Best US & Canada City Skylines: Poll & Pics

  • Thread starter Thread starter G01
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the best city skylines in the United States and Canada, with participants sharing their opinions and images of various city skylines. The scope includes personal preferences, visual aesthetics, and potential for future polls on other cities worldwide.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a preference for Seattle's skyline due to its natural surroundings and beauty.
  • Others argue that Chicago has a notable skyline, with one participant sharing their personal experience of the city.
  • Vancouver is mentioned as having impressive mountains, but one participant votes for Toronto based on skyline alone.
  • Several participants share images of various skylines, including Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, contributing to the visual aspect of the discussion.
  • One participant notes that the perception of a city's skyline can vary based on the angle and distance of the photographs taken.
  • There is a mention of Istanbul's skyline, with a participant asserting it is the most beautiful city in the world, prompting a discussion about historical architecture.
  • Some participants express a humorous perspective on city skylines, comparing them to ant hills or people nests.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on which city has the best skyline, with no consensus reached. Multiple competing views remain regarding the aesthetic value of each city's skyline.

Contextual Notes

Participants' preferences are influenced by personal experiences and the visual presentation of skylines, which may not reflect a comprehensive evaluation of each city's architectural merits.

Which city has the best skyline?

  • Boston

    Votes: 2 5.6%

  • New York

    Votes: 7 19.4%

  • Chicago

    Votes: 11 30.6%

  • Los Angeles

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Houston

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Philadelphia

    Votes: 2 5.6%

  • Seattle

    Votes: 10 27.8%

  • Calgery

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Vancouver

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Toronto

    Votes: 4 11.1%
  • Total voters
    36
  • #31
G01 said:
What neighborhood did you take that Chicago picture from jtbell?

That's from the southwest part of Chicago. The intersection in the foreground is Archer and Western Avenues. I took that picture from an Orange Line 'L' train as it was about to cross over Archer:
 

Attachments

  • ArcherBridge.jpg
    ArcherBridge.jpg
    53.7 KB · Views: 423
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #32
gravenewworld said:
You mean millennia?
Centuries.
wiki said:
In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features - such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside - were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia"

Islam hasn't been around for millenia.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #33
Not exactly Ong's Hat, but nice anyway:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080315.html"

On my computer, I need to scroll left and right to see the whole image.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #34
jimmysnyder said:
Not exactly Ong's Hat, but nice anyway:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080315.html"

On my computer, I need to scroll left and right to see the whole image.

Beautiful! Took me a minute to see the moon.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #35
Valletta is pretty cool :smile:
http://www.rickriordan.com/valletta.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #36
glondor said:
Toronto.

Toronto20Skyline20Photo1.jpg

That's a great picture of the Toronto skyline! If only it was newer, they now light up the CN Tower at night, all up the sides and around the top... the best part is, it changes every night!
 
  • #37
Portsmouth is quite nice, from many angles, it has historical character as well.

http://rp.meteornet.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/spinnaker_tower_and_harbour.JPG

This shots good because you can see HMS Victory and HMS Warrior in it.

http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/portchester/portchester5m.jpg

This is from the North West, with Portsmouth in the distance.

I can't find a single panoramic view of Portsmouth from the top of Portsdown hill, but it's jaw dropping, sad really? There aren't even many good photos of it at all, none of them do it any justice. But a preview.

Anyway, I'll take that view over any of those. :smile:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #38
I always liked the Dallas skyline.

Dallas_Skyline_0540.jpg
 
  • #39
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhoto&albumID=610028&imageID=20215283&MyToken=506c809b-8dcc-4c28-99e5-bece25245b7d
Here's a Seattle pic of mine. Finally got it uploaded, albeit for my myspace.
 
  • #40
I voted for Seattle, but I'm surprised Vancouver hasn't gotten any votes. I never knew it had such an amazing view. What does the rest of the scenery around it look like?... as in looking from the mountains towards the photographer.
 
  • #42
I picked NYC but I kind of wish I'd voted for Vancouver:

1570251279_a91841cfdb_o.jpg


http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/3069/vancouverfalsecreekskylwm0.jpg

I can't believe Calgary is an option, but Hong Kong or Shanghai isn't. What other city can match this:

953669278_03f62a0711_b.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #43
Of the choices given, I like the Toronto skyline best. I used to like the NYC skyline, but it's noticeably blander without the WTC. :frown: Of course, it does look better when you include more of midtown Manhattan with the Empire State Building lit up at night than that view of lower Manhattan. If you're going to include the skyline of lower Manhattan, the view from the other side of the island is a bit better in my opinion.
 
  • #44
How come San Diego, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Montreal and Las Vegas aren't included as poll options?

Also, some of the pictures on the first page exclude huge portions of the city skylines. The NY one only shows downtown, and so excludes both the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building, as well as many other notable skyline elements, and about half of the Chicago skyline is not pictured, such as the Hancock building.
 
  • #45
I can't vote, I'm torn between Philadelphia and Seattle, lived in one and spent a lot of time working in the other.
 
  • #46
Shame there is no none of the above. I can't say they look better than most of the places around the world I've seen, so I'd be lying if I said I preferred one over the other. They're all nice though. Just not that nice or at least distinguishable from nice. :smile: Maybe I'm biased though, Paris would beat all of those I think easily.

And like someone said earlier where's Frisco? :smile:

http://travellingboard.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/dusk-before-dawn1-paris2-france-small3.jpg

Too many skyscrapers spoil the view in my opinion. :smile:
 
Last edited:
  • #47
quadraphonics said:
How come San Diego, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Montreal and Las Vegas aren't included as poll options?

Also, some of the pictures on the first page exclude huge portions of the city skylines. The NY one only shows downtown, and so excludes both the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building, as well as many other notable skyline elements, and about half of the Chicago skyline is not pictured, such as the Hancock building.

I only had 10 choices and wanted to represent both the US and Canada. Having lived in Pittsburgh for a short while, I was very close to including it, but for some reason decided against it. I forget why and am somewhat regretting the decision. Anyway, I can include one now. I'm glad this thread turned away from being a poll and more into a "post a picture of your favorite" thread. It allows so many more cities to be given recognition. So, if you feel that a city should be represented and isn't, or that the picture of a given city is not the best, please feel free to post your own! I look forward to seeing them.

Anyway, here's Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington. Great city, great skyline:

http://www.lehighclubofpittsburgh.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/pittsburgh.163193256_std.275130427_std.jpg

http://blog.busbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pittsburgh4.jpg

Now, I just found these quickly. There are MUCH better pictures of Pittsburgh out there. Namely, on www.pittsburghskyline.com .

I would have posted some of those but the owner seems to take copyrights very seriously so I didn't want to make him angry. If your a fan of Pittsburgh, definitely check this website out!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #48
fourier jr said:
I picked NYC but I kind of wish I'd voted for Vancouver:

I can't believe Calgary is an option, but Hong Kong or Shanghai isn't. What other city can match this:

Hong Kong is incredible! :bugeye:

Any skyline of Colorado Springs involving buildings is a little underimpressive. We have to rely on a good background.
TAU2040.jpg


On the other hand, if we're talking about skylines involving kissing camels then no other city can compete.
of the Gods[/url]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #50
BobG said:
of the Gods[/url]

No one beats gods full stop. :smile:

snake%5Friver%5Fgrand%5Fteton%5Fnational%5Fmonument.jpg


Now this is a view I'd go to the US to see.

Eat your hearts out you mortal builders, you just don't have the time. :biggrin:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #51
Wow :!)
 
  • #52
Schrödinger's Dog said:
Eat your hearts out you mortal builders, you just don't have the time. :biggrin:

well that's true too... :smile:
 
  • #53
lisab said:
Wow :!)

That's my desktop background.

Snake River: Grand Teton National Park.
 
  • #54
http://images.dpchallenge.com/images_challenge/845/thumb/667396.jpg

full size
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #55
morphism said:
http://images.dpchallenge.com/images_challenge/845/thumb/667396.jpg

full size

That's quite clever I like it. :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #56
^^ that reminds me of:

Supertramp_-_Breakfast_in_America.jpg
 
  • #57
Schrödinger's Dog said:
No one beats gods full stop. :smile:

snake%5Friver%5Fgrand%5Fteton%5Fnational%5Fmonument.jpg


Now this is a view I'd go to the US to see.

Eat your hearts out you mortal builders, you just don't have the time. :biggrin:

That has got to be one of the most over shot views. Good, but overshot. I have a photography book with it in twice, one by Ansel Adams and one by someone else.
 
  • #58
Nice picture of the Grand Teton! There was a mountain guide named Petzoid in that park that led paying customers to the top of that mountain until he was 89. Ha! you all who think you are too old... That is 6,000 feet or 2,000 meter gain and some tough rock and snow. Amazing.
 
  • #59
Not nearly as breathtaking as the previous photos, but here's my hometown. Chattanooga, TN

http://www.fcds.org/faculty/JimmySwansbrough/Jwebpage/Chattanooga.jpg

Here's panoramic a shot taken from Lookout Mountain... the mountain in the background in the first photo.
http://johnsmilitaryhistory.com/lookout5.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #60
binzing said:
That has got to be one of the most over shot views. Good, but overshot. I have a photography book with it in twice, one by Ansel Adams and one by someone else.

What does overshot mean? Do you mean more people have taken a photo of it than most places? Or that it's photoshopped? Because either way who cares. :-p:biggrin:
 

Similar threads

Rankings of Cities By Reported Road Rage Incidents
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
4K
Schools Grad schools, nanotechnology, canada vs. us, and more
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
7K