others are either in the city or can be found within a couple hours drive. Lake Erie along with the beautiful Niaraga Falls are within a 2-3 hour drive of Pittsburgh. As for being with people of your own age, Pittsburgh is home to many universities, such as the University of Pittsburgh, where thousands of college-age people are found. Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York City are all easily visited as well. I think that Pittsburgh would be the perfect base for a your summer visit to the U.S.!
I would choose Providence. It's a cool little city with a nice riverfront and nice neighborhoods. You can take a train to Boston or New York for day trips, or go down to the coast to spend time at the beach. There are ferries from Providence to Newport and Block Island, which are great coastal retreats.
Portland is a cool little city. It's fairly small, though, and farther from larger cities like Boston and New York.
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