Most underrated US city to visit

Pittsburgh, PA. My first wife was an Executive Recruiter - since retired. She says Pittsburgh is almost impossible to recruit people from, to relocate elsewhere… Residents love it there.

-Skip
 
Seconding Charleston SC, Lawrence KS, and i don’t know too much about santa fe NM but nearby Taos is cool if you like southwestern art.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Fayetteville has 2 draws. First, the University of Arkansas. Classic SEC college town. Second, big influx of funds from various Walmart billionaires. Bentonville is just north of there. I've never been to the Bentonville airport, but the FBO looks completely over the top. And it appears illegal to build a house not on a golf course.
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TRY LIVING HERE :lol::lol:
 
Skip Miller said:
She says Pittsburgh is almost impossible to recruit people from, to relocate elsewhere… Residents love it there.
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Oh, I dunno.....

A few years ago, I had a boss who was a Carnegie Mellon graduate. In his senior year, he was visiting and interviewing potential employers, and in February he interviewed at our place in Central Florida. He said he boarded the plane in Pittsburgh in freezing wind and snow, and a few hours later he walked off into clear skies with temps in the 70s and immediately said to himself "I'm home!" He was ready to accept any offer the company made, just to get out of the cold. (He's retired now and living on the coast south of St Augustine.)
 
Bill said:
The Walton family has also invested much in developing a gravel bicycle trail network that is fantastic.

Boise ID
Rapid City SD
Cedar Falls IA
Bridgeport CA
Gardiner MT
Moab, UT -> even though touristy I thoroughly enjoyed staying downtown and walkng the town
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+1 to Gardiner, MT. Cool little town, right on the park boundary of YNP.
 
Pensacola to visit Joe Patty’s, then head a half hour west to Perdito Key and Orange Beach. Great restaurants, beaches, bike trails, kayaking…..
 
Savannah, Portland, ME, Columbus. Pretty much most of the small cities that I flew to at the regionals were great.
 
Whitefish, Seeley Lake, St Simons Island, Jekyl Island, Door County Wisconsin, Mackinac Island and a number of places in Alaska too are great places to visit. Northwest Michigan has a number of towns with airports too that I want to explore.

Someone mentioned Stanley, where is that?
 
Not big cities, but:
Kingston NY, just across the river from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.
Doylestown PA, and the airport is like a mile away from downtown.

Both of these have very charming historic downtown areas that are nice to spend a day or two.
 
It looks like people are just posting small/medium towns they like rather than underrated ones. Nashville, for example, is a lovely city, but I've never really heard anyone underrate it.

Mine is Muncie, IN. Which definitely has some parts that still earn the reputation of a rust belt city, but others that are restored, trendy and really fun to hang out in.
 
If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, take the highway that's the best,

It winds from Chicago to L.A
More than two thousand miles all the way.

Now you go through St. Louis
Joplin, Missouri
And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
You'll see Amarillo
Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona
Don't forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino

(with apologies to Nat King Cole and Bobby Troup)

Anther choice, coincidentally on Rt 66, is Santa Rosa, NM.

Santa Rosa has many natural lakes, an anomaly in the dry desert climate surrounding it. These are sinkholes that form in the limestone bedrock of the area and fill with water, and thus the lakes are connected by a network of underground, water-filled tunnels. The most famous of these is Blue Hole, a popular spot for diving, where cool 61 °F (16 °C) water forms a lake over 81 feet (25 m) deep.
Santa Rosa also has a car museum.
There is an airport, Santa Rosa Route 66 Airport.
The original runway, 08-26, was a section of old U.S. Highway 66 prior to the construction of Interstate 40. The second runway, 01-19, was added in the mid-1990's.
 
Stewartb said:
Pensacola to visit Joe Patty’s, then head a half hour west to Perdito Key and Orange Beach. Great restaurants, beaches, bike trails, kayaking…..
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Oh hell yeah to Joe Patty's, best seafood market I've ever visited! There used to be an outfit in Pensacola that bareboat chartered a Beneteau 393, we used to fly down, get to the boat, and then sail out into Big Lagoon, anchor, and have our own private beach time on those outer barrier islands. Sadly, they are no longer in business. Man, I miss visiting and sailing in that area.
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Sailing with friends, you can see the boat anchored a ways off the barrier island. Shallow water, have to anchor a good ways off the banks.
 
Sausalito, CA

Gateway to the Marin Headlands, my #1 hiking spot, great restaurants and pubs, and a ferry that goes to Angel Island.

Half Moon Bay, CA

Great flying destination. Restaurants and beach are all within a short walking distance of the airport.

Stockton, CA

Think Falluja in 2004, and that about sums things up.
 
Stewartb said:
Oh hell yeah to Joe Patty's, best seafood market I've ever visited! There used to be an outfit in Pensacola that bareboat chartered a Beneteau 393, we used to fly down, get to the boat, and then sail out into Big Lagoon, anchor, and have our own private beach time on those outer barrier islands. Sadly, they are no longer in business. Man, I miss visiting and sailing in that area.
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I lived on Perido Key 87/88 while going through flight school in the Navy. I made $9000 a year but lived on the beach, had a sports car and flew jets for a living and there was always money for shrimp (from the shrimp warehouse! and beer) - it was a pretty good life.
 
Half Fast said:
SWMBO and I both love St Augustine. If you avoid the tourist traps and if you enjoy history, it’s a great weekend getaway. Visit O’Steens for outstanding shrimp.

Nearby Fernandina is also a lovely, relaxing town.

We liked Idaho Falls, too. There’s a beautiful park along the Snake River that was very pleasant for an evening walk. Lots of families, kids playing, nice scenery.

Santa Barbara is also quite nice, but I haven’t been there in 8 or 9 years.
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Twin Falls, Idaho (and, even smaller, Buhl, ID) are great. Especially since my brother lives in Buhl and we have a place to stay there.

I haven't seen Pullman, WA listed. A typical small town, college place. There are three industries in Pullman. WSU, farming and Sweitzer Labs. It is a very education oriented town. We'd move back in a flash except the grandkids are on the west side of the state.
 
Portland, ME is nice, a little further up the coast is Boothbay Harbor which is more my speed. (not really a city type of guy)
Stowe, VT is kind of neat
Lake George, NY

But if I was gonna pull the plug and relocate it would be the Ozarks. Branson is awesome (it's not just for old people) Bentonville is super nice, and VBT is more impressive in person than it is on social media.
The flying in that area is spectacular, big lakes, great food, and awesome people. Can you tell I'm excited for vacation in 12 days....:cool:
 
Waxahachie, TX. Land at F41 if you want to also see some drag racing at Texas Motorsports or JWY if not.
 
Bill said:
Oh hell yeah to Joe Patty's, best seafood market I've ever..
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At risk of coming across similar that loser who was all upset w/ the use of "a" versus "an", it's "Joe Patti's". I noticed when adding it to FlightsForBites.com
 
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Llewtrah381 said:
Definitely. Distilleries, wineries, breweries, lighthouses, cute shops, miles of hiking trails in several great State Parks, boat rentals - and fish boils (a definite must)
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If you have wheels at OSH, it’s actually a good day trip, even/especially on a rainy day.
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I have been to a number of fish boils. Not my favorite thing. Now, pan-fried whitefish fillets in lemon-butter-caper sauce... YEAH.
 
I've only been there once, and it was ashort trip... no doubt Door County is great for sure, but I'm not sure I'd call it underrated. I think most everyone likes that area and it's in all teh WI tour books for sure!
 
Talkeetna, AK
South Haven, MI
Elk Rapids, MI
Ouray, CO (but this is a 46 year old perspective)
Whitefish, MT
Poipu, Kauai
Petaluma, CA
 
Bill said:
The Walton family has also invested much in developing a gravel bicycle trail network that is fantastic.

Boise ID
Rapid City SD
Cedar Falls IA
Bridgeport CA
Gardiner MT
Moab, UT -> even though touristy I thoroughly enjoyed staying downtown and walkng the town
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I second Cedar Falls. Nice college town. Great food.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
You must mean northwest Lower Michigan. Big difference in northwest Upper Michigan.
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Yes, NW of lower Michigan, by Traverse City along Lake Michigan, have been pulling up some airports and restaurants, looks like some nice options but haven’t tried yet.

To add, Frankenmuth 66G for the all you can eat chicken dinner, and yes they give you take home boxes. That was fun! And food for 4 people for 2 days afterwards too.
 
Ghery said:
Twin Falls, Idaho (and, even smaller, Buhl, ID) are great.

I haven't seen Pullman, WA listed. .
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I was born and raised in Twin Falls, and had relatives in Buhl, so I’d have to second that-even though the population of Twin exploded during the pandemic . Endless outdoor adventures can launch from there, and flying that stretch of the Snake River Canyon is very cool—it’s one waterfall after another for a considerable distance
 
Latrobe PA, Pittsburgh PA and York PA all surprised me. My kids still want to go back to Latrobe and Pittsburgh...

I though Columbus OH to be a very underrated place.
 
I am hearing that Scranton, PA with it proximity to NYC is booming these days.
 
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