There are certain cities whose names are inherent punchlines . Like , “ Yeah , that ’s about as exciting as a trip to Sacramento , ” or “ There are good college in Worcester – except they ’re in Worcester . ” The matter most of these metropolis have in common ? Those of us making say laugh have probably never been there , and establish all our cunning little quip on stereotypes we ’ve seen on TV appearance .
But most of these cities also have an vivid civic pride , and for serious reason . Sure , they may have their defect , but pass some clock time in the cities and you ’ll see you ’ve probably get them all wrong . So here are 13 cities that are way cool than anyone gives them credit for . Make a sojourn and it may just deepen your mind forever .
Albuquerque, New Mexico
ABQ is the perfect position to protrude your methamphetamine hydrochloride empire if you ’re a science instructor . But as great asBreaking Badwas , Albuquerque has a mountain more to volunteer thanwhat you discover in the show .
Locals bed it as a hub for craft beer in New Mexico – its brewery dominion claim to have a higher concentration of breweries ( per capita ) than even Portland – with dozens of brewery likeBosque , La Cumbre , Marble , and newcomersRed Door . It ’s also menage toB2B2 , thebest beer ginmill in the country .
Far from being an urban wasteland besiege by unforgiving desert , there are actually plenty of fantastic outside activeness . TheSandia Peak Tramwaycan take you to ski in the winter , biking in the summer , and spectacular views class - round of golf only 20 minutes from that B2B2 beer streak . you’re able to evenkayak the city via the Rio Grande , which is especially prissy to do during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta , when approximately 100 billion hot air balloons float above the metropolis every year in October . Or you may always put the sun blocker away and gamble all day at aVegas - expressive style casino / hangout .
Downtown Houston viewed from Bayou Park|Flickr/johnchandler
The food prospect also has plenty to pop the question –Los Poblanos Farmhas a bantam restaurant / inn worth snagging a scarce arriere pensee , along with 25 supremely acres of land deserving confab on their own . You ’d also be neglectful not to eat some green chilly while you ’re in town , andEl Pinto’senormous - but - always - full restaurant ( get the red-faced chile ribs and one of the inviolable margarita ) does the trick . And for an evening in extremes , deplete dinner at the upscale , seasonal NM - culinary art spotFarm & Tablebefore slumming it at one of the nation ’s best nose dive barsBurt ’s Tiki Lounge , which is undetermined nightly , but will shortly relocate nearby so it can add aHawaiian BBQ restaurant.-Lee Breslouer , National Food and Drink Writer
Baltimore, Maryland
Look , when you think about Baltimore , chances are , you think aboutThe Wire . We ’re not blaming you ; yes , it really is a phenomenally well - crafted show , the harbinger of the golden age of television , yadda yadda . And the verity is , Baltimore has jolly mellow offense ( more murders than Detroit last yr ! ) , but there ’s so much more to the city than all that . Baltimore manages to keep this tricky , unfermented - and - spicy balancing act of mellow / low culture that give it a savour stronger than Old Bay , and makes it unique in the US .
The American Visionary Art Museum , commit to outsider fine art and ego - taught creative person , is among the finest in the man , and has earn a lot of critical praise for its profoundly forward-looking show that connect with just about anyone , from museum curmudgeon to regular verandah hoppers . Plus , they host the annual Kinetic Sculpture Race , which is … a sight to lay eyes on , to say the least .
There are reasons that John Waters keeps apartments in far - fling cities , but primarily resides here : this blank space is full of gritty glamour . Food carts serve up crabcakes on the street here the way other cities catapult hot frump . The football game team is name after a goddamn poem , and still wins Super Bowls . Baltimore ’s locality each have their own distinct character – as well as their own allelotype of rats – from Pigtown ( excuse me , “ Washington Village ” ) to Hampden . The artists have n’t gotten priced out yet , so the city ’s creativeness is still fomenting .
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Bear with me for a moment : if the cities of the mid - atlantic seaboard were high school classmates , DC is the high - strung , overachieving , type - A James Dean ’s leaning student , while Baltimore is the fresh , irreverent kid doodling in the back of the way , the one who their instructor secretly likes more and thinks will be more interesting later in lifetime .
And the food , guys . earnestly , the solid food . mass seem to think that Baltimore ’s only food mind is to “ put some Old Bay on it , ” but when it comes to high - closing dining , the metropolis can compete with anyone . eating place likeWoodberry Kitchenare consistently recognized as worthwhile destination dining , and locals all know that if you want cheap , delicious , steamed seafood , all you demand to do is chew the fat Cross Street Market . And you have totry the beer here : Stillwater ’s saisons are insane , and brew by local brewage hero sandwich likeUnion , DuClaw , andHeavy Seasare make wave nationally .
Birmingham, Alabama
Most people I ’ve encountered from outside the Southeast ca n’t even fathom the idea of the state of Alabama having actual “ cities . ” They assume Alabama is more or less some mixing ofForrest GumpandMy Cousin Vinny , with a beach at the ending . And those that actuallyhaveheard of the United States Department of State ’s largest city typically as the contentious epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement . But contrary to democratic impression , our biggest exports today are really not racial strife and installment ofThe First 48.Birmingham has a subway system universe of over 1.1 million which is close to tantamount to pro variation townspeople like Salt Lake City , Buffalo , and New Orleans . Which basically imply it ’s big enough to go out and have turpitude , without black market into the same hoi polloi every night . Though “ club ” will never be synonymous with Birmingham , it does have fantastically underhand great options for eating place , bar , and outside activities .
Yeah , we ’ve fix great barbecue , namely Dreamland and Saw ’s . But we also have nationally recognized chef : Frank Stitt ’s eatery Highlands Bar and Grill has been a finalist for the James Beard Foundation ’s Most Outstanding Restaurant in the Country for eight years in a row . spicy & Hot Fish Club ’s Chris Hastings also won the 2012 James Beard ’s “ Best Chef in the South ” and beat Bobby Flay on an instalment ofIron Chef .
As Alabama was dragged kick and shout into the 21st century , we go by legislation relaxing permissible alcohol content , which has opened the way for craft beer to take hold , with local favorites Good People Brewing , TrimTab , and Avondale .
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But Birmingham is still a Southern city , so you may as well take reward of strong weather and beautiful land . Without even will town you may canoe , kayak , or tube down the Cahaba River , which flows through the metropolis . The Cahaba , believe it or not , contains more species of fish than all fresh water body of water in California … COMBINED . On landed estate , you’re able to hike the rails at Oak Mountain State Park , hop on a zip demarcation at Red Mountain Park , or even stick around Downtown and take a jog along the green space of Railroad Park.-Jeff Zanotti , Contributing Writer
Cleveland, Ohio
Yes , Cleveland has a river that once caught on fire , and its professional sports teams have cause the metropolis a disproportional amount of heartache over the years . Do n’t interest , residents have heardevery joke in the bookabout these things . But viewing Cleveland as the Charlie Brown of cities is n’t just tired – it ’s downright wrong .
First , regard the amount of world - course culture . The Cleveland Museum of Art shoot a line Warhols , Picassos and astunning new atrium– as well as an artistry annexe , Transformer Station , settle in a converted substation that once power streetcars . And the Museum of Contemporary Art just start the first retrospective of work from Devo ’s Mark Mothersbaugh .
Cleveland boasts a gigantic Downtown library and a bevy of self-governing movie theater , such as the Cinematheque , which prides itself on jumpy , smart programming . tour productions of Broadway musical comedy revel foresighted runs , and for music , there ’s something to do every night of the week .
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If that was n’t impressive enough , Cleveland ’s restaurant sceneallows diners to relish faultless meals at a fraction of the cost of larger cities –andcraft beer here is convey off . Stagnancy in in Cleveland nutrient is verboten : inventive food for thought - preneurs are opening joints dedicate to poutine and sausage ( Banter ) , intricately craft cocktail ( The Spotted Owl ) and tasty , old - fashioned barbecue ( Michael Symon ’s newMabel ’s BBQ ) . Plus , thanks to Ohio ’s teemingness of farm land , restaurants have easy access to fresh ingredient . In other words , farm - to - table is n’t just a buzzword , it ’s a mode of lifetime forbeloved restaurantssuch as theGreenhouse Tavern , Spice Kitchen + Bar , and theFlying Fig .
While Cleveland is true not a pleasant place to be in the winter calendar month , during the spring and summertime it ’s gorgeous . The Cleveland Metroparks boasts 23,000 estate of lush verdure with 300 Roman mile of hiking and cycle trail , while the newly refurbished Public Square Downtown has more fleeceable blank space . And there ’s nothing quite like hang out in Edgewater Park and watching the sun set over Lake Erie .
Most important of all , Clevelanders can in reality give to enjoy all of this refinement and beauty thanks to the city ’s reasonable price - of - living and real estate of the realm prices . Sure , maybe Cleveland ’s not going to win the Super Bowl anytime soon , but the urban center ’s undeniable perks and strength more than make up for it.- Annie Zaleski , Contributing Writer
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Detroit, Michigan
People incline to reckon Detroit is either a Rust Belt waste full of The Walking Dead slowly destroying each other and everyone around them . Or that it ’s a Rust Belt wasteland fill with Brooklyn transplantation turning this city into a slenderly respectable wasteland . But Detroit does n’t get enough quotation for hold a rich history and never having given up on cultural institutions that have keep existing residents here , and brought new people in .
For one , Detroit has a strong history of in-migration – or , in one larger vitrine , migration – that continues today . In the early twentieth century , nearly every European land was represented ; look no further than places like theDakota Inn Rathskeller(German ) , theCadieux Cafe(Belgian ) or thePolish Village CafeorKrakus(Polish ) for validation of its lingering effects . We ’ve also let the largest Middle Eastern population outside the Middle East , which means you may get your fill of shawarma and kibbe almost anywhere in Southeast Michigan .
Thanks to the Southern Migration , the African - American influence is also strong , and because of that , I ’d still wager we ’re the best medicine township in America . Detroit can lie in call to not just Motown , but our yield of techno , Gospels , service department rock and roll , and pelvis - hop . ( And it ’s more than just Eminem ! You ca n’t throw a rock around here without hitting a rapper jump on a plane for a show abroad . )
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More than just food and medicine , Detroit has some of themost interesting computer architecture around the land ; you’re able to literally find almost any trend of house you ’re looking for . Our food scene is not quite NYC - level ( then again , do we want it to be ? ) , but we ’ve made keen strides in recent years thanks to all these chefs turn empty spaces into observational kitchens . Above all , we ’re just really , unusually friendly around here , no matter what you may believe of our fierce rep . We ’re a Midwestern city with southerly influence – which entail we ’re sometimes overly civilised and proper . But we ’re still Detroit , so do n’t fuck with us on the faulty day.- Aaron Foley , Contributing Writer
Houston, Texas
Houston has been called “ boring , ” “ swelter , ” and “ ugly . ” It has been appointed the “ unfit Designed City ” in all of America . It ’s even been dubbed a “ cruel , screwball town on a smutty river in East Texas with no zoning law of nature and a refinement of sex , money and violence . ” While we kind of like the sound of that last one ( thanks , Hunter S. Thompson ) , in all actuality , every one of those descriptions puzzle it wrong .
Ugly , say you ? There are some less than attractive streets , but it ’s not until you live in said streets that you protrude to revalue America ’s fourth largest urban center for its crazy nerveless , misfit nature . We took that filthy river , aka the bayou , and built a $ 55 - plus million , 160 acre park around it . It has winding hike and bike trails , a chiropteran colony turned holidaymaker attraction , kayak launches , a hugger-mugger underground water tank , and a chandelier - unhorse treehouse restaurant where you could bask charcuterie in your gym apparel . And we ’ve catch a neighborhood with 19 humankind - class museum . NINETEEN ! Oh , and that whole quad center thing too . Take that , Dallas !
Locals know Houston has just enough urban center , just enough coast , and just enough body politic to keep things interesting . It ’s a place where you’re able to eat up your weight in buttery Vietnamese crawfish atCrawfish & Noodles , or any of our other Asian - Cajun spot ( yes , that ’s a affair ) . Or gorge ourselves on hand-crafted tortillas stuffed with barbacoa and salsa verde atNinfa ’s on Navigation , birthplace of the fajita .
Biscuit
Houston is a truly liveable , diverse , and culturally - productive mecca where you’re able to find a formerly dilapidated warehouse district unfold into a pretty sick mixed - use residential area ( sometimes those no zone lawswork in our favour ) .
So no , Houston ’s not “ all sprawl ” or “ dated ” or “ totally wearisome . ” But it is " liveable , " and " divers , " and “ quirky ” and “ endlessly fascinating . " Just how we like it.- Brooke Viggiano , Contributing author
Jacksonville, Florida
Some people from Jacksonville got miffed when I wrote about whyJacksonville does n’t suck as much as you call back , as if the eternal rest of the nation does n’t intend of Jacksonville as the place that had to fetch in sail ship when hosting the Super Bowl , and also make Fred Durst . But sadly Jacksonville , most of the country DOES get the wrong impression : That you ’re a straggle Southern waste full of people with rebel flag tattoo who still take a firm stand Tim Tebow is an NFL quarterback … but those hoi polloi are still wrong .
There ’s no dearth ofgood beaches in Florida , but what makes Jax beaches special is that they are n’t litter with condo high - rises . The further towards Ponte Vedra you go , you ’ll retrieve undeveloped coastline where you’re able to have an full stretch of sea to yourself . But the natural dish does n’t bar at the guts . Jacksonville is the largest metropolis in the US by landmass ( 840 solid miles ) , withthe largest urban car park scheme in the US at 80,000 Acre . Jax has two national park , seven state parks , and more than 400 city common .
But it ’s all chain eatery and Southern food , right-hand ? Actually , Jacksonville hasgreat multifariousness of eating house , 90 food trucks , and15 chefs from America ’s best chefs tilt . There are eight breweries on theJax Ale Trail , with the soon - to - spread out Wicked Barley Brewingsnagging the head beer maker from Cigar City ) .
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But it ’s full of rednecks , right ? Well , if redneck can produce one of the top 25 USarts and culturedestinations , with a symphony and 20 large graphics gallery , then sure . If rednecks make it one of thetop 50 metro areas with the highest part of LGBT residents nationwide– more than Miami – then yeah , git er done . But do yourself a party favour : before you write off Jacksonville as Appalachia with a beach , spend a few days there and see why it ’s so much more than you think.- Matt Meltzer , Staff Writer
Jersey City, New Jersey
Between what ’s typically fancy on the newsworthiness ( read : murders , shooting , and stabbings ) and the fact that Snooki and JWoww had a property here ( more ignominious than said execution , shooting , and stabbings ) , things have been pugnacious for Jersey City ’s reputation . At well we ’ve been known merely as a passing spot for commuter on their way to the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan . But there ’s much more to this position . I swear .
A lot sits inside this mixed bag of a metropolis . From the grease of Downtown ’s street nontextual matter , to the elegance of Newport ’s waterfront restaurants and boardwalk , Jersey City is no longer just a stop on the mode to someplace else – it ’s a situation you actually desire to be . eating place likeTalde(fromTop Chefcontestant Dale , uh , Talde ) andDullboypersonify the diverse culture within the metropolis – and a growing number of Manhattan - tier luxuries you do n’t need to cross the Hudson River for . The motto of " Make Jersey City Yours " is perhaps the good means to describe Jersey City . It ’s a place anyone can call home . In the last decade or so , the dining scene step up its game , the great unwashed get going taking notice of the neighborhoods , the term " hipster " was introduced , and JC actually started trace multitude away from NYC . In fact , more and more New Yorkers are in reality see living in Jersey City – if they can just somehow hide it from their friend .
Orlando, Florida
Whorelando , Borelando , O - Ithiel Town – people the macrocosm over know us only as a holidaymaker trap full of theme commons , Sir Ernst Boris Chain restaurants and tacky Florida gift shop class . Butif you grew up here , you know the beauty of Orlando is the true melting pot of amusement it has to extend .
There ’s so much going on alfresco of Disney … Dwight Howard / Coward brought an early extinction to the basketball game scene here , but as evidenced by the Orlando City stickers on EVERY DAMN CAR , soccer has taken over as the most popular local sport . For culture , Enzian Theater is a quaint , nestled muffin that hosts the Florida Film Festival , and has regular showings of independent and alien flick . And Downtown around Church St you’re able to have in reality - affordable swallow ( looking at YOU , Miami ) with youthful people who ’ve moved here over more expensive cities nearby . ( You AGAIN , Miami ) .
If retreating into the wild is more your style , there are twelve of born bounce that rival even the good Grand Floridian spas . One of the most democratic is Rock Springs Run , an all - instinctive lazy river ride unlike anything Walt could ever have guess for Typhoon Lagoon . And while everyone has been anticipating Animal Kingdom ’s bioluminescent river tours , short do they know Mesquite Lagoon already offer a glowing Nox kayak go that gets you a degenerate offer right to the rivers of Pandora .
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So , yeah , Orlando DOES have a raft of chain restaurants . And a raft of theme parks . But it ’s also the fastest produce large city in Florida . And it ’s not because of the tourist appeal.- Danielle Salerno , Contributing Writer
Reno, Nevada
When Reno became a city in 1871 , its saving was base on the gold charge , and later , a silver rush acknowledge as The Comstock Lode . With this influx of gold and silver come play halls . Today those casinos employ around 27 % of Nevada ’s universe , and they generally pay off crap . When the 2007 financial crisis hit – and people stopped traveling and gambling – Reno was a urban center peak for a makeover .
In the last eight years Reno has seen an explosion of food for thought and culture alike , with eatery likeCampo , Old Granite Street Eatery , andCentro Tapas Bar , ( just to name a few ) emerging alongside craft breweries , cocktail couch , and sophisticated wine cake . Reno now has a food scene that can support against cities twice its size . So why are these place opening up now when they were n’t 10 year ago ?
Companies like Tesla , Microsoft , and Amazon have come to Reno and opened enormous mathematical operation in and around the city . Tesla alone is lease 6,000 mass at its new " giga manufacturing plant . ” And those six thousand masses , along with the rest of Reno , will enjoy a median house price of under $ 300k , a nimble 30 - statute mile parkway to Lake Tahoe , 160 miles to Napa , and 190 miles to Downtown San Francisco .
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A bulk of this renaissance had been in private hands with the City of Reno drag in its foot – until now . Just recently the city unveiled a $ 1.2 billion overhaul project said to dramatically reshape the character of Downtown . But … this programme is projected to take no less than 20 - something years to materialise . In the meantime , local business owner will continue to pick up the slack . Entrepreneurs have take chances on Reno ’s time to come having very small to do with gaming at all , alternatively wagering on a Reno based more in culture and development.- Jon Shown , Contributing Writer
Sacramento, California
Sacramento has always consume a backseat to the San Francisco Bay area – but paying $ 3,000 a month to inhabit in someone ’s W.C. isinsane , so Sacramento has also always had an influx of originative , reasoning , affluent Bay Area residents who wanted , like , factual blank . And what ’s popped up to support them ? SF - grade eating place likeThe Waterboy , Biba , andElla , plus the full pizza pie I ’ve ever had atOneSpeed . And night life that runs the gamut fromactually divey prima donna barslike Chargin ’s and Club 2 Me , to legitimize clubs atMixandThe Park , with a handful of great cocktail bars in between .
Sacramento can get hot in the summer , but it rarely ever rains . Which is good , because between boating on the American and Sacramento Rivers , biking through the El Dorado Foothills , or hit theunderrated vino state in Amador County , you ’ll have mickle of chances to enjoy all that sunshine .
The sports fans in Sacramento are the best in California , not only because the River Cats have some of the big attendance numbers in AAA , but because until latterly the Kings sold out EVERY GAME . The Kings ! The team that ’s a Dan Snyder away from being the worst franchise in sport still has a loyal following , and no , it ’s not for lack of other thing to do .
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Sacramento is a pleasant , laid - back California metropolis with all the California stuff people bang , like sunshine , vino , and great food , without the staggering Mary Leontyne Price of most of the land . And in damage of overall lineament of life , there may be no good place on the left coast.- Matt Meltzer , Staff Writer
Tacoma, Washington
We ’ve heard all the jokes about the " Aroma of Tacoma " ( It ’s comical ‘cause it rhymes ! But you know what ’s not funny ? The fact that according to a 2003 study , the nickname give to a long - condition depression of trapping price in the metropolis ) . Still , we ’ve kept our mouth keep out when you ’ve Buckeye State - so - cleverly called it " Tacompton . " And lose through the inevitable backlash when Yelp called Tacoma the " most romantic metropolis in the land " back in 2011 . But anyone who ’s in reality spent time in Tacoma know that despite the overdone failings of the past , the town is function through a renaissance .
People from Seattle have sneered at T - Town for … um , ever , but Tacoma has everything Seattle does but with none of the drawbacks . It ’s beat the same ( or even more ) rude dish / memory access to the great outdoors;a burgeon Downtownthat you’re able to actually get around in ; a wizardly waterfront that is n’t forever under construction , and that comes complete with one of15 American bridge you really should aim over ; it ’s gotsome great restaurantswhere you’re able to in reality get a table ; oh , andyou can in reality give to exist in Tacoma .
And as for Tacoma ’s famous " aroma " ? First of all , it ’s improved dramatically in the last 20 year . And second , because of where the tide flats and paper mill ( that are purportedly responsible ) are located , you ca n’t reallysmellanything from Tacoma , just from the freeway as you drive past it ( ha , the joke ’s on you ! ) . And besides , it could be worse … it could smell like Everett .
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So , next meter you ’re thinking of give a joke about Washington ’s third largest urban center , believe about stimulate one about Everett instead . Or mayhap one about about " Spokompton . “Thoseare hilarious!- Bradley Foster , Contributing Writer
Worcester, Massachusetts
" There are plenty of safe colleges in Worcester . But , c’m on – they ’re inWorcester . " At least , that ’s the system of logic you ’ll hear behind lot of aspirational higher - instruction decisions . And it ’s dead on target Worcester is n’t a beautiful shoes , and it believably was n’t even when the city ’s manufacture boom was in full swing ( pillars of smoke and steam run to obscure most beauty anyway ) . Now , a somewhat ruined aesthetic rules Wormtown ( yes , it ’s affectionately called Wormtown ) . But wait past the glistening tusk of Union Station , abandoned construction , empty lots , chuckhole , and the empty of scrunch up crust punks . Most of the metropolis may search principally like the form of blank space thingsusedto happen , but the Sojourner Truth is you’re able to never find out the the great unwashed of the Woo .
You do n’t even need to listen nearly to hear the clattering of activity just beneath the brick - and - weatherboard surface , from the reverb of guitar in old warehouse to the guttural hollers come from the Palladium on a Tuesday Nox . The food in Worcester is n’t innately Instagrammable , either , but most Woo native do n’t give a shit . They ’re too busy scarf hot dogs atGeorge ’s Coney Island Lunch(founded 1929 ) , shooting Underberg at the somewhat inappropriately name Dive Bar , or flip Arachis hypogaea scale on the level at the Vernon . It ’s not glamorous , but it ’s still effective .
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