Chicago is great in the summertime. The cold ass winters are a dealbreaker for me. It took coming back to KC after being gone for 9 years to realize what a great place it is. I've even considered moving back.

I've been to Chicago many times. I went to school at the University of Iowa. That school is about half Chicago kids. I made at least 5 trips to Chicago, and a couple others after school.

There really isn't much more to do in Kansas City than there isn't in KC except to go to a Bulls game...and Chicago is much more expensive. Sure you give the edge to Chicago in the nightlife but the Power and Light district is a great, great place. KC also has many other good areas to go out in as well. I have fun in Chicago and what it had to offer, but I would never live there for the price. In fact, I had thought about moving to Chicago after college to look for a job and moved here because it's cheaper and offers just about as many things to do.

Wow, this list is BAD... yes, they got it right with Austin.. but after that it's pretty much crap (except for KC)

Charlotte has NOTHING I mean nothing going for it... not too much wrong with it(besides the rednecks) but absolutely NOTHING positive for it... Chicago is overrated... Houston is just plain AWFUL. Lansing??? are you on crack ... anyone here who has been to Lansing .. please give me ONE positive besides the fact that compared to the rest of Michigan it has a higher percentage of hot (yet extremely stupid) college girls... Portland is an AWFUL craphole, full of drugged up street urchins and tatooed strippers... next we have Salt Lake City? wow. I'm speechless and finally we have DC... I kinda like DC but top 10 for young adults? not a freakin chance.

Yep... if you're looking to chase tail and drink beer, I'm sure Chicago is no better or worse than many other cities. But, like you said, as far as entertainment though, whether it's sports, comedy clubs, theater/arts.... KC is not even close.


And if Gino's made a BBQ deep dish pizza.... :drool:

Salt Lake City is awesome if you're into hot blondes that won't **** but give amazing blowjobs

Yeah, and the perception has always been that downtown KC is dangerous, even though it's almost all to the east of downtown... and like jiveturkey said, there are a lot more people living and going downtown these days and it's still fine. I've walked to/from a few apartment complexes that are several blocks from the P&L and I usually park ~5 blocks away so I don't have to pay for parking and deal with stupid pedestrians, and have never had a problem.

that doesn't sound all bad. throw in some good snow skiing and you got yourself a weekend.

i've got several friends(young adults) who have moved to the portland area and absolutely love it.

isn't it great how austin makes every single top 10 list related to american cities in the last 5-10years.

We have friends in Portland that love it as well, but I'm bored after three days.

Please elaborate (unless you're just talking about the open liquor policy at the P&L, then... eh).

I don't get the whole sprawl argument... it's not like it takes forever to get around. I'd hear people in Omaha say something like "it's great, you can get anywhere in Omaha in about 20 minutes" and then say KC has too much sprawl... uh, it really doesn't take more than 20-30 minutes to get anywhere here, either. And as far as a big city like Chicago, you're just substituting the 20-30 minute drive for sitting in a subway for 20-30+ minutes (not including the waiting and walking)... and if you work downtown and live in the suburbs it's probably more like an hour+.

I would not go out "drinking" if I had to drive 20-30 minutes or more home. That's just asking for problems.

In big cities with good to great public transportation (or even great cabs, which the KC metro area does NOT have), it's easy to go out at will without worrying about a DUI or drinking and driving in general.

DC is a great town for young adults. I don't know what the heck you're talking about. Have you spent time there? Please give us you're top 10. I'm guessing it will be Austin, Austin, Austin, and Austin. Followed by 6 more Austins.

True dat. I've been to DC a few times and have had an absolute blast partying there.

Same with Chicago. I never had a dull time in Chicago. Always had some fun times there.

Portland was fun as well. I have a couple of friends who live in the Portland area and despite the many sunless days, they love it. Great pizza joints, great dive bars, lots of little hip places to go.

When I used to live in KC, a group of friends and I used to make an annual weekend trip to St. Louis and party at The Landing. Those were some mighty fun times.

As for KC- I couldn't wait to get out of KC when I was in my 20's. Although I was out nearly every night, I always felt like there was nothing to do there for twenty-somethings and I had that Jack Kerouac-longing-to-leave spirit in me that drove me out west. But Westport was a blast during its heydays. Back then, KC, was a VERY under-rated town for live music. There were a ton of great local live bands that deserved national attention, but were simply denied that vision.

I'm really surprised Denver wasn't listed though. Denver has everything a young adult would want. It is too expensive to live there now though and it seems like everyone and their damn cousins moved to Denver. That city is full of transients from all over. A mecca of different cultures steaming in one giant bouillabaisse. Great bars, great pool halls, and a John Wayne western aura mixed with city decadence and modern technology and amenities.

If I had my choice, I'd go back to KC though. There is just something about KC that makes it such a cool place. Never could quite put my finger on it, but there's a pulse in KC that very few cities can ever match or duplicate. KC doesn't try to be cool. Not like Denver or Chicago or Portland or Austin. KC just is. You can feel it in everyone you meet there. KC just has this quietude about it that makes you want to linger there for awhile, have a tall, cool one, and just hang out until it's all over.

That's what DDs and friends' couches are for...

I love traveling to cities with good public transportation, and not worrying about a car after a night at the bars is great, but as far as the other 6 days a week, I'll take 'daily grind' of KC.... at least until I can afford a lakefront condo in downtown Chicago. :D