economie

An ex-banker who has been to all 50 US states shares his favorite cities — and 3 he won’t go out of his way to visit again

August 9, 20240
Abbamonte grew up in NYC and spent years working on Wall Street before and after 9/11.

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Abbamonte lived in NYC for 21 years, witnessing the concrete jungle evolve and the perseverance of locals following the devastation of 9/11.

But the real reason the Big Apple is one of his favorite cities in the US is because “it has the best of everything,” he said, from delicious food and incredible museums to cultural diversity and awe-inspiring architecture.

“It’s a trendsetting place,” Abbamonte said, adding that he can only really compare it to other international hot spots like London, Paris, Tokyo, and Sydney.

Simply put, Abbamonte said, NYC is “a world-class city.”

The only downside, in his opinion, is that is can be expensive.

He’s visited Philadelphia over 70 times but still hasn’t warmed to the local delicacies or sports culture.
Chicago is like NYC but with a small-town feel, Abbamonte said.

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Abbamonte said he’s had “the best time” on every trip he’s booked to Chicago, which he’s visited at least 40 times.

It’s often referred to as “the second city” when compared to NYC, but Abbamonte doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing.

What he likes most is that Chicago “feels like New York but is more of a small town,” adding that the local Midwestern culture is much warmer than its East Coast counterpart.

Despite his NYC roots, Abbamonte is a fan of Chicago’s signature deep-dish pizza.

“I love that the pizza is different than it is in New York,” added Abbamonte, who said he likes to indulge in moderation.

Besides the food and culture, Abbamonte would also argue that Chicago is the best “summer city” in the world because of its proximity to Lake Michigan.

“It’s just absolutely gorgeous in the summer,” he said.

His only reservation about Chicago is that he hates “being there in winter” when temperatures can plummet to below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

He doesn’t like the traffic in Atlanta.
Abbamonte is a history buff, which makes Washington DC one of his favorite cities in the US.

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Abbamonte ranked Washington, DC, among his favorite cities to visit in the US because he’s fascinated by American history and politics.

The city is dotted with famous sites, such as the White House, memorials, monuments, and museums like the Smithsonian.

Abbamonte has also enjoyed seeing DC evolve since he first visited.

Back in the 1990s, Abbamonte wouldn’t have been so quick to compliment the city’s architecture.

“Now, it’s, like, this beautiful place,” said Abbamonte, citing quaint streets dotted with stunning townhouses.

He also said he appreciates DC’s green parks and the Potomac River, the natural border between DC and Maryland.

“It’s very well done,” he said. “I just really love that city.”

San Antonio might be one of the most populated cities in the US, but Abbamonte isn’t a fan.
Abbamonte isn’t a fan of the Alamo, one of the major attractions in San Antonio.

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Abbamonte “can’t believe” that San Antonio is the seventh-most-populous city in the US, according to the Census Bureau.

He said he realizes his perspective is based on only two trips, the last of which was in 2017. Recalling those visits, Abbamonte said he felt the city came across like one “big conglomerate.”

Despite loving history, Abbamonte also found some of the area’s cultural hot spots, like the Alamo, quite dull.

He remembers waiting in a long line to enter the site where the 1836 battle between Mexico and the then-republic of Texas took place, and left thinking it was “one of the most underwhelming touristy sites” he’d visited in the US.

Another letdown was the famous San Antonio River Walk, a pedestrian path along the water lined with restaurants and bars. Abbamonte remembered it smelling like “old stale cheap alcohol.”

“It has potential to be nice, and to some, I’m sure it is,” he said. “But the two times I’ve been, I wasn’t impressed.”