What are you 'Top 5' favorite US cities and World cities?

[Highlander]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Atlanta, Dallas or Houston!

My top five American -

1) San Francisco
2) New York
3) Washington D.C.
4) Seattle
5) Minneapolis

14) Kansas City

Bottom Feeders

Los Angeles
Dallas
Houston

The first incarnation of my list had Houston on it, as the only city in the US that I really, really do not like.  But why be negative. 

[ignatius]

North America
1) KC (to live, wouldn't be here otherwise)
2) NYC (to visit, not live, though my bother couldn't imagine living anywhere else)
3) SF
4) Vancouver
5) Toronto

Have been to almost every top 50 US/Canadian city but outside that have only been to London, Paris and Dublin.  Loved London/Paris of course but didn't care for Dublin that much.

Chicago doesn't make my top 5.  I like it on the surface but just can't connect for some reason.  I feel very comfortable in NYC and SF, as if they are my city.

[kuslamb]

1. NYC
2. Chicago
3. San Fran/Carmel - We ususally do them in a pair
4. Brekenridge (really the entire summit but Breck is our home base)
5. KC/Tulsa - Both homes to me (KC right now), but cities that have a lot in common

1. London
2. Munich
3. Florence
4. Berlin
4.5 Brussels
5. Amsterdam

Places I need to visit:

Seattle, Philly, Boston, Portland, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Scandanavia

[TheBigChuckbowski]

I really thought hard about top US cities and I really couldn't think of any that I've been to that I really loved. I've been to almost every state but my parents don't like cities so we never went to the big ones and I didn't really travel in college and I've only been to Europe since I graduated.

My Top 5 that I haven't been to for some ridiculous reason or haven't since I was 8 years old or I've only been in the airport that are on everyone else's list that I really need to go to:

1. Portland
2. San Francisco
3. New York
4. Chicago
5. Austin
6. Seattle


My top 5 worldwide:
1. Barcelona
2. Rome
3. San Jose, Costa Rica
4. London
5. Paris

But, I really haven't been anywhere else except the Caribbean.

[ComandanteCero]

Chicago doesn't make my top 5.  I like it on the surface but just can't connect for some reason.   I feel very comfortable in NYC and SF, as if they are my city.

it's weird cause the first couple of times i went to Chicago i just didn't find it all that great, in part because i expected it be something on the scale of a NY while walking around, while it felt more to me like a supersized St. Louis/Cleveland.  I think this was mostly because my first couple of visits were during winter, and because i was there with a sibling who had business in the Streeterville area so we spent a lot of time in that part of downtown (this was back when Streeterville still had a lot of surface lots, Millenium Park was a hidden construction site, and dt Chicago outside of Michigan Av still looked and felt very gritty).  However, since then, having spent time there during the summer and gotten a chance to walk around a lot more and ridden the El to see various neighborhoods and areas outside dt and just wander I have come to a deep appreciation of Chicago.  Easily one of my favorite cities. 

But i have to say I immediately enjoyed San Francisco on my first visit (although it helped that i was there purely to be a tourist and had a few days to look around and wander). 

I recently spent time in Boston and I wasn't too taken with it.... again, the weather didn't cooperate since it was raining/cold/overcast the entire time i was there.  I guess my enjoyment of a given city is strongly tied to the weather at the time    which is why i give cities leeway if i visit during adverse conditions.

[warwickland]

Chicago
Philadelphia
New Orleans (outside of the french quarter...hippest place i've ever been-makes Brooklyn look awkward)
Portland
NYC

[warwickland]

i am the opposite of well-traveled, but here are my favorite US cities that i've been to, in no order.  (i've never been outside the US).

1.  austin
2.  chicago
3.  nyc
4.  minneapolis
5.  st. louis.

you definitely need to see Philadelphia.

[Jess]

In the U.S.

1.Chicago (sentimental fave, as it was the first city I called home and really grew a lot there - also, I love it as much for its neighborhoods, where tourists don't go, as the downtown)
2. KC (wouldn't have moved here if I didn't love it)
3. San Francisco (to visit, only; too costly)
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Austin

I lived in the Twin Cities vicinity when I was in college, but couldn't really warm up to them as an urban area.  Super sanitized.

My world cities are based on various study abroad programs I did while a college student; my travel's been drastically cut down since I can no longer do it on the college student cheap:

1. Galway
2. Dublin
3. Amsterdam
4. Port Elizabeth, South Africa
5. Cape Town, South Africa

[Midtownkid]

I've heard good things about Cape Town.  If I ever ventured to Africa I would want to either go there or Egypt.  (I know, they are completely different)

[Jess]

I was in South Africa directly after the fall of Apartheid, so I can't vouch for the sociopolitical climate in all the time that's passed since.  At the time, it was beautiful in many ways, sad in many ways, hopeful in many ways, and there was a lot of absolutely staggering poverty.

[IraGlacialis]

I guess I will have 3/5 be the top ones I have been to, and 2/5 be the ones at the top of the list to visit (indicated by *).

Kansas City
Seattle
St. Louis
New York*
Washington DC*

Bangkok
Jakarta
Cairns
Jerusalem*
Istanbul*

[Midtownkid]

Wow you have been to Bangkok and not NYC!!  You gotta get to NY!

[IraGlacialis]

Wow you have been to Bangkok and not NYC!!  You gotta get to NY!

The irony is not lost on me.

Though Australia has been the only country that I have been to under purely touristic value.
Been to Thailand many times to visit family, lived in Indonesia for 3 years for my dad's job, and visited Singapore to get naturalized for Indonesia. In fact, probably the proximity to Indonesia was the main reason I was able to go to Sydney and Cairns.

I have, in fact, been trying to set up a northeast trip (DC, Philly, and NYC) for spring break.

[grovester]

New Orleans
San Francisco
Kansas City
DC
Annapolis

Istanbul
London
Bangkok
Tokyo
Rome

[Jess]

I have many, many cities on my list before NY. It simply doesn't interest me (most of the urban East Coast doesn't).

[aknowledgeableperson]

San Francisco
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Victoria BC
San Antonio

When did Victoria BC become a US city?

[Midtownkid]

New Orleans
San Francisco
Kansas City
DC
Annapolis

Istanbul
London
Bangkok
Tokyo
Rome

That's a good one, (Annapolis), that is one of my favorite cities, too.  From my apartment it only takes about 40 min to get to a parking spot by the harbor.  I don't go that often, but it is so nice to be able to just go there when I am looking for a change in scenery from DC.  The other day I told my mom, 'oh yeah, I just stopped by Annapolis today' and she got so jealous.  She came back with, "Well, I can go to St. Joe or Leavenworth if I want."  Not really the same thing. haha

[NDTeve]

Best:
1) Wichita
2) Little Rock
3) Memphis
4) Amarillo
5) Bismarck

Worst:
1) NYC
2) LA
3) SF
4) DC
5) Miami

&&&&

[kuslamb]

Best:
1) Wichita
2) Little Rock
3) Memphis
4) Amarillo
5) Bismarck

Worst:
1) NYC
2) LA
3) SF
4) DC
5) Miami

&&&&

I have actually heard that Memphis is great?  Am I misinformed?

[LenexatoKCMO]

I have actually heard that Memphis is great?  Am I misinformed?

Decent town to visit - lots to do for the tourist.  But lots of deep poverty and tense racial segregation.