How many of the Top 50 USA metros have you visited?

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by craigs

There's a fantastic Thai restaurant across the street from one of the Netflix buildings.

Are you talking about Hoy Ka on Sunset? I've never been.

I really like Lacha Somtum on Hollywood in Thai Town. And of course Jitlada is the ever-popular good Thai place but it's always crowded.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Are you talking about Hoy Ka on Sunset? I've never been.

That's the one! And thanks for the recommendations, I'll try them out, hopefully soon.

[homebucket]

I’ve only been to Jitlada (the late great Jonathan Gold loved this place). Will have to try Hoy Ka next time I’m down there.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by craigs

That's the one! And thanks for the recommendations, I'll try them out, hopefully soon.

Oh yes, I think you'll really like it. Lacha Somtum is northeastern Thai cuisine, and Jitlada is southern Thai cuisine. They're both really authentic, esoteric Thai food.

http://www.lachasomtum.com/

https://jitladala.com/

[dave8721]

For the US, I have spent at least 1 night in these 17 metros. Atlanta is borderline. I have stayed in some northern Georgia mountain cabins that may have fallen in the Atlanta CSA but i dont really consider that visiting Atlanta:
Miami
Tampa
Orlando
Boston
New York
Hartford
Denver
SF&SJ (stayed in both)
DC&Baltimore (stayed in both)
San Diego
Los Angeles
Chicago
Norfolk/Virginia Beach
Raliegh/Durham
Dallas
San Antonio
Austin

you can add Riverside if Palm Springs counts.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by dave8721

you can add Riverside if Palm Springs counts.

Riverside is a weird one. I've driven through various parts of San Bernadino County so many times, but I've only actually slept in the MSA during a trip to Palm Springs. I'm sure there are plenty of Californians that would count it as visited but have never actually spent a night there.

[Manitopiaaa]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Riverside is a weird one. I've driven through various parts of San Bernadino County so many times, but I've only actually slept in the MSA during a trip to Palm Springs. I'm sure there are plenty of Californians that would count it as visited but have never actually spent a night there.

You could spend a whole two weeks in the Riverside MSA and have a great vacation:

• Coachella Music Festival
• Death Valley National Park
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Lake Arrowhead
• Mission Inn and Downtown Riverside
• Mojave National Preserve
• Palm Springs
• Rainbow Basin
• Route 66
• Sand to Snow National Monument
• Snow Valley Mountain Resort
• Temecula Wine Country
• Trona Pinnacles

Ironically, it has a reputation for being poor, boring, polluted, and ugly (especially prominent among Californians), yet it has a lot to offer. I mean, it's half the size of England. How could it not?

[hipster duck]

Well, I've been to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree so I guess I've spent multiple days in the Riverside San Bernardino CSA.

I'll admit that the yearning to visit downtown Riverside, CA when you're within the CSA's boundaries doesn't burn as brightly as the desire to visit Manhattan when you're passing through north Jersey.

[SAN Man]

I've "visited" 37 of the cities. 1 in Canada.

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Well, I've been to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree so I guess I've spent multiple days in the Riverside San Bernardino CSA.

I'll admit that the yearning to visit downtown Riverside, CA when you're within the CSA's boundaries doesn't burn as brightly as the desire to visit Manhattan when you're passing through north Jersey.

Downtown Riverside has a really nice historic hotel called The Mission Inn. Next time you're in Southern California you should book a night there. There have been a lot of famous people and Presidents that have stayed there.

The gallery of pictures on the website:
https://www.missioninn.com/gallery

[SAN Man]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Riverside is a weird one. I've driven through various parts of San Bernadino County so many times, but I've only actually slept in the MSA during a trip to Palm Springs. I'm sure there are plenty of Californians that would count it as visited but have never actually spent a night there.

I think you would be surprised how many people have spent a night there. Palm Springs and the adjacent desert cities are a huge attraction for people from all over the US and Canada. Also, let's not forget how popular the San Bernardino Mountains are for Southern Californians.

[SAN Man]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

As far as Tampa goes, again St. Pete and Clearwater are places where retired people live. Tampa's the business/commerial town.

Your opinion might be a little dated. I stayed in St. Pete for 4 nights in November, I can tell you from my first hand experience it was hopping with young people and the downtown area was very busy and with new development along the waterfront. I spoke with a lot of younger locals while there and they were telling me that St. Pete has become the hottest place in Florida right now, it's where the young people want to be. I don't know too much about Clearwater though, that might still be a haven for retirees.

[proghousehead]

21. Better than I expected.

[jd3189]

Originally Posted by Manitopiaaa

You could spend a whole two weeks in the Riverside MSA and have a great vacation:

• Coachella Music Festival
• Death Valley National Park
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Lake Arrowhead
• Mission Inn and Downtown Riverside
• Mojave National Preserve
• Palm Springs
• Rainbow Basin
• Route 66
• Sand to Snow National Monument
• Snow Valley Mountain Resort
• Temecula Wine Country
• Trona Pinnacles

Ironically, it has a reputation for being poor, boring, polluted, and ugly (especially prominent among Californians), yet it has a lot to offer. I mean, it's half the size of England. How could it not?

Interesting. The IE has been the main place I live in since coming to CA a few years ago and it's alright. The weather is more extreme here but in addition to what you mentioned, it's at a central location in SoCal. Even on a bad traffic day, you're less than hours away from LA, SD, Santa Barbara, the Beach towns, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tijuana/ Mexico. It's on average cheaper than any of the coastal areas. The main issues are the traffic and sprawl, but other than that, the Inland Empire has to be taken advantage of as greater LA continues to grow.

[Manitopiaaa]

Originally Posted by jd3189

Interesting. The IE has been the main place I live in since coming to CA a few years ago and it's alright. The weather is more extreme here but in addition to what you mentioned, it's at a central location in SoCal. Even on a bad traffic day, you're less than hours away from LA, SD, Santa Barbara, the Beach towns, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tijuana/ Mexico. It's on average cheaper than any of the coastal areas. The main issues are the traffic and sprawl, but other than that, the Inland Empire has to be taken advantage of as greater LA continues to grow.

Had never heard of Loma Linda so looked it up (read it as Yorba Linda at first). Is it true home prices there are up 52% in the past year? https://www.redfin.com/city/10782/CA...housing-market

Wow, if so.

[DCReid]

Originally Posted by jd3189

Interesting. The IE has been the main place I live in since coming to CA a few years ago and it's alright. The weather is more extreme here but in addition to what you mentioned, it's at a central location in SoCal. Even on a bad traffic day, you're less than hours away from LA, SD, Santa Barbara, the Beach towns, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tijuana/ Mexico. It's on average cheaper than any of the coastal areas. The main issues are the traffic and sprawl, but other than that, the Inland Empire has to be taken advantage of as greater LA continues to grow.

Have you been to Idyllwilde? It 30-40 degrees cooler than Palm Springs.

https://idyllwildvisitorscenter.com/

[10023]

Originally Posted by Manitopiaaa

You could spend a whole two weeks in the Riverside MSA and have a great vacation:

• Coachella Music Festival
• Death Valley National Park
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Lake Arrowhead
• Mission Inn and Downtown Riverside
• Mojave National Preserve
• Palm Springs
• Rainbow Basin
• Route 66
• Sand to Snow National Monument
• Snow Valley Mountain Resort
• Temecula Wine Country
• Trona Pinnacles

Ironically, it has a reputation for being poor, boring, polluted, and ugly (especially prominent among Californians), yet it has a lot to offer. I mean, it's half the size of England. How could it not?

This speaks more to the ridiculous way in which American MSAs are defined than to Riverside actually being a city that anyone wants to visit. Lots of those places are great, but they’re not Riverside, CA.

[Kngkyle]

22/50. I've probably been to as many or more of the Top 50 EU cities. Lots of US cities just have little appeal to me.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by 10023

This speaks more to the ridiculous way in which American MSAs are defined than to Riverside actually being a city that anyone wants to visit. Lots of those places are great, but they’re not Riverside, CA.

And that would be due to the fact that metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are not municipalities.

[10023]

Originally Posted by craigs

And that would be due to the fact that metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are not municipalities.

Joshua Tree is not really part of any metropolitan area. If you have been to Joshua Tree, this does not mean you have been to the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area. Nor is Palm Springs, even.

[MolsonExport]

Been to (in bold):
Atlanta (6,089,815)
Austin (2,283,371)
Baltimore (2,844,510)
Boston (4,941,632)
Buffalo (1,166,902)
Charlotte (2,660,329)
Chicago (9,618,502)
Cincinnati (2,256,884)
Cleveland (2,088,251)
Columbus (2,138,926)
Dallas (7,637,387)
Denver (2,963,821)
Detroit (4,392,041)
Hartford (1,213,531)
Houston (7,122,240)
Indianapolis (2,111,040)
Jacksonville (1,605,848)
Kansas City (2,192,035)
Las Vegas (2,265,461)
Los Angeles (13,200,998)
Louisville (1,285,439)
Memphis (1,337,779)
Miami (6,138,333)
Milwaukee (1,574,731)
Minneapolis (3,690,261)
Nashville (1,989,519)
New Orleans (1,271,845)
New York (20,140,470)
Oklahoma City (1,425,695)
Orlando (2,673,376)
Philadelphia (6,245,051)
Phoenix (4,845,832)
Pittsburgh (2,370,930)
Providence (1,676,579)
Raleigh (1,413,982)
Richmond (1,314,434)
Riverside (4,599,839)
Sacramento (2,397,382)
Saint Louis (2,820,253)
Salt Lake City (1,257,936)
San Antonio (2,558,143)
San Diego (3,298,634)
San Francisco (4,749,008)
San Jose (2,000,468)
San Juan (2,002,906)
Seattle (4,018,762)
Tampa (3,175,275)
Virginia Beach (1,799,674)
Washington (6,385,162)

19/50

Calgary (1,543,283)
Edmonton (1,468,926)
Montreal (4,364,189)
Ottawa (1,461,494)
Toronto (6,555,205)
Vancouver (2,737,698)

6/6