At heart I’m a country boy. I mostly grew up in agricultural areas and much of my career was out in the backcountry, from pecan groves and citrus farms of Yuma County, through the soybean and citrus farms of Florida, to the ranches, alfalfa fields, pecan groves, and cotton fields of New Mexico, with stopovers in the citrus, coffee and mango farms in Puerto Rico and the cotton fields of southern Mexico. Generally I really don’t like big cities- too many people and too many cars and pollution for my taste. Politically I parted company with many of the country folk, especially when it comes to MAGA and other idiocies.
However, a few cities I couldn’t dislike and even did like a bit. I had to attend meetings in several cities over the time I spent at NMSU and Florida, and also visited several on bus trips I’d rather not think about, from Yuma, Arizona, to Chautauqua County, New York and back again twice.
From the start, these are my own opinions based on my own experiences and may not at all match other people’s views. So don’t get too irritated with me about it. There is no accounting for taste, including mine! Also, note that these are not arranged by my rating. I’m not at all sure how I could compare these because each had a different allure for me.
First I would like to say I liked New Orleans. There is no city like The Big Easy. You always know exactly where you are. I’ve passed through or visited New Orleans at least four times. Two were for meetings and two were when my family at the time were moving. One time I stayed at Tulane and took the trolly to the French Quarter. It was in many ways my best visit as the French Quarter had both bookshops and a coin shop which were interesting, and the local cuisine was fabulous. The second time the bookshops and the coin store seemed to have vanished, but the food was still great. The last time I went through New Orleans I was moving to Florida and we stopped to take the girls to see the aquarium. I would not live there, however. it is below sea level and you can be sure it will pay for that! I have not been back since Katrina!
Second, I liked Berkeley, California and also Davis. Both had a flavor about them. Perhaps it was because I was with a group of academics like me and we had much in common.
Third, I liked Austin, Texas. It also has a charm that intrigued me. Also on a walk along the Colorado River there when I was at a meeting, led me to see the first true leaf-cutting ants in the genus Atta (Atta texana), which were busy transporting leaves from a tree even in winter! One of my associates and I had an excellent dinner at a Japanese restaurant.
Fourth, I liked Chicago somehow. It just seemed to be more honest in its attitudes, and the Field Museum where we were hosted at a meeting is an excellent institution. I was surprised that I actually liked the city at all, but then my grandmother was born there.
Fifth, I liked Tucson, Arizona, where I went to the University of Arizona and which had many very interesting places to visit nearby, as well as several good book stores! I liked the campus and the looming Santa Catalina Mountains, as well as easy access to the Tucson Mountains and the view of San Xavier del Bac that I had from my place of residence on the SW corner of the city.
Sixth, I liked Sante Fe. It also has a local flavor. New Mexican food is great!
Seventh, I loved Las Cruces, New Mexico, where my wife and I spent nearly 35 years. The New Mexican food is great, the nearby town of Mesilla has a colorful history and the Organ Mountains. What’s not to like! Maybe it does get a little hot in summer.
Last, I liked Gainesville, Florida, which is where I spent my time while I went to the University of Florida and had two postdocs. Also, and more importantly, I met my wife there, and the bookstores were fantastic. In fact I asked my future wife on a first date in a bookstore there.
Honorable mention for Washington, DC, because it has a great transit system! and also Seattle for its funky neighborhoods and odd little shops (including some intriguing book stores.)
About every other city that I’ve been in (and I’ve been in a lot, except for New York City and a few others), I could well do without. I won’t mention them here, but they are noisy, over-populated, polluted and full of ugly buildings in my opinion. I’d much rather be in some wild country like The Camino del Diablo or the Jornada del Muerto, or the Big Scrub in Florida.