Most scenic urban city in US

[dc_denizen]

Pittsburgh is not going enough support here.

maybe because folks are too focused on the downtown skyline and the point -

the hilly topography puts it ahead of every other large city in eastern North America. an inland, east coast San Francisco.

you can be in a neighborhood like squirrel hill and enjoy 360 degree views of the entire city, river valleys, downtown and oakland...

unfortunately the photos I've seen online really don't do the city justice.

[Centropolis]

or cincinnati, for that matter, sort of runner up. someone posted nashville, which isn't even close.

[Crawford]

I don't see Pittsburgh as notably better than Cincy. A tad more scenic, maybe?

Both cities have very nice scenery, but neither really have spectacular scenery. Is it better to be broadly nice, with green hills everywhere, or does a most beautiful city need to have something really stunning?

[Sun Belt]

If small cities count like Altoona count, Portland ME should be considered.


https://maineimaging.smugmug.com/Aer...otos/i-f8kzPgH

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

or cincinnati, for that matter, sort of runner up. someone posted nashville, which isn't even close.

Not even close? Theyre all green hilly river cities. I agree the hills in Nashville probably arent as dramatic, but its more or less the same scenery profile as the other two, no?

[ThePhun1]

Jacksonville!

But seriously, I love Tucson and Rhode Island in the Fall.

[Boisebro]

as others have stated, "scenic" is a matter of personal taste. being from the midwest, I consider mountains to be a huge plus when it comes to scenery--mostly because all we had were hills.

I think Boise is scenic. others would disagree. and it's not as urban as larger cities, but it'll get there...downtown has doubled in size since I moved here and continues to grow.

here's a recent photo from Sawtooth, and some others I found:

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Not even close? Theyre all green hilly river cities. I agree the hills in Nashville probably arent as dramatic, but its more or less the same scenery profile as the other two, no?

i'm familiar with cincinnati and nashville (in fact visited both on the same weekend a few weeks ago) and there's a difference...urban cincinnati is much more dramatic. there's some rolling topography not really any more dramatic than kansas city in nashville, and some pretty big ozark-like hills very close that you can see high up in highrises. theres some striking topography on the approach to nashville since it sits in a bowl, but cincinnati gives you the same experience driving in from kentucky.

certainly the suburbs have some quite dramatic topography but that's not within the realm of this discussion. hell, st. louis has ozark hills right in st. louis county, the core county. that's a dime a dozen thing in the us.


romeofthewest.com

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by Crawford

SF has the most scenic views overall, though. The only thing I don't particularly like about the Bay Area is the dryness; the semi-desert look much of the year. But the views are the best.

That's really the entire climate Of costal California from Ensenada to north of San Francisco, Called "Mediterranean" or Chaparral, similar to Italy, Spain, Greece, Israel etc etc.

IMO the most habitable climate.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Obadno

That's really the entire climate Of costal California from Ensenada to north of San Francisco, Called "Mediterranean" or Chaparral, similar to Italy, Spain, Greece, Israel etc etc.

IMO the most habitable climate.

I'm pretty sure I'm biased because I'm from southern California, but I like the Mediterranean climate and the vegetation that grows in it, and I like the landscapes and the colors of them. People say that there are no seasons in soCal, but I think people who say that aren't very observant. It's funny, because in soCal, things are greener in winter and spring, and then get browner in the summer and fall. People who say that the east coast is green are only partially correct; on the east coast, things are only green in the spring and summer, and then in the fall and winter everything hibernates and turns brown (or snowy).

For landscapes to be green all year round, there has to be constant precipitation, right? When I think of things being "green all year round," I think of the tropics, which I've been to. I've never been to Seattle, so I don't know if it stays green all year round there... does it? I assume it does because of the rain?

Going back to Mediterranean climates, I enjoy the varying shades of green we get, and like the olive green colors we get on the hillsides, and the bright green colors we get during the winter. Traveling through Spain and Italy (and even parts of Turkey), I was reminded of California.

[subterranean]

There are loads and loads of evergreens in western Washington and Oregon. It is by far the most prominent tree type. And yes, it stays green here all year. However, the grass turns brown in the summer because there are about 3 months out of the year where we get barely any moisture, if any.

There are two types of Mediterranean climates - Csa (hot-summer mediterranean climate) and Csb (warm summer mediterranean climate). Much of western California is Csa or Csb, much of western Oregon and Washington are Csb. However, Portland gets pretty damn warm in the summer. The differentiation is that Csa must have 3 months out of the year with average temperatures above 70. The only thing I can think that keeps Portland out of Csa are the cool nights.

But yes, it is green all year round here. I'm originally from Michigan and people ask me all the time "how can you stand the winters?" Simple. It's just as cloudy, but there are more cloud breaks, and it stays green. The greenery keeps it very cheery here. The weather doesn't bother me AT ALL coming from the upper Midwest. In fact, it's almost gleefully good. Then again, it's not for everybody.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by subterranean

There are loads and loads of evergreens in western Washington and Oregon. It is by far the most prominent tree type. And yes, it stays green here all year. However, the grass turns brown in the summer because there are about 3 months out of the year where we get barely any moisture, if any.

There are two types of Mediterranean climates - Csa (hot-summer mediterranean climate) and Csb (warm summer mediterranean climate). Much of western California is Csa or Csb, much of western Oregon and Washington are Csb. However, Portland gets pretty damn warm in the summer. The differentiation is that Csa must have 3 months out of the year with average temperatures above 70. The only thing I can think that keeps Portland out of Csa are the cool nights.

But yes, it is green all year round here. I'm originally from Michigan and people ask me all the time "how can you stand the winters?" Simple. It's just as cloudy, but there are more cloud breaks, and it stays green. The greenery keeps it very cheery here. The weather doesn't bother me AT ALL coming from the upper Midwest. In fact, it's almost gleefully good. Then again, it's not for everybody.

Ah yes, evergreens, I forgot about those, duh. We have them here in California too, some native species, some imported. I guess I was thinking more of deciduous trees or other kinds of non-needle trees that stay green throughout the year.

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Ah yes, evergreens, I forgot about those, duh. We have them here in California too, some native species, some imported. I guess I was thinking more of deciduous trees or other kinds of non-needle trees that stay green throughout the year.

I think that technically, anything that stays green all year is an "evergreen" (most broad-leaf evergreens don't grow in climates where it freezes in winter). I believe most needled trees are classified as "conifer."

This is an interesting discussion because it is getting into the HIGHLY subjective part of what makes a place scenic - so much of it has to do with personal taste, and the weather and plant life plays a big role. I can totally see the appeal of the Pacific Northwest because it is so lush, but I personally wouldn't like the rain (admittedly better than the upper midwest though, which has a miserable climate). Part of what I love about Colorado is the bright sunshine, dry clear air, and deep blue sky - though I also hear all the time from people that they HATE dry conditions, which just reinforces the subjectivity of the matter. I'll take my clear skies any day, and the Pac. NW can have it's grey skies and green plants - but I wouldn't fault anyone for feeling the opposite way.

The Mediterranean climate though is one of the most objectively beautiful on Earth I'd have to say... Usually not too hot or cold, able to grow both plants imported from temperate regions, as well as plants (like palms and citrus) that appear exotic to people from temperate climates. It also tends to be great for growing nuts and things like olives and is often close to water - leading to the healthy Med. diet. I think there's a reason that the Mediterranean Sea is the cradle of Western Civilization - life just tends to be pretty good there. After spending some time in Italy though, I was struck by the fact that it is a bit different from Southern California - perhaps just a bit cooler being that its further north. Rome's climate and plant life reminded me a bit of San Francisco. I wonder if each Mediterranean region has similar nuances.

[mrnyc]

does the scenery have to be the city itself? because that is where the hilly pittsburgh's, cinci's, sf's and seattle's stand out.

or does it have to be some city with natural scenery close to it, like built in sight of a mountain, like salt lake city for example?

or maybe even a city that is perhaps not so much to look at, but the scenery in the area is indisputably grand, like honolulu?

i guess there will never be any full agreement, but its fun to see all the nice photos.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Couple pics of LA

L.A. from Kenneth Hahn Park Panorama by Michael Nyiri, on Flickr

Living on the Edge by OMAR MASRI, on Flickr

Good morning L.A. by Tony Chao, on Flickr

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Im sorry for the oversized pics, i dont know how to reduce the size

[Boisebro]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Im sorry for the oversized pics, i dont know how to reduce the size

stunning photos. thanks for sharing.

here's another of Boise... rainbows always help to be more "scenic"...

[homebucket]

SF

Scenic from afar:




And up close:




Photos by me

[The North One]

Why are there no trees or foliage on Boise's mountains?

[10023]

Originally Posted by The North One

Why are there no trees or foliage on Boise's mountains?

Because water flows downhill.

In arid/semi-arid areas the mountains tend to be bare but the valleys are often green. The Atlas Mountains in Morocco for instance are similar. Of course Boise is a city so it also has irrigation and people watering lawns and planting trees.