Favorite cities to visit (in the United States) power rankings:
1. New Orleans
2. Boston
3. San Diego
4. San Francisco
5. Portland
6. Seattle
7. New York City
8. Las Vegas
(I haven't been to NYC since I was a kid, but I am going there and D.C. this summer, so these rankings are subject to change.
1. New Orleans - Best food in the US, period. Too humid though. Have done both Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and it was fun. But the humidity is a killer, and I grew up in Georgia.
2. Boston - Awesome town and the second best food in the US. Cool European feel, and if you haven't had a cold Sam Adams while chowing down on a bowl of Legal Seafood clam chowder, then you ain't living.
3. San Diego - My personal #1. Best weather in the US.
4. San Francisco - Completely overrated, IMO. It's an ok place, but too expensive and too full of itself. And if you're a single dude, there just ain't many hot women there.
5. Portland - Beer capital of the world. Good foody place too. I've only been once, and it was pleasant. No real desire to go back.
6. Seattle - Never been. On my list of places to go.
7. New York - Felt like I was swallowed up by all of the buildings. Felt claustrophobic. It was ok. No desire to return. Not a big fan of cities that have to grow upward to handle the population.
8. Las Vegas - Believe it or not, a great place to live. Great weather and plenty to do. And only a short drive to San Diego, LA, Santa Barbara, Phoenix, etc. People think Vegas and they think the strip. I don't think I've been to the strip in over year.
Not sure of my power rankings, but I'd probably put San Diego, Santa Barbara (not big, but nice), Las Vegas, and Boston on the list. Special place in my heart for Atlanta, but there's nothing particularly appealing about the city once you're married.