What is your favorite Northeastern city (other than Pittsburgh) (Philadelphia: hotel, house)

[okaydorothy]

I love Boston ; love the fact that its a cool walkable city. After living near NYC for 25 years, its just too big. I like Washington also because of the walkable factor but not the prices.
Spent the day in Pittsburgh yesterday and really liked it. It was calm, clean and nice.

[Debbie1125]

Boston

[escilade18]

Well Boston is awesome, if for no other reason than Ted is set there

[squarian]

Originally Posted by PeterRabbit

Toronto

I think the OP is excluding Canada - otherwise, he'd be asking about favorite Southeastern cities.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

Washington, DC (the city, not it's sprawling suburbs)

Blech!

[pman]

NYC -there's a certain energy in in NYC that isn't in any other city in the US that I've been to. Manhattan and brooklyn are fascinating but unless you go in August, the place is exhausting.

Buffalo - the people were really nice but it lacks almost any vibrancy and is completely depressed. downtown is walkable but there isn't much to walk to, the waterfront has been largely destroyed.

Philadelphia -A strange but interesting place. there is as much going on in Philly as in other, smaller regions like DC and Boston, if not more so. Enough of Philly's glory days is left to see that it must have been some place before production and city living went out of favor. the food here is the best on the east coast except NY adn the best city for walking outside of boston. the main downside today remains crime.
Baltimore -Interesting architecture in parts, I also appreciate the maritime feel like the angel. it's growing areas are starting to bleed together but if crime is an issue in philly, it's more of an issue here, and the blight is depressing. baltimore is another city that never recovered from the decline in production.

Boston -perhaps the most overrated city on the east coast but still nice. it's a bit bland but vibrant and clean. chowda. Ted may be set in boston, but the girl is from Pennsylvania. nuff said m*******s. ; )
DC
Fittingly home to america's extremes in wealth. a place driven by irresponsible government spending, it's home to the country's nicest (not most effective, that would be ny) subway system and the nation's worst big city school system. it has some nice old architecture but the history here is shorter since this was never a city for anything but government. there is no former industry. also home to the "east coast's" rudest people.

Smaller cities

I've been trying to visit all of the major cities in Pennsylvania. Here is my take on some of them:

Wilmington
a dupont company town, it's waterfront has seen a strange suburban like revitalization, it's downtown has beautiful architecture but it's dead as a doornail after 5 (though there are some signs of life springing up recently). often overlooked due to its proximity Philly, it's the midatlantic's answer to providence.
Lancaster
Once the nation's largest inland city, there is a surprising amount of bustle to this small city of 60k. it's compact, walkable, and it appears to be improving unlike reading. scenery around lancaster is farms and exurban, boring, but the food produced there is amazing.
Portland, ME
This place was cool before it was a foodie destination and it's still cool now. I'm a sucker for harbor cities and this is an interesting one with tasty beer.

Harrisburg
I'm just going to copy what aa saud, "Seems like a vibrant small city - seems much larger than it is. The historic Midtown area is beautiful. I love the parks next to the river - they have some beautiful views. " and add, crime and woeful city government are holding it back.

Bethlehem
Interesting place where really old (moravian section) looks like the older sections of Philly. south bethlehem (originally an independent city where non-moravians lived) feels more 19th c and his home to the city's remaining blast furnace, the sands casino, and of course, the entire bethlehem steel's former complex (some of which has been converted to highlight art and music, steel stacks is cool. crime is low, the scenery is pittsburghian.
Reading & Norristown
read AA's description, fits both

Atlantic City
wtf were the city fathers thinking? they ripped down beautiful old hotels facing the ocean and replaced them with heinous casinos that form a wall so impenetrable you can't even see there's an ocean. it's pockmarked with vacant lots and riddled with crime...and it's ON THE OCEAN! some sections have a little of the former grandeur left and since the ocean isn't going anywhere it should come back some day.
New Haven
home to the crimes of urban renewal, downtown has come back a little, but CT cities as a whole seems to be struggling just like NJ cities. the wealth must come from NY.
Albany
nice people, some nice architecture, nothing special.

favorites: NY & Philadelphia

[BrianTH]

In defense of DC, it has some great neighborhoods for walking around, and a lot of cool tourist stuff, much of it free. It also looks very different from other East Coast cities. I wouldn't call it my favorite, but I enjoyed living there, particularly weekends when my wife and son were in town, and I think it is definitely worth periodic visits from Pittsburgh.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

In defense of DC, it has some great neighborhoods for walking around, and a lot of cool tourist stuff, much of it free. It also looks very different from other East Coast cities. I wouldn't call it my favorite, but I enjoyed living there, particularly weekends when my wife and son were in town, and I think it is definitely worth periodic visits from Pittsburgh.

it's changed a lot since the 90's in both good and bad ways. I don't think people were as rude there then, and to be fair, the rude people are probably from other places, they just choose to live in DC.
the free stuff is in decline. one of the most foolish things andrew mellon did was to give his art to the national gallery instead of a pittsburgh museum.

[BrianTH]

I didn't notice people being particularly rude by East Coast standards (I lived there from 2006-2008). There is a strong vibe of no one is actually from there, which maybe limits the overt friendliness, but I didn't get actual hostility/rudeness from many (if any) people.

Free things in DC include:

National Zoo
All the various memorials
Arlington Cemetery
Air & Space Museum
American History Museum
Natural History Museum
American Art Museum
Holocaust Museum
National Portrait Gallery
National Archives
National Gallery of Art
National Arboretum
Capitol Building
White House
Library of Congress
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Old Post Office
National Geographic Museum
National Cathedral

The Kennedy Center has free performances, there are lots of cool public outdoor spaces, free walking tours, and so on.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I didn't notice people being particularly rude by East Coast standards (I lived there from 2006-2008). There is a strong vibe of no one is actually from there, which maybe limits the overt friendliness, but I didn't get actual hostility/rudeness from many (if any) people.

Free things in DC include:

National Zoo
All the various memorials
Arlington Cemetery
Air & Space Museum
American History Museum
Natural History Museum
American Art Museum
Holocaust Museum
National Portrait Gallery
National Archives
National Gallery of Art
National Arboretum
Capitol Building
White House
Library of Congress
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Old Post Office
National Geographic Museum
National Cathedral

The Kennedy Center has free performances, there are lots of cool public outdoor spaces, free walking tours, and so on.

I didn't used to but the last few times, absolutely. I don't generalize about east coast but the attitude definitely stood out. in ny, I find a mix of very rude and very nice. most of the new stuff is paid, not that there's anything wrong with that. I'd like to see the spy museum someday. the other stuff that is free is typical of big cities which all have free stuff to do. it's the museums that are unique (though baltimore has free admission, paid for by the city..an interesting concept since it is likely based on the idea it will draw people who will spend money elsewhere)