During the past three months, I've traveled to Manhattan, San Francisco, San Jose, Portland, Chicago, and Miami for biz/personal trips.
I've stayed in mid-priced hotels. (Actually, non were cheap as in staying at a Best Western in the 'burbs. :-) )
Observations:
Manhatten: Used to love to go here. Now I find it crowded, dirty, and people are rude on the streets, but normal once inside. Least value per sq ft of hotel space of all the cities.
San Fran: Love the Wharf. Expensive, a homeless problem, past its prime?
Portland: Beautiful, had to fight off the homeless on every block as I walked. No sun the entire trip.
San Jose: Energy! Wonderful weather, expensive as hell. Traffic sucked.
Chicago: More I go, the more I fall in love. Clean, not crowded, people are friendly. Saw two panhandlers the entire weekend. Good hotel value.
Miami: Great food, the babes on South Beach were amazing eye candy. It would be too hot in summer. Condos expensive.
So if I had to move from middle of no-where Wisconsin where there are more cows that cars, I would pick downtown Chicago and try to find a condo overseeing a river or Lake Michigan.
Originally Posted by HemiEd:
Have you had a decent pizza there? I have not and tried the local stuff more than once.
Other than sea food, I haven't really had a meal in the San Diego/Aneheim/Long Beach area that was up to par or my expectations for price.
I used to spend quite a bit of time in the area on business.
What do you consider "local stuff"? There's not really a SD style of pizza, so you'll find it all, of varying quality. I've enjoyed Pizza Port, Urbn, Lefty's, Bronx, and probably a couple others I'm forgetting. Nothing I'd say that blew my mind, but good pizza.
The Mexican food here is amazing (tons of amazing hole-in-the-wall places), as is the Thai, and fresh local seafood. There are some fantastic Americana places in Hillcrest, as well as some great breakfast spots.
I wouldn't consider SD a food destination, other than Mexican food, but on the whole, I've found the food options to be varied and tasty. No complaints. [Reply]
I should note that any time I think about moving out of Denver, I remember that we don't have fleas, ticks, or roaches here. (Well, other than Elway.) [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
As an aside, I got bold and took the subway and bus to Laguardia the last time I was in New York. The subway goes from Manhattan to some random neighborhood in Queens, and then you find a bus to get to the airport.
Wowza. I got off that bus in Queens and it felt like I was in a different country. I don't know how to describe it properly, but I was on this street that was in perpetual shade because the subway was elevated over it, and it was full of tiny little storefronts that looked like something you'd see in a developing country, and I was not hearing much English in the conversations around me. It really had a bizarre feel to it.
One of the learning experiences of traveling around is that I realize how much of a Eurocentric bubble I live in in Denver. I realize that I'm supposed to like other cultures, but my shameful truth is that I like living in a place that is familiar to me in terms of experience and appearance. I like traveling to developing countries, but I don't want to live in one.
I stayed in a hostel in Jamaican Queens. I know exactly what you're talking about.
Originally Posted by HemiEd:
Have you had a decent pizza there? I have not and tried the local stuff more than once.
A Steak?
Other than sea food, I haven't really had a meal in the San Diego/Aneheim/Long Beach area that was up to par or my expectations for price.
I used to spend quite a bit of time in the area on business.
The hell you trying to eat a steak and pizza in San Diego for? If you're in San Diego you eat burritos. Nothing but the endless variety of burritos and they're the best anywhere north of the border. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Shag:
What do you consider "local stuff"? There's not really a SD style of pizza, so you'll find it all, of varying quality. I've enjoyed Pizza Port, Urbn, Lefty's, Bronx, and probably a couple others I'm forgetting. Nothing I'd say that blew my mind, but good pizza.
The Mexican food here is amazing (tons of amazing hole-in-the-wall places), as is the Thai, and fresh local seafood. There are some fantastic Americana places in Hillcrest, as well as some great breakfast spots.
I wouldn't consider SD a food destination, other than Mexican food, but on the whole, I've found the food options to be varied and tasty. No complaints.
Ok, I understand. You are a local and know where to eat and that makes sense.
Just guessing, but I have probably had close to at least a couple hundred meals in the area.
To be honest, I am talking Anaheim where I spent at least five days every year all the way down to the Torrey Pines golf course area.
I have played a lot of golf courses down there and of course the meals would have been in that proximity but I will be darned if I could name a single one of the places I have eaten at.
Qualcomm was a really big customer in the area at one time so I would spend several nights a year near their facility.
The Mrs. spent a week down there once with me and she felt the same way I did about the food when judging it against similar size cities.
Don't get me wrong, it has some the best weather on the planet and we have had some great times there.
San Francisco is the home of my favorite restaurant in the country, Tadich Grill. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Kiimosabi:
The hell you trying to eat a steak and pizza in San Diego for? If you're in San Diego you eat burritos. Nothing but the endless variety of burritos and they're the best anywhere north of the border.
LOL, I can only eat that stuff a couple times a month and when you are spending several days a row in the area menu variety is nice.
Now my Mrs. loves the Mexican food and would make a steady diet of the stuff.
Have you ever tried to pick a healthy meal off a Mexican restaurant menu? Carbs, fat and mega calories. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Kiimosabi:
The hell you trying to eat a steak and pizza in San Diego for? If you're in San Diego you eat burritos. Nothing but the endless variety of burritos and they're the best anywhere north of the border.
My first few weeks in SD, I think I had a burrito a day. Probably put on 10lbs, lol, but so worth it. I take every visitor to get a Cali burrito from my favorite place, and it never fails to impress. [Reply]
Originally Posted by HemiEd:
Ok, I understand. You are a local and know where to eat and that makes sense.
Just guessing, but I have probably had close to at least a couple hundred meals in the area.
To be honest, I am talking Anaheim where I spent at least five days every year all the way down to the Torrey Pines golf course area.
I have played a lot of golf courses down there and of course the meals would have been in that proximity but I will be darned if I could name a single one of the places I have eaten at.
Qualcomm was a really big customer in the area at one time so I would spend several nights a year near their facility.
The Mrs. spent a week down there once with me and she felt the same way I did about the food when judging it against similar size cities.
Don't get me wrong, it has some the best weather on the planet and we have had some great times there.
San Francisco is the home of my favorite restaurant in the country, Tadich Grill.
I don't spend a ton of time in OC, but it seems a little stale in my very limited experience. I live down around Balboa Park, where it's almost entirely one-off places to eat (few chains), and about every cuisine you could want. A short distance to downtown, too. So, my experience would definitely be dramatically different than yours.
That said, I've heard the burger at Torrey is amazing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
Somewhere along the Oregon coast near Cannon City beach area. In the country far enough away from the horrible infestation known as Portland. Nothing but mountains and the coast with some nice beaches in between. Oh and Tillamook ice cream factory.
Originally Posted by HemiEd:
LOL, I can only eat that stuff a couple times a month and when you are spending several days a row in the area menu variety is nice.
Now my Mrs. loves the Mexican food and would make a steady diet of the stuff.
Have you ever tried to pick a healthy meal off a Mexican restaurant menu? Carbs, fat and mega calories.
I never thought I'd tire of Mexican food but eventually I did OD on it. Got just plain tired of it. Still like it but don't overdo it to the point I can no longer appreciate it. I prefer menu variety in life and in travel. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Easy 6:
None of them, that money would buy me a piece of paradise on earth elsewhere
Love to visit the cities, would never live in one again
It was really hard for me to adjust to non-city life—even if just the burbs. Too quiet. Have to drive everywhere to get stuff. Too many chain restaurants. I miss cosmopolitan life from time to time still. So I would love a condo in a city and keep my home here. [Reply]
Originally Posted by HemiEd:
LOL, I can only eat that stuff a couple times a month and when you are spending several days a row in the area menu variety is nice.
Now my Mrs. loves the Mexican food and would make a steady diet of the stuff.
Have you ever tried to pick a healthy meal off a Mexican restaurant menu? Carbs, fat and mega calories.
MMMMMM GRILLED OCTOPUS TACOS at Oscars Mexican Seafood [Reply]
