I like the view from South Mountain Park, especially near sunset, but people in the Valley of the Sun do not want to be in the literally-empty downtown. I remember going to the top of the Hyatt Regency, and seeing the fenced area for homeless folks - being the largest congregation of people downtown! The extensive heat is also a deterrent to walking around or sitting at outdoor cafes. All the action is in the East Valley, with Scottsdale being the star. I had rental houses in PHX, and usually stayed at Loewe's Paradise Valley Resort, as they had great rates then, and it was close to most of my rentals in Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, and 2 in Scottsdale. I got up at sunrise to take a run with the view of Camelback, and then a swim in the pool, before the heavy heat arrived. The spring in the desert is amazing, the winter very pleasant, but the never-ending summer is just too hot and too brown for me. I prefer Palm Springs for desert - much less congested, more scenic, very compact, and 2 hours from the ocean and the pleasant temps of greater LA/SoCal. If you want an impressive view (not really a skyline per se), take the tram up San Jacinto Mountain, traveling thru 9 climatic zones - VERY impressive! It can be 95 at the base in Palm Springs, but snow on the ground at the top, with a jacket necessary.
@@RZFX619 True! I also liked the outdoor patio at Tapatio on Squaw Peak - a great place for a sunset cocktail, complete with a firepit, for the cooler months!
@@eriklakeland3857 I wish it wasn’t there, but beyond LSD is an entire chain of lakefront green space, pedestrian and bike paths which run almost the entire length of the lake front. I’d say it’s a decent compromise between ethical urbanism and our car centric society
@DICK LONG The US tends not to consolidate the metropolitan area into one big city, so it can be misleading to consider only the central city. It's much more meaningful to use the metro population. For example, the population of Miami proper is less than 400k, but the metro area is over 6 million.
Canadian here. The reason many of our cities’ downtown cores look larger than a lot of the American cities which actually are larger but don’t look it is because in Canada we have begun moving away from the traditional American urban planning of downtown core surrounded by suburbs and instead are pushing for density as people opt more for living/working in the same area and the convenience and lifestyle that comes with it. Mixed use planning is extremely common (retail/commercial street level, residential above) very inspired by Vancouver’s model of urban planning. Vancouver has done this extremely well, and the surrounding cities or suburbs are now building their own large “downtown cores” around public transit hubs. Getting people to drive less and walk snd use transit more.
That really only applies to Toronto and Vancouver for they have no real Estate. I live in Edmonton, and we along with Calgary sprawl like weed as two major cities in our country. I can't imagine Ottawa or Montreal are that urbanized either.
Central Canada has a longer and colder winter than the USA. Living in a high-rise apartment building there would make a lot of sense in those conditions.
Pittsburgh is the most underrated city in the nation when it comes to beauty... glad you placed it in your Top 5. The yellow bridges, the gothic architecture, the water... it’s an incredible city.
Dolfanchambers84, I always loved Pittsburgh, with their great hills to view the city from. Unfortunately, I've only been there once, but have always been impressed by it's interesting triangle shape. I also like the fact that it's a cool city that is in a very rural area (isn't Goblers Notch nearby ?) Fun Fact: Stephan King based the book version of "Christine" in Pittsburgh.
Chicago and Pittsburgh are the best!!! Driving into Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt tunnel is breathtaking. You come out of the tunnel, onto a bridge and all of the sudden, downtown is right in front of you! Stunning!
Also from Mt Washington and the incline, it is spectacular! I think Vancouver is more spectacular than Toronto, too, as it has those beautiful mountains and lots of water. It is my favorite city in North America, and I have been to all 50 states, and every province, except PEI & Newfoundland.
It's funny how hearing him discuss populations really highlights the difference between how Canada and the US calculate where metro areas begin and end.
New York and Chicago stand brightly in the world because both cities showcase numerous examples of all phases of 20th Century high rise architecture. Both cities downtowns are immense monuments to the American Golden Age. I remember their great arrogant power. Kind of like London, Paris, and St Petersburg in the 19th Centuries, or the great 21st Century Chinese cities.
As a well traveled Englishman having a large family who moved all over the world after WW2, I try to visit as many as I can. I visited family in North Chicago near edgewater around 5 years ago and the greatest, most breathtaking view/drive I’ve ever seen is going south on lake shore drive…just incredible. I fell in love with the city after that, I just wish it wasn’t impossible to get a working visa, otherwise I’d be there right now.
As a proud New Yorker I am amazed by the city daily. It really is incredibly to see. The very definition of a vertical city, and you would never expect a city that values every inch that dearly to have a park as absolutely colossal as central park smack dab in the middle. If you havent gone, go. You wont be disappointed.
I love Chicago’s skyline, especially at night when you’re heading south into downtown on the Kennedy Expressway. It’s just massive. I also was in Pittsburgh last year and found its skyline and setting to be gorgeous as well.
First time I saw chicago's skyline I was driving from home (Minneapolis) to the east coast. It was pretty cool. I wouldn't describe it as beautiful, but it was damn impressive. After driving through the night, I arrived in New York City.
It really is refreshing. Lolll I thought I had a problem because I’m so interested in skylines and didn’t really think it was something that other people are into. I literally used to think I was weird cuzza my obsession over them lolll
@@huntrrams I would say the best view and its not even close, is the orange line, the train takes a curve from and to Roosevelt giving a round view of the entire skyline, at night its just inspiring to say the least
@@chicago4tw438 same I live here and was born here chicago is home home love my city and county imo we have the best skyline in the country and North America
It should’ve been like Chicago or Houston. The airports aren’t close to where the skyscrapers are. When I took a flight and had to stop and Chicago to wait for another flight, I was so excited to see skyscrapers and stuff but I didn’t see any at all.
Pheonix is in the middle of a desert. No matter how far away the airport is, the city wouldn't grow much larger due to the climate. not many people would enjoy living in a hot dry desert 24/7.
The San Diego airport is right next to downtown. That hasn't prevented the development of skyscrapers, just forced height limits. But many people are living in those downtown towers now, mostly in East Village and Little Italy.
Quebec City would make it for one reason: the Chateau Frontenac and the topography. The best cities often have either water or topography working for it.... Vancouver is gorgeous, Seattle similar. Most shocking US skyline for me as someone who has been to most of these is Cincinnati when you come down the hill from Covington. I put this WAY up just because of that view
The city is one of the fastest growing now a days with the job market. Building wise it is not going as fast as some would like. But with our specialty steel, medical, plastic, technology, arts, education, and sports we are seeing a lot of growth. Plus now gambling is starting up with legalized casinos, not to mention our food, and music scenes are on the rise.
@@californiamade5608 according to census’ it is, but living in Pittsburgh, there’s more construction than every before (there used to be none lol) and you can just tell it’s growing again.
I live not too far from Chicago, so I go there about 3-4 times every year, and my mind is still blown every time I see that skyline. It’s so huge with so many different buildings, both old and new. They’re also constantly building more, so it changes as time goes on. I always love taking an architecture tour on the Chicago river, as it provides some breathtaking views, as well as the history behind each skyscraper. While I still like New York better (and Toronto is pretty close to it as well), it’s easily one of the best in the world
Honestly, I like Chicago's skyline better than New York's. New York's is TOO big, impossible to frame well. Also, there's not as much color in the New York skyline as there is in the Chicago skyline.
The one thing the New York and Chicago have that no other skyline anywhere in the world has or ever will have, although Philly and Detroit has a little of it, is history. The collection of buildings make the 2 cities architectural museums. From the birth of skyscrapers to Art Deco to minimalism, brutalism, modern architecture, etc... Asian cities and Dubai can try to compete in a skyscraper arms race, but New York and Chicago will always stand alone for this reason.
I agree. New York has thankfully kept some of their best old buildings, while meshing th with newer styles. I wish they had kept the old Penn Station. That looked incredible in pictures I've seen
Boston is like that too, but unfortunately is held back by the fact that Chicago and New York are significantly better skylines. Boston is great, but doesn’t compare
@@VidaBlue317 oh you’re 100% right on that. While I’ve only been there once that is one of the main things I remember about it and why it’s in my top 3 favorite cities (behind New York and Toronto). I plan on going back finally next year to find out if I’m right
I actually love the LA skyline, when you include the whole Panorama. Sure the downtown might not have as many or as tall of buildings as other cities, but it really puts in perspective just how HUGE and varied the whole area is. The little satellite cities like Century or Long Beach, the mountains, the hills, the ocean...maybe I'm biased being from the west coast, but I think it's pretty cool!
Before all of the construction building new skyscrapers in the downtown over the past 5 years, Los Angeles was very disappointing and underwhelming. Now?! After all of the additions of new skyscrapers?? Los Angeles FINALLY is starting to look like a major competitor! Wasn't too impressed with LA 5 or 6 years ago. Today? I love how DTLA looks! It's a massive improvement.
I am a Denver native born in 1970. I remember when our metro didn't even have a million. My mom came to Denver in the late 60's from Long Beach, CA. She would make fun of Denver and say "Denver is a cowtown and it will always be a cowtown". She is 78 and doesn't drive. I took her around the city and she was astonished at all of the building. She didn't even recognize the city anymore. I have always thought Denver's skyline was impressive. Not only do we have our main downtown, about 6 miles southeast along I-25 is another conglomerate of high rises. Then along that same stretch about four more miles down is a huge conglomerate of buildings on average of about 22 stories tall. All of this with the light rail running along I-25 and gridlock rush hour traffic makes Denver look absolutely freaking huuuuge!
Kahinur Nessa lol we’re you from Englewood or something 😂 the Gold Coast is where I’m from and I think everyone can agree that’s it’s better than Dallas
As a native of Cincinnati I am always impressed by out of towners coming into the city from the CVG airport in Northern Kentucky, and traveling down the CUT IN THE HILL as we refer to it.....especially at night with the entire city lite up.....its always like ....WOW..didn't know Cincy was such a pretty and big met area......yeah she sparkles really well for her age....!!
I first saw it while riding in a car over the Eads Bridge shortly after it was completed. One of the 2 or 3 truly great pieces of post-WW II monumental public art in the U.S.
St. Louis actually has a more impressive downtown skyline than most people know. Most all of the photos of downtown STL are centered on the Arch and are taken from the East. From that perspective, especially when taken at river level, most of the high rises and skyscrapers are left out. When you see downtown from the south, north, or west, you see more of the buildings and get a better perspective of the cluster. Still, the skyscrapers are a bit spaced out and the skyline would be more impressive if they had been built closer together. Like many big cities, St. Louis has a secondary “downtown” area in Clayton. As a suburb, Downtown Clayton actually has a pretty impressive skyline, one that rivals stand alone cities like Des Moines, Wichita, or Omaha.
I grew up near Philly and I lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years, and when there isn't a rampant pandemic, I still get to both places quite often. One thing I would suggest: go to a Pittsburgh Pirates game, even if you aren't a baseball fan. If you are sitting in an upper level seat near the home plate area, you get an amazing view of the downtown skyline. Walking along the river from the Heinz Field area looks really nice as well. And I do like how when you come from the east or the south, you have to go through tunnels and it feels like the city has an entrance.
Chicago’s is one of the best for good reason, beautiful architecture that isn’t just boring boxes you see in other places and the city never looks the same when visit it again
Louis Sullivan is mainly responsible for the development of the Skyscraper. He came up with the idea of using a steel frame to make up the structure of a building instead of bearing masonry walls. He was a famous Chicago architect.
My favorites that I've seen in person are Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati. I've been to Chicago probably 50 times and the view of the skyline always amazes me. I haven't been to New York since before 9-11 so the skyline has dramatically changed. San Francisco is super impressive looking coming in on the bridge. I was amazed at how huge Miami's skyline is. Even though it's mostly condo buildings the way it stretches along the coast is beautiful. The most impressive view of Detroit's skyline is from across the river in Canada, especially at night. The view of Cincinnati coming north on 75 in the cut in the hill is always an impressive sight to see.
That view from the GG Rec Area in Marin is fabulous! It is an extremely photogenic city, until you get to all the govt-created slums and shantytowns. Very sad how idiot politicians have killed a great city!
@@californiamade5608 Politics has a lot to do with the quality of life in any city, and that quality of life has gone down a great deal in the past 50 years. It also has become a city inaccessible to the middle class. Its terrible politics is exactly what created that, and the politicians seem oblivious to the problems.
I used to live in Nashville TN and driving into downtown on Charlotte Pike/US-70 there is a wonderful little hill you drop off of and the Skyline goes from completely invisible to full splendor in seconds. I found it an inspiring view and it made me happy every time I experienced it.
I remember flying from Newark to Toronto. As soon as we started flying over Lake Ontario a huge obelisk appeared just north of the plane, a few seconds later the rest of it came into view and that's when I realized it was the CN Tower, finally the rest of the downtown Toronto skyline came into focus. It was amazing.
Glad you got Toronto so high up in the list! The projects that are being planned along Lake Ontario are looking so good, I’m completely ready to see it on top in the future! Amazing video by the way, I wish there were more videos on these topics!
As much as Toronto is growing, nobody will ever take over NYC...lol. I believe in 10 years we'll be a solid second. The other thing about Toronto, is that it's very spread out. For example, two of the tallest building are way up in North York so you don't even see them in the the skyline. Even some of the big ones near Yonge and Dundas and Yonge and Bloor can't be seen from the view off the lake.
I hope they get Rail Deck Park built ASAP which would add a ton of greenspace to the waterfront. That's much needed with all the new residents coming in. Also, the many railroad tracks and Gardiner Expressway are huge physical barriers disconnecting the Waterfront from the Financial District. Rail Deck Park would go a long way to reconnecting those areas. They desperately need more subway lines as well. They should've had something like the Ontario Line decades ago and I fear more bickering and delays will kill it again.
@@eriklakeland3857 I actually like seeing the railroad tracks that lead into Union station...lol, but rail deck park will be built very soon and cover it up. It will look pretty cool though, making us even more like a mini NY with a big park right in the middle of downtown.
I live in eastern Allegheny County and when I bring new visitors from the airport through the Fort Pitt Tunnel, they can't believe the view, especially at night.
@@athleticguy15 The best time to come through the Fort Pitt Tunnel is at evening (nautical?) twilight, when blue light illuminates all the west-facing glass on PPG Place, which is front and center when you emerge from the tunnel.
Love my Cincinnati! Vancouver is probably my favorite city period right now. San Fran is one of my favorite cities too and I think they need two or three more sky scrappers for their skyline When I first saw Pittsburgh I was blown away Toronto is massive and surprising
San Francisco has proposed a 992 foot tower and they have a stalled project that was supposed to be 910 feet, waiting on a buyer. Then the other one is called parcel F at 806 feet. It is suppose to break ground before the end of this year.
Thanl you for putting Cincinnati in the top 20. I have always loved the skyline, especially coming into the city from Kentucky. Also agree that Vancouver and Pittsburgh are beautiful
The Brooklyn Bridge look-a-like is also impressive, which you now can see from the Great American ballpark, too. I always liked seeing Cinci on I-75 coming from No Ky. It is also a handy downtown to get around.
@@TheOneGuy1111 Cincinnati overall is pretty underrated. I love Fountain Square, the ballparks on the river, and the downtown cultural attractions, along with breakfast at First Watch. I often stayed in Blue Ash for business, but on pleasure trips, I liked the downtown core and one of the great hotels there.
Nice list, I enjoyed watching this. I love the skylines of the Northeast U.S. (Boston, NY, Philadelphia) as the dense mix of old historic buildings and shiny new buildings make for a unique and attractive downtown. Like some others, I would have liked to see some Central American cities make the list. I'm not sure how I feel about Miami's or Honolulu's skyline. The buildings are abundant and tall but there's something strange about the design that is offputting.
Miami, Honolulu and Vancouver all have a lot of condos in their skylines. I don't like them either, and personally I wouldn't have put Honolulu in this list at all. But as he said, it's all a matter of taste
Yeah, Honolulu’s skyline is just a bunch of boxes. Sure, there’s a lot of them but nothing stands out. Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean are a gorgeous backdrop, but the architecture isn’t impressive. St. Louis would have been a better choice.
The best view of Pittsburgh's skyline is from the vantage point from home plate inside PNC Park. Whoever the architect of this baseball park was, he/she was a genius! It's the most beautiful ballpark with one of the most beautiful skylines in north America just over the right field wall.
The view of Pittsburgh, PA from Mt. Washington or the reveal when exiting the Liberty Tunnel (Tubes) is breathtaking!!!! And Pgh skyline is designed to angle from tallest building (now UPMC) to The Point.
The best view of the Chicago skyline is from the Adler Planetarium, especially at night. Chicago’s lakefront is open and has free beaches and parks running the length of the city, unlike some cities where the downtown feels like a wall of buildings.
Absolutely. I just visited Chicago and was blown away by the immense, soaring skyline. And you nailed it, downtown Chicago welcomes you in. It’s a beautiful area that was made for living, working, and enjoying the city. Surprisingly clean, landscaped, and manicured for such a huge metropolis. Such beautiful sprawling parks and public spaces. It’s like Chicago actually wants you to stay there, instead of just heading out to the suburbs.
Mont Royal is an ancient volcanic neck and you see two more in the flat farm land to the south off in the distance. Seeing a "Mountain" on an island city makes it unique
@@TheObsidianX But that was disappointing relative to their size, that doesn't mean they are necessarily worse. NYC and London are of similar populations, but looking at the skyline you'd assume NYC is substantially larger
@@bigbabado8296 Doing the flight back from NYC to Toronto is only 1 hour; you fly directly over Manhattan. Manhattan makes Toronto's downtown core seem tiny in comparison.
Great video, I was really hoping you were going to put Pittsburg and Vancouver on the list because they too are some of my favorite skylines, and of course they were on the list ironically one after another
I had seen NYC, L.A., Chicago and a plethora of other skylines before I saw Dallas. Dallas has a phenomenal skyline. The first time I saw it I was absolutely speechless.
I second this. It looks MUCH better in person and from ground level. Also, the stock pictures never show all of the buildings lit up. I live in Dallas and my absolute favorite thing is when the Reunion Tower “blinks/flashes” to the beat of my music. Really hard not to speed down the highway when that happens. Lol
When driving to or through Pittsburgh it is almost worth it to go through Fort Pitt Tunnel just for the amazing view of the city. It's even better at night when the city is all lit up.
Great video. I've been to NYC so many times and I am blown away every time. The views of the skyline from Brooklyn and New Jersey are unreal. The bridges add to the skyline too.
Agree with how impressive the Western Canadian cities are. I think you underrated LA (well framed with the mountains and also fast growing), Minneapolis (clearly the second best of the Midwest), Atlanta and Houston (for the same reason being the skylines make both cities seem MASSIVE) and definitely Charlotte. I’m biased as a North Carolinian, but Charlotte has the third best skyline in the Southeast (counting Florida but not Texas) several of the buildings are super tall, and more infill projects are on the way. But my favorite skyline is Chicago. Yes, New York has more buildings, but Chicago’s really has more of a wow factor when you first see it, especially if you take one of those architectural boat tours along the river.
Great video, keep the uploads coming. Mexico is part of North America as well and was somewhat surprised it wasn't included on your list. I don't know if you considered cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, or Guadalajara but I think any of these could have been worthy additions considering some of the development they're undergoing as well as the juxtapositions they offer to their surroundings. Regardless, love your content!
Thanks. I did consider the major 3 Mexican cities and although they have had a lot of improvements and development I don't think the visual skylines are quite up to the level of the major American and Canadian cities yet. I actually was going to make this video a top 50 but it would've dragged on way too long. I had Monterrey at 28, Mexico City at 31, and Guadalajara at 35. I didn't want to leave Mexico out but I just couldn't quite fit one of those cities in.
Also the distribution of skyscrapers in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara is very different and skylines are formed in any part of the cities instead of concentrating on a single point as in American cities, we can observe this very well in Ciudad Mexico where skyscrapers are built in several financial districts, in the center as Reforma, in the south as Insurgentes or in the mountains as Santa Fe and Interlomas.
Mexico City, IMO, would be in the top 6 or 7 NA skylines. Guadalajara and Monterrey somewhere between 10 and 15. Panama City, Panama would be in the top 5.
SuperRack The skylines in Mexico are very different and are still too new. Give it more time and they’ll look like more complete. Mexico City doesn’t really have a skyline because all of its buildings are in different locations. Same goes for Monterrey although the mountains make it the most unique of the three. Guadalajara has a better skyline but it isn’t developed well enough to be put on the list. It’s neighboring city, Zapopan has a decent skyline with unique buildings but it’s rather small compared to the mega skylines in US and Canada. The skylines in US and Canada are in the city cores and they are called downtowns while in Mexico the downtowns are the historic centers (which is cool) and the buildings are located in newer areas (reminds me of Paris).
Yeah I get the Mexican cities maybe but he didn’t include Panama City either which has a great skyline. Also Honolulu technically isn’t in the North American continent, just in the US.
@@redgrapeskins chicago/new york/etc fan aren't you. Laugh all you want, but detroit (at least downtown/mudtown/new center) has a lot happening right now. Took my mother through there a few months before she died and she didn't recognize it then and she worked at the old Hudson department store for quite a few years back in the day. With all the buildings that were torn down and others built in its place (esp the last 10-20 years) it's changed quite a bit. It's my hometown and I'm proud of the city and proud to have been born there. If a job came about id move there in a heartbeat. Is it perfect? Hell no far from it, but I'd pick detroit over chicago/new york/LA/Houston/etc in a heartbeat
Another great video! My favorite underrated skyline in North America is Duluth. It is absolutely the kind of skyline that makes the city feel much larger than it is, and because of the location where Duluth is placed against a steep hill, you end up with this gorgeous linear density along the shores of Lake Superior, with a gorgeous backdrop of a hill where you can view the whole city from. It is rare to have a small city with such a defining skyline and recognizable look that people all over the country and world can go "That's Duluth." I would love to see a small city skyline tier list! Some of my other favorites include Wausau, WI, and Champaign-Urbana, IL!
When you described Atlanta or LA, it reminded me about Tokyo, which doesn't have a good skyline because of historic earthquakes and multiple downtowns, but it is an awesome city. I live in Pittsburgh which has an awsome skyline, but the downtown is boring as hell, all of the cool neighborhoods are on the outskirts and have mid to low rise buildings. This just means you should never judge a city by it's skyline as great cities can have underwhelming skylines, and the reverse can be true as well.
Toronto has the same problem with the CN Tower. Most people don't realize how tall some of the buildings are because the CN Tower dwarfs everything else.
I could not believe cities like Honolulu were included but not St. Louis! The skyline is beautiful and is even better now with the huge Ferris wheel they just built.
It's beautiful. I'm super sad it's not here. If we're after Reunion Tower or the Space Needle or whatever's going on in Vegas, the Arch should get a pass.
Yeah...sort of a bogus list when Detroit is on the list as one of the top 25 skylines, but St. Louis is not. Sure, St. Louis has its issues, but it really does have a beautiful skyline.
I’m so happy you included Pittsburgh. The train I worked on (Capitol Limited) went through the city westbound at night. The first time I saw it way back in the 80’s I was very impressed. The “Castle Tower” by Phillip Johnson is iconic.
Good video Kyle. Maybe Detroit will look a little better once the new Hudson’s Tower goes up along with Gordie Howe Bridge, which will just be a little south of The Ambassador bridge.
Houston has 3 distinct skylines. You mentioned downtown and the med center but you did not mention the Galleria/uptown skyline, in which the 3rd tallest building in the city is. Houston’s skyline is a monster when viewed from afar, like from the San Jacinto monument because you see all 3 distinct skylines merge into one.
Amazing that he mentioned some of the smaller skylines of other cities then completely skipped over some of our other major skylines. Uptown was an obvious miss, but Greenway Plaza, Memorial, and the Energy Corridor are also up there (tho obviously not as big). Plus, our third tallest in the city in Uptown-Williams Tower-is the tallest building outside of a CBD at least in the US, if not North America, and at one point the world. It’s also incredibly gorgeous.
Thank you...I been to most the American cities and few have the large feeling houston has when coming in from 45 or 59...especially In the late evening...ps I can’t stand Dallas lol
Atlanta has the same issue as it has 4 skylines - downtown, midtown, buckhead, and perimeter. I think it is pretty common with metro areas with lots of room to grow.
Yes, when I visited Houston it gobsmacked me that we’d drive and drive and keep encountering separate skylines. It seemed like there were more than three. Never saw that anywhere else.
I’m not even gonna lie, i visited Des Mooney son the way to Rushmore last year, and I was shocked by how pretty it was. Obviously not a top 25 skylines, but still a cool city….. wait a minute I’m talking about Lincoln Nebraska lol
I wish my hometown of Cincinnati had placed higher- we named one of our famous chili chains after our Skyline, after all- most of its power as a skyline is how it appears all at once, in an instant, when you come around the cut-in-the-hill while driving in from Kentucky. And it’s such a nice collection of bridges, stadiums, old and new architecture.
Detroit has a few new ones under construction by Bedrock Industries including the Hudson Site (approx 700-70ft) and the Monroe Block, a series of 3-5 shorter, though still tall, buildings.
No offence but Detroit probably has one of the ugliest downtowns and street condition quality in North America. Lived there for one year and was a huge disappointment.
I've always loved seeing city skylines since I was a kid. The architecture of a city is its heart and soul. Every building breathes life into a city and brings to it a flavor. I was very interested in hearing your list and found it pretty good. I would, however, think about some other skylines to add to it: 1. I love Nashville's growing skyline. Slow but sure it has added more and more flavor to its base. 2. Kansas City is pretty cool and has some of those older buildings that you mentioned in some of your list. 3. Austin has a nice, growing skyline as well; buildings that make it stand out. 4. Portland OR is growing as well and has come along nicely. The backdrop of Mt. Hood helps it out. Those are my additions from the US. However, again, you said North America, so I would add: 1. Monterrey, Mexico, which is quite beautiful. 2. Guadalajara, Mexico. Again, quite cool. 3. Mexico City...some really nice architecture there. It does fit into that category where you would expect there to be more based on the extremely large population, but I think earthquakes and volcanoes have an effect on that. 4. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. For a small, shared island nation, it has a beautiful skyline. Lastly, 5. Panama City, Panama! How could you leave that one out? :) It has one of the most impressive skylines in the Americas! It's amazing that such a small nation could create a skyline. :) Thanks for letting me add my two cents. A fellow lover of skylines and architecture. Oh, by the way, I think there are plenty small city skylines that are quite cool, too. :)
One other cool thing about the Chicago skyline is the variety in architecture. You can pick any two buildings and they'll have more than a few notable differences.
I kayaked through chicago this weekend and it really gives a different perspective on the buildings and city when you're down that low on the river. I highly recommend giving it a try if you live around here
Seattle has by far the best skyline in my opinion. All the skyscrapers are arranged so that the skyline looks amazing from whichever angle you look at it. It also looks different depending on where you are- space needle and backdrop with the mountain if you look at it from Kerry Park. Then the Colombia tower takes centre stage when you look at it from the I5 freeway
as a Canadian, glad to see so many of our cities made the list. Urban living is possibly more predominant here than in the US which is why we have bigger skylines than the populations suggest. A lot of people like to live and work downtown, but we still have suburbs, urban living isn't for everyone. Glad to see Pittsburgh also made the top ten, I've travelled to so many American cities in the list, of course you expect cities like New York and Chicago to be impressive, but the first time I came upon Pittsburgh I was just blown away by the skyline. One of my favourite American cities to travel to for sure, especially since it is only a 5 hour drive from Toronto.
Love seeing Detroit on the list! Even if though it’s a bit lower on the list, it’s still cool to see it! 👍🏾 Cheers from a Michigander (and Detroit native)!
Nobody calls reunion tower a Microphone, never heard that here in Dallas, and the pictures you used are old… Its missing so many skyscrapers plus uptown
I was thinking the exact same thing. Downtown looks so much different now. Those pics are old. I’ve also been in Dallas my whole life and never heard of the reunion tower being called gods microphone.
He used old outdated pictures for all of the cities. It's almost like he went to the local library and photocopied these pics out of some old encyclopedias. Lol.
Great list! I also really like Portland skyline when driving through, Baltimore on the harbor, Sacramento and Austin are smaller but unique, Kansas City and St Louis. Also including Mexico, Monterrey, Mexico City, and Guadalajara actually have really cool skylines, tbh
I’m from Toronto and every time I would go up the CN tower as a kid and look out at the city I thought it was the biggest most beautiful thing in existence. When I went to Chicago and New York for the first time though, my tiny mind was blown away at how incredible they were in comparison.
I can understand NY, but you shouldn't be blown away at all by Chicago. It's barely bigger then Toronto, and Toronto will blow right past it in 5 years with all the new skyscrapers going up.
@@C-mac_in_the_6ix Uh...Chicago's metro area is BARELY bigger than Toronto by ONLY 2.6 million. Oh, and as of today's date, Chicago has 133 buildings over 150 m tall v. Toronto with only 78; Chicago has 6 supertalls (over 300 m) v. only 1 for Toronto (but only if you include CN Tower). And Chicago has a number of new skyscrapers going up too, so Toronto has a long way to go.
I feel like Nashville should have made the list. There are dozens of new high rises going up each year and the skyline there is changing so much year over year. With the iconic Batman building, Bridgestone arena, and the river that cuts right through the downtown area it is very beautiful and growing so much so fast!
Chicago skyline is the absolute best. Especially at night, after a White Sox night game especially it is relaxing. Everyone should see it at least once, I’m lucky I get to see it whenever I want.
I've been to almost all of these cities and I totally agree with your selections. Especially the top 4. NY, Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver, all of them are great cities to visit. St. Louis as a top 25 may have been in the running against a few of our choices.
If you walk out to the end of Navy Pier or the Adler Planetarium and look at Chicago from the lake view it is incredible! Especially at night. Best architecture on this list by far.
I like how they included Denvers skyline , I do rideshare and people always compliment the city , saying it's clean , the buildings are nice , its bigger than they thought .
Good choices! I live in Vancouver and it gets me alot of love on Facebook when I post skyline and mountain pics. And Vancouver would have towers in the 1000 foot range if it were not for city regulations restricting height due to 'view corridors'.I heard someone say once re city size, " Toronto is 3 times the size of Vancouver, New York is 3 times the size of Toronto, and Sao Paolo, is 3 times the size of New York. Lol.
the phoenix skyline has to be one of the most pathetic skylines considering how large the metro area is...
Phoenix - The Largest Suburb in America.
I agree, it's like Phoenix's buildings couldn't decide whether they belonged in downtown or midtown so they just scattered themselves up Central
I like the view from South Mountain Park, especially near sunset, but people in the Valley of the Sun do not want to be in the literally-empty downtown. I remember going to the top of the Hyatt Regency, and seeing the fenced area for homeless folks - being the largest congregation of people downtown! The extensive heat is also a deterrent to walking around or sitting at outdoor cafes. All the action is in the East Valley, with Scottsdale being the star. I had rental houses in PHX, and usually stayed at Loewe's Paradise Valley Resort, as they had great rates then, and it was close to most of my rentals in Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, and 2 in Scottsdale. I got up at sunrise to take a run with the view of Camelback, and then a swim in the pool, before the heavy heat arrived. The spring in the desert is amazing, the winter very pleasant, but the never-ending summer is just too hot and too brown for me. I prefer Palm Springs for desert - much less congested, more scenic, very compact, and 2 hours from the ocean and the pleasant temps of greater LA/SoCal. If you want an impressive view (not really a skyline per se), take the tram up San Jacinto Mountain, traveling thru 9 climatic zones - VERY impressive! It can be 95 at the base in Palm Springs, but snow on the ground at the top, with a jacket necessary.
@@RZFX619 True! I also liked the outdoor patio at Tapatio on Squaw Peak - a great place for a sunset cocktail, complete with a firepit, for the cooler months!
Can’t be worse than San Jose
Chicago's lakefront is one of the most beautiful urban vistas in the world.
Lakeshore Dr is such a boner killer though. That should be space for pedestrians on the waterfront and maybe another CTA rail line.
Toronto as well. The view from the island is frankly one of the most gorgeous views of a city I've ever seen.
I was there a month ago and it is my new favorite City.. breathtaking
@@eriklakeland3857 I wish it wasn’t there, but beyond LSD is an entire chain of lakefront green space, pedestrian and bike paths which run almost the entire length of the lake front. I’d say it’s a decent compromise between ethical urbanism and our car centric society
You just have to commute in a bulletproof car
The only time I’ve ever gasped was when I first saw the Chicago skyline in person.
I took a night tour of NY, and crossing the Manhattan bridge, I couldn't believe my eyes.
My neck hurt from watching the skyline in Chicago on the way outta town. Mind bogglingly huge.
Driving into nyc from New Jersey has a similar effect
Been to 19 of 25. For me, NYC = most impressive, Chicago = most breathtakingly beautiful.
I would say the same about NYC, driving into Manhattan on the Queensboro bridge. The sheer density and scale just took my breath away.
“A city of a million people, not very large”
Me who lives in unincorporated farmland
Rights?
One million population is nothing in Asia. It's not a city, it's a town.
@@enzhus in North America it’s a on the a small city in the big city category
@DICK LONG ten, you missed San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and San Jose
@DICK LONG The US tends not to consolidate the metropolitan area into one big city, so it can be misleading to consider only the central city. It's much more meaningful to use the metro population. For example, the population of Miami proper is less than 400k, but the metro area is over 6 million.
Canadian here. The reason many of our cities’ downtown cores look larger than a lot of the American cities which actually are larger but don’t look it is because in Canada we have begun moving away from the traditional American urban planning of downtown core surrounded by suburbs and instead are pushing for density as people opt more for living/working in the same area and the convenience and lifestyle that comes with it. Mixed use planning is extremely common (retail/commercial street level, residential above) very inspired by Vancouver’s model of urban planning. Vancouver has done this extremely well, and the surrounding cities or suburbs are now building their own large “downtown cores” around public transit hubs. Getting people to drive less and walk snd use transit more.
That really only applies to Toronto and Vancouver for they have no real Estate. I live in Edmonton, and we along with Calgary sprawl like weed as two major cities in our country. I can't imagine Ottawa or Montreal are that urbanized either.
Vancouver is the most beautiful city I have ever visited. It looks like a great place to live. I would move there if I could.
Central Canada has a longer and colder winter than the USA. Living in a high-rise apartment building there would make a lot of sense in those conditions.
@@MrDEWaters Surprisingly, it is the opposite ,with exceptions to Greater Toronto and Vancouver, where our cities sprawl quite alarmingly.
@@timothychung4811 Montreal & Ottawa are extremely walkable
Pittsburgh is the most underrated city in the nation when it comes to beauty... glad you placed it in your Top 5. The yellow bridges, the gothic architecture, the water... it’s an incredible city.
Dolfanchambers84,
I always loved Pittsburgh, with their great hills to view the city from. Unfortunately, I've only been there once, but have always been impressed by it's interesting triangle shape. I also like the fact that it's a cool city that is in a very rural area (isn't Goblers Notch nearby ?)
Fun Fact: Stephan King based the book version of "Christine" in Pittsburgh.
@@mousetreehouse6833 Gobblers Knob is located in Punxsutawney and its about an hour and half outside Pittsburgh .
Idk. It’s a cool one but I definitely think it was ranked too high. It’s not better than San frans by any means.
We finally got there 3 years ago and fell in love with Pittsburgh. Can’t wait to get back there.
It’s skyline is quite small though
Chicago and Pittsburgh are the best!!! Driving into Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt tunnel is breathtaking. You come out of the tunnel, onto a bridge and all of the sudden, downtown is right in front of you! Stunning!
That’s by far the best vantage point for Pittsburgh
But I hate tunnels lol
Yinz'll be impressed n'at. That's Dahntahn!
@@christophermoran7429 The tunnel view is awesome, but so is the view from Grandview Avenue - appropriately named!
Also from Mt Washington and the incline, it is spectacular! I think Vancouver is more spectacular than Toronto, too, as it has those beautiful mountains and lots of water. It is my favorite city in North America, and I have been to all 50 states, and every province, except PEI & Newfoundland.
Miami's skyline looks much more impressive at night...
i live in miami and you are so right
Miami's skyline should be in the Top 10. It currently ranks 3rd. in skyscrapers over 500+ feet / 152+ meters in the US.
@@xoxxobob61 i agree
@@thevictors6724 When you drive out of South Beach on the MacArthur Causeway over the bridge to Miami the skyline is nothing short of Impressive.
@@xoxxobob61 I know it’s a beautiful area
I’ve traveled quite a bit, Chicago is the most breathtaking and beautiful
True
i live an hour away in south east wisconsin, driving down I-94 straight into the skyline never gets old
I drive to ohare airport yearly and the night city is huge and seems to be never ending when driving through it
It's great that you show Canada so much love!
It's funny how hearing him discuss populations really highlights the difference between how Canada and the US calculate where metro areas begin and end.
Who knew about Edmonton? I’m a Canada fan..nice people.
@@RM-sd2jx Our family has lived in Edmonton since 1920. Thanks for the mention.
Born and raised in Dallas, no one calls Reunion Tower "Gods Microphone."
I've lived in San Antonio for 25 years and I have never heard Dallas' Reunion Tower referred to as a microphone
Never in my life either lol. If anything, everyone calls it “the ball.”
I’ve only ever heard the ball or reunion tower
Born and raised here for 45 years, I’ve never heard that. It’s either “The Ball” or Reunion Tower.
No one all the Reunion Tower that. Where did you get your facts from?
New York and Chicago stand brightly in the world because both cities showcase numerous examples of all phases of 20th Century high rise architecture. Both cities downtowns are immense monuments to the American Golden Age. I remember their great arrogant power. Kind of like London, Paris, and St Petersburg in the 19th Centuries, or the great 21st Century Chinese cities.
I live in Dallas, TX and this is the first time I’ve ever heard Reunion Tower called “God’s Microphone” lol
Same here. I've eaten in the rotating restaurant in REUNION TOWER.
@@richardjohnson8197 ive always called it the spinny tower
Me too, I’m actually from Fort Worth but I’ve never heard it called that. Definitely going to start though lol.
My older sisters called it the giant fireball when they were very little, and I called it the Microphone 🤣🤣
@@christianherrera4729 I called it a microphone when I was like 4-5
As a well traveled Englishman having a large family who moved all over the world after WW2, I try to visit as many as I can.
I visited family in North Chicago near edgewater around 5 years ago and the greatest, most breathtaking view/drive I’ve ever seen is going south on lake shore drive…just incredible.
I fell in love with the city after that, I just wish it wasn’t impossible to get a working visa, otherwise I’d be there right now.
English? As in your ancestors are native to England?
Hope you can make it back soon!
As a proud New Yorker I am amazed by the city daily. It really is incredibly to see. The very definition of a vertical city, and you would never expect a city that values every inch that dearly to have a park as absolutely colossal as central park smack dab in the middle. If you havent gone, go. You wont be disappointed.
Even Jersey City's skyline across the Hudson beats out most downtowns
@@VidaBlue317 if it was able to stand alone
I love Chicago’s skyline, especially at night when you’re heading south into downtown on the Kennedy Expressway. It’s just massive. I also was in Pittsburgh last year and found its skyline and setting to be gorgeous as well.
Even better is heading north on Dan Ryan after 55. It curves at an angle and you get an amazing view of the entire downtown area!
First time I saw chicago's skyline I was driving from home (Minneapolis) to the east coast. It was pretty cool. I wouldn't describe it as beautiful, but it was damn impressive.
After driving through the night, I arrived in New York City.
Pittsburgh may be best
Wow! Thanks for this video. It’s refreshing to know that there’s someone else who appreciates a good skyline on a city! 🙂
It really is refreshing. Lolll I thought I had a problem because I’m so interested in skylines and didn’t really think it was something that other people are into. I literally used to think I was weird cuzza my obsession over them lolll
@@KingSkIpDaGoat your not weird it's good to be interested in skylines.
Cities Skylines players appreciate good skylines as well
Join your skyscraper forums. Lots of like minded people.
This is why I'm happy I grew up in Colorado. I have my appreciation for mountains and nature but am fascinated by cities and there skylines.
I felt the same way about Chicago, been there three times already and each time I love it more. The skyline is also stunning at night. Beautiful city.
I agree, especially at night. I’m lucky to see it whenever I want.
As a Chicagoan, my favorite is riding the Brown Line L train around the loop and passing the buildings. Really beautiful site.
@@huntrrams I would say the best view and its not even close, is the orange line, the train takes a curve from and to Roosevelt giving a round view of the entire skyline, at night its just inspiring to say the least
@@chicago4tw438 same I live here and was born here chicago is home home love my city and county imo we have the best skyline in the country and North America
I’ve lived in Phoenix all my life and I blame the Airport. It just doesn’t allow for more larger buildings. It’s too close to downtown.
It should’ve been like Chicago or Houston. The airports aren’t close to where the skyscrapers are. When I took a flight and had to stop and Chicago to wait for another flight, I was so excited to see skyscrapers and stuff but I didn’t see any at all.
@@worstgamer1162 if you’re ever on the Dan Ryan Expressway, you have one of the best views of the skyline. It looks incredible, especially at night
Pheonix is in the middle of a desert. No matter how far away the airport is, the city wouldn't grow much larger due to the climate. not many people would enjoy living in a hot dry desert 24/7.
@@peepeetrain8755 phoenix is the most rapidly growing city in the us
The San Diego airport is right next to downtown. That hasn't prevented the development of skyscrapers, just forced height limits. But many people are living in those downtown towers now, mostly in East Village and Little Italy.
seeing chicago’s skyline from the shedd aquarium is absolutely breathtaking
Quebec City would make it for one reason: the Chateau Frontenac and the topography.
The best cities often have either water or topography working for it.... Vancouver is gorgeous, Seattle similar. Most shocking US skyline for me as someone who has been to most of these is Cincinnati when you come down the hill from Covington. I put this WAY up just because of that view
I agree - the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is an impressive sight.
LOVE that you included Pittsburgh... one of the most beautiful cities in the US!
I wouldn't say that for the whole city, but it's getting a lot better fast!
The city is one of the fastest growing now a days with the job market. Building wise it is not going as fast as some would like. But with our specialty steel, medical, plastic, technology, arts, education, and sports we are seeing a lot of growth. Plus now gambling is starting up with legalized casinos, not to mention our food, and music scenes are on the rise.
Coming out of those tunnels for the first time or coming down the hill around that curve on 376......amazing.
@@johnloughner6572 I heard population was still declining in Pittsburgh.
@@californiamade5608 according to census’ it is, but living in Pittsburgh, there’s more construction than every before (there used to be none lol) and you can just tell it’s growing again.
I live not too far from Chicago, so I go there about 3-4 times every year, and my mind is still blown every time I see that skyline. It’s so huge with so many different buildings, both old and new. They’re also constantly building more, so it changes as time goes on. I always love taking an architecture tour on the Chicago river, as it provides some breathtaking views, as well as the history behind each skyscraper. While I still like New York better (and Toronto is pretty close to it as well), it’s easily one of the best in the world
Honestly, I like Chicago's skyline better than New York's. New York's is TOO big, impossible to frame well. Also, there's not as much color in the New York skyline as there is in the Chicago skyline.
The one thing the New York and Chicago have that no other skyline anywhere in the world has or ever will have, although Philly and Detroit has a little of it, is history. The collection of buildings make the 2 cities architectural museums. From the birth of skyscrapers to Art Deco to minimalism, brutalism, modern architecture, etc... Asian cities and Dubai can try to compete in a skyscraper arms race, but New York and Chicago will always stand alone for this reason.
I agree. New York has thankfully kept some of their best old buildings, while meshing th with newer styles. I wish they had kept the old Penn Station. That looked incredible in pictures I've seen
Boston is like that too, but unfortunately is held back by the fact that Chicago and New York are significantly better skylines. Boston is great, but doesn’t compare
@@matthewtaylor1785 I'm no expert on Boston, but what it lacks in skyline, it makes up for in gorgeous neighborhoods
@@VidaBlue317 oh you’re 100% right on that. While I’ve only been there once that is one of the main things I remember about it and why it’s in my top 3 favorite cities (behind New York and Toronto). I plan on going back finally next year to find out if I’m right
@@matthewtaylor1785 Part of the issue is that Toronto, New York, and Chicago are mostly in a line compared to Boston, which is clustered.
Seeing the Cincinnati skyline come into view as you drive north from Kentucky is pretty awesome.
I actually love the LA skyline, when you include the whole Panorama. Sure the downtown might not have as many or as tall of buildings as other cities, but it really puts in perspective just how HUGE and varied the whole area is. The little satellite cities like Century or Long Beach, the mountains, the hills, the ocean...maybe I'm biased being from the west coast, but I think it's pretty cool!
Before all of the construction building new skyscrapers in the downtown over the past 5 years, Los Angeles was very disappointing and underwhelming. Now?! After all of the additions of new skyscrapers?? Los Angeles FINALLY is starting to look like a major competitor! Wasn't too impressed with LA 5 or 6 years ago. Today? I love how DTLA looks! It's a massive improvement.
its ok but much better now OFC due to the restrictions for Earthquakes its spread out
I am a Denver native born in 1970. I remember when our metro didn't even have a million. My mom came to Denver in the late 60's from Long Beach, CA. She would make fun of Denver and say "Denver is a cowtown and it will always be a cowtown". She is 78 and doesn't drive. I took her around the city and she was astonished at all of the building. She didn't even recognize the city anymore. I have always thought Denver's skyline was impressive. Not only do we have our main downtown, about 6 miles southeast along I-25 is another conglomerate of high rises. Then along that same stretch about four more miles down is a huge conglomerate of buildings on average of about 22 stories tall. All of this with the light rail running along I-25 and gridlock rush hour traffic makes Denver look absolutely freaking huuuuge!
I know. Denver has a really cool downtown. I've been there multiple times. I'm a Coloradan also
i also live in denver
Chicago is beautiful
Kahinur Nessa and remind me... where are you from?
Kahinur Nessa lol ur probably from like Gary Indiana lmao.
iGarbage City destroyed his career lol
Kahinur Nessa lol we’re you from Englewood or something 😂 the Gold Coast is where I’m from and I think everyone can agree that’s it’s better than Dallas
@@brooksboules9032 Yeah Chicago is great, it's my favorite US city I've been to. I think the skyline is even better than NYC.
As a native of Cincinnati I am always impressed by out of towners coming into the city from the CVG airport in Northern Kentucky, and traveling down the CUT IN THE HILL as we refer to it.....especially at night with the entire city lite up.....its always like ....WOW..didn't know Cincy was such a pretty and big met area......yeah she sparkles really well for her age....!!
Although there aren t as many highrises as in some other cities, the Gateway Arch makes the St. Louis skyline spectacular and one of a kind.
I first saw it while riding in a car over the Eads Bridge shortly after it was completed. One of the 2 or 3 truly great pieces of post-WW II monumental public art in the U.S.
St. Louis actually has a more impressive downtown skyline than most people know. Most all of the photos of downtown STL are centered on the Arch and are taken from the East. From that perspective, especially when taken at river level, most of the high rises and skyscrapers are left out. When you see downtown from the south, north, or west, you see more of the buildings and get a better perspective of the cluster.
Still, the skyscrapers are a bit spaced out and the skyline would be more impressive if they had been built closer together.
Like many big cities, St. Louis has a secondary “downtown” area in Clayton. As a suburb, Downtown Clayton actually has a pretty impressive skyline, one that rivals stand alone cities like Des Moines, Wichita, or Omaha.
I grew up near Philly and I lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years, and when there isn't a rampant pandemic, I still get to both places quite often.
One thing I would suggest: go to a Pittsburgh Pirates game, even if you aren't a baseball fan.
If you are sitting in an upper level seat near the home plate area, you get an amazing view of the downtown skyline.
Walking along the river from the Heinz Field area looks really nice as well.
And I do like how when you come from the east or the south, you have to go through tunnels and it feels like the city has an entrance.
Chicago is a clean and classy version of new york.
Yea it’s not bad I do believe it can get better one day once we fix the crime issue
More like a clean classy version of Toronto
Just like how Chicago’s “pizza” is better too?
Your crime rate may disagree with you on that one
LA’s skyline is so depressing I used to think that SF was bigger when I was younger.
As a Chicagoan i was amazed when i saw Dallas's skyline at night
Ditto. It was fabulous at night. Unfortunately I was driving and couldn't really stare at it, but what I saw was great!
Chicago’s is one of the best for good reason, beautiful architecture that isn’t just boring boxes you see in other places and the city never looks the same when visit it again
We’re called the birthplace of the skyscraper
Louis Sullivan is mainly responsible for the development of the Skyscraper. He came up with the idea of using a steel frame to make up the structure of a building instead of bearing masonry walls. He was a famous Chicago architect.
👍
I can't believe St. Louis didn't make this list. Did I blink and miss it? Yes, it's not that dense, but it's very iconic!
I came here to say the same thing! This guy has clearly never tried the toasted ravoli. ;)
I feel like without the arch it would be pretty average. I still agree, it should be on this list!
idk it’s just the arch… not much of a skyline
St louis has the arch and busch stadium... barely anything else
@@michaelsuzio4364 St. Louis has a lot of older architecture that isn't really in the skyline, except for the Courthouse.
My favorites that I've seen in person are Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati.
I've been to Chicago probably 50 times and the view of the skyline always amazes me. I haven't been to New York since before 9-11 so the skyline has dramatically changed. San Francisco is super impressive looking coming in on the bridge. I was amazed at how huge Miami's skyline is. Even though it's mostly condo buildings the way it stretches along the coast is beautiful. The most impressive view of Detroit's skyline is from across the river in Canada, especially at night. The view of Cincinnati coming north on 75 in the cut in the hill is always an impressive sight to see.
I absolutely love San Francisco’s skyline! It is incredible
True! It’s really cool seeing them from down the hills!
That view from the GG Rec Area in Marin is fabulous! It is an extremely photogenic city, until you get to all the govt-created slums and shantytowns. Very sad how idiot politicians have killed a great city!
@@jdhjimbo it’s still a beautiful city. Stop involving politics
@@californiamade5608 Politics has a lot to do with the quality of life in any city, and that quality of life has gone down a great deal in the past 50 years. It also has become a city inaccessible to the middle class. Its terrible politics is exactly what created that, and the politicians seem oblivious to the problems.
Especially from a boat on the Bay at night.
I used to live in Nashville TN and driving into downtown on Charlotte Pike/US-70 there is a wonderful little hill you drop off of and the Skyline goes from completely invisible to full splendor in seconds. I found it an inspiring view and it made me happy every time I experienced it.
I remember flying from Newark to Toronto. As soon as we started flying over Lake Ontario a huge obelisk appeared just north of the plane, a few seconds later the rest of it came into view and that's when I realized it was the CN Tower, finally the rest of the downtown Toronto skyline came into focus. It was amazing.
canada doesnt have as many large cities so skyscrapers are concentrated
Glad you got Toronto so high up in the list! The projects that are being planned along Lake Ontario are looking so good, I’m completely ready to see it on top in the future!
Amazing video by the way, I wish there were more videos on these topics!
As much as Toronto is growing, nobody will ever take over NYC...lol. I believe in 10 years we'll be a solid second. The other thing about Toronto, is that it's very spread out. For example, two of the tallest building are way up in North York so you don't even see them in the the skyline. Even some of the big ones near Yonge and Dundas and Yonge and Bloor can't be seen from the view off the lake.
I hope they get Rail Deck Park built ASAP which would add a ton of greenspace to the waterfront. That's much needed with all the new residents coming in. Also, the many railroad tracks and Gardiner Expressway are huge physical barriers disconnecting the Waterfront from the Financial District. Rail Deck Park would go a long way to reconnecting those areas.
They desperately need more subway lines as well. They should've had something like the Ontario Line decades ago and I fear more bickering and delays will kill it again.
@@eriklakeland3857 I actually like seeing the railroad tracks that lead into Union station...lol, but rail deck park will be built very soon and cover it up. It will look pretty cool though, making us even more like a mini NY with a big park right in the middle of downtown.
Biking through Detroit, New York and Chicago has been some of the experiences of my life
Driving through the fort Pitt tunnel into Pittsburgh is breathtaking. Goes from nothing to being slapped in the face with skyscrapers
I live in eastern Allegheny County and when I bring new visitors from the airport through the Fort Pitt Tunnel, they can't believe the view, especially at night.
Frl
Yes it was my surprise and selling point of Pittsburgh...only city I know with an entrance like that
@@athleticguy15 The best time to come through the Fort Pitt Tunnel is at evening (nautical?) twilight, when blue light illuminates all the west-facing glass on PPG Place, which is front and center when you emerge from the tunnel.
Love my Cincinnati!
Vancouver is probably my favorite city period right now.
San Fran is one of my favorite cities too and I think they need two or three more sky scrappers for their skyline
When I first saw Pittsburgh I was blown away
Toronto is massive and surprising
Same! I love everything about Vancouver, the liberal vibe, and the skyline is my personal favorite in North America and maybe in the world
San Francisco has proposed a 992 foot tower and they have a stalled project that was supposed to be 910 feet, waiting on a buyer. Then the other one is called parcel F at 806 feet. It is suppose to break ground before the end of this year.
@@californiamade5608 ok ok I can't wait to see how it turns out
Can't wait to see San Francisco skyline in Ten
more years @@californiamade5608
Thanl you for putting Cincinnati in the top 20. I have always loved the skyline, especially coming into the city from Kentucky. Also agree that Vancouver and Pittsburgh are beautiful
The Brooklyn Bridge look-a-like is also impressive, which you now can see from the Great American ballpark, too. I always liked seeing Cinci on I-75 coming from No Ky. It is also a handy downtown to get around.
Cincinnati's skyline is so underrated in my opinion. Then again, I live near there, so maybe I'm biased.
@@TheOneGuy1111 Cincinnati overall is pretty underrated. I love Fountain Square, the ballparks on the river, and the downtown cultural attractions, along with breakfast at First Watch. I often stayed in Blue Ash for business, but on pleasure trips, I liked the downtown core and one of the great hotels there.
Nice list, I enjoyed watching this. I love the skylines of the Northeast U.S. (Boston, NY, Philadelphia) as the dense mix of old historic buildings and shiny new buildings make for a unique and attractive downtown. Like some others, I would have liked to see some Central American cities make the list. I'm not sure how I feel about Miami's or Honolulu's skyline. The buildings are abundant and tall but there's something strange about the design that is offputting.
Panama City, Panama has a worthy skyline for this list.
Miami, Honolulu and Vancouver all have a lot of condos in their skylines. I don't like them either, and personally I wouldn't have put Honolulu in this list at all. But as he said, it's all a matter of taste
The only worthy skyline in CA would be Panama 🇵🇦
That’s it …
Yeah, Honolulu’s skyline is just a bunch of boxes. Sure, there’s a lot of them but nothing stands out. Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean are a gorgeous backdrop, but the architecture isn’t impressive.
St. Louis would have been a better choice.
The best view of Pittsburgh's skyline is from the vantage point from home plate inside PNC Park. Whoever the architect of this baseball park was, he/she was a genius! It's the most beautiful ballpark with one of the most beautiful skylines in north America just over the right field wall.
The view of Pittsburgh, PA from Mt. Washington or the reveal when exiting the Liberty Tunnel (Tubes) is breathtaking!!!!
And Pgh skyline is designed to angle from tallest building (now UPMC) to The Point.
The Dallas skyline is underrated. I always enjoy the opening credits to the Dallas TNT series.
The best view of the Chicago skyline is from the Adler Planetarium, especially at night. Chicago’s lakefront is open and has free beaches and parks running the length of the city, unlike some cities where the downtown feels like a wall of buildings.
Absolutely. I just visited Chicago and was blown away by the immense, soaring skyline. And you nailed it, downtown Chicago welcomes you in. It’s a beautiful area that was made for living, working, and enjoying the city.
Surprisingly clean, landscaped, and manicured for such a huge metropolis. Such beautiful sprawling parks and public spaces. It’s like Chicago actually wants you to stay there, instead of just heading out to the suburbs.
I was today years old when I realised Montreal is french for royal mountain.
If you ever go there, you can climb it, too.
Well no. Montréal comes from the french for mount royal, which is Mont-Royal
Mont Royal is an ancient volcanic neck and you see two more in the flat farm land to the south off in the distance. Seeing a "Mountain" on an island city makes it unique
that's extremely cringy
@@serbansaredwood True, but the even older french is Mont-Real
Glad you mentioned Edmonton and Calgary. Worthy of the list.
I do wish they were a bit higher since he called a few cities above them disappointing.
@@TheObsidianX But that was disappointing relative to their size, that doesn't mean they are necessarily worse. NYC and London are of similar populations, but looking at the skyline you'd assume NYC is substantially larger
@@bigbabado8296 Doing the flight back from NYC to Toronto is only 1 hour; you fly directly over Manhattan. Manhattan makes Toronto's downtown core seem tiny in comparison.
Calgary's looks better on a clear day with Rocky Mountains in background. Didn't show that in your pictures.
Cap, they kinda looked boring. It should have been Nashville
Great video, I was really hoping you were going to put Pittsburg and Vancouver on the list because they too are some of my favorite skylines, and of course they were on the list ironically one after another
I had seen NYC, L.A., Chicago and a plethora of other skylines before I saw Dallas. Dallas has a phenomenal skyline. The first time I saw it I was absolutely speechless.
I second this. It looks MUCH better in person and from ground level. Also, the stock pictures never show all of the buildings lit up. I live in Dallas and my absolute favorite thing is when the Reunion Tower “blinks/flashes” to the beat of my music. Really hard not to speed down the highway when that happens. Lol
When driving to or through Pittsburgh it is almost worth it to go through Fort Pitt Tunnel just for the amazing view of the city. It's even better at night when the city is all lit up.
Great video. I've been to NYC so many times and I am blown away every time. The views of the skyline from Brooklyn and New Jersey are unreal. The bridges add to the skyline too.
Agree with how impressive the Western Canadian cities are. I think you underrated LA (well framed with the mountains and also fast growing), Minneapolis (clearly the second best of the Midwest), Atlanta and Houston (for the same reason being the skylines make both cities seem MASSIVE) and definitely Charlotte. I’m biased as a North Carolinian, but Charlotte has the third best skyline in the Southeast (counting Florida but not Texas) several of the buildings are super tall, and more infill projects are on the way.
But my favorite skyline is Chicago. Yes, New York has more buildings, but Chicago’s really has more of a wow factor when you first see it, especially if you take one of those architectural boat tours along the river.
I’m fascinated with Geography and your videos are so interesting, thank you for posting so much amazing material !!
Driving into Ohio on I-75 gives you an incredible view of downtown Cincinnati. It literally looks like the golden city on the hill from that angle.
Glad you gave Cincinnati some love!
Looks so good at night coming North on I-75 Northern Kentucky cut in the hill.
Great video, keep the uploads coming. Mexico is part of North America as well and was somewhat surprised it wasn't included on your list. I don't know if you considered cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, or Guadalajara but I think any of these could have been worthy additions considering some of the development they're undergoing as well as the juxtapositions they offer to their surroundings. Regardless, love your content!
Thanks. I did consider the major 3 Mexican cities and although they have had a lot of improvements and development I don't think the visual skylines are quite up to the level of the major American and Canadian cities yet. I actually was going to make this video a top 50 but it would've dragged on way too long. I had Monterrey at 28, Mexico City at 31, and Guadalajara at 35. I didn't want to leave Mexico out but I just couldn't quite fit one of those cities in.
Also the distribution of skyscrapers in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara is very different and skylines are formed in any part of the cities instead of concentrating on a single point as in American cities, we can observe this very well in Ciudad Mexico where skyscrapers are built in several financial districts, in the center as Reforma, in the south as Insurgentes or in the mountains as Santa Fe and Interlomas.
Mexico City, IMO, would be in the top 6 or 7 NA skylines. Guadalajara and Monterrey somewhere between 10 and 15. Panama City, Panama would be in the top 5.
SuperRack The skylines in Mexico are very different and are still too new. Give it more time and they’ll look like more complete. Mexico City doesn’t really have a skyline because all of its buildings are in different locations. Same goes for Monterrey although the mountains make it the most unique of the three. Guadalajara has a better skyline but it isn’t developed well enough to be put on the list. It’s neighboring city, Zapopan has a decent skyline with unique buildings but it’s rather small compared to the mega skylines in US and Canada. The skylines in US and Canada are in the city cores and they are called downtowns while in Mexico the downtowns are the historic centers (which is cool) and the buildings are located in newer areas (reminds me of Paris).
Yeah I get the Mexican cities maybe but he didn’t include Panama City either which has a great skyline. Also Honolulu technically isn’t in the North American continent, just in the US.
Revisit Detroit within 5 years. There's lots of new developments going up in downtown capped by the Hudson site project.
@@redgrapeskins chicago/new york/etc fan aren't you. Laugh all you want, but detroit (at least downtown/mudtown/new center) has a lot happening right now. Took my mother through there a few months before she died and she didn't recognize it then and she worked at the old Hudson department store for quite a few years back in the day. With all the buildings that were torn down and others built in its place (esp the last 10-20 years) it's changed quite a bit. It's my hometown and I'm proud of the city and proud to have been born there. If a job came about id move there in a heartbeat. Is it perfect? Hell no far from it, but I'd pick detroit over chicago/new york/LA/Houston/etc in a heartbeat
That Des Moines joke at the end made me scream hahaha
I know I was like wtf, he's gotta be joking
Another great video!
My favorite underrated skyline in North America is Duluth. It is absolutely the kind of skyline that makes the city feel much larger than it is, and because of the location where Duluth is placed against a steep hill, you end up with this gorgeous linear density along the shores of Lake Superior, with a gorgeous backdrop of a hill where you can view the whole city from. It is rare to have a small city with such a defining skyline and recognizable look that people all over the country and world can go "That's Duluth."
I would love to see a small city skyline tier list! Some of my other favorites include Wausau, WI, and Champaign-Urbana, IL!
Glad to see Vancouver on the list. Never been there but it’s my favorite
You should visit one day! Tons to do here
When you described Atlanta or LA, it reminded me about Tokyo, which doesn't have a good skyline because of historic earthquakes and multiple downtowns, but it is an awesome city. I live in Pittsburgh which has an awsome skyline, but the downtown is boring as hell, all of the cool neighborhoods are on the outskirts and have mid to low rise buildings. This just means you should never judge a city by it's skyline as great cities can have underwhelming skylines, and the reverse can be true as well.
Wow very good observation, I been to both Tokyo and Atlanta and they both have spread out skylines. I thought I was the only one who noticed that.
True
Earthquakes don’t have anything to do with it.
I was waiting to hear St louis 😪 I personally love the skyline but the arch kinda dwarfs all the skyscrapers. Great vid, keep em coming
Toronto has the same problem with the CN Tower. Most people don't realize how tall some of the buildings are because the CN Tower dwarfs everything else.
yeah the Arch should have catapulted St. Louis above many of the others. I'd think top 10.
I could not believe cities like Honolulu were included but not St. Louis! The skyline is beautiful and is even better now with the huge Ferris wheel they just built.
It's beautiful. I'm super sad it's not here. If we're after Reunion Tower or the Space Needle or whatever's going on in Vegas, the Arch should get a pass.
Yeah...sort of a bogus list when Detroit is on the list as one of the top 25 skylines, but St. Louis is not. Sure, St. Louis has its issues, but it really does have a beautiful skyline.
I’m so happy you included Pittsburgh. The train I worked on (Capitol Limited) went through the city westbound at night. The first time I saw it way back in the 80’s I was very impressed. The “Castle Tower” by Phillip Johnson is iconic.
Good video Kyle. Maybe Detroit will look a little better once the new Hudson’s Tower goes up along with Gordie Howe Bridge, which will just be a little south of The Ambassador bridge.
Yes. A nice looking bridge can make a huge difference for the overall look of the city.
Glad you included Pittsburgh. Leaving the city at night on the train to Chicago offers a great view of the skyline.
Houston has 3 distinct skylines. You mentioned downtown and the med center but you did not mention the Galleria/uptown skyline, in which the 3rd tallest building in the city is. Houston’s skyline is a monster when viewed from afar, like from the San Jacinto monument because you see all 3 distinct skylines merge into one.
Amazing that he mentioned some of the smaller skylines of other cities then completely skipped over some of our other major skylines. Uptown was an obvious miss, but Greenway Plaza, Memorial, and the Energy Corridor are also up there (tho obviously not as big).
Plus, our third tallest in the city in Uptown-Williams Tower-is the tallest building outside of a CBD at least in the US, if not North America, and at one point the world. It’s also incredibly gorgeous.
Thank you...I been to most the American cities and few have the large feeling houston has when coming in from 45 or 59...especially In the late evening...ps I can’t stand Dallas lol
Atlanta has the same issue as it has 4 skylines - downtown, midtown, buckhead, and perimeter. I think it is pretty common with metro areas with lots of room to grow.
Greenway Plaza is a nice little area.
Dallas also has little pockets of highrises along the DNT and 75.
Yes, when I visited Houston it gobsmacked me that we’d drive and drive and keep encountering separate skylines. It seemed like there were more than three. Never saw that anywhere else.
I like your humor. Des Moines as #1 gave me the laugh I needed today. Thanks Des Moines' has a good cleanliness to it though.
Thank you!
I’m not even gonna lie, i visited Des Mooney son the way to Rushmore last year, and I was shocked by how pretty it was. Obviously not a top 25 skylines, but still a cool city….. wait a minute I’m talking about Lincoln Nebraska lol
Cedar point is the best skyline in america
Love taking my boat to the beach west of cedar point
Top Thrill Dragster acts as their skyscraper lol
Even if you're not a fan of thrill rides, that trip on the causeway out to Cedar Point peninsula provides some iconic views.
Hell yeah
Touche
I wish my hometown of Cincinnati had placed higher- we named one of our famous chili chains after our Skyline, after all- most of its power as a skyline is how it appears all at once, in an instant, when you come around the cut-in-the-hill while driving in from Kentucky. And it’s such a nice collection of bridges, stadiums, old and new architecture.
I live in Edmonton and yes we have a gorgeous skyline but I was not expecting it to be on this list!
With the ice district coming into form it will even better in 5-10 years
yes, with Stantec and jp Marriott even better
I love San Francisco and New York City. Lived in both. The skylines of those two cities give me a thrill every time I visit.
Detroit has a few new ones under construction by Bedrock Industries including the Hudson Site (approx 700-70ft) and the Monroe Block, a series of 3-5 shorter, though still tall, buildings.
No offence but Detroit probably has one of the ugliest downtowns and street condition quality in North America. Lived there for one year and was a huge disappointment.
I've always loved seeing city skylines since I was a kid. The architecture of a city is its heart and soul. Every building breathes life into a city and brings to it a flavor. I was very interested in hearing your list and found it pretty good. I would, however, think about some other skylines to add to it: 1. I love Nashville's growing skyline. Slow but sure it has added more and more flavor to its base. 2. Kansas City is pretty cool and has some of those older buildings that you mentioned in some of your list. 3. Austin has a nice, growing skyline as well; buildings that make it stand out. 4. Portland OR is growing as well and has come along nicely. The backdrop of Mt. Hood helps it out. Those are my additions from the US. However, again, you said North America, so I would add: 1. Monterrey, Mexico, which is quite beautiful. 2. Guadalajara, Mexico. Again, quite cool. 3. Mexico City...some really nice architecture there. It does fit into that category where you would expect there to be more based on the extremely large population, but I think earthquakes and volcanoes have an effect on that. 4. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. For a small, shared island nation, it has a beautiful skyline. Lastly, 5. Panama City, Panama! How could you leave that one out? :) It has one of the most impressive skylines in the Americas! It's amazing that such a small nation could create a skyline. :) Thanks for letting me add my two cents. A fellow lover of skylines and architecture. Oh, by the way, I think there are plenty small city skylines that are quite cool, too. :)
One other cool thing about the Chicago skyline is the variety in architecture. You can pick any two buildings and they'll have more than a few notable differences.
I kayaked through chicago this weekend and it really gives a different perspective on the buildings and city when you're down that low on the river. I highly recommend giving it a try if you live around here
Seattle has by far the best skyline in my opinion. All the skyscrapers are arranged so that the skyline looks amazing from whichever angle you look at it. It also looks different depending on where you are- space needle and backdrop with the mountain if you look at it from Kerry Park. Then the Colombia tower takes centre stage when you look at it from the I5 freeway
The Seattle skyline is especially impressive when you approach it via ferry from one of the islands or the Kitsap peninsula.
I love your videos Kyle. Super informative and easy to understand format.
Chicago has the cleanest downtown than any city and skyline especially at night
I agree
yes it’s only clean at night mostly😁😁makes ton of sence😁😁😁
The Magnificent Mile and Gold Coast areas are wonderful, but do not stray too far south or west, if you value safety!
I was also surprised by how clean Boston was, and how dirty Austin was.
Edit* Also very surprisingly Philadelphia was much cleaner than I expected
as a Canadian, glad to see so many of our cities made the list. Urban living is possibly more predominant here than in the US which is why we have bigger skylines than the populations suggest. A lot of people like to live and work downtown, but we still have suburbs, urban living isn't for everyone. Glad to see Pittsburgh also made the top ten, I've travelled to so many American cities in the list, of course you expect cities like New York and Chicago to be impressive, but the first time I came upon Pittsburgh I was just blown away by the skyline. One of my favourite American cities to travel to for sure, especially since it is only a 5 hour drive from Toronto.
Pittsburgh is a really nice skyline, especially with a entrance
Love seeing Detroit on the list! Even if though it’s a bit lower on the list, it’s still cool to see it! 👍🏾 Cheers from a Michigander (and Detroit native)!
Nobody calls reunion tower a Microphone, never heard that here in Dallas, and the pictures you used are old… Its missing so many skyscrapers plus uptown
I was thinking the exact same thing. Downtown looks so much different now. Those pics are old. I’ve also been in Dallas my whole life and never heard of the reunion tower being called gods microphone.
fax
Yea didn’t get any good shots of New York either
Yeah, Dallas have so many new skyscrapers.
He used old outdated pictures for all of the cities. It's almost like he went to the local library and photocopied these pics out of some old encyclopedias. Lol.
YEAH PITTSBURGH PA!!!
PITTSBURGH!
PITTSBURGH 🥵
My Top 5 that I've experienced in-person:
5. Denver
4. STL
3. Pittsburgh
2. New York
1. Chicago
Great list! I also really like Portland skyline when driving through, Baltimore on the harbor, Sacramento and Austin are smaller but unique, Kansas City and St Louis. Also including Mexico, Monterrey, Mexico City, and Guadalajara actually have really cool skylines, tbh
In my honest opinion, the most amazed I’ve ever been at a skyline was Chicago. Coming from a Charlottean.
I’m from Toronto and every time I would go up the CN tower as a kid and look out at the city I thought it was the biggest most beautiful thing in existence. When I went to Chicago and New York for the first time though, my tiny mind was blown away at how incredible they were in comparison.
I can understand NY, but you shouldn't be blown away at all by Chicago. It's barely bigger then Toronto, and Toronto will blow right past it in 5 years with all the new skyscrapers going up.
@@C-mac_in_the_6ix Uh...Chicago's metro area is BARELY bigger than Toronto by ONLY 2.6 million. Oh, and as of today's date, Chicago has 133 buildings over 150 m tall v. Toronto with only 78; Chicago has 6 supertalls (over 300 m) v. only 1 for Toronto (but only if you include CN Tower). And Chicago has a number of new skyscrapers going up too, so Toronto has a long way to go.
Ive seen the skylines in Chicago, NYC, and Pittsburgh. Chicago is breathtaking, Manhattan is majestic, and Pittsburgh is underrated
I feel like Nashville should have made the list. There are dozens of new high rises going up each year and the skyline there is changing so much year over year. With the iconic Batman building, Bridgestone arena, and the river that cuts right through the downtown area it is very beautiful and growing so much so fast!
It’s a small skyline
Disappointed to not see St. Louis crack this list. The Gateway Arch and riverfront setting is iconic as an immediately recognizable skyline.
Chicago skyline is the absolute best. Especially at night, after a White Sox night game especially it is relaxing. Everyone should see it at least once, I’m lucky I get to see it whenever I want.
I've been to almost all of these cities and I totally agree with your selections. Especially the top 4. NY, Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver, all of them are great cities to visit. St. Louis as a top 25 may have been in the running against a few of our choices.
Pittsburgh’s is the prettiest imo, along with Dallas
STL *definitely* deserved to be in that list’s top 10.
If you walk out to the end of Navy Pier or the Adler Planetarium and look at Chicago from the lake view it is incredible! Especially at night. Best architecture on this list by far.
I like how they included Denvers skyline , I do rideshare and people always compliment the city , saying it's clean , the buildings are nice , its bigger than they thought .
Good choices! I live in Vancouver and it gets me alot of love on Facebook when I post skyline and mountain pics. And Vancouver would have towers in the 1000 foot range if it were not for city regulations restricting height due to 'view corridors'.I heard someone say once re city size, " Toronto is 3 times the size of Vancouver, New York is 3 times the size of Toronto, and Sao Paolo, is 3 times the size of New York. Lol.
Glad to see number 1 and 2 in person nice video.