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Old 02-11-2013, 01:56 PM
 
Location: NW Philly Burbs
2,430 posts, read 5,563,415 times
Reputation: 3416

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Denver is very pretty. Old houses, new downtown, large parks, beautiful capitol building -- all set against the Rockies!
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Old 02-11-2013, 02:07 PM
 
14,727 posts, read 33,289,915 times
Reputation: 8949
Stunning:
Seattle
San Francisco
Vancouver
Montreal
Quebec City

Plenty of nice ones

Plenty of ugly ones
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Old 02-11-2013, 04:17 PM
 
Location: Centennial, CO
2,254 posts, read 3,043,890 times
Reputation: 3750
The omission of Wichita, KA is simply egregious!

But all kidding aside, of those cities I've been to I'd rate them:
Charleston, SC
San Francisco
Seattle
Vancouver
Portland
Chicago (at least downtown/lakefront)
San Diego
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Old 02-11-2013, 06:48 PM
 
Location: Richmond/Philadelphia/Brooklyn
1,264 posts, read 1,546,678 times
Reputation: 768
NYC
Chicago
Boston
Montreal
Savannah
Seattle
New Orleans
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Old 02-12-2013, 12:37 AM
 
Location: Danville, VA - 3rd Capital of the Confederacy!
203 posts, read 411,407 times
Reputation: 334
Almost every city anywhere in North America (or anywhere else in the world, with a few exceptions from time to time) has scenes that could be described as beautiful AS WELL AS scenes that some might call ugly. Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, much of a city's beauty -- photographically -- depends on who is clicking the shutter.

I was born in Washington DC, so naturally I am just a bit biased. For most of my life I've driven past -- and taken for granted -- all those tourist attractions that seem to drive so many tourists crazy when they see them for the first time. No need to describe all the beautiful buildings and monuments; most of you have seen them all on TV already.

Designed with geographic precision by the Marquis de Lafayette while the US Government was still in Philadelphia, Washington DC is probably the most photographed and filmed city in the world. But the really spectacular scenarios to me are the ones I see flying home, a few miles out of the airport, whether day or night. For fans of the TV show NCIS, one great scene is at the end of each show, showing the US Capitol Building from a distance, looking due South down North Capitol Street. Funny, I always notice it on TV, but I've driven that way so many times, it's a scene I guess I've always taken for granted.

So my #1 vote absolutely must go to Washington DC, the most exciting city in the world.

My #2 vote goes to Seattle WA.

I've driven all over Seattle and seen all parts of the city from the air in all directions, and much of Seattle's various shorelines also from one of the Ferries on Puget Sound. Oh yeah, from inside the Space Needle too, which has a dining room that revolves once an hour to display an ever-changing scenario. If you get up from your table (which is in the rotating section) to go to the bathroom (bathrooms, kitchen, elevators, gift shop are all on a stationary platform in the center), your table will have moved by the time you get back. Menu is varied and tasty, and the view is spectacular.

My #3 vote goes to Alexandria VA, especially its "Old Town" section.

First settled in 1695. Major port for tobacco trade; popular tourist attraction; fascinating architecture along the Potomac River; beautiful from the air, from the deck of one of the popular side-wheeler boats on the Potomac, or on a walking tour of the historic buildings along Old Town's cobblestoned streets. Don't miss Gadsby's Tavern, the neighborhood bar where George Washington recruited his first command in preparation for our initial skirmish with the Brits.

Danville VA gets my #4 vote. It's just a really pretty city.

Straddling the gently meandering Dan River, the City of Danville was once home to Dan River Mills, the largest cotton fabric producer in the world; and had also been home to the "World's Best Tobacco Market", established in 1793. Danville is reputed to have the largest number (and variety) of churches per capita of anyplace in the United States, and also contains numerous (mostly fully restored) historical mansions that once belonged to wealthy industrialists who had made their millions in tobacco and cotton. Once the last Capital of the Confederacy, today Danville is rapidly becoming the technological gateway to the south. However, it still manages to retain its antique charm from ages past.
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Old 02-12-2013, 06:07 AM
 
Location: NYC
7,305 posts, read 13,467,035 times
Reputation: 3714
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan_in_DC View Post
I was born in Washington DC, so naturally I am just a bit biased. For most of my life I've driven past -- and taken for granted -- all those tourist attractions that seem to drive so many tourists crazy when they see them for the first time. No need to describe all the beautiful buildings and monuments; most of you have seen them all on TV already.
I don't find DC all that interesting to look at.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan_in_DC View Post
My #2 vote goes to Seattle WA.
Heck yeah!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan_in_DC View Post
Danville VA gets my #4 vote. It's just a really pretty city.
I'm not sure if anyone on this forum has ever been to Danville but you and I ... but I agree with you, it's a lovely southern city. Last time I was there it didn't appear to be rapidly becoming anything, but that was a few years ago.
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Old 02-12-2013, 06:42 AM
 
219 posts, read 656,421 times
Reputation: 236
Quebec City
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Old 02-12-2013, 09:12 AM
 
3,836 posts, read 5,745,043 times
Reputation: 2556
Vancouver
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Old 02-12-2013, 09:32 AM
 
3,836 posts, read 5,745,043 times
Reputation: 2556
Notice which large cities has been nominated:

Quebec
Boston
Montreal
Portland
Seattle
San Francisco
Denver
Chicago
(San Diego)
New York City
New Orleans
DC
Vancouver

And notice what nobody nominates:

Houston
Atlanta
Phoenix
Dallas
Austin
Los Angeles
Tampa
Las Vegas
Sacramento
Charlotte
Tucson

The cities we love are by and large characterized as having dense, vibrant, urban, walkable cores.

Yet we continue to build Houston over and over and over.
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Old 02-12-2013, 11:32 AM
 
Location: Michigan
2,198 posts, read 2,723,344 times
Reputation: 2105
The one with the most trees and least amount of people and buildings.
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