Favorite Cities In America?

[JfizzleBlazer]

Since we are talking about Minnesota vs. Portland in some of the other threads, what are some of the best cities in America you have visited/lived in?

I'm going to say nothing beats the Pacific NW (Portland/Seattle). Washington is lame with the strip clubs (topless only, no alcohol..etc.) though.

I'm a fan of Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Anchorage.

Not a fan of Los Angeles, Albuquerque, or Boise.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

New Orleans- probably my favorite city in the USA for the french/creole vibe.

Waikiki- Food, beaches, relax. Love it.

Vegas- Expensive but fun. Just a non-stop party.

Portland- I love my city.

Chicago- People just partying and having fun there (translation: lots of sluts). Love the vibe.

LA- Its where I live. Its GREAT to live in for day-to-day living, mainly for the weather and lots of things to do. Daytime is better than night time though.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Portland
Seattle
San Francisco
Vancouver BC (Yeah, I know, but it's mere hours from Seattle/Portland, the Cascadia trio)
20% of Los Angles
Kansas City is surprisingly nice
Chicago
San Diego

Hate:

Phoenix
80% of Los Angeles
All of Florida
Dallas: Shockingly mediocre

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Is the 20% of LA by the coast by any chance? :MARIS61:

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Is the 20% of LA by the coast by any chance? :MARIS61:

Indeed!

I love Laguna Beach! love it love it love it.

Canyons and the ocean, you can't beat it.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Venice, CA is probably my favorite place to kick it nowadays. Abbott Kinney Blvd is where I hang, it was named the "coolest block in America" (yeah yeah, by GQ) but its a pretty fucking cool street. Especially getting coffee/breakfast before all the hipsters wake up (and all the yoga chicks are done with their classes).

The vibe there is about as "Portland" you can get in LA. Was walking around the other night and the back residential streets totally reminded me of PDX.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/gqs-coolest-block-in-amer_n_1370371.html

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Venice has a cool vibe. The restroom kinda ruined my experience there. To this day, that's the most rank restroom I've ever been in.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

If there is one thing about Portland that pisses me off, it's the stupid ass hipsters.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

If there is one thing about Portland that pisses me off, it's the stupid ass hipsters.

The highest hipster per-capita in the world.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Indeed!

I love Laguna Beach! love it love it love it.

Canyons and the ocean, you can't beat it.

Not really LA though.....more OC....kind of far from me (maybe an hour or so).

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Venice has a cool vibe. The restroom kinda ruined my experience there. To this day, that's the most rank restroom I've ever been in.

Just go to a bar and piss there. so much better. The beach is pretty ghetto but it does have flavor and its pretty unique. When I bring out of towners they like it there versus Manhattan/Hermosa/Santa Monica/etc. Just a more unique vibe....

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Metro-ish.

Have you been there?

Btw, I wasn't too impressed with Malibu. By far Laguna is my favorite beach town in that area.

I hear Montecito is very nice, never been there though.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Bourdain's "Layover" had a great episode in L.A.

[video=youtube;6KAtLwyDtd0]

'Red Medicine' looks like a great restaurant.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

yeah, i've been to laguna a few times. its fine, just very "vanilla" like most of the OC. Its a bitch to park when the weather is nice (the other beaches I mentioned I can bike to or take a short cab ride) Not a fan of Malibu either, never have been..... Beaches in LA are cold water and dirty...not a fan of chillin on the beach...just by the beach.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I don't really like any places where it's hot (especially humid) most of the time. LA sucks, heat + ultimate concentration of douche bags (and many more reasons). I like Denver, Chicago, Seattle, San Fransisco. Portland is the best.

Disclaimer: I've never experienced the "night life" in any of these places.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Bourdain's "Layover" had a great episode in L.A.

[video=youtube;6KAtLwyDtd0]

'Red Medicine' looks like a great restaurant.

haven't been to red medicine. it got famous for kicking out the LA Times reporter when it first opened. The guy who started it is the same guy who did the "Umami Burger" chain.....

I thought that "Layover" episode of LA was really spot on to the vibe of the city as I see it and not the touristy crap most people expect it to be. Taco Trucks, Korean BBQ, cheap hole in the wall mexican joints and some really just off the beaten path type places.

I steer way clear of that shit.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

yeah, i've been to laguna a few times. its fine, just very "vanilla" like most of the OC. Its a bitch to park when the weather is nice (the other beaches I mentioned I can bike to or take a short cab ride) Not a fan of Malibu either, never have been..... Beaches in LA are cold water and dirty...not a fan of chillin on the beach...just by the beach.

I think some beach areas, like Laguna, would be great to invest in with the market still a buyers market (and for the foreseeable future), specifically Mystic Hills and Victoria Beach neighborhoods. I've done a little homework on the area.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I don't really like any places where it's hot (especially humid) most of the time. LA sucks, heat + ultimate concentration of douche bags (and many more reasons). I like Denver, Chicago, Seattle, San Fransisco. Portland is the best.

Disclaimer: I've never experienced the "night life" in any of these places.

The temperature by the beach in LA is 65-80 degrees the ENTIRE year. And it hardly ever rains or is cloudy. The problem is when you went here, you probably did the tourist thing. Its like going to downtown Portland and thinking Portland is just homeless street kids and yuppies shopping in Downtown.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

haven't been to red medicine. it got famous for kicking out the LA Times reporter when it first opened. The guy who started it is the same guy who did the "Umami Burger" chain.....

I thought that "Layover" episode of LA was really spot on to the vibe of the city as I see it and not the touristy crap most people expect it to be. Taco Trucks, Korean BBQ, cheap hole in the wall mexican joints and some really just off the beaten path type places.

I steer way clear of that shit.

That flee market was very Portland, the name escapes me at the moment. Some areas near downtown (and Venice) have that quirky Portland vibe, too.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Oh yeah, also a fan of San Francisco, as long as I'm staying in the city and not in silicon valley or man jose.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

That flee market was very Portland, the name escapes me at the moment. Some area s near downtown (and Venice) have that quirky Portland vibe, too.

Downtown is really on the up and up. I just like having access to some of the best Mexican food in the US as well as the best Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and Thai food in America. all cheap.....

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

From that episode of the Layover, Koreatown looks like a happenin' neighborhood.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

The temperature by the beach in LA is 65-80 degrees the ENTIRE year. And it hardly ever rains or is cloudy. The problem is when you went here, you probably did the tourist thing. Its like going to downtown Portland and thinking Portland is just homeless street kids and yuppies shopping in Downtown.

Makes sense, I've been there a few times but it was only for the day with my grandparents who live in Palm Desert. The heat there is UNBEARABLE. I'll probably go to LA sometime in the next few years to experience it as an adult.

P.S. have you guys seen the spammer in the regular forum?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

The temperature by the beach in LA is 65-80 degrees the ENTIRE year. And it hardly ever rains or is cloudy. The problem is when you went here, you probably did the tourist thing. Its like going to downtown Portland and thinking Portland is just homeless street kids and yuppies shopping in Downtown.

The winters in Laguna sound nice. It rains, which I like, foggy/misty, I also like, but the temps average around 65-ish.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Makes sense, I've been there a few times but it was only for the day with my grandparents who live in Palm Desert. The heat there is UNBEARABLE. I'll probably go to LA sometime in the next few years to experience it as an adult.

P.S. have you guys seen the spammer in the regular forum?

meh, its not that great of a place to visit. kind of a "you have to live here to appreciate it" kind of vibe.

next time you're in Palm Desert you have to hit up the pool party at the JW Marriott down there. 80% bachelorette parties.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

From that episode of the Layover, Koreatown looks like a happenin' neighborhood.

Kind of is. Mainly still Koreans and they are hard to break into their social circles for the most part.

Downtown is probably the hottest up and coming nightlife area though. restaurants there too.....

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

P.S. have you guys seen the spammer in the regular forum?

Yep, makes me think Minnesota is full of douchebags.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

I like dry heat but Phoenix is so poorly planned. The metro pop is huge but they (still) refuse to accept the concept of high-density planning. I can't stand the sprawl, L.A. has this problem, too. Phoenix would be wise to have a Portland SoWa type of plan.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Isn't Scottsdale nice? Isn't most of that city just mini-mall suburban planned community hell? I've only been there a loong time ago but go through their airport, they always have big tittied blond chicks there.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Isn't Scottsdale nice? Isn't most of that city just mini-mall suburban planned community hell? I've only been there a loong time ago but go through their airport, they always have big tittied blond chicks there.

Scottsdale is nice. Though, they have the rep of being the asshole capital of the western hemisphere. There are a lot of cookie-cutter areas but if you know where to look, you can find a gem. But the place to go, in that area, is Paradise Valley. That's where all the pro-athletes live. Very nice area.