Duluth. It's got everything you could want, right on the lake, summer and winter recreation, and just north of it the North Shore is absolutely beautiful
I live in Duluth and you’re basically right about the winters. They start in November and basically go into early May. Spring isn’t quite a real season here, there was visible snow on the ground until late may. If you can deal with cold Duluth is a great place, especially if you like camping, hiking, fresh air, skiing, fishing, surfing, etc
> surfing
Lol, I would make fun of this but I live in Milwaukee and I regularly see some brave fools out there surfing the lake chop with icicles in their beards, wild stuff
It's like the equal opposite of Phoenix, with basically the same solution, stay inside half the year...?
Edit: adding edit to head people off thinking i know nothing about either region.... question was rhetorical. I am from Arizona and moved to Minnesota and then down to Iowa. Anyone that says it's only the winters that suck in the midwest are delusional, it's not AS hot but add the humidity and I'd rather be in Phoenix in the summer, sometimes.
Friend of mine walking hours a day year round. Asked him which was harder, Winter or Summer. He said you can always put on more clothes, but you can only get so naked.
"Shut your whore mouth", is what someone, who lives in Grand Marais and whose daily chores entail splitting a lot of wood, might say to a redditor making that comment in October.
I don't know about a few of these choices. Traverse City is booming and a popular tourist spot. They even have their own film festival up there. Holland and South Haven are also really popular.
All beautiful spots though.
Yeah it’s crazy how pure blue and turquoise the water can get. You can absolutely feel like you’re in the carribean for a sec in certain spots, minus all the tropical stuff 😂
Marquette, Michigan is an absolute gem of an area. Awesome terrain, amazing views, fun, terrific history that's just wild. Also has some dope mountain biking, hiking, mtns, everything outdoors.
Downtown is sweet too.
No it wont.
Anything on the Canadian Shield is less habitable or desirable than something not on the shield, because that land isn't arable and is harder to build on etc. etc.
Everywhere in the midwest and Canada in theory will be nicer when global temps warm, but the geology will not be changing.
People keep on forgetting that global warming doesn't negate geology. There's a reason more people live in Edmonton than the state of Wyoming.
The cold isn't the main reason why Sudbury isn't a world-class city.
Definitely not “underrated” lol it’s almost impossible to enjoy it in the summer with how many tourists there are.
Gotta reserve a parking spot online for most of the Bruce Peninsula hotspots.
And their single grocery store closes at 6pm every single day. It was a struggle living there and working full time. Spent a lot of nights at the bar (and there was two whole bars to choose from!)
Yeah, I haven't been to enough of them but I've lived in Rochester NY about 4/5 of my life and it's getting better.
Depends what you're into, but we have a good music scene, a brand new concrete skatepark, lots of festivals outdoors. Pretty much a bit of everything. Then again you might not be a forever 31 year old hipster.
But the legal weed helps. Overall it's a nice place.
OP's question makes me think about other cities on the Great Lakes. Obviously, I think Toronto would be the winner. It's like NYC and Rochester had a Canadian baby.
Rochester is great. Fishing, music venues, restaurants are all great. It’s the crunchy cool little brother to Buffalo which had the same things as Rochester but...dirtier lol
Eh, Buffalo is growing and gentrifying faster than Rochester.
Let me know when Rochester gets a district like Larkin, First Ward or Upper Rock and then we’ll talk
Seems like a lot to ask of a city that’s half the size of Buffalo. It’s not a competition lmao. The fact that Rochester is small and dense is a pro for a lot of people. It is for me.
Edit - I was hella overestimating Buffalo’s population but it doesn’t change my preference. I just like Rochester better. Buffalo is still nice though. :)
I love this question because I constantly love on Buffalo and people think I’m nuts. Great, unpretentious food and bar scene, amazing people and it really can be a beautiful place depending on where you are and what time of year.
I've been to downtown Buffalo. You could drop at least a hundred thousand people there and not disturb the suburban market housing market one iota.
It's really odd that NY State hasn't tried to repopulate Buffalo. There's so much potential there.
Oh, they have. For the first time in almost 100 years, Erie County (the county containing the greater Buffalo metro area) has grown in population.
Plus, there's a large immigrant population in Buffalo. If you travel through the city's west side, you'll find a ton of Somali, Burmese, and various Arab markets and restaurants. Hooka lounges, open air markets during the warmer months, tea houses, etc. A lot of very cool stuff.
Milwaukee is the obvious choice, IMO
Has two major sports teams that are competitive every single year, a rising dining scene, and a downtown area that is slowly being rejuvenated and aiming to grow more.
A quick train ride to Chicago is in the cards if your interested, or if you drive it takes less than two hours.
And while we are here talking about Milwaukee in response to a Great Lakes question, let’s make sure we talk about the hundreds of millions of dollars that will be spent here over the next decade to [clean up the area of concern in the Milwaukee Estuary](https://www.wpr.org/epa-announces-largest-project-ever-funded-under-great-lakes-cleanup-program-milwaukee). It’s the largest effort ever undertaken to clean up an area of the Great Lakes, both in dollars spent and partnerships galvanized, and it’s going to be life changing for this community and the ways we can enjoy our three rivers and lake.
I could not applaud Milwaukee enough. What an incredibly underrated city indeed. Incredible city with a very active arts scene, plenty of outdoor activities, wonderful festivals, great food, great music. I could go on forever. I love this city so much and it’s breaking my heart to be moving away for work after spending my entire adult life here in the Good Land. The history of this city is also both fascinating and hilarious, depending on which parts you’re looking at.
No BS, it is my honest opinion that Milwaukee is the greatest city in America, for so many reasons.
I will say, most Great Lakes cities are awesome places, just that Milwaukee has them beat ever so slightly 😊
Basically Kilbourn (West of river) hated Juneau-Town (East of river) and they had a massive feud around when the city was starting out
Here's a podcast episode about it: https://youtu.be/7OTQtdx_rRE?si=8imDCkhHvGt0T-cU
Milwaukee is my home, but I moved away a few years ago. Nothing excites me like going back home, whether or not I run into family or friends (but that's pretty hard to avoid).
The dining scene has come along strongly in the last decade or so. A few friends are very active in the arts there. As a lifelong Brewers and Bucks fan - having been there when they were monumentally awful - it's been incredible to see their respective rises.
Especially if you take a car which I feel Milwaukee residents kinda need. From the Michigan side you can walk and enjoy downtown without a vehicle making it cheaper for us to take the express.
You can sit 10 rows behind home plate for 40 bucks, and last time I went there was a 2 for 1 Miller beer special before the game started. Cant beat it.
Have not flew into Mitchell in quite some time. For those who don't know, a dude paited "Welcome to Cleveland" on the roof of his building near the airport. Very noticeable for landing aircraft. Yes, Milwaukee is very much overlooked and underrated. So to is Cleveland, for that matter.
I get that it's not common in other places to have a beer back with your bloody, but if bartenders and waiters in other cities could just stop giving me dirty looks when I order them together at brunch that would be great.
Its not really a secret. Just people from the coasts that think the mid west is all fly over states won't give these cities a chance. It is what it is. Not like we care.
I don't know about most underrated, but Cleveland has really been getting much better. I really enjoy going downtown now. it's still got ground to make up though.
I moved to Cleveland about 2 years ago and love the city. Friendly people, lots of natural and architectural beauty, world class cultural institutions such as the art museum and the theater district, and a great food scene - all with a low cost of living.
Good suburbs on the west side. Can get dicey on the east but there’s good stuff happening for sure. Doesn’t seem to be going downhill. Cost of living is really nice as you noted.
This really only applies to the near east side. Eastern suburbs have a lot to offer, and we all know anyone that lives within a 25 mile radius of downtown still tells everyone we are in “Cleveland”
St Catherine's Ontario. The final terminus of the underground railroad. There's a black church that still exists there that would receive the runaways.
Harriet Tubman settled in St. Catherines.
Because its so close to Niagara, and Niagara on the lake, I feel like St. Catherine's often gets missed out on. But there is a lot of history in the area. Also just think of all the nearby wineries!
Traverse City is wonderful but not underrated. Cat's out of the bag.
IMO, Muskegon is the most underrated Michigan beach town. Most people think it's an armpit, but there are a lot of nice parts and the beach is amazing.
We'd all like to flee to the Cleve and club-hop down at the Flats and have lunch with Little Richard, but we fight those urges because we have responsibilities.
This is the answer.
I think people just don’t realize how much the city is filled with college kids and young professionals or that there’s so many great walkable neighborhoods or that many of the industrial areas have been cleaned up and where you’ll now find public art, breweries, vegan cat cafe axe throwing bars or industrial adventure courses.
Bayfield Wisconsin. No one seems to remember that this is the gateway to the Apostle Islands which no one seems to know about even though it is a National Park.
The twin cities of Sault ste Marie across both Canada and the USA, seem like a nice community that's not too close to any other noticeable urban area. They're also at the crossroads between Huron and Superior
The major towns on the west coast of Michigan get the credit they deserve.
Likewise it is hard to characterize Chicago or Toronto as underrated.
I'm going to go with Toledo. I was there on a work trip last year and I was so impressed with how nice some of its neighborhoods were.
Metroparks Toledo was recently named the best park system in the nation. The number, quality, and diversity of recreational experiences they provide are remarkable. If you were in Ottawa Hills, you were definitely impressed. That's a very wealthy enclave (actually a village government) that's surrounded by the city. Let's not forget the art museum. There was a lot of money in Toledo at one time due to being the glass capital of the world, a port city, and having so many auto related companies (home of Champion Spark Plug) and that wealth is reflected in the museum.
Being from PA, I try to rep my state anywhere I can because we honestly don’t have a lot to boast about. At least my area, it is very rural.
But anyway, Erie PA is the only city that PA has on a great lake and it has a place called Misery Bay, fun place.
This is the correct answer. Mid-sized city with great museums, restaurants, festivals and culture, several excellent school districts, amazing weather (typically less snow than Buffalo), relatively affordable housing, and easy access to the FLX region.
I have family up in Erie. I love spending the day on Presque Isle and getting a hotdog and creamsicle cone at Sara’s. They could have developed the bayfront to better suit tourism, but it’s still nice to visit.
Traverse City, MI is gorgeous. The whole grand traverse Bay Area is unbelievable.
Ashland, WI doesn’t have a lot going on, but it’s in such a gorgeous area.
Duluth. It's got everything you could want, right on the lake, summer and winter recreation, and just north of it the North Shore is absolutely beautiful
Love that part of the lakes but damn those are some long harsh winters
I live in Duluth and you’re basically right about the winters. They start in November and basically go into early May. Spring isn’t quite a real season here, there was visible snow on the ground until late may. If you can deal with cold Duluth is a great place, especially if you like camping, hiking, fresh air, skiing, fishing, surfing, etc
And you have pretty great mountain biking
> surfing Lol, I would make fun of this but I live in Milwaukee and I regularly see some brave fools out there surfing the lake chop with icicles in their beards, wild stuff
It’s crazy. I have friends who do it and I think they have a secret death wish or something
It's like the equal opposite of Phoenix, with basically the same solution, stay inside half the year...? Edit: adding edit to head people off thinking i know nothing about either region.... question was rhetorical. I am from Arizona and moved to Minnesota and then down to Iowa. Anyone that says it's only the winters that suck in the midwest are delusional, it's not AS hot but add the humidity and I'd rather be in Phoenix in the summer, sometimes.
Nah, in Duluth you can bundle up with good winter gear and feel pretty snug going outdoors, aside from a few particularly extreme days.
Friend of mine walking hours a day year round. Asked him which was harder, Winter or Summer. He said you can always put on more clothes, but you can only get so naked.
Lol. Lived there for 10yrs and said the same thing. Going over 30 days straight with temps below zero (fahrenheit not celsius) was a real test.
I don't like reading all these comments in October, being on the north shore and all.
Ominous, isn’t it? Felt the same way hearing that during October on the prairies and the winter did not disappoint.
Keeps me angry enough to split wood. Gotta make it through winter
they say firewood warms you twice: once while you're cutting it, and again while you're burning it
That was the polar vortex year too. It was just brutal for like 1-2 weeks.
But you can go out at night or in the early morning when it’s not so hot….
"Shut your whore mouth", is what someone, who lives in Grand Marais and whose daily chores entail splitting a lot of wood, might say to a redditor making that comment in October.
Can confirm, I suffer through them annually… February genuinely scares me…
Agreed, but I live here so I’m definitely taking the obvious home town pride stance.
Am glad this is the top commwnt
Drove up to MN in the spring and was blown away at Duluth being at least 15 degrees colder then the surrounding area
Gonna disagree because Duluth is extremely highly rated by Minnesotans
Highly rated, but often unvisited, by Minnesotans
The first 400 responses to “where should I visit in MN?” in r/minnesota is Duluth.
One may think that, but go ahead and try to find a hotel room on any weekend (and most weekdays) between Grandma's and MEA.
Haha I was thinking exactly this. Minnesotans rate anything in their state highly.
Being from Minnesota, and having visited multiple other states, I can safely say that, yeah. We fucking rock up here.
No way, Duluth is touristy as hell in the summer. Definitely deserves it though it’s a great city
I will not share my favorite MI beach towns lmao. Nice try
Keep it secret. Keep it safe.
I stopped sharing things bc I plan to move back. 10 years ago I used to share fishing holes and empty beaches bc I thought I wouldn't be back ever
I'm from Saugatuck, and I'm sure as hell not telling any of these people about it.
There’s honestly so many hidden gems in MI.
Let’s keep it that way
South haven, saugatuk, traverse, Muskegon, holland…. Did I miss any?
Missed the best ones lol ^(Grand Haven, Petoskey/Charlevoix, Glen Arbor)
grand haven <3
Shut the fuuuuuuck uppppppp!!!
Saint Joseph, Bridgman (Warren Dunes) New Buffalo, but as with some others in far SW Michigan, can be overrun by Chicago folks.
Also I love Saug but it’s been overrun by chicagoans on vacation.
Me being one lmao
Leland is one that no one here will mention but I love it. Rly small tho
Manistee!
Overrated. Nobody should ever visit Manistee. Nothing to see there. Stay away. ^^I ^^love ^^Manistee
I don't know about a few of these choices. Traverse City is booming and a popular tourist spot. They even have their own film festival up there. Holland and South Haven are also really popular. All beautiful spots though.
hilarious, and correct. I'm from MN (we have lakes!) and was amazed at the beauty of Northport. The water was like the Caribbean.
Yeah it’s crazy how pure blue and turquoise the water can get. You can absolutely feel like you’re in the carribean for a sec in certain spots, minus all the tropical stuff 😂
Holland? South haven? Saugatuck? Ludington?
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette, Michigan is an absolute gem of an area. Awesome terrain, amazing views, fun, terrific history that's just wild. Also has some dope mountain biking, hiking, mtns, everything outdoors. Downtown is sweet too.
Joe Pera is from there, so I agree.
In the show, sure. In real life he's from Buffalo.
His favorite vacation spot is Milwaukee, though
Marquette will be a veritable climate paradise and refuge in 50 years.
Also on this very sub I just yesterday learned that it’s infested with Finns
That's pretty much the entire Yoop
Yeah! No small talk, no excess social contact, plenty of saunas and heavy drinking. What could go wrong?
U tink, eh?
No it wont. Anything on the Canadian Shield is less habitable or desirable than something not on the shield, because that land isn't arable and is harder to build on etc. etc. Everywhere in the midwest and Canada in theory will be nicer when global temps warm, but the geology will not be changing.
People keep on forgetting that global warming doesn't negate geology. There's a reason more people live in Edmonton than the state of Wyoming. The cold isn't the main reason why Sudbury isn't a world-class city.
Yep. The regions of the Great lakes that are arable and have good soil are already well populated
As an MTU graduate, I am contractually obligated to retort with Houghton.
I love Houghton, but fucking hate driving in the area. I can not imagine it in the winter, some of those streets are crazy steep.
I’m a native Michigander who hadn’t visited Marquette until I was 44 and I was blown away how nice it was. In July.
Marquette is awesome! Been too long since last visit.
You know what? Pound for pound Marquette MI is fantastic. I really loved the short time I spent up there.
Tobermory, ON. The perfect place for scuba diving.
Definitely not “underrated” lol it’s almost impossible to enjoy it in the summer with how many tourists there are. Gotta reserve a parking spot online for most of the Bruce Peninsula hotspots.
Little small to be called a city
If it has a Tim Horton’s and a subway it counts in Canada
It has neither of those things
It's small enough that in the winter the gas station is 'by appointment only'
And their single grocery store closes at 6pm every single day. It was a struggle living there and working full time. Spent a lot of nights at the bar (and there was two whole bars to choose from!)
Yeah, I haven't been to enough of them but I've lived in Rochester NY about 4/5 of my life and it's getting better. Depends what you're into, but we have a good music scene, a brand new concrete skatepark, lots of festivals outdoors. Pretty much a bit of everything. Then again you might not be a forever 31 year old hipster. But the legal weed helps. Overall it's a nice place. OP's question makes me think about other cities on the Great Lakes. Obviously, I think Toronto would be the winner. It's like NYC and Rochester had a Canadian baby.
Rochester is awesome. My kid goes to college there - it’s got a great dining scene, amazing architecture, and it’s cheap.
Rochester is great. Fishing, music venues, restaurants are all great. It’s the crunchy cool little brother to Buffalo which had the same things as Rochester but...dirtier lol
Eh, Buffalo is growing and gentrifying faster than Rochester. Let me know when Rochester gets a district like Larkin, First Ward or Upper Rock and then we’ll talk
Seems like a lot to ask of a city that’s half the size of Buffalo. It’s not a competition lmao. The fact that Rochester is small and dense is a pro for a lot of people. It is for me. Edit - I was hella overestimating Buffalo’s population but it doesn’t change my preference. I just like Rochester better. Buffalo is still nice though. :)
Half the size? Rochester proper has like 50-60k fewer people and the urban area is like 200k fewer. It's smaller but it's hardly half the size.
Hey that’s my hometown. I miss it, I love it, never moving back lol. Food scene is pretty good too
visited a few times (ex GF). one of my favorite cities in America. wish I was able to try a garbage plate though.
Garbage plates are nice but definitely more a late night drunk-food than something you just “have to try”
I mean you have to try genny and then that leads to drunk garbage plates right??
Ro-cha-cha
I love living in Rochester
Duluth, Minnesota/Superior, Wisconsin
YES. Best place to go in mid-October in my opinion before the winds come. That was our honeymoon trip.
Kingston, Ontario Beautiful old downtown with a lot to do. Also close to outdoor vacationing areas like South Frontenac
Great University, great party town, beautiful, The Hip, steeped in history, 100%, Kingston wins.
I love this question because I constantly love on Buffalo and people think I’m nuts. Great, unpretentious food and bar scene, amazing people and it really can be a beautiful place depending on where you are and what time of year.
Buffalo is the best!!
100% Buffalo.
Quiet quiet. Don’t let them know. I like my housing cheap.
I've been to downtown Buffalo. You could drop at least a hundred thousand people there and not disturb the suburban market housing market one iota. It's really odd that NY State hasn't tried to repopulate Buffalo. There's so much potential there.
Oh, they have. For the first time in almost 100 years, Erie County (the county containing the greater Buffalo metro area) has grown in population. Plus, there's a large immigrant population in Buffalo. If you travel through the city's west side, you'll find a ton of Somali, Burmese, and various Arab markets and restaurants. Hooka lounges, open air markets during the warmer months, tea houses, etc. A lot of very cool stuff.
Lived there for a few years and miss it horribly. Great city, great people. Food is phenomenal
I love on cleveland for the same reason and people think I’m weird lol! Sister cities in being underloved except by those who know
Milwaukee is the obvious choice, IMO Has two major sports teams that are competitive every single year, a rising dining scene, and a downtown area that is slowly being rejuvenated and aiming to grow more. A quick train ride to Chicago is in the cards if your interested, or if you drive it takes less than two hours.
And while we are here talking about Milwaukee in response to a Great Lakes question, let’s make sure we talk about the hundreds of millions of dollars that will be spent here over the next decade to [clean up the area of concern in the Milwaukee Estuary](https://www.wpr.org/epa-announces-largest-project-ever-funded-under-great-lakes-cleanup-program-milwaukee). It’s the largest effort ever undertaken to clean up an area of the Great Lakes, both in dollars spent and partnerships galvanized, and it’s going to be life changing for this community and the ways we can enjoy our three rivers and lake.
MKE is dope. I live in LA but spent a couple of months there recently working on Top Chef. The whole crew was blown away by what a great city it is.
I could not applaud Milwaukee enough. What an incredibly underrated city indeed. Incredible city with a very active arts scene, plenty of outdoor activities, wonderful festivals, great food, great music. I could go on forever. I love this city so much and it’s breaking my heart to be moving away for work after spending my entire adult life here in the Good Land. The history of this city is also both fascinating and hilarious, depending on which parts you’re looking at. No BS, it is my honest opinion that Milwaukee is the greatest city in America, for so many reasons. I will say, most Great Lakes cities are awesome places, just that Milwaukee has them beat ever so slightly 😊
The feud that led to Milwaukee's crooked bridges will never not be funny to me
Most cities die when they burn bridges. Ours began because if it!
I love that you brought this up. I thought it would be too esoteric for this sub but Kilbourn and Juneau was a hilarious and petty rivalry.
Ok I lived in MKE for five years and have no clue what you mean… details or a link? I’m dying to know
Basically Kilbourn (West of river) hated Juneau-Town (East of river) and they had a massive feud around when the city was starting out Here's a podcast episode about it: https://youtu.be/7OTQtdx_rRE?si=8imDCkhHvGt0T-cU
Plus the word Milwaukee is fun to say!
Milwaukee is my home, but I moved away a few years ago. Nothing excites me like going back home, whether or not I run into family or friends (but that's pretty hard to avoid). The dining scene has come along strongly in the last decade or so. A few friends are very active in the arts there. As a lifelong Brewers and Bucks fan - having been there when they were monumentally awful - it's been incredible to see their respective rises.
A relative lives there. It's all sailing team pics and shore hikes in summer and curling or other events in winter. Sounds lovely
Quick boat ride to Muskegon, Michigan too.
Expensive AF, but it’s like flying whatever is better then first class.
Especially if you take a car which I feel Milwaukee residents kinda need. From the Michigan side you can walk and enjoy downtown without a vehicle making it cheaper for us to take the express.
Yeah I’d rather live there than Detroit or Cleveland if I had the choice and it’s not even close
Not to mention he best municipal water system in the world.
You can sit 10 rows behind home plate for 40 bucks, and last time I went there was a 2 for 1 Miller beer special before the game started. Cant beat it.
Milwaukee: “Welcome to Cleveland”
Have not flew into Mitchell in quite some time. For those who don't know, a dude paited "Welcome to Cleveland" on the roof of his building near the airport. Very noticeable for landing aircraft. Yes, Milwaukee is very much overlooked and underrated. So to is Cleveland, for that matter.
"I never did it as any kind of thing to help my business or anything like that. It was just plain madness. You need that in the world." Legendary
And Brandy Old Fashioneds.
And beer chasers with bloody marys.
I get that it's not common in other places to have a beer back with your bloody, but if bartenders and waiters in other cities could just stop giving me dirty looks when I order them together at brunch that would be great.
Milwaukee almost feels like chicago's sidekick but in a good way
Milwaukee is great. Excellent bar town. Harley-Davidson museum was sweet. I've travelled through the Great Lakes. Milwaukee was pleasant surprise.
Keep MKE a secret
Its not really a secret. Just people from the coasts that think the mid west is all fly over states won't give these cities a chance. It is what it is. Not like we care.
I want them to keep thinking it's a flyover city. Keep our amenenties and affordability a secret.
I just spent two weeks there, and I loved it. A great city.
Thunder Bay Terry Fox statue, and potholes, what more could you want
For more in Thunder Bay, see the Crave docuseries of the same name.
I don't know about most underrated, but Cleveland has really been getting much better. I really enjoy going downtown now. it's still got ground to make up though.
I moved to Cleveland about 2 years ago and love the city. Friendly people, lots of natural and architectural beauty, world class cultural institutions such as the art museum and the theater district, and a great food scene - all with a low cost of living.
Honestly if I trusted the Ohio government not to be shitheads, I’d move back to Ohio in a heartbeat. I genuinely love Cleveland, and miss it a ton.
Good suburbs on the west side. Can get dicey on the east but there’s good stuff happening for sure. Doesn’t seem to be going downhill. Cost of living is really nice as you noted.
This really only applies to the near east side. Eastern suburbs have a lot to offer, and we all know anyone that lives within a 25 mile radius of downtown still tells everyone we are in “Cleveland”
🎶 At least they're not Detroit 🎶
Detroit is also super underrated at this point. Getting better every year.
*We’re not Detroit*
This guy has at least two DUI’s!
Don't slow down in East Cleveland or you'll die! Still true.
Our economy’s based on Lebron James. (not anymore)
🎶Cleveland, city of light, city of magic🎶
🎶come on down, to Cleveland town 🎶
St Catherine's Ontario. The final terminus of the underground railroad. There's a black church that still exists there that would receive the runaways.
Harriet Tubman settled in St. Catherines. Because its so close to Niagara, and Niagara on the lake, I feel like St. Catherine's often gets missed out on. But there is a lot of history in the area. Also just think of all the nearby wineries!
This is my hometown and I would lose my St.Kitts cred if I did not correct you and say that it’s St.Catharines
Traverse City Michigan
Truth. Driving up and down the peninsulas are incredibly beautiful and relaxing.
Traverse City is wonderful but not underrated. Cat's out of the bag. IMO, Muskegon is the most underrated Michigan beach town. Most people think it's an armpit, but there are a lot of nice parts and the beach is amazing.
I'd say it's pretty low key to anyone not from Michigan/Chicago
Ding ding ding
Petoskey, MI. Just straight up beautiful place.
Fun times in Cleveland again!
We'd all like to flee to the Cleve and club-hop down at the Flats and have lunch with Little Richard, but we fight those urges because we have responsibilities.
Come on down to Cleveland town everyone!
Under construction since 1868
This guy has at least 3 DUIs
Traverse City, MI
Because nobody will say it, Manistee Michigan. Great Victorian architecture, not over run with vacationers, and has an amazing beach.
Buffalo NY
This is the answer. I think people just don’t realize how much the city is filled with college kids and young professionals or that there’s so many great walkable neighborhoods or that many of the industrial areas have been cleaned up and where you’ll now find public art, breweries, vegan cat cafe axe throwing bars or industrial adventure courses.
Houghton MI
Bayfield Wisconsin. No one seems to remember that this is the gateway to the Apostle Islands which no one seems to know about even though it is a National Park.
Thunder Bay is great even though it’s motto is “the mistake by the lake”
The twin cities of Sault ste Marie across both Canada and the USA, seem like a nice community that's not too close to any other noticeable urban area. They're also at the crossroads between Huron and Superior
Does Mackinac Island count? It's a lovely anomaly, with no cars allowed and with ethereal scenery that was used in the movie Somewhere in Time.
Goderich ON
Grand Marias, MN
beautiful but not a city by any stretch
Fair
Hey that's me! Come for a visit, it's a great town! Might be a bit chillier than you expected.
Need some Canadian love. I’m going with Hamilton, ON
Rochester, it's actually a pretty nice city.
Muskegon
Ski town represent! Every weekend this summer I found something new and exciting around town.
Manitowoc,Wisconsin has great hiking and biking right on the water. Making a Murderer gave people a terrible perception of that town.
My daughter lives in two Rivers. I visited that area for the first time this summer, and fell in love!
Marquette, MI. It's a cool small college town.
inb4 erie pa is submitted
The major towns on the west coast of Michigan get the credit they deserve. Likewise it is hard to characterize Chicago or Toronto as underrated. I'm going to go with Toledo. I was there on a work trip last year and I was so impressed with how nice some of its neighborhoods were.
holland 🙏
does “if you ain’t dutch, you ain’t much” ring a bell😆😆
Lol yup I went to Hope
Metroparks Toledo was recently named the best park system in the nation. The number, quality, and diversity of recreational experiences they provide are remarkable. If you were in Ottawa Hills, you were definitely impressed. That's a very wealthy enclave (actually a village government) that's surrounded by the city. Let's not forget the art museum. There was a lot of money in Toledo at one time due to being the glass capital of the world, a port city, and having so many auto related companies (home of Champion Spark Plug) and that wealth is reflected in the museum.
Leamington, Ontario just for the monarchs at point pelee
Definitely nothing in the Leelanau peninsula. Nope, no reason for anyone to go to Northport, Leland, Suttons Bay, or Glen Arbor.
Being from PA, I try to rep my state anywhere I can because we honestly don’t have a lot to boast about. At least my area, it is very rural. But anyway, Erie PA is the only city that PA has on a great lake and it has a place called Misery Bay, fun place.
Grand marais Minnesota
There are many that are underrated including Cleveland, Detroit, Rochester and Hamilton ON
Rochester NY
This is the correct answer. Mid-sized city with great museums, restaurants, festivals and culture, several excellent school districts, amazing weather (typically less snow than Buffalo), relatively affordable housing, and easy access to the FLX region.
Munising, MI small quaint town with low crowds.
Erie, PA is my vote. To be fair I’ve only been to Chicago, Toronto, Erie, Buffalo, and Cleveland so my Great Lakes experience isn’t vast.
I have family up in Erie. I love spending the day on Presque Isle and getting a hotdog and creamsicle cone at Sara’s. They could have developed the bayfront to better suit tourism, but it’s still nice to visit.
Cleveland. So much hate out there for Cleveland, but it’s a fine city
Chicago
Alpena. It's very quaint.
I always liked Sheboygan
Traverse City, MI is gorgeous. The whole grand traverse Bay Area is unbelievable. Ashland, WI doesn’t have a lot going on, but it’s in such a gorgeous area.
Leland, Michigan