[Prrometheus]

>The ugliness of US cities all has to do with the "modernist" rational approach to architecture. Unlike the europeans brains, cities were not importable.

I think New York is pretty awesome. It's not ugly, it's intensely functional. With the density of services, a life can be lived on any given street. You can find a town's worth of people that share any given common interest. Despite being immense, it feels cozy and organic in a way that DC does not. It has thriving art and theatre scenes and hundreds of subcultures. Does any European city come close to its beauty? I'm asking honestly here, not rhetorically. New York is the most awesome city I've ever seen, but I've not traveled much.

[peakok]

San Francisco and New York are two cities definitly worth the trip. I have a personal preference for S.F as a tourist, maybe because I was younger when I visited it and was really impressed by the Golden Gate wich is a masterpiece. You'll find a strong soul in both cities.

Of course I was speaking of the average US city and it's suburbs and malls. I had in mind Los Angeles for example. My grand-mother lives in a very beautiful place in Orange County, but when I "visited" L.A there was nothing at all worth it.

U.S are worth the trip for the sole natural landscapes and national parks. I visited a lot of these and it was more than impressing. Wherever you go, you are overwhelmed by space, the diversity, the endless cornfields, the infinite horizon, and a sense of liberty that is unmatched anywhere else I went. It's even better than in the movies.

Regarding the beauty of New York compared to other cities, you'll have to appreciate it by yourself, a travel to Europe is definitly worth the trip, Italy and France might be your best options. One thing for sure that you'll find is that these cities are really different.