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Chicago/Cleveland/Pittsburgh or Vancouver: anybody?

Joined
23 October 2001
Messages
3,886
Location
Zürich, Switzerland
Hello,
my brother (NSX fanatic too!
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) is thinking about going 6 months to North America to improve is spoken/written english to an advanced level. He came down to one of these four cities and needs to take a decision. The period will be April-October. Any advice about it? From touristic to what to do/what not to do. Thanks!
 
I would me more than happy to show someone around Cleveland, suggest "desirable" places to stay, etc. Cleveland is one of the most reasonably cities in the US as far as entertainment, cost of living, etc goes. Pittsburgh is a similar city in these regards. Never been to Vancouver. However, I would suggest Chicago to your brother if money is no object. Its a great city that always has something going on whether your into sports, music, art-whatever.

Drop me a line at [email protected] if your brother is interested in Cleveland.
 
DEFINITELY either Chicago or Vancouver! They are both truly world-class cities with great art, culture, food, activities, nightlife, etc. I recommend living right downtown in the heart of either city for someone in his situation to make the most of the experience.

Vancouver is more "international." It offers and outstanding variety and number of outdoor activities nearby and is very good for people who like to hike, bike, paddle, ski, etc. The climate is more moderate in the summer. Being all the way on the west coast it is not an ideal hub for visiting the rest of the continent. The Canadian dollar is considerably weaker than the US dollar so money will go further in Vancouver if that matters.

Chicago has more people in the metro area. More people in Chicago speak English as a first langauge than in Vancouver (both total numbers and percentage). Chicago is a good hub for visiting the rest of the continent. It can be pretty hot in the summer, but if you can get out on the lake it's nice!

Cleveland is OK but it is "just another city" and not anything remarkable. It is certainly not on the level of Chicago or Vancouver (though of course it is also less expensive). Pittsburg is what I would describe as a city in decline and I really can't think of any reason to recommend it.

Just my opinion!

[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 09 January 2003).]
 
Thanks for the exaustive answer! I knew the fellow NSXers are always a big help! I will send him the link to this page and I/he will post some more info. Anyway he will not go there for work (he is an IT contractor-Java Developer that will finish his contract end of March, money should also not be a big concern: he is looking to take a brak form the workaholic's world!
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) and he has two passports (Swiss and Italian/Eurpean-Union) and these should really give him esaily the 6 month touristic visa.

Thanks again, G.
 
i lived in pittsburgh for 4 years, in chicago for 4 years, and in cleveland for over a year.

you can see all you need to see in pittsburgh and cleveland in 1 day. their only hot spots are "the strip district" and "the flats" respectively, both of which are quite lame.

there is so much to do in chicago. it is my favorite US city. it has all the positive aspects of new york city without the trash.
 
[
Originally posted by Lud:
Pittsburg is what I would describe as a city in decline and I really can't think of any reason to recommend it.
[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 09 January 2003).]

Being from Pittsburgh I can definitely say that it WAS a city in decline for much of the 80's and 90's. Its currently in the midst of a turnaround though, with a lot of new development going on downtown. Even still, though I love "The 'Burgh" with all my heart, if I was coming to North America as a tourist it would not be on my list of "must-see" cities. Its definitely not in the same league as Chicago or Vancouver. Its an absolute utopia compared to Cleveland though.
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... Just kidding Cleveland, you know I love 'ya. How about that game last week, btw?
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If your brother ski's he may get lucky and catch some spring skiing north of Vancouver in Whistler or Blackcomb, beautiful scenery all around in the Canadian Rockies if he's into that. Different city Chicago is, he can hang in the bleacher seats at a Cubs game, alot to do there. One thing is certain, have him look at the weather situation in that time period b/c they are really different.
 
Ok, Cleveland and Pittsburgh are also scratched from his list! They were chosen at the first place because they seemed a good platform to visit the rest othe US.

Skiing? We did overdose here over our youth and neither me nor him still go skiing...
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It is a common illness in Switzerland: you start at 4 years and when you reach 20 you are sick of it!

He seems very close to choose Chicago but he will think over it the weekend. Thanks again for all the advices!
 
It has to be Chicago, especially if your brother is going to be there during summer-autumn.

I lived in Chicago for 4 years. Chicago has by far the best restaurants and architectures (even compared to NYC, IMHO). It's one of the cleanest metropolitan cities, and lake Michigan during that period is simple amazing.

It also boasts two of the most prestigious schools in the nation: The University of Chicago and Northwestern (hence, it's academically accessible as well for learning purposes).

I don't think that your brother will be disappointed with Chicago (if he can avoid winter, of course
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).
 
Just a thought if your brother is between the ages of 18-35. Check out www.contiki.com They do group tours worldwide, safe and fairly stable countries that is. In each country there exists a variety of options based on time, $, etc. Once in the US for a while, he may decide he likes oh maybe Denver over Chicago, maybe even San Fransisco, who knows.

I did a W Europe trip last year and plan to do an African and Australian trip in the near future. I have nothing but great things to say about Contiki, but you can save $ by booking your own flight.
Good luck
 
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