[Inhuman]

Originally Posted by k-krack

WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU ON WHILE YOU WERE THERE?! CHRIST, THE PLACE FUCKING REEKS OF SHIT AND SEWERS EVERYWHERE! Nowhere NEAR clean!!!

Agreed! There's 5 homeless people on every corner. I still like the place much more than ottawa, since there's actually things to do in Toronto

[jheii]

I'll try to be succinct....
NYC - Divine and devlish at once.
Savannah - Heaven.
Atlanta - Hell.
Cincinatti - Ugly but enjoyable.
New Orleans - Wonderful.
Orlando - Florida.
Chicago - Miserable.

[jheii]

Originally Posted by noumenal

I'm probably moving to Madison WI in August. It's supposed to be a really awesome city.

Georgia, my home state (which has a larger land mass than England):

I'm from Atlanta. I love it and hate it.

My family lives in Savannah now. It's great for visiting.

Athens is a cool college town.

Toccoa, GA is a nice rural small town. One of my best friends is from there.

Valdosta is too hot and boring. I spent a summer there.

Macon is OK.

Gainesville, GA = shithole.

Rome and NW GA is full of racists...lol

Clayton is a lovely little mountain town in NE GA where I spent many summers growing up.

Columbus, GA = shithole.

St. Marys is by the FL line on the coast and is beautiful.

Macon is anything but OK. I've never seen such a large group of people who are so consistently miserable.

[noumenal]

I was trying to be nice. Guess I haven't spent enouth time there to realize its true potential as a shithole.

[jheii]

A random aside. In Union Square (NYC) I was approached by a 40-something black man with a purple bathrobe on and a purple necktie tied around his forehead, holding out a bucket for money. He struck a pose and said "Prince, or Jimi Hendrix?" I cast my vote for Prince, gave him fifty cents, and was informed that I was in the minority (Prince 27 - 76 Hendrix or something like that). Also there was a guy in Washington Square who made 30,000 dollars a year by asking people to give him a random word and then illustrating it, accepting whatever donation they thought was appropriate. These two people made me want to drop everything and move to NYC, until I came home and realized that I enjoy the southern pace of things entirely too much. Walkin' slow and talkin' slow is the way to go. Yeah, sorry about that.

[jheii]

I think if you took a survery, Macon would more under-21 Whiskey drinkers (per capita) than any other city in the world. This is no coincidence.

[davenotdead]

Originally Posted by jheii

I'll try to be succinct....
NYC - Divine and devlish at once.
Savannah - Heaven.
Atlanta - Hell.
Cincinatti - Ugly but enjoyable.
New Orleans - Wonderful.
Orlando - Florida.
Chicago - Miserable.

what's with the strong savannah connection on this board?

[jheii]

I live here. Other than that, I couldn't say.

[EyeballGrowth]

Avoid Venice Beach california. That place has got some GNARLY hobos who won't stop asking until you give them money, and they'll yell stuff at you if you don't give them any. There are some bad spots for hobos in CA. Mosty in LA, but also in San Francisco, specially in golden gate park.

[davenotdead]

Originally Posted by jheii

I live here. Other than that, I couldn't say.

yeah, thats what i meant...i live there too...mostly...though right now Im in Australia...and I did go to school in Kennesaw (N ATL) last year, but home is SAV...and another guy said his familia lives there too...and yet with all this good taste, the local music scene is so non-existant...

ps- and Brian aka Geologist of Animal Collective, told me that his dad lives there too, and he if often there around the holidays...(end geek fandom transmission now)

[Clementine.]

Originally Posted by EyeballGrowth

Avoid Venice Beach california. That place has got some GNARLY hobos who won't stop asking until you give them money, and they'll yell stuff at you if you don't give them any. There are some bad spots for hobos in CA. Mosty in LA, but also in San Francisco, specially in golden gate park.

thats cause theyre veterans. wheres the compassion. ;]

[krastian]

Originally Posted by jennthebenn

hagerstown--my home base. racist and backwards and redeemable only via
the mexican restaurant, the used book store, and the fact my mom lives here.

What about the Outlets? Ha ha....I'd like to blow that place to hell. The Adidas store is ok though.

[pantophobia]

part 2, the places i don't live, i guess i will order them

Seattle - best city i have ever been too, hands down, cheap public transport, pike's market was flavorful, Husky Stadium was a nice stop during the day (note to self, relearn how to row a boat), more Thai restaurants then any other city in the country i believe, Queen Anne's Hill was great neighborhood, West Seattle was my favorite, Easy Street Records one of the best record shops i have been too

New York City - love the 24/7 subway system
Queens - they need to learn how to set up their roads, i gotten lost twice trying to get to the same place in Astoria two different times, that area kinda sucks
Brooklyn - Williamsburg is quite nice, a great place to have a slice of pizza at midnight infront of a bodega
Manhattan - midtown was so crowded and expensive, too much to take in large doses; LES around St Mark's was the best place in the whole city, got Kim's and Other Music, that bookstore where Thurston was hanging out, great food, i can see why it's so expensive, everyone would wanna live there

Long Beach - didn't see the water, downtown was small but good eats (cept for an over salted margarita at Taco Beach), very laid back, nicer then LA proper for sure

Los Angeles - very warm, very smoggy, but it was unique, walking down Sunset and Hollywood Blvd was ace, Amoeba is maybe the best record shop in the country, the view of the Hollywood hills are amazing, i could see could see myself living there, but only if don't have to drive, they are fucking crazy drivers, so that means never

Portland - didn't seem as big as I thought it would be, it's like a pocket city surround and filled with trees, but a lovely area, need more time to explore the area

Montreal - very familiar yet bilingual, but every one can speak english so you can get by for a while, cold nights in the summer, but other wise anally retentive clean, crazy band action up there, the Metropolis sucks like a fuck, the security are think-headed, and play so much attention to people taking pictures over people crowd surfing, the other venues seem to be among the best in the western hemisphere (most are on boulevard Saint-Laurent)

Sarasota - nice little gulf coast beach front, Longboat Key is beautiful, very slow down there, Mote Marine Lab is quite cool, more egghead then Sea World but they have a cool Shark Tank

Chicago - the city is nice, the food: a heart attack in every bite, there is an over abundance of asshole in Chicago for some reason, even in the music scene, but some nice people

Atlanta - humid as fuck, downtown has Coca Cola world, the Georgia Aquarium, nice but bustling, need to head to Savannah at some point, lots of family there, never met any of them

Pittsburgh - one of the most beautiful cities, filled with old brick buildings in parts of downtown, taking the Penn Turnpike to get there is fucking hell though, the worst highway i have ever been on (have to pay toll, no exits for 40 miles at a time, jersey barriers, pushy truck convoys at night)

Allentown - north of Phili, Camp Snoopy is there, loved the state fair atmosphere, the mix of the rides, the farm pavilion, and the cheap gaudy prizes everywhere saturates your funnel cake and pig's ear

Cincinnati - I don't remember much, it's been over 3 years, downtown seemed kinda dull, that air of the lingering race tension seemed omnipresent, good chili, Bogart's is quite a ways from downtown

Hoboken - a weird mix of New York Lite and Jersey funk, Maxwells is nice intimate place

Philadelphia - downtown is ok i guess, wherever that shithole was where the Starlight Ballroom is was a war zone (Chechnya as someone aptly called it), i get the feeling there is some real deep envy for other cities in the region

Orlando - yeah it's not a city, it's a collective of land owned by warlords, of them Sea World is the best, at least there you get some real attractions

Milwaukee - Grey as Fuck, you want your Pabst soaked in Old Milwaukee and served in a Miller mug with fried cheese and pass out in a doorway

[pantophobia]

Originally Posted by krastian

What about the Outlets? Ha ha....I'd like to blow that place to hell. The Adidas store is ok though.

outlets are ok, my opinions on hagerstown have been stated enough by Jenn, i lived there for almost year, so i don't need to go into that

a staple of the rascism though was hit hard, you hear that Gordon Young was arrested for Child Molestation?

[krastian]

I hate the Outlets because my mom and sisters always liked to stop there to shop when we were driving from Cumberland to visit my aunt in Towson (when I was in high school).

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Originally Posted by pantophobia

Pittsburgh - one of the most beautiful cities, filled with old brick buildings in parts of downtown, taking the Penn Turnpike to get there is fucking hell though, the worst highway i have ever been on (have to pay toll, no exits for 40 miles at a time, jersey barriers, pushy truck convoys at night)

Yeah, the turnpike sucks, but some of those rest stops kick ass- most of them either have a Roy Rogers or a Popeye's Chicken + a TCBY yogurt and sometimes a McDonalds. I have a certain love for PA turnpike rest stops. They are like oases.

Luckily I live north of the city so I don't have to use it to go there.

I remember reading a short essay in a lit book complaining about the brick buildings- especially the yellow brick.

Downtown my favorite thing is the huge old armory that is still intact from Fort Pitt. And the point. I saw SY do a free show on the point. It was great. Mount Washington is cool because it has a really beautiful veiw of the city.

Carson Street on the southside is nice and can be a good bit of fun.

The waterfront (on the monongahela river, the south river) has a huge fricking lowes cinema and a really nice outdoor shopping area. They left the old smokestacks from a steel factory there and it gives the place a cool vibe- even though the real reason they didn't taken them down was because they'd have to spend millions in asbestos removal. It is ironic that the place is right where the Homestead strike was.

The waterworks (on the allegheny, the north river) is similar but older complex. Right down the road from the best music store in Pittsburgh.

the north shore of Pittsburgh has the Warhol, the science center, heinz field, and pnc park- that part of it is nice, but the rest is sort of a dump

the strip district is awesome- specialty food stores, markets, a primanti brothers restaurant, etc.

then of course there is the stuff east of the city-

Oakland/Squirrel Hill- has the Carnegie Museum, the Frick museum, the cathedral of learning, Frick Park, Schenley park, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Chatham College, and Carlow College.

Shadyside/Highland Park- pretty nice as well and has the Pittsburgh Zoo

Oh, also on the north side inbetween the north shore and the waterworks is troy hill, as well as millvale (where Mr. Smalls is, a decent club that has shows every night, SY played a kickass show there recently, as did Gang of Four) and the Heinz factory, and a really good microbrewery that has a bunch of awesome german food.

then there are the poorer areas- but none of them are all that scary. Pittsburgh isn't a really dangerous city- people still get mugged, but it isn't really that bad. Pittsburgh's "bad areas" are not really bad areas by the standards of most cities.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

This is interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_..._by_Crime_Rate

The list is by homicide rate and not really crime rate though- but it has number of reported crimes for each city. It is interesting to look at. Pittsburgh's murder rate is misleading though- mainly because the population doesn't quite represent the size of Pittsburgh. It is a city that pretty much doubles its population during the daytime, and even after the end of work- commuters are still in the city for dinner, bars, events, etc. at night. Pittsburgh has had a problem in not having downtown apartments for awhile.

Columbus with about twice the population of Pittsburgh had about 5 times as much burglary in 2004.

That's the year that I got robbed at gunpoint in columbus! I'm a statistic!

Anyways. . .

[Georgekrz]

No one from Boston? Id like to read some tips on that city. This should be stickied or something, SY travel section.

Going back to New York, well I can understand how you could get lost in Queens, however most of the places youd want to go are within subway walking distance. I dont think there is a single rock club worth mentioning in Queens, there hasnt been in about 15 years since L'Amour East closed down.?

Yeah I cant believe how happening Brooklyn is now, not just Williamsburg, now its also Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Greenpoint, its really great for the city I think. Good thing the G/L trains exist. And think maybe 20 years ago there was ONE club in Brooklyn- L'Amours in Bay Ridge.

Anyway, I lived here most of my life and from my perspective the music scene in NY has never been better than it is now.

[screamingskull]

New York City - 10/10
Boston - 8/10
Vermont - 9/10

[Rob Instigator]

I have been to

New Orleans - beautiful architecture, terrible poverty, decrepit city services, drunks and pickpockets and thugs everywhere. great food. (this is before the hurricane. I am heading there in a week fro a bachelor party. I will see the changes)

San Antonio - I have always disliked this city, mainly because every relative that visits us wants to go see the alamo, which is kick ass, but there is nthing else to do! too many tiny mariachi children singing loudly at the mexican restaurants. The riverwalk is bleh.

Los Angeles - Reminded me of Houston (where I live) without the green foliage or the friendly people. concrete everywhere. bums everywhere.
stank exhaust fumes everywhere. Hollywood is in the middle of the seediest shit on the west coast. no need to ever go back.

San Francisco - of course it is beautiful. It is also small. the views of the water are amazing. alcatraz was cool, and the golden gate is majestic. chinatown looked like a hollywood set. The weather was what got me. 50 degrees fahrenheit at noon in July. amazing.

Austin - I have a personal distates for austin due to the cliquishness of many people I met while I lived there. the restaurants sucked but they ahve improved it a sthe city has grown in the past 7 years. everyone raves about the natural splendor, but I ahve seen much prettier. too many people with stank B.O. fucking hippies and stupid gutterpunks. I go there to buy records. Plus it seems that every single high school drop out in the state of texas migrates there, and every single "butter face" girl in texas migrates there too.

Dallas - Large, sterile, big hair, yankee capital of Texas. hard to navigate. Ha some great Museums, the texas state fair is fun.

Mexico City (D.F.) - Imagine a human ant colony. Imagine a valley full of grey smog. Imagine the homeless and destitute lined up three deep on every street. It was such a shock to me that I did not enjoy myself there. There are some gorgeous buildings and great history, but very depressing to me.

Las vegas - the biggest single con ever. the most laughable joke in the USA. the most pathetic three ring carny circus in the world. There is nothing classy about las vegas. if Monaco is luxury and "class" then vegas is "married with children" on vacation. The city looks like a tan sprawl, no trees, no greenery (it is desert) 117 degree heat, hookers and drugs and pimps everywhere, terrible stupid shitty casinos make up one 20th of it, the rest is just sprawl and houses. most overrated city in the world.

Cleveland - clean city, friendly people. Easy to navigate. did not spend too much time there.

Orlando - from what i can remember it looked like endless suburbs with no center.


I have been to NYC and D.C. and Philly but I was a young kid and cannot remember it, nor mae a judgement, but I do remember being at the very top of the world trade center and making a paper airplane out of the brochure and throwing it off the side of the world trade center building. that shit was cool.
Flagstaff - small mountain town, beautiful views, calm, nice people, very friendly. the kind of place I can see myself retiring at, ebcause I love mountains.