[Jularc]

America's Favorite Cities survey: The results are in


http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/10/10/afc.results/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

October 10, 2007

(Travel + Leisure) -- Say you're in the mood to indulge in a shoe-shopping spree -- does a certain city pop to mind? How about an urban destination for a romantic weekend? Where in the U.S. can you find the most compelling museums or thrilling club scene? Is the city with the most attractive citizens also the one with the best opportunities for people-watching?

Well, America has an opinion -- and America has spoken. Below, you'll find some of the results of the America's Favorite Cities survey.

Headline News, Travel + Leisure and CNN.com spent three months collecting 60,000 votes, from local residents and visitors, on what they like (and don't like) about 25 urban destinations across the country. Voters were asked for their opinions on culture, shopping, people, food and city characteristics -- and they gave us more surprises than we anticipated.

Sure, some winners were predictable: The best city for coffee? Seattle, Washington, of course. Best high-end boutiques? New York. And Southern cities top the list for friendliest citizens, y'all. But we bet you'll be surprised by some of the winners, and -- ouch -- by which cities ended up on the bottom of some lists. (Suffice it to say "poor" Philadelphia.)

Here are the top three ranked cities in some of the categories. Be sure to visit travelandleisure.com/afc for the full results, best and worst, for each city and each category. Also, check out the results gallery ( See the results here »). You may be inspired to plan a long weekend exploring a new destination ... as well as voice an opinion in next year's survey.


CULTURE

Museum and galleries

1. Washington

2. New York

3. Chicago, Illinois

Classical music

1. New York

2. Boston, Massachusetts

3. Chicago


SHOPPING

Flea markets

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

2. Charleston, South Carolina

3. Portland, Oregon

Home design

1. Chicago

2. Charleston, South Carolina

3. San Francisco, California


PEOPLE

Diversity

1. New York

2. San Francisco

3. New Orleans

Friendly

1. Charleston

2. New Orleans

3. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

Intelligent

1. Seattle

2. Minneapolis/St. Paul

3. Boston

Worldly

1. Washington

2. San Francisco

3. New York


FOOD AND DINING

Ethnic food

1. New York

2. San Francisco

3. New Orleans

Farmers' markets

1. Seattle

2. Portland, Oregon

3. Philadelphia


CITYSCAPE

Access to outdoors

1. Portland, Oregon

2. Denver, Colorado

3. Honolulu, Hawaii

Cleanliness

1. Minneapolis/St. Paul

2. Portland, Oregon

3. San Diego, California

Notable neighborhoods

1. San Francisco

2. New York

3. Boston

Public parks and spaces

1. Portland, Oregon

2. Minneapolis/St. Paul

3. Chicago


http://www.travelandleisure.com/images/afc/2007/imagemap.jpg

http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/

We asked—and America has spoken.

Earlier this year, Travelandleisure.com and CNN Headline News polled travelers and residents on what they like (and don't like) about 25 top urban destinations in the U.S. Turns out that people have some pretty strong feelings about New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and other hot spots—we received nearly 60,000 responses.

So what will you learn from your fellow travelers?

Discover where they head to see great museums (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/washington-dc) or the latest art sensation (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/new-york).
Which cities win the ever-contentious titles of best pizza (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/chicago), coffee (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/portland-oregon), and barbecue (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/austin?)
Which city rates the friendliest (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/charleston) and where are you most likely to meet a snarl (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/los-angeles?)
Does the place with the best cocktail culture (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/new-orleans) also rank highest for clubbing (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/atlanta) or the singles scene (http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/city/austin?)

So step inside, see how your city rates, and get inspired to see America!


More about America's Favorite Cities (http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/10/10/afc.results/index.html#cnnSTCOther1)

[Jularc]

More stuff about our cities...


http://www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2007/pressrelease.cfm

NEW ORLEANS, NEW YORK, PORTLAND (OR) AND CHARLESTON (SC) ARE AMONG "AMERICA’S FAVORITE CITIES,” ACCORDING TO A TRAVEL + LEISURE / CNN POLL

NEARLY 60,000 RESPONSES FROM TRAVELERS

New Orleans Rated as Highest for Live Music, Cocktails, and Cheap Eats
Portland Rated Most Environmentally Friendly

NEW YORK, NY / ATLANTA, GA (October 10, 2007) – Whether you're a culture seeker or a night crawler, a farmer's market aficionado or flea-market connoisseur, America's favorite cities have what you're looking for. Travel + Leisure magazine (www.travelandleisure.com) and CNN Headline News (www.cnn.com) teamed up to poll travelers across the country on what they like and dislike about America's top 25 urban destinations: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charleston (SC), Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Portland (OR), San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

New Orleans, New York, Portland (OR) and Charleston (SC) grabbed top billing in a number of categories, proving they’re among respondents’ favorite destinations nationwide.

New Orleans was ranked No. 1 in various categories that reinforce its legendary reputation for nightlife and music: Cocktail Hour, Live Music and Night Out, as well as Cheap Eats.

New York was ranked No. 1 in more categories (14 in all) than any other city in the poll, garnering the top scores for Big-Name Restaurants, Ethnic Food, Theater, Classical Music, Underground Arts Scene, Luxury Boutiques, Shopping for Jewelry and Shoes. Plus, it was ranked No. 1. in the Stylish People and Diversity categories. The Big Apple’s Museums/Galleries ranked No. 2 overall. In a special question asking respondents to vote on the most over- and underrated cities in the survey, New York also earned the title of the most overrated city in America.

Portland (OR) received high marks in the environmental categories, coming in at No. 1 for its Environmental Awareness, Access to the Outdoors, Ease of Getting Around & Public Transportation, Public Parks & Spaces, and Overall Cityscape.

Charleston (SC) also scored well, grabbing the No. 1 spot in the Friendly People category. The city was ranked No. 2 for its Architecture & Notable Buildings, Antiques, Flea Markets, Home Design stores, and Pedestrian Friendliness. Plus, Charlestonians were rated No. 3 in the Attractive People category.

For the highest-ranked cities for culture, shopping, people, food & dining, and cityscape, please see below.

We asked travelers to rate the top 25 urban destinations across the country in nearly 60 different categories. They voted on everything from where you’ll find the friendliest and most attractive residents to which cities have the best restaurants, museums, historic sites, shops, and more.

The survey generated nearly 60,000 responses.

For the complete survey results (good and bad) and methodology, go online to www.travelandleisure.com/afc.

Online visitors can also access the following items:


Resident Rankings: How residents, not just visitors, rate their own hometown cities. For instance, which citizens rate themselves least attractive or most intelligent—and do residents think their hometowns have notable neighborhoods, good cultural offerings, and top-notch dining?

Vacation Finder: An online tool that will provide users with personalized information to help them plan their trips around such interests as culture, food and dining, shopping, and more.

Comparison Tools: Users can compare two cities and how they stack up in the 60 categories that were part of the survey.



Highest-Ranked Cities

FOR CULTURE, SHOPPING, PEOPLE, FOOD & DINING, AND CITYSCAPE

Culture

ARCHITECTURE & NOTABLE BUILDINGS
1) Washington, D.C.
2) Charleston
3) Chicago

CLASSICAL MUSIC
1) New York
2) Boston
3) Chicago

HISTORICAL SITES & MONUMENTS
1) Washington, D.C.
2) Philadelphia
3) Boston

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
1) Washington, D.C.
2) New York
3) Chicago

THEATER
1) New York
2) Minneapolis/St. Paul
3) Chicago

UNDERGROUND ARTS SCENE
1) New York
2) San Francisco
3) Austin

Shopping


ANTIQUES
1) New Orleans
2) Charleston
3) Boston

FLEA MARKETS
1) New Orleans
2) Charleston
3) Portland, Oregon

HOME DESIGN
1) Chicago
2) Charleston
3) San Francisco

JEWELRY
1) New York
2) Santa Fe
3) Los Angeles

LUXURY BOUTIQUES
1) New York
2) Los Angeles
3) Las Vegas

SHOES
1) New York
2) Los Angeles
3) Chicago

VINTAGE (CLOTHING AND JEWELRY)
1) New York
2) New Orleans
3) San Francisco

People


ATHLETIC/ACTIVE
1) Denver
2) San Diego
3) Portland, Oregon

ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE
1) Miami
2) San Diego
3) Charleston

DIVERSE
1) New York
2) San Francisco
3) New Orleans

FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE
1) Charleston
2) New Orleans
3) Minneapolis/St. Paul

FUN
1) New Orleans
2) Austin
3) Honolulu

INTELLIGENT
1) Seattle
2) Minneapolis/St. Paul
3) Boston

STYLISH
1) New York
2) Miami
3) San Francisco

WORLDLY
1) Washington, D.C.
2) San Francisco
3) New York

Food / Dining


BARBECUE
1) Austin
2) San Antonio
3) Nashville

BIG-NAME RESTAURANTS
1) New York
2) New Orleans
3) Chicago

CHEAP EATS
1) New Orleans
2) Austin
3) Philadelphia

COFFEE
1) Seattle
2) Portland, Oregon
3) New Orleans

ETHNIC FOOD
1) New York
2) San Francisco
3) New Orleans

FARMERS’ MARKETS
1) Seattle
2) Portland, Oregon
3) Philadelphia

PIZZA
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) Philadelphia

Cityscape


ACCESS TO OUTDOORS
1) Portland, Oregon
2) Denver
3) Honolulu

CLEANLINESS
1) Minneapolis/St. Paul
2) Portland, Oregon
3) San Diego

NOTABLE NEIGHBORHOODS
1) San Francisco
2) New York
3) Boston

PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLINESS
1) Portland, Oregon
2) Charleston
3) Santa Fe

PUBLIC PARKS & SPACES
1) Portland, Oregon
2) Minneapolis/St. Paul
3) Chicago

SKYLINE & VIEWS
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) San Francisco

Methodology
An online survey appeared on travelandleisure.com and cnn.com from April 30, 2007 to July 15, 2007. Respondents were asked to rate their choice of one or more cities (among 25 previously selected cities) in 55 different subject categories. Respondents were asked to identify whether or not they were residents of each city they rated. Responses were collected and tabulated by travelandleisure.com.

About Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure, published monthly by American Express Publishing Corporation, is the world's leading travel lifestyle magazine with a circulation of almost one million. A global brand, Travel + Leisure currently publishes Travel + Leisure En Español, Travel + Leisure Russia, Travel + Leisure Turkey, Travel + Leisure China, Travel + Leisure Australia and Travel + Leisure South Asia.

[Dragonfire]

Austin's results weren't surprising. It was ranked #1 for live music and barbeque, but ranked low for public transportation.

Although I don't understand how it's ranked lower than Honolulu, Santa Fe, and Nashville for historical sites/monuments.

[skylife]

^ Santa Fe has some of the oldest buildings in the United States, including the Palace of the Governors completed 1610. I'm just sayin'.

[Dragonfire]

Oops, meant to omit Santa Fe since I remembered some of the buildings there are from the 17th century.

[totheskies]

Oh Houston.... how long must we fly under the United States' radar??? I guess someone has to be the strong, silent type ;)

However, it is kind of a shame that the nation's fourth largest city (urban continent, whatever) isn't even listed on Travel and Leisure's map.

[ginsan2]

Oh Houston.... how long must we fly under the United States' radar??? I guess someone has to be the strong, silent type ;)

However, it is kind of a shame that the nation's fourth largest city (urban continent, whatever) isn't even listed on Travel and Leisure's map.

Maybe you just need to band together with Chicago? ;)

[Marcu]

^ I thought they only posted cities on the map that were ranked. In any case, I think Houston has the perception of the type of place one would want to live and raise a family(lots of jobs, low cost of living, etc.), not necessarily a place one would go out of their way to visit. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Many cities try to be "les touristy" and "more practical" and many people move out to the burbs for that reason.

[skylife]

Oh Houston.... how long must we fly under the United States' radar??? I guess someone has to be the strong, silent type.

In which categories do you think Houston should rank in the top 3? I'm just curious.

[totheskies]

^ I thought they only posted cities on the map that were ranked. In any case, I think Houston has the perception of the type of place one would want to live and raise a family(lots of jobs, low cost of living, etc.), not necessarily a place one would go out of their way to visit. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Many cities try to be "les touristy" and "more practical" and many people move out to the burbs for that reason.

True, but it's odd to leave such a vastly large city out of the rankings. There is fun in Houston, but it's mostly reserved for Houstonians (Space Center Houston, decent waterparks, Galveston and the other beaches). It would be really nice to see a large-scale amusement park come back to the area though. :rolleyes:

[VivaLFuego]

I agree with Marcu's description of Houston....obviously its growth rate suggest its a major economic draw, but having been there several times it's obvious why it doesn't have that much tourist appeal. In that sense, it's not so different than Chicago from 1860-1890. Maybe you guys should throw a world's fair or something.

That said, does anyone else feel like some Charlestonians might have been stuffing the ballots? It's an incredible, charming city to be sure, but it makes way too many appearances on these lists.

[totheskies]

I could easily say that Houston is both worldly and diverse, albeit in a humbler manner than the cities mentioned. Houston would also be top 3 in the cheap eats category... esp. considering that I'm in between N.O. and Houston twice a month now, I can vouch for that.

BTW, I can't say how exciting it is to see New Orleans so high on all the rankings, but I hope that people don't ignore the cities' continuing recovery. The real community of the city is still in a terrible struggle, and tourist attractions can't heal the internal problems.

[10023]

PIZZA
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) Philadelphia

SKYLINE & VIEWS
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) San Francisco

These are gonna start a war.

[10023]

I could easily say that Houston is both worldly and diverse, albeit in a humbler manner than the cities mentioned. Houston would also be top 3 in the cheap eats category... esp. considering that I'm in between N.O. and Houston twice a month now, I can vouch for that.

BTW, I can't say how exciting it is to see New Orleans so high on all the rankings, but I hope that people don't ignore the cities' continuing recovery. The real community of the city is still in a terrible struggle, and tourist attractions can't heal the internal problems.
Agree on New Orleans. Hopefully people are still visiting, since tourism is the lynchpin of the city's economy.

No offense to you or your city, but I can't see Houston ranking top 3 in any of these categories. Not even cheap eats - I can't even think of a street food or cheap food I associate with Houston (e.g. pizza by the slice in New York, hot dogs and Italian beef in Chicago, cheesesteaks in Philly, etc). Maybe if they add a "Concentration of Oil Companies" category.

[mhays]

Oh Houston.... how long must we fly under the United States' radar??? I guess someone has to be the strong, silent type ;)

However, it is kind of a shame that the nation's fourth largest city (urban continent, whatever) isn't even listed on Travel and Leisure's map.

Tourists think "metro", without much thought to how the metro is divied up local-government-wise. Houston is about #10. I suspect Houston ranks well for beach goers and space enthusiasts, but those aren't really "city" vacation items even if they happen in a metro.

[mhays]

Though Seattle ranks ok, I have my problems with the survey too. For example, why are "barbecue" and "pizza" their own categories (we score poorly in both), while most cuisines are combined into one category, "ethnic"? Why aren't Japanese, seafood, and other cuisines given the same weight as barbecue? (Conversely, you could argue that "coffee" is given too much weight...)

[10023]

Tourists think "metro", without much thought to how the metro is divied up local-government-wise. Houston is about #10. I suspect Houston ranks well for beach goers and space enthusiasts, but those aren't really "city" vacation items even if they happen in a metro.

Houston? Beach? No one from outside of Texas goes to Houston to go to the beach. I've been to the beach in Texas (South Padre) and didn't even fly into Houston.

[10023]

Though Seattle ranks ok, I have my problems with the survey too. For example, why are "barbecue" and "pizza" their own categories (we score poorly in both), while most cuisines are combined into one category, "ethnic"? Why aren't Japanese, seafood, and other cuisines given the same weight as barbecue? (Conversely, you could argue that "coffee" is given too much weight...)

Plus, coffee depends entirely on where you go. If it's just a ranking of who's got the most Starbucks, that's pretty stupid.

[Goody]

I think this list goes to show how little Americans know about their own cities.

[BnaBreaker]

Alright! Nashville made it to the Barbecue list. lol

[rsbear]

Just to have some fun I did a bit of analysis on the results (top 3 in each category). First I segmented the ranked cities into four categories - Mega Metros (the big 3 - NY, LA and Chicago); Large Metros (roughly those over 5 million - SFO, D.C., Philly and Boston); Medium Metros (Minneapolis, Austin, Portland, San Diego, Denver, etc); and Small Metros (those well under 2 million - Charleston, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Honolulu and Nashville). If a city is not specifically listed above then I put it in the medium metro category.

The Results (number of rankings in the Top 3):

Mega 29 3 metros represented
Large 22 4 metros represented
Medium 29 9 metros represented
Small 22 5 metros represented

PS - I don't mean to offend anyone by my metro segmenting choices.

[Echo Park]

SF is hardly diverse.

[mhays]

Plus, coffee depends entirely on where you go. If it's just a ranking of who's got the most Starbucks, that's pretty stupid.

I think it's mostly Seattle's association with coffee in people's heads, not an objective analysis. But we do have a ton of independent coffee shops in addition to Starbucks and other chains.

I'll take your word about Houston's beaches. My point was that a visitor to Houston could take advantage of the nearby beaches if they wanted, not necessarily that they'd fly out for that purpose. Sort of like visitors to Seattle can easily find coffee, even if they don't fly here for it.

[krudmonk]

SF is hardly diverse.
Nor is it in Humboldt County!
http://www.travelandleisure.com/images/afc/2007/imagemap.jpg

[Crawford]

Houston? Beach? No one from outside of Texas goes to Houston to go to the beach. I've been to the beach in Texas (South Padre) and didn't even fly into Houston.

South Padre is nowhere near Houston. It's as far from Houston as Richmond, VA is from New York.

Yeah, I don't think people outside of Texas and maybe Oklahoma think of Texas as a beach destination. When I think of the Texas part of the Gulf, I think oil rigs and refineries.

[forumly_chgoman]

SF is hardly diverse.
I agree sometimes people equate acceptance of homosexuality & diversity. when it is merely a contributor to diversity

[fflint]

SF is hardly diverse.
Why do you say that?

[Dragonfire]

Yeah, I don't think people outside of Texas and maybe Oklahoma think of Texas as a beach destination. When I think of the Texas part of the Gulf, I think oil rigs and refineries.

Agreed. My sister (who currently lives in LA but was born and lived here in Texas) wanted to have a wedding on the beach in La Jolla. When my mom asked her why she didn't want to have it on Padre Island, her reply was "Oh mom, that's not a real beach!"

While the beaches on Padre Island are nice, they aren't exactly tourist destinations (they're also not as clean as others). But give me Padre Island over a beach in CA any day... The Pacific is just too damn cold!

[Chicago2020]

I thought Kansas City had the best BBQ???

[dimondpark]

SF is hardly diverse.

:haha: good one.

[totheskies]

Houston? Beach? No one from outside of Texas goes to Houston to go to the beach. I've been to the beach in Texas (South Padre) and didn't even fly into Houston.


Everyone doesn't live in California or Florida... and although shows like CSI Miami or Laguna Beach are great, they don't represent the environment of the rest of the United States. There are beaches in Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and even Michigan.

And yeah, you're about 350 miles from Houston if you went to South Padre, so that has no correlation.

[skylife]

Texas has really nice beaches.

[SHiRO]

SHiRO's Favourite American Cities Survey...

visited
1. New York City
2. Philadelphia
3. Charleston, SC

4. Washington DC
5. Miami

6. Baltimore
7. Atlanta
8. Savannah

(the top 3 are also the cities I spend the most time in. coincidence?)



not visited yet but have a feeling I'd like
Chicago
San Fransisco
New Orleans
Los Angeles
Seattle
Portland
Boston
Las Vegas
etc etc etc

[totheskies]

Agreed. My sister (who currently lives in LA but was born and lived here in Texas) wanted to have a wedding on the beach in La Jolla. When my mom asked her why she didn't want to have it on Padre Island, her reply was "Oh mom, that's not a real beach!"

While the beaches on Padre Island are nice, they aren't exactly tourist destinations (they're also not as clean as others). But give me Padre Island over a beach in CA any day... The Pacific is just too damn cold!

MTV seems to think of Padre as a beach destination:

http://www.spadre.com/springbreak.htm

[JMancuso]

Texas has really nice beaches.

and galveston is only nasty becuase of nearby houston which becuase of the development, the land around it is eroding away and this turning galveston a lovely brown color.

[MarkDaMan]

YeAh FoR pOrTlAnD!!!! but keep it on the DL, we already are expecting a million new residents by 2025, we don't need anymore!

[Capsule F]

People think New Orleans still ranks this high on these categories?

[Alliance]

These are gonna start a war.


Actually they're both correct.:cool:

I actually agree with most of the results on the cities I've visited.

[dallasbrink]

PIZZA
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) Philadelphia
agree

SKYLINE & VIEWS
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) San Francisco
agree, but move San Fran ahead of New York

UNDERGROUND ARTS SCENE
1) New York (cough cough bullshit cough)

[Crawford]

PIZZA
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) Philadelphia
agree

SKYLINE & VIEWS
1) Chicago
2) New York
3) San Francisco
agree, but move San Fran ahead of New York

UNDERGROUND ARTS SCENE
1) New York (cough cough bullshit cough)

I don't think too many people would agree on any of your three points.

[dallasbrink]

I don't think too many people would agree on any of your three points.

New York pizzas are skinny and thin, Chicago Deep dish man, best pizza ever, finger licking good, get me a whole pizza!

Skylines, new york is just building building building with little to no definition from a distance. Chicago looks amazing as your driving into it because it stands out, has its land mark buildings that arnt surrounded by 200 50 st mediocre towers to water it down. And San Fran is the same as well.

And new Yorks underground art scene is gay. New York was on all those top list because the country is brain washed to think NYC is AMAZING!

[ComandanteCero]

BARBECUE
1) Austin
2) San Antonio
3) Nashville

Kansas City's omission in this category automatically invalidates the entire survey.

:whip:

[relnahe]

New York pizzas are skinny and thin, Chicago Deep dish man, best pizza ever, finger licking good, get me a whole pizza!

Skylines, new york is just building building building with little to no definition from a distance. Chicago looks amazing as your driving into it because it stands out, has its land mark buildings that arnt surrounded by 200 50 st mediocre towers to water it down. And San Fran is the same as well.

And new Yorks underground art scene is gay. New York was on all those top list because the country is brain washed to think NYC is AMAZING!

:drowning:

Really though...what a crap survey this was.

[Echo Park]

Why do you say that?

I've been to SF dozens of times and been around most of the hoods. Latinos appear to be absent, blacks seem to have fled the city (the only ones I see are homeless) and I know Asians make a large minority there but they seem to have little presence in the city's goverment or other levels of power. These factors give me the impression San Francsico is a pretty white city. actually i probably worded my first post wrong. realise I was mainly responding to the survey in the OP. SF can be diverse, but top 3 in the U.S.? I don't believe so.

[Echo Park]

And new Yorks underground art scene is gay.

Spoken like a cultured person who understands anything about art.

[fleonzo]

New York pizzas are skinny and thin, Chicago Deep dish man, best pizza ever, finger licking good, get me a whole pizza!

Skylines, new york is just building building building with little to no definition from a distance. Chicago looks amazing as your driving into it because it stands out, has its land mark buildings that arnt surrounded by 200 50 st mediocre towers to water it down. And San Fran is the same as well.

And new Yorks underground art scene is gay. New York was on all those top list because the country is brain washed to think NYC is AMAZING!

Interesting comments about the country being brain washed! If NYC isn't amazing enough for you then I can't imagine you thinking much of where you're at- Dallas! Yeah, right Dallas is far more amazing than NYC that's why the brain washed folks didn't picked it best overall (like NYC). That's probably why NYC comes up on top as the city most Americans would want to live (money no object) on the Harris Poll survey for 10 yrs straight...where did Dallas come in?

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=137696

[Echo Park]

Thread to close in 3...2...1...

[Alliance]

I don't think too many people would agree on any of your three points.

I would except for the art scene.

[Paul in S.A TX]

Kansas City's omission in this category automatically invalidates the entire survey.

:whip:

Kansas City wasn't apart of the survey.I'm sure if it was it would be at the top for BBQ.San Antonio has some great BBQ places though.

[10023]

I don't think too many people would agree on any of your three points.

Technically, whichever people responded to the poll agreed.

[Dac150]

Interesting comments about the country being brain washed! If NYC isn't amazing enough for you then I can't imagine you thinking much of where you're at- Dallas! Yeah, right Dallas is far more amazing than NYC that's why the brain washed folks didn't picked it best overall (like NYC). That's probably why NYC comes up on top as the city most Americans would want to live (money no object) on the Harris Poll survey for 10 yrs straight...where did Dallas come in?

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=137696

Bravo my friend!:tup:

[Dac150]

Skylines, new york is just building building building with little to no definition from a distance.

Right......



Look, I think respect is in order for every city that made that list no matter where it ranked. Every city has its own unique qualities. I have all the respect in the world for both New York and Chicago. Both behold their own special attributes. There is no need to talk down on either of them as well as any other city for that matter. Lets put everything into perspective and accept the fact that the United States as a whole has some pretty damn good cities. Lets talk about these cities in a civilized matter rather than act immature which only leads to nowhere. :tup:

[TexasBoi]

For Austin, I think you have to visit the little cities surrounding Austin to get the best BBQ in that area. It's not necessarily in Austin but in Elgin, Lockhart(especiallyP, and cities like Taylor.

Also, Dallasbrink. you might as well quit while you're ahead.

[Boquillas]

^Yeah, San Antonio ain't really the place for BBQ so much as Leon Springs (which might as well be in SA nowadays.)

[Attrill]

For Austin, I think you have to visit the little cities surrounding Austin to get the best BBQ in that area. It's not necessarily in Austin but in Elgin, Lockhart(especiallyP, and cities like Taylor.


if you're talking BBQ Lockhart is way up there - between Kreuz and Smitty's alone it may be the BBQ capital of the US. And what about Memphis?!?!?!?

We live in a country that is ignorant of itself.

[JMancuso]

Kansas City wasn't apart of the survey.I'm sure if it was it would be at the top for BBQ.San Antonio has some great BBQ places though.

don't know about BBQ but SA has some of the best mexican food around.

[SD_Phil]

I found this to be boooring. This survey doesn't tell us anything about what cities are really like (they don't rely on city statistics); it doesn't tell us how people in general perceive cities either. Instead it tell us what a small group of self-selected people think about cities all over the country.

Remember, they sent questionaires out to 60K people (so they say) but they don't report how many they got back and they don't report where those responses came from (geographically). It's almost like thinking the poll on the cnn website is meaningful. Worthless really.

It was fun to watch the city vs. city embers being stoked though. ;)

[Top Of The Park]

Kansas City's omission in this category automatically invalidates the entire survey.

:whip:

KC has the best b-b-q.... and another mistake, Denver is first in outdoor activities....with all the ski areas, white water rafting, mountain climbing, bicycling...sorry Portland

[sprtsluvr8]

if you're talking BBQ Lockhart is way up there - between Kreuz and Smitty's alone it may be the BBQ capital of the US. And what about Memphis?!?!?!?

We live in a country that is ignorant of itself.

There are a thousand cities and towns that claim to have the best barbecue, and of course they all believe it to be true. Lexington, N.C. is a town of 20,000 just South of Winston-Salem, and "Lexington Barbecue" prevails over N.C. from Raleigh to Asheville. From Wikipedia:

Barbecue
Lexington calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World" Since 1984, the city has hosted the "Lexington Barbecue Festival", one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina. As of 2004, the city has over twenty barbecue restaurants: an average of more than one per thousand residents.

Lexington-style BBQ is made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hickory fire, basted in a sauce (called "dip" locally) made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, and pepper. The actual ingredients will vary from restaurant to restaurant and like most recipes, are closely guarded secrets, and while each is vinegar based, the taste varies widely.

One of the distinguishing features of the "Lexington Barbecue Sandwich" is red slaw. Lexington's red slaw is a combination of cabbage, vinegar, ketchup and pepper added to taste. This key difference sets the Lexington BBQ sandwich apart from many others across the state. The norm in Lexington is to use red slaw; however, across the state of North Carolina many barbecue sandwiches come with coleslaw. Many Lexingtonians consider red slaw a staple for a quality barbecue experience.

[rsbear]

KC has the best b-b-q.... and another mistake, Denver is first in outdoor activities....with all the ski areas, white water rafting, mountain climbing, bicycling...sorry Portland

Have you ever even been to Portland? Ski areas - 45 miles, rafting - 100 miles, mountain climbing - 45 miles, bicycling - listed as #1 in U.S., sailing - in the city on two rivers, ocean - 70 miles. I'm not saying Portland is better than Denver, I'm just saying you're talking out of your ass.

[Marcu]

Those that say this poll is "wrong" or "stupid" or "inaccurate" miss the point. These aren't meant to be objective determinations by some think tank. It's a basic survey. It's just what people think. Whether you like it or not these are the results. If you feel you have better barbeque/skyline/coffee/shopping/whatever than the cities that made the list maybe your city should just market itself better. Seems like any time we have a study posted on this forum, residents of cities that didn't make it just attack the methodology without addressing the purpose or substance of the study.

[sprtsluvr8]

Those that say this poll is "wrong" or "stupid" or "inaccurate" miss the point. These aren't meant to be objective determinations by some think tank. It's a basic survey. It's just what people think. Whether you like it or not these are the results. If you feel you have better barbeque/skyline/coffee/shopping/whatever than the cities that made the list maybe your city should just market itself better. Seems like any time we have a study posted on this forum, residents of cities that didn't make it just attack the methodology without addressing the purpose or substance of the study.

I seriously doubt Lexington N.C. was included in this poll...

I know many people object to their city not being #1 in certain categories and it's silly. This is a random survey, and while it may have flaws due to highlighting certain cities or polling only in certain areas, it's the rankings that came out of an objective and legitimate questionnaire. It's the voice of the people. :)

[mhays]

KC has the best b-b-q.... and another mistake, Denver is first in outdoor activities....with all the ski areas, white water rafting, mountain climbing, bicycling...sorry Portland

Portland and Seattle have all that, though the snow isn't as good apparently. But we also have a lot more water, both fresh and salt. You can sail to Vancouver, surf on the coast, scuba dive basically anywhere, walk on a glacier in August, visit high deserts....

[POLA]

Maybe if they add a "Concentration of Oil Companies" category.

thanks for the good laugh!

SF is hardly diverse.

I gotta disagree with that; there are a lot of ethnic, religious, and income enclaves well represented in the city and very nicely integrated too.

PS. If you're city is fighting to be known for its BBQ.... Well, that doesn't really speak well for your city.

[ScizzoTX]

KC has the best b-b-q.... and another mistake, Denver is first in outdoor activities....with all the ski areas, white water rafting, mountain climbing, bicycling...sorry Portland

Seeing as how I've lived in PDX for the last year and half, and grew up taking trips to Denver and Colorado, I'm going to have to disagree with this. Although I'll concede the overall quality of hiking and skiing to Denver, Portland has much more varitey and better access to the outdoors. In this town you can start doing any activity you want in less than an hour - snow skiing, waterskiing, hiking, sea kayaking, river kayaking, cycling, mtn biking, fly fishing, surfing - they're all at your fingertips in Portland. However I do like the mountains in Colorado much more.

As far as barbeque goes, if KC was included on the survey, there is no way it would be anything other than number 1. But Austin and San Antonio both have some great bbq spots nearby!

PS. If you're city is fighting to be known for its BBQ.... Well, that doesn't really speak well for your city.

Ha, Probably true... but I like barbeque too much to agree

[Touray]

KC has the best b-b-q.... and another mistake, Denver is first in outdoor activities....with all the ski areas, white water rafting, mountain climbing, bicycling...sorry Portland

Hu? Portland is equal if not better then Denver for all those activites. Not to mention you can ski ALL YEAR on Mt Hood. The snow in the rockies may be more fluffly, but the cascades generally have higher totals, although the water content in the snow is high.

I would say even Seattle blows Denver out of the water. Because it has Puget Sound and more Rugged Mountains. More Glaciers exists in the North Cascades of Washington state then any other place in the lower 48. Not to mention its closer to Whistler B.C. =). Every major city in the Northwest is within a one hour striking distance of some of the worlds deepest consistent snowfall.

[PerfectlyPresentable]

Sounds like a lot of people haven't been to L.A.

[ComandanteCero]

Just to be clear, my comment was supposed to be a tad facetious.

(But KC having some of the best BBQ in the nation is no joke)

PS. If you're city is fighting to be known for its BBQ.... Well, that doesn't really speak well for your city.

How's that?

So should i think less of San Franciscans for touting Mission style Burritos? Or Angelenos who take pride in the quality and authenticity of their Mexican food? Or Chicagoans and New Yorkers' constantly comparing their styles of pizza?

Many of these "city pride" foods are often intertwined with the particular city's history, demographics, culture and economy. There are good reasons why these cities excel in their particular foods (and why you can only get pale replicas of it in other parts of the country). By partaking in them you get to experience the city culture in a wonderfully immediate, dense and tasty manner and learn a little more of the diverse and multi-faceted nation in which we live.

[sprtsluvr8]

Like it or not, food is one aspect of culture and no less important than music, art, religion, language, etc. When a city is known for a particular food, barbecue or other, visitors to that city will want to experience it while visiting. :)

[JMininger]

New York pizzas are skinny and thin, Chicago Deep dish man, best pizza ever, finger licking good, get me a whole pizza!

Skylines, new york is just building building building with little to no definition from a distance. Chicago looks amazing as your driving into it because it stands out, has its land mark buildings that arnt surrounded by 200 50 st mediocre towers to water it down. And San Fran is the same as well.

And new Yorks underground art scene is gay. New York was on all those top list because the country is brain washed to think NYC is AMAZING!

Different pizza, different tastes. Personally, I grew up on "New York style" pizza and much prefer it to deep dish pizza. Best pizza I've ever had is at Gaby's on Hillside Ave. in Jamaica, Queens but there is joint in Carmel, Indiana that comes in a close second (to be fair though, the owner has the ingredients trucked in from NYC ... actually meets the guy halfway between). Being so close to Chicago as I live in Indianapolis now, I would say many people here prefer deep dish and who's to blame them if that's what they grew up on.

Different BBQ, different tastes. Memphis, KC, North Carolina and many other places all have different BBQ styles and it is a matter of preference. There is even a difference in styles in NC with BBQ in eastern NC being different than "Lexington" style that dominates western NC. Spent my teenage years in NC and have tried the BBQ all over. Parents still live there. For several years, we had a dead pig on ice in a bathtub for a couple of days in preparation for an annual pig-picking in Durham, NC. Personal preference - a place in Smithfield (can't remember the name of the place), eastern style pulled pork BBQ with hush puppies, slaw and a tall glass of ice tea.

Best Cheesesteak I ever had WAS in Philadelphia. But it was from a food truck on Market Street close to Drexel and NOT the shlock they serve at the famous Pat's and Geno's. Wrapped in aluminum foil and put in a brown paper bag, it is so greasy and juicy that you have to be careful not to let the juice cause the bag to break before you eat it. It's made differently than what you find at Pat's Steak. Different style, personal preference.

My favorite "mexican" meal is at Mia's on Lemmon Ave. in Dallas but try to find that in Mexico. Different styles, different tastes.

DallasBrink, frankly your comment on NYC arts scene is "gay". I will agree with you on one point that you allude to ... that these rankings are based largely on the impression people have of a place, not necessarily the reality. It is a travel survey, after all. NYC does have a great arts scene ... but I have seen opinions that it has become too chic and commercialized to be a real underground arts scene ... and honestly, too expensive in Manhattan for the "starving artist" type.

Also, I lived in Dallas for 8 years after college but my wife is from NYC with some of her family still there so I have spent a lot of time there as I have in most of the cities represented in the list. I like Dallas, really do, my brother and my wife's sister live there and I visit a couple of times a year (my wife wants to move back) ... but it's no hype, NYC is AMAZING!

[totheskies]

New York pizzas are skinny and thin, Chicago Deep dish man, best pizza ever, finger licking good, get me a whole pizza!

Skylines, new york is just building building building with little to no definition from a distance. Chicago looks amazing as your driving into it because it stands out, has its land mark buildings that arnt surrounded by 200 50 st mediocre towers to water it down. And San Fran is the same as well.

And new Yorks underground art scene is gay. New York was on all those top list because the country is brain washed to think NYC is AMAZING!

I kinda have to agree here... The media pumps our heads full of two locations... New York or LA. If you're not on one of the coasts, then you just don't count for America. No sense in crying about things that don't change though.

[JMininger]

I kinda have to agree here... The media pumps our heads full of two locations... New York or LA. If you're not on one of the coasts, then you just don't count for America. No sense in crying about things that don't change though.

Easy to understand how that happens though ... that is where big media is located (with a few notable exceptions, of course). No need to go NY, LA bashing though ... people might get a little offended if they don't see their city on the list (lots of proud people from H-Town out there ;) ) ... but cities across the country seem to be well represented on the list; it's not just a 1-2 list of NYC and LA. Besides, spend time in NYC and LA and you'll get to know that they are amazing places; but not to the complete exclusion of every other city.

[fleonzo]

Easy to understand how that happens though ... that is where big media is located (with a few notable exceptions, of course). No need to go NY, LA bashing though ... people might get a little offended if they don't see their city on the list (lots of proud people from H-Town out there ;) ) ... but cities across the country seem to be well represented on the list; it's not just a 1-2 list of NYC and LA. Besides, spend time in NYC and LA and you'll get to know that they are amazing places; but not to the complete exclusion of every other city.

Well said! I couldn't have put it any other way myself... so I won't!!!

[fflint]

I've been to SF dozens of times and been around most of the hoods. Latinos appear to be absent, blacks seem to have fled the city (the only ones I see are homeless) and I know Asians make a large minority there but they seem to have little presence in the city's goverment or other levels of power. These factors give me the impression San Francsico is a pretty white city. actually i probably worded my first post wrong. realise I was mainly responding to the survey in the OP. SF can be diverse, but top 3 in the U.S.? I don't believe so.
There's a difference between not believing something in an inane survey and making a claim about the nature of the world, such as "SF is hardly diverse", based only upon your very limited experience vacationing somewhere.

San Francisco takes a lot of heat for the supposed character flaws of its residents, some of which is deserved, but the claim that San Francisco is 'hardly diverse' is not at all supported by the facts--unless you've got some special definition of the word that doesn't comport with its usage in contemporary English.

[Urban Zombie®]

PS. If you're city is fighting to be known for its BBQ.... Well, that doesn't really speak well for your city.

What's the matter? You don't eat meat?

http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/778/778470/grindhouse-20070404034822491-000.jpg

[OaklandFan72737489]

SF is hardly diverse.

Coming from Oakland, I agree. San Francisco isn't as diverse as people make it out to be. I think SF is made up of largely three groups: affluent white folks, white yuppie hipsters, and first-generation Asian immigrants.

Whenever I go out to dinner in San Francisco, all I see are white people sprinkled in with a token Asian here and there. However, when I go to Old Oakland, Oakland's Rockridge district or Oakland's Piedmont Avenue, it's a complete melting pot. It's almost seriously 25% white, 25% black, 25% Latino and 25% Asian.

It's not a secret that the African-American and Latino communities are leaving SF in masses. The once heavily Latino Mission District is now yuppie-land. A lot of these Latinos groups, who once stopped in the Mission, are omitting SF and coming directly to East Oakland now. Proof of this is the large influx of Salvadoran and Honduran immigrants in Oakland's Fruitvale district.

Also certain Asian groups are leaving San Francisco, such as the Korean-American population. The Korean population along Telegraph Avenue has increased drastically since 2000 and where did most of them come from? San Francisco.

Anyhow, I still think San Francisco is pretty diverse but it doesn't deserve to be among America's top ten diverse cities or whatever the poll was. I'm interested in seeing the numbers from the 2010 census. I'm no demographer but I bet the black population will be under 5%. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hispanic population might actually see a small decrease from its whopping 14% in 2000.

[POLA]

damn... Dallas did not do so well at all!

[Frisco_Zig]

I'm no demographer but I bet the black population will be under 5%. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hispanic population might actually see a small decrease from its whopping 14% in 2000.

With all the unsupported assertions in your post you don't have to convince us that you are indeed not a demographer!

Koreans moving to Oakland from SF? Are you sure they aren't coming from Korea? The 2000 census showed 7679 individuals in SF. I have never noted a big population here

Oakland is more racially diverse but still the census showed 66% either white or black. This isn't that much different than SF being 75% white and Asian (and Asians as a group are far more diverse). Considering other types of diversity San Francisco has a lot of Europeans, gay and lesbians, young people from other cities. Lots of ways to look at this

To me it is all regional anyway. Part of Oakland's diversity is influenced by its proximity to SF. Hispanics are moving out of the Mission (which is still 50% incidentally) to the Outer Mission and into Daly City which will be more Hispanic in the next census (Daly city is 100K people and is 75% non white).

Oakland's black population is declining also. It wouldn't surprise me at all if in 2-3 decades it is radically shrunk with many many more Asians and whites too. Increasing the Asian popualtion greatly from the whopping 15% at the last census!

[OaklandFan72737489]

With all the unsupported assertions in your post you don't have to convince us that you are indeed not a demographer!

Koreans moving to Oakland from SF? Are you sure they aren't coming from Korea? The 2000 census showed 7679 individuals in SF. I have never noted a big population here

Oakland is more racially diverse but still the census showed 66% either white or black. This isn't that much different than SF being 75% white and Asian (and Asians as a group are far more diverse). Considering other types of diversity San Francisco has a lot of Europeans, gay and lesbians, young people from other cities. Lots of ways to look at this

To me it is all regional anyway. Part of Oakland's diversity is influenced by its proximity to SF. Hispanics are moving out of the Mission (which is still 50% incidentally) to the Outer Mission and into Daly City which will be more Hispanic in the next census (Daly city is 100K people and is 75% non white).

Oakland's black population is declining also. It wouldn't surprise me at all if in 2-3 decades it is radically shrunk with many many more Asians and whites too. Increasing the Asian popualtion greatly from the whopping 15% at the last census!

Yeah, Oakland's black population is in the decline too. I think in 2005 our Asian population was 17% of the overall pop. Anyhow, you do raise some points on the different types of diversity in SF that Oakland lacks. Oakland does lack Europeans and East Coast transplant-types the same way San Francisco lacks Ethiopians and Mongolians. ;)

[latinfreak]

Jeez... this list makes it seem like all there is in San Diego is pretty people jogging around our beautiful clean city... actually that sounds about right! haha :haha:

[Mr Roboto]

^Thats what I heard about San Diego, nothing but fun.

One thing was, Im surprised people in the US even know about Chicagos skyline enough to rank it ahead of NY(very disputable- I'll admit that despite my bias), and even ranking 3rd with the museums. But if DC didnt get #1 for museums by a long ways, I would really question the american public's knowledge of cities (as if most dont already).

[nath05]

Seeing as how my city fared very well on this list, I find it to be extremely accurate.

[pico44]

^Thats what I heard about San Diego, nothing but fun.

One thing was, Im surprised people in the US even know about Chicagos skyline enough to rank it ahead of NY(very disputable- I'll admit that despite my bias), and even ranking 3rd with the museums. But if DC didnt get #1 for museums by a long ways, I would really question the american public's knowledge of cities (as if most dont already).

New York is the best museum city in the country. Quite easily at that. Kansas City is far and away the best BBQ city in the country. This list is worthless.

[IdahoMountainBoy]

:previous: worthless to you but still a compilation of 60,000 American's opinions...

[rsbear]

:previous: worthless to you but still a compilation of 60,000 American's opinions...

You're so damn right... it's always somebody else's fault. After all, 60,000 people's OPINION can't be right.

Good grief folks, this was an unscientific public opinion poll (think popularity contest) that is not based upon facts or scientific data. If your pet city didn't get voted number 1, 2 or 3 in some category - GET OVER IT and move on.

[ocman]

Pizza gets its own category. Interesting.

[cpddavis]

I'll go ahead and stand up for Austin here - I don't think that the Barbecue in Austin and the surrounding area (to get the truly sublime stuff you need to make a little day trip) take a back seat to anyplace, KC included.

You also probably have a neighbor who does stuff like this

http://forums.hornfans.com/php/wwwthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=bbqpit&Number=4999276&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=all

[TexasBoi]

I'll go ahead and stand up for Austin here - I don't think that the Barbecue in Austin and the surrounding area (to get the truly sublime stuff you need to make a little day trip) take a back seat to anyplace, KC included.

You also probably have a neighbor who does stuff like this

http://forums.hornfans.com/php/wwwthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=bbqpit&Number=4999276&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=all

Wow. That thread is great and I agree. Austin, as well as San Antonio, does not take a back seat to anyplace regarding BBQ.

[Bailey]

Oh Houston.... how long must we fly under the United States' radar??? I guess someone has to be the strong, silent type ;)

However, it is kind of a shame that the nation's fourth largest city (urban continent, whatever) isn't even listed on Travel and Leisure's map.

It's lists like this that make me laugh. True, Houston isn't a top destination point but those of us that live here know it is still a hidden gem. It's sad that the word hasn't gotten out on the fourth largest city but I guess it's our gain. Where else are you going to get as much value in a MAJOR market that is a mecca of the arts (2nd largest theater district in US, one of the largest total museum collections in the US), home to many professional sports, home to the world's largest medical-related center, world's energy capital, the countries headquarters for space exploration, home to many universities, great restaurants with a very ethnically diverse and eclectic population. All of this adds out to a great culture that is unique to Houston.

For those not familiar check out the short video linked below- it doesn't hit on everything but gives a decent idea of 'Houston'. The city that seems to always fly under the radar :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s056tSc0zz8

[10023]

For god's sake, Houston is not the 4th largest "city" in the country. It may be the 4th largest municipality, because the city covers as much land as Rhode Island, but it's about the 10th largest metropolitan area.

[bnk]

(2nd largest theater district in US, one of the largest total museum collections in the US), :(

http

A Source on just these two superlative statements and I will ignore all of the other blatant lies that you have posted in your parochial naive non worldly post.

[mhays]

Houston hurts itself with the "4th largest" BS. Municipal lines are irrelevant to a tourist, to whom the whole metro is the city. Tourists show up expecting Boston or San Francisco and don't find it. Sometimes it's helpful to keep expectations realistic.

The "2nd largest theater district" bit (based on number of seats) is technically true but very misleading. It's a lot of seats for one district, but Downtown Houston overall doesn't have a lot of seats...they're simply compressed into one district. I did a comparison with Downtown Seattle and we easily exceeded Downtown Houston's number, even without including our movie theaters.

[totheskies]

Ah, yes... and we wonder why the forum is short on Houstonians. Kommt der Winter schon so bald?

Honestly, I love all of the cities that you guys are from, but you could stand to work on your attitude.

[totheskies]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=138906

[dfane]

Though Seattle ranks ok, I have my problems with the survey too. For example, why are "barbecue" and "pizza" their own categories (we score poorly in both), while most cuisines are combined into one category, "ethnic"? Why aren't Japanese, seafood, and other cuisines given the same weight as barbecue? (Conversely, you could argue that "coffee" is given too much weight...)

Because pizza is the most popular food in America. People eat pizza almost daily.
Barbeque is a little different but very big down south where there are mom and pop shops on every corner in certain areas.
Whereas Japanese food is more like a treat or exception in most areas.

Especially in the NE pizza is king. I eat pizza every Friday since as long as I can remember. It is almost blasphamy not to.

Do any other Italians on here follow the similar types of eating patterns as this?
Every Sunday some kind of pasta
Monday Chicken
Wednesday Chicken or Steak etc
Friday Pizza
Saturday (in Philly at least) Hoagies/Cheesesteaks

just curious?

[citizensf]

New York is the best museum city in the country. Quite easily at that. Kansas City is far and away the best BBQ city in the country. This list is worthless.

It's hard to beat the sheer number and range of museums and institutions you can visit in DC for *FREE* (I'm assuming they're still free!). That fact alone has made DC a museum destination for me on past vacations.

[krudmonk]

Pizza gets its own category. Interesting.
That's what makes the poll scientific.

[Mr Roboto]

It's hard to beat the sheer number and range of museums and institutions you can visit in DC for *FREE* (I'm assuming they're still free!). That fact alone has made DC a museum destination for me on past vacations.

Just the fact that they are free is a huge difference. Its all me and my family did when I grew up there since we had no money. To do that here in chicago would cost a fortune. Not to mention that there are so many different high caliber museums concentrated in a relatively small area, I find it hard to believe even the great NY can top DC. DC is known for the museums, and people do take trips to the city just to visit them. In this regard, I can easily see why more people see DC higher in this category.

[skylife]

New York is the best museum city in the country.

Top 10 most visited Museums USA:

1) Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

2) Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC

3) National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

4) Metropolitan Museum, New York

5) American Museum of Natural History, New York

6) National Museum of American History: Washington, D.C

7) Museum of Modern Art, New York

8) Field Museum, Chicago

9) Museum of Science, Boston

10) Ellis Island Immigration Museum, New York

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-09-28-most-visited-museums-forbes_N.htm

"Best" is relative, but I think DC rivals NY as a museum city.

[KB0679]

Good press for Charleston here. It hangs with the Big Boys rather well.