Underrated US Cities

[uconnbill]

I dated a girl from Vanderbilt way back when and she had a friend who lived on (in?) Lookout Mountain. Surprisingly nice.

Agreed a very nice area but I love most of Tennessee

 

[bendm]

anyone say oakland? i'd never been before moving out for grad school back in '16. i was kinda worried based on its reputation but it turned out to be awesome. there was one general area that i avoided but it had plenty of great bars and restaurants, i seldom had reason to take the BART into SF. it may have gone from underrated to properly rated since i left.

 

[Ewekon]

There isn't a top 25 metro area in the US to which I have not been. (I'm old).

The real Chicago is even better than for what it gets credit.

Staying midwest. Milwaukee is pretty damn great for 8 weeks each summer. A "great" lake, killer annual summerfest party and cheap compared to the Chi.

 

[storrsroars]

I’m currently in San Jose and it’s awesome.

Haven't been in 25 years, so good to hear. The place always had potential, but back then was as dull as Charlotte. Use to run tech shows in SJ regularly in mid-90s back when the only decent place in town was Gordon Biersch. We booked all our parties there.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I can’t comment on the local courtroom scene, but I’m staying on Santana Row and it’s a great spot. Tons of restaurants, shops, etc. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the vibe.

I could also be an easy grader after a year stuck at home though.

Santana Row is awesome.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Burlington has been hit hard by Covid. I went for 4 nights including NYE and many of the mainstays have either closed for good or had closed for an extended period of time due to Covid. Hoping it recovers as things begin to open up

Interesting. I was there in the beginning of December 2020 for a week and most everything was open for either dine in or to go. Only thing was everything had to close by either 9pm or 10pm. I forget which one.

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

Memphis is terrible the crime is out of control and they underreport. There are so many better places in TN. Visiting I would go downtown Nashville, Living I would go suburban Chattanooga.

I was sent to Knoxville every quarter for work a few years ago and really came to enjoy the town. I usually only had 1 night per trip where I could get out and explore but it’s a really pretty area and UT’s campus is beautiful, so I enjoyed just wandering around town. On one trip my Lyft driver noticed my UConn shirt and got to talking about his hatred for Geno and, before he dropped me off, that I had to stop by and see “Pat’s house”

 

[UconnU]

San Diego. Winter skiing at 6000' in 3' of powder, an hour or two drive and you're at your beachside pool.

San Diego is a good call. The main issue is the cost of living, at least in the desirable areas like north county, is totally out of control. Like 3k rent for a nice place. But still easily the best area of CA to live.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I can’t comment on the local courtroom scene, but I’m staying on Santana Row and it’s a great spot. Tons of restaurants, shops, etc. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the vibe.

I could also be an easy grader after a year stuck at home though.

It's not bad but it's mostly a sprawling suburb. I lived in Almaden Valley, which was a pretty area in the foothills next to Alamaden Lake Park and a light rail spot. The light rail is nice, and took us straight downtown, and we could walk to Sharks games. It's not bad. But Santana Row? Isn't that Santa Clara? It's right up the road from where I first lived in Campbell. That's just a glorified outdoor mall, like a mini version of The Domain in Austin. Probably a good place to stay on business (as is The Domain). South of there is The Pruneyard, which I guarantee @BigErnMcCracken remembers for other reasons. I used to go there often. If you have a car, head east and check out downtown, or better yet, go to Los Gatos.

 

[HuskyHawk]

anyone say oakland? i'd never been before moving out for grad school back in '16. i was kinda worried based on its reputation but it turned out to be awesome. there was one general area that i avoided but it had plenty of great bars and restaurants, i seldom had reason to take the BART into SF. it may have gone from underrated to properly rated since i left.

Good Lord, no. Berkeley is funky and interesting, and the part of Oakland in the hills is nice. I took the bar exam in Oakland. Three days in a crappy motel hoping I wouldn't be stabbed or robbed every time I walked over to the bar exam location or got dinner.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There are a million reasons to not like Houston. Food isn't one of them, IMO, unless you really hate SE Asian in addition to BBQ.

I rarely argue massive generalizations like "[name of city] has bad food", but I am willing to die on this hill. Houston sucks. I am sure that the 4th biggest city in the country has some restaurants that don't suck, but overall, it sucks for food. I had a great lunch in downtown Houston at a place that must have cost $100 a plate for lunch 8 years ago. It was a perfectly fine lunch, as you would expect from a place that charges $100 a plate. What makes a city's food terrible is when the vast majority of the regular places suck, and they all sucked when i went there. Pro tip: NEVER order pizza in the Confederacy.

When a city has great food, you can walk into some random take out place and it is awesome. Take Chicago. I ordered BBQ on the South Side through bulletproof glass that must have been 2" thick, and it was incredible. Another time, I stumbled up to a burrito take out counter in Bucktown that was so small that only about 5 people could stand in the place to order, then you had to wait outside for your food. In freaking Chicago. In the winter. The there was a big crowd at the place at 1 am. My burrito was $6 and is still the second best fast food Mexican I have had anywhere else on earth, including Mexico. The best fast food Mexican I have ever had was a burrito shop in Lincoln Park. I went to a sports bar by Wrigley targeting tourists, and it is still one of the best philly steaks I have ever had. THAT is a city with great food.

 

[The Funster]

The pirates stadium has one of the nicest views in baseball.

The first time I went to Pittsburgh there were 3 of us and I was lucky enough to be in the front with the driver. The view of the city as you come out of the tunnel was quite impressive. And yeah, I love the ballpark and watching fans walk across the Clemente bridge.

 

[storrsroars]

I rarely argue massive generalizations like "[name of city] has bad food", but I am willing to die on this hill. Houston sucks. I am sure that the 4th biggest city in the country has some restaurants that don't suck, but overall, it sucks for food. I had a great lunch in downtown Houston at a place that must have cost $100 a plate for lunch 8 years ago. It was a perfectly fine lunch, as you would expect from a place that charges $100 a plate. What makes a city's food terrible is when the vast majority of the regular places suck, and they all sucked when i went there. Pro tip: NEVER order pizza in the Confederacy.

When a city has great food, you can walk into some random take out place and it is awesome. Take Chicago. I ordered BBQ on the South Side through bulletproof glass that must have been 2" thick, and it was incredible. Another time, I stumbled up to a burrito take out counter in Bucktown that was so small that only about 5 people could stand in the place to order, then you had to wait outside for your food. In freaking Chicago. In the winter. The there was a big crowd at the place at 1 am. My burrito was $6 and is still the second best fast food Mexican I have had anywhere else on earth, including Mexico. The best fast food Mexican I have ever had was a burrito shop in Lincoln Park. I went to a sports bar by Wrigley targeting tourists, and it is still one of the best philly steaks I have ever had. THAT is a city with great food.

You're never going to get me to argue that Chicago Mexican isn't great, it is IMO, undebatable, unless you want to drill down to specifics like street cart fish tacos.

But in Houston, you can swing a cat around and hit a half dozen really good SE Asian dives where you can eat well and relatively cheaply. Especially Vietnamese/Cambodian. I'd even venture to say that if one really loves that cuisine, Houston is a destination city (unless you're on the West Coast, where you head to San Jose or Garden Grove). For BBQ, yeah, you're probably best off sticking with known quantities like Gatlins, Pit Room, Pinkerton's or Roegels.

There's a whole lot of "when in Rome" that applies to eating well and cheaply in the US while avoiding chains. If you're trying to find good pizza in TX, FL, AL, TN or even a food city like NO, and expecting that to rival the pizza belt, you've got warped expectations. Read the room.

 

[storrsroars]

The first time I went to Pittsburgh there were 3 of us and I was lucky enough to be in the front with the driver. The view of the city as you come out of the tunnel was quite impressive. And yeah, I love the ballpark and watching fans walk across the Clemente bridge.

"The only city with an entrance."

 

[bendm]

Good Lord, no. Berkeley is funky and interesting, and the part of Oakland in the hills is nice. I took the bar exam in Oakland. Three days in a crappy motel hoping I wouldn't be stabbed or robbed every time I walked over to the bar exam location or got dinner.

it's changed a lot even in the few years since i left, never mind since you took the bar in the 80s?? lots of people moved over from SF after getting priced out. it's now a more expensive city to live in than seattle:

10 most expensive cities in the U.S.

Curious about the most expensive cities in the U.S.? Learn about the most expensive places to live in the U.S. and some of their unique characteristics here.

www.rocketmortgage.com

 

[don356]

I know. But we got the same here in MA.

Ma. is a nice place to visit, but the summer's are way to short.

 

[Waquoit]

I dated a girl from Vanderbilt way back when and she had a friend who lived on (in?) Lookout Mountain. Surprisingly nice.

When I think Lookout Mountain I think Roscoe Tanner. Fastest serve in tennis for a time.

 

[HuskyHawk]

it's changed a lot even in the few years since i left, never mind since you took the bar in the 80s?? lots of people moved over from SF after getting priced out. it's now a more expensive city to live in than seattle:

10 most expensive cities in the U.S.

Curious about the most expensive cities in the U.S.? Learn about the most expensive places to live in the U.S. and some of their unique characteristics here.

www.rocketmortgage.com

It was 1997 (third bar exam), I'm not ancient! I confess I haven't been there recently. The hills to the east were always expensive and have lots of nice homes. Kind of like LA really.

 

[superjohn]

I rarely argue massive generalizations like "[name of city] has bad food", but I am willing to die on this hill. Houston sucks. I am sure that the 4th biggest city in the country has some restaurants that don't suck, but overall, it sucks for food. I had a great lunch in downtown Houston at a place that must have cost $100 a plate for lunch 8 years ago. It was a perfectly fine lunch, as you would expect from a place that charges $100 a plate. What makes a city's food terrible is when the vast majority of the regular places suck, and they all sucked when i went there. Pro tip: NEVER order pizza in the Confederacy.

When a city has great food, you can walk into some random take out place and it is awesome. Take Chicago. I ordered BBQ on the South Side through bulletproof glass that must have been 2" thick, and it was incredible. Another time, I stumbled up to a burrito take out counter in Bucktown that was so small that only about 5 people could stand in the place to order, then you had to wait outside for your food. In freaking Chicago. In the winter. The there was a big crowd at the place at 1 am. My burrito was $6 and is still the second best fast food Mexican I have had anywhere else on earth, including Mexico. The best fast food Mexican I have ever had was a burrito shop in Lincoln Park. I went to a sports bar by Wrigley targeting tourists, and it is still one of the best philly steaks I have ever had. THAT is a city with great food.

Do you remember the names of any of these places in Chicago?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Do you remember the names of any of these places in Chicago?

BBQ - I believe it was on the corner of 53 and S. Dorcester, but I doubt it is still there. It is all hipster places now in that neighborhood.
Bucktown - don't remember
Lincoln Park - Taco Burrito Joint #2. It was on the corner of Wrightwood and Lincoln. It is gone now, but it was the best fast food Mexican in the entire country. Let's have a moment of silence.
Wrigley - Cubbie Bear. Tourist trap bar with super hot waitresses and great food.

I was in Chicago 2 years ago, and the local takeout was still incredible. I was staying in Old Town.

Edit: I forgot Heaven on 7. That place is freaking incredible. Cajun, and the one I went to was in the same building with a movie theatre downtown. Pro tip: Don't challenge the waitress with "do you have anything hotter" when it comes to sauces. You will regret it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Adding a category: Cities that are EXACTLY like you expect them to be:

1) Toledo - small, dying city that is putting up a fight against its decline and doesn't completely suck, but I would not want to live there nor do I plan on returning for work anytime soon.

2) Detroit - I was struck more by the emptiness than it being a scalitohole. It is like Waterbury but 20x the size. The suburbs are still really nice and really affordable for high end suburbs of a major metro area. You can buy 6000 sq. feet on the lake in Grosse Point for just over $1MM.

3) Dallas - Generica with a tiny bit of Texas flavor on a massive scale. Everything is a little overpriced and the place is a pain in the butt to get around because there is not really a downtown.

4) Austin - If you take the arrogance of Silicon Valley and multiplied it with Texans certainty that their state is the best and everywhere else sucks, you get Austin. I like the music and food, and the economy is incredible, but the people are a little much.

5) Oklahoma City - A third tier city in every way imaginable.

 

[bendm]

Oklahoma City - A third tier city in every way imaginable.

another city with no business having a pro sports franchise.
kings should have moved to vegas
grizzlies should have moved to kansas city
sonics should never have left

 

[HuskyHawk]

another city with no business having a pro sports franchise.
kings should have moved to vegas
grizzlies should have moved to kansas city
sonics should never have left

Almost. Kings should have moved back to KC. Agree on Sonics and OKC being unworthy.

 

[bendm]

Almost. Kings should have moved back to KC. Agree on Sonics and OKC being unworthy.

fine kings to KC and grizzlies to vegas. it's just that the maloofs were casino owners and did try to move the kings to vegas but the league foolishly stopped them thereby dooming the franchise to small market mediocrity

 

[WeAreUCONN]

definitely not underrated. perhaps the original new england "ski town"

I don’t ski though. I just went there to see the sights. It was a really cool town. Would have been better if the restaurant’s on top on the mountains were open. As well as the sight-seeing gondola lifts. Diana’s baths was a really cool place. Food was great there too.