Cities You Need To Travel To More Than Once To Appreciate

[Razor]

Yes another click bait list courtesy of MSN news feed..I swear the web masters at MSN follow this forum or something.

Anyways, it sucked me in after I logged out of my Hotmail just now, so I thought would share it here..If anything, just to keep with the themes going on here right now.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/trip...id=mailsignout

[jlousa]

I'd love to see the list of cities that are best to only visit the once. I'm sure there are lots of them that are great the first time around but once you spend more time there the charm wears off quick.

[ChargerCarl]

For LA I think you have to actually live there. It can be difficult to appreciate as a tourist given how difficult it is to get around. It's a city that requires a lot of local knowledge IMO.

[Pedestrian]

I probably owe Toronto another chance. I was there in January--it was too cold to spend much time walking around and I wasn't there long enough to explore much plus unlike most American cities, I really didn't even know where to begin. My impression was of just a big generic city without much charm.

I should note the I am somebody who loves Vancouver, have been there several times and would happily go back so it isn't a Canadian thing. But Vancouver does have more benign weather--it rains of course, but it's rarely too cold to enjoy a nice outdoor exploratory stroll and there are plenty of places to do that.

Might as well say I was in Toronto having taken the Canadian transcontinental train from Vancouver and was intending to move on back to the US and NYC so I couldn't help comparing Toronto to NY in my head.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by ChargerCarl

For LA I think you have to actually live there. It can be difficult to appreciate as a tourist given how difficult it is to get around. It's a city that requires a lot of local knowledge IMO.

That would make sense

[Razor]

For myself, NYC is the perfect example of a city that I need to go back to.
The next time strategically hitting places we missed the first time around.

Because I was the only adult dude amongst 3 ladies and an autistic son of one of the ladies (ya it sucked), That particular extended long weekend was all about Canal street, Macy's, Times square and shopping. I did bring the kid to the Nintendo store though..Made him happy, and he was no trouble really.

Okay the harbour cruise was cool, and ditto for the bus tour of Brooklyn, but I just wasn't mentally prepared for the lack of public washrooms and personal space on Time's square. I needed to hug a fire hydrant to take a pic or tie my shoe. I should of known it was going to be like that, but it never it never entered my mind before our trip.

I owe it a second visit, but perhaps with just my wife and a written agreement on dialing back on the shopping, no Statue, and hitting more museums and non chain restaurants next time around. There's just so much to see in NYC, that you really need to break it up and go more then once.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by ChargerCarl

For LA I think you have to actually live there. It can be difficult to appreciate as a tourist given how difficult it is to get around. It's a city that requires a lot of local knowledge IMO.

I've been to LA just for a week, but with someone who knew the city very well. It was a trip with a very full schedule, but I got to appreciate the many faces of the city, from the Hollywood Hills to Venice beach, from downtown to Beverly Hills. Amazing trip in an amazing city. We rented a car for only a few days and took the subway and buses for the remaining trip. To my surprise, I found that the city was very often very walkable. And with the car, we avoided the highways all the time and didn't find the trafic to be anything but relax. Even though I loved San Francisco (from another trip), I think I would choose to go back to LA first at the first occasion.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Razor

For myself, NYC is the perfect example of a city that I need to go back to.
The next time strategically hitting places we missed the first time around.

Because I was the only adult dude amongst 3 ladies and an autistic son of one of the ladies (ya it sucked), That particular extended long weekend was all about Canal street, Macy's, Times square and shopping.

You probably owe it 20 visits but that aside, go by yourself or with another adult, buy a Metrocard, a subway map and a Zagat guide and just GO (since you're Canadian, a good transit guide was one thing that would have made my visit to Toronto a lot better--there are many different guides for New York, on and off line). Try to visit all 5 burroughs (or at least the 4 conneted by subway) but with a destination in mind. I'm a food tourist so my desination is usually a top-rated restaurant, but yours could be the beach and Coney Island, the Bronx's Little Italy (which is better than Manhattan's), trendy parts of Brooklyn--whatever strikes your fancy. Outside Manhattan the subway frequently becomes an "El" so you can see a lot of the city but regardless, just learning how to use the thing and getting around teaches you about the city.

[Centropolis]

los angeles has to be the premiere example of this...your trip can be flavored so many different ways by neighborhoods/geography unlike any other us city.

i feel london may kind of be like this too.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

I probably owe Toronto another chance. I was there in January--it was too cold to spend much time walking around and I wasn't there long enough to explore much plus unlike most American cities, I really didn't even know where to begin. My impression was of just a big generic city without much charm.

Toronto can be pretty tricky if you don't know where to go - all of the best stuff is in the neighbourhoods outside of the downtown core. It requires either some research or knowing someone with the knowledge of where to go. Downtown is pretty standard fare without much worth mentioning to a visitor.

I've run into tourists at some fairly obscure craft beer bars and chatted about how they were glad they made it our of the downtown core.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by niwell

Toronto can be pretty tricky if you don't know where to go - all of the best stuff is in the neighbourhoods outside of the downtown core. It requires either some research or knowing someone with the knowledge of where to go. Downtown is pretty standard fare without much worth mentioning to a visitor.

I've run into tourists at some fairly obscure craft beer bars and chatted about how they were glad they made it our of the downtown core.

i've never been to toronto but i imagine it to be much like chicago like that (only in the sense that downtown is somewhat sterile/annoyingly touristy and the neighborhoods are the soul of the city). however, not decentralized or multi-nodal anywhere close to the scale of los angeles, or whatever.

also, i don't know how i've never been to toronto, that seems shocking to me.

[niwell]

^I go to Chicago a lot and yup it's quite similar in that way. I've done the Loop and River North but much prefer the neighbourhoods. There's even a bit of familiarity between Toronto there too - although the scale and makeup of buildings are noticeably different.

If you do come to Toronto shoot me a PM! Will gladly give you tips / go out for some drinks in an interesting area.

[Centropolis]

speaking in terms of a continuum or whatever, chicago/(and i presume toronto) in contrast to say a philadelphia with some quirky, gritty stuff right in a smaller downtown hidden in alley type lanes, and has neighborhoods smashed right up to downtown that are very easy to wander into on foot within minutes. toronto though probably has less expanses of huge/blank infrastructure that spreads things out, i imagine, like chicago.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by niwell

^I go to Chicago a lot and yup it's quite similar in that way. I've done the Loop and River North but much prefer the neighbourhoods. There's even a bit of familiarity between Toronto there too - although the scale and makeup of buildings are noticeably different.

If you do come to Toronto shoot me a PM! Will gladly give you tips / go out for some drinks in an interesting area.

thanks! i may take you up on the offer someday, as i have with other kind folks on here in their cities. i'm gearing up for a china/ shanghai trip this month, but urban canada is very likely next up.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

toronto though probably has less expanses of huge/blank infrastructure that spreads things out, i imagine, like chicago.

That is the biggest thing that sticks out to me. The main streets in Chicago outside downtown are more "gappy", and even lot frontages are noticeably wider.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by niwell

^I go to Chicago a lot and yup it's quite similar in that way. I've done the Loop and River North but much prefer the neighbourhoods. There's even a bit of familiarity between Toronto there too - although the scale and makeup of buildings are noticeably different.

If you do come to Toronto shoot me a PM! Will gladly give you tips / go out for some drinks in an interesting area.

Being more familiar with Chicago than Toronto, I know there are some attractions in the Loop such as culture, entertainment ("Broadway" type shows, opera, symphony), at least one premier museum (Art Institute) and one restaurant that's a big draw for me (the Berghoff--I love German food)). I perhaps owe my personal appreciation of impressionist art to seeing the Art Institute's jaw-dropping collection which is not something I can say about any other type of art or museum (and I grew up in DC attending the National Gallery). But the times I've been to Chicago, certainly I've gotten away from the Loop to Wrigleyville and so on. Such places ARE key to appreciating the city. But I'll repeat, one thing that made it possible for me to explore the north side neighborhoods is a pretty good transit map.

[softee]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

speaking in terms of a continuum or whatever, chicago/(and i presume toronto) in contrast to say a philadelphia with some quirky, gritty stuff right in a smaller downtown hidden in alley type lanes, and has neighborhoods smashed right up to downtown that are very easy to wander into on foot within minutes. toronto though probably has less expanses of huge/blank infrastructure that spreads things out, i imagine, like chicago.

Toronto is more like Philly in that the neighbourhoods are seamlessly integrated with the downtown core where you'll find streets lined by skyscrapers just a couple minutes walk from streets lined with Victorian rowhouses and lots of other small scale, quirky stuff.

[matthew6]

Originally Posted by softee

Toronto is more like Philly in that the neighbourhoods are seamlessly integrated with the downtown core where you'll find streets lined by skyscrapers just a couple minutes walk from streets lined with Victorian rowhouses and lots of other small scale, quirky stuff.

New Orleans is like this. The CBD is surrounded by old school residential.


https://www.google.ca/maps/place/New...715323!6m1!1e1

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

You probably owe it 20 visits but that aside, go by yourself or with another adult, buy a Metrocard, a subway map and a Zagat guide and just GO (since you're Canadian, a good transit guide was one thing that would have made my visit to Toronto a lot better--there are many different guides for New York, on and off line). Try to visit all 5 burroughs (or at least the 4 conneted by subway) but with a destination in mind. I'm a food tourist so my desination is usually a top-rated restaurant, but yours could be the beach and Coney Island, the Bronx's Little Italy (which is better than Manhattan's), trendy parts of Brooklyn--whatever strikes your fancy. Outside Manhattan the subway frequently becomes an "El" so you can see a lot of the city but regardless, just learning how to use the thing and getting around teaches you about the city.

Thanks! Yup looking forward to going back.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

But I'll repeat, one thing that made it possible for me to explore the north side neighborhoods is a pretty good transit map.

That definitely exists in Toronto. Don't be afraid of streetcars and buses though. I know that's true for San Francisco as well.