How urban do you need to be? Are you a real city person? (neighborhoods)

[grapico]

Just wondering, what cities do it for you. And what cities are like...eh, this is nice but I need more. What do you think?

I found this post online and I think it is pretty good, but I am sure there are some discrepencies...

Personally If I could relive my college and 20s, I would probably do it in NYC... but, that is about over, now it is no biggie and I can go where I want but still like big urban cities... this post hit it on the nail that nothing quite does it like NYC... (follows)

"People have different taste in cities. Some people like them to be more “urban” than others. I agree that, for someone who thrives on the true urban environment, only New York will ever be good enough (I have this problem too)…on this continent, at least. Other people judge a city by its recreational offerings and natural setting. Yet other people only care about whether a city has historic architecture and others still only seek the most modern city. Everyone is different.

For the true “urban” person, there is only one city: New York. Really, nothing else can compare if “urban” is your thing. On this continent, there are only 6 big cities which will remotely please the mega-urban individual. They are (in order of urban interest – for people who like multiple diverse and vibrant neighborhoods with plenty of good people-watching):

1. New York (year round)
2. San Francisco (year round)
3. Montreal (summer only)
4. Chicago (summer only)
5. Toronto (summer only)
6. Boston (summer only)
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – — – -(cut-off line)
7. Washington, DC (almost made it into the list of acceptably urban cities, but doesn’t quite make the cut)
8. Los Angeles (I was here 2 weeks ago and found that it has a ton of great neighborhoods, but you REALLY have to know where to find them. The usual “known” neighborhoods of LA are all unbearable, except for Venice. On the whole, due to disconnectedness {plus too much suburbaness everywhere and the fact that LA only a few neighborhoods that remain vibrant after dark}, LA doesn’t quite make the cut for the true “urban” lover)
9. Philadelphia (sorry, didn’t quite make the cut; this city is still springing back from hard times, but it has some much-needed pedestrian vibrancy to work on still)
10. Seattle (sorry, not “urban” enough)
11. Vancouver (sorry, not “urban” enough yet…needs more time)
12. Portland (sorry, too small)
13. New Orleans (sorry, has only four interesting neighborhoods – not big enough)
14. Miami (sorry – just a car city/suburb when you leave South Beach)
15. San Diego (sorry, not “urban” feeling)
16. Baltimore (sorry, not interesting enough, although historic — good to visit briefly when you live in neraby DC)
17. NEVER VISITED, SO I CAN’T COMMENT: Minneapolis, St. Louis, Austin {too tiny though}, San Antonio {also not a “big” city} and Pittsburgh
18. DEFINITELY DO NOT MAKE THE CUT: Atlanta, Dallas & Houston (all are just giant suburbs with nothing downtown)
"