“All cities are alike.” I have heard this from countless nomads and frequent travelers, people who spend months on the road or city-hop every other day. After a while, they say, all the cities start to blur together.
Since I haven’t traveled as much as some people I know, I’ve been spared that jadedness. While many cities (and practically all suburbs) are generic, several of them still stand out in my mind as amazing, and unique, places. Hence, I’m creating this list.
Although I’ve often been referred to as “the world traveler” among my acquaintances, my travels have not been that extensive. While I have spent considerable time on the road the past three years, I keep on returning to the same places— namely the west coast. Bear that in mind as you read my list of 12 of my favorite cities. For instance, I’ve never been to any of the New England cities, and I haven’t visited Chicago or Atlanta for long enough to pass judgement. To avoid driving myself crazy with the order, I’m arranging them by date I visited them as a traveler, from oldest to most recent. Here goes.
12. St. Louis, Missouri. No, this isn’t cheating! Although I tell outsiders that I’m “from St. Louis,” I actually live in a separate county, so it still counts as “visiting.” It really is an amazing town. I love it for the turn-of-the-century architecture, City Museum, Forest Park, and the ridiculous amounts of free stuff (I’ve blogged about the Zoo, but the Art Museum is fantastic, too).
11. Seattle, Washington. I fell in love with this sound-side city the moment I stepped off the plane. Breezy and glassy, it’s one of my favorite places on earth. The Pike Place Market, Space Needle, and ferry system are all worth checking out, but my favorite thing to do is just walk around the city, gawk at the architecture, chill in the library, or take a hike down the waterfront. (Hostel recommendation: The Green Tortoise is great.)
10. San Francisco, California. For all my fangirl-love of Seattle, cities really don’t get much better than San Fran. With pristine buildings, a ridiculously scenic coastline, dozens of fascinating sights around the city, and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s a place you could stay for a week and never think of getting bored. (Hostel recommendation: Fisherman’s Wharf HI Hostel has a great location for a reasonable price.)
9. San Diego, California. Imagine a small laid-back beach town full of surfers, fishermen, and wealthy people with oceanfront homes. Turn it into a city, and that’s San Diego. This town boasts great weather and beautiful flowers all years long. Different parts of the area have different feels, from the surfer-hipster district of Ocean Beach to the wealthy golden-sand tourist trap of Coronado Island. With tidepools, great restaurants, Balboa Park, and a swingin’ downtown, this city is a place that my sister is happy to call home. (Hostel recommendation: Point Loma HI Hostel doesn’t have the best location, but it’s one of the nicest and friendliest hostels I’ve ever visited.)
Part Two of Three is coming tomorrow!
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