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I would tend to agree on Vancouver>Seattle. Up close by these standards too. Also Vancouver>Honolulu, and within a 30 minute radius (though no further) Portland>Seattle. Embrace Debate! Lol.
Wait, how is Portland more beautiful than Seattle within a 30 minute radius? In the cities proper, Seattle has much more dramatic, iconic scenery with the hills, the waterfront, multiple lakes, inlets everywhere, the mountains in the background, the skyline, etc.
Wait, how is Portland more beautiful than Seattle within a 30 minute radius? In the cities proper, Seattle has much more dramatic, iconic scenery with the hills, the waterfront, multiple lakes, inlets everywhere, the mountains in the background, the skyline, etc.
I guess it's maybe just personal preference for me-and admittedly, perhaps it's because I've always basically lived near a body of water? Lake Erie, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico have always been within an hour. But waterfront doesn't really do that much for me-though, while Portland's doesn't match Seattle of course, it does have a riverfront area at least-
In fact, it has 2 if considering the Columbia River which also borders city limits to the north.
Portland seems (and effectively does) have more immediate dynamic topography than Seattle does-in fact, more than any other major American city, with 866 feet of variance within 2 miles.. I think it is actually built in a former dormant volcano crater?
I haven't yet figured out why-but it seems like in the skyline photos of Portland, Mount Hood somehow shows up more clearly on average than Mount Rainier does from Seattle. I was thinking it was distance, but Mount Hood is only 12 miles closer to Portland (49 vs. 61). I was thinking Portland is sunnier, but I don't actually believe that to be the case. Perhaps the most direct cause is that in Portland you are able to view the skyline and mountains from a prominent point of the city nearly 800 ft. above it's riverfront. If this is actually true.
I also am not sure why-but the International Rose Test Garden/surrounding , despite Portland being a smaller city, receives higher acclaim than any similar botanical attraction in Seattle (it and Butchart Gardens are really considered the Big 2 or seem to be)-perhaps there are less overall attractions in Portland and so it is more emphasized? I am not sure.
Also, Portland because of it's geography-but, I also think certain land use/zoning policies, has vast forested parks, or seems to, in higher immediate quantity than Seattle does. Forest Park is over 5,000 acres, and it effectively borders downtown. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fo...RICCAI!5m1!1e3 Thanks to its size, that would seem to give it more of an immediate "Into the Woods" feeling than anything in Seattle's core. You can be from the heart of the Pearl District to this park in less than a 10 minute drive.
Last but not least-I feel like the Columbia River National Scenic Area is as IMO at least as pretty as anything within a 30 minute drive of Seattle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garyw1/29067973248
I guess it's maybe just personal preference for me-and admittedly, perhaps it's because I've always basically lived near a body of water? Lake Erie, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico have always been within an hour. But waterfront doesn't really do that much for me-though, while Portland's doesn't match Seattle of course, it does have a riverfront area at least-
In fact, it has 2 if considering the Columbia River which also borders city limits to the north.
Portland seems (and effectively does) have more immediate dynamic topography than Seattle does-in fact, more than any other major American city, with 866 feet of variance within 2 miles.. I think it is actually built in a former dormant volcano crater?
I haven't yet figured out why-but it seems like in the skyline photos of Portland, Mount Hood somehow shows up more clearly on average than Mount Rainier does from Seattle. I was thinking it was distance, but Mount Hood is only 12 miles closer to Portland (49 vs. 61). I was thinking Portland is sunnier, but I don't actually believe that to be the case. Perhaps the most direct cause is that in Portland you are able to view the skyline and mountains from a prominent point of the city nearly 800 ft. above it's riverfront. If this is actually true.
I also am not sure why-but the International Rose Test Garden/surrounding , despite Portland being a smaller city, receives higher acclaim than any similar botanical attraction in Seattle (it and Butchart Gardens are really considered the Big 2 or seem to be)-perhaps there are less overall attractions in Portland and so it is more emphasized? I am not sure.
Also, Portland because of it's geography-but, I also think certain land use/zoning policies, has vast forested parks, or seems to, in higher immediate quantity than Seattle does. Forest Park is over 5,000 acres, and it effectively borders downtown. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fo...RICCAI!5m1!1e3 Thanks to its size, that would seem to give it more of an immediate "Into the Woods" feeling than anything in Seattle's core. You can be from the heart of the Pearl District to this park in less than a 10 minute drive.
Last but not least-I feel like the Columbia River National Scenic Area is as IMO at least as pretty as anything within a 30 minute drive of Seattle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garyw1/29067973248
I guess it is a matter of opinion and I understand the points you're making, but I still strongly disagree
Same. Beauty is very subjective. But open water in the form of oceans, bays, harbor, whatever, that's usually what I consider to be the most beautiful scenery. For that reason, Seattle, Honolulu, and SF are definitely much higher up in natural beauty to me, since they have mountains surrounding them plus open water scenery.
Honolulu, though both Seattle and San Francisco have beautiful scenery.
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