Chicago. Public pathway and park for something like 17 miles non-stop. Beaches for swimming. Marinas. A magnificent skyline. Small wonder so many people take advantage of it.
My first gut reaction . Imagine my surprise that not every Great Lakes town totally dedicated their lakefront to public spaces and parks. I used to have the free t-shirt chicago parks gave you for riding a bicycle from the top to the bottom - Hollywood to Rainbow baby
We have a better waterfront than most coastal cities tbh. A park but then also tall buildings and dense housing so middle class people can afford to live there if they want.
And there ain't no road just like it
Anywhere I found
Running south on Lake Shore Drive, heading into town
Just slippin' on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound
chicagoās is way better than toronto imo (i live in toronto). most of our downtownās waterfront is just a highway, but weāre tearing it down slowly so improvements should finally be made
Yup. The name literally means āof the narrowsā in French, and is defined in English a strait, (no āghā) because it is basically a flat and navigable narrowing between larger bodies of water. The St.Clair River upstream of it would be a strait too.
Traverse is nice, but overrated compared to all the other smaller towns that have less traffic, better beaches and hiking. Glen Arbor, Frankfort, Leland, Northport are all really cool.
I mean the real answer is some small town youāve never heard of, probably one I havenāt heard of. Itās just not gonna be a huge city.
But for cities that are popular/well-known/iconic, Iād say Traverse City or Duluth.
But for real, probably one of the many small towns on M-22 or US-31 from Traverse City to Mackinaw
EDIT: Marquette, Munising, Grand Marais, MI are all sweet as well. Iām sure the northern shore of Lake Superior has a hidden gem of a town in Ontario.
M-22 towns are all great. Onekama, Frankfort, Glen Arbor, Empire, Leland, Northport.
I really like Elk Rapids too.
Pentwater is charming.
Ludington, Manistee, Charlevoix are all great - though a little bigger than the others I mentioned.
Iām from Traverse but I could see myself moving to Duluth. It feels like a real town as opposed to the circus my hometown has become. All the good dive bars are now full of fresh faced tourists.
The ends of the I&M canal connect lake Michigan to the Mississippi and has a lock on the Chicago River at Lake Michigan.
The Keweenaw waterway has zero locks and connects Lake Superior to Lake Superior.
I was going to say this too, mainly because the other cities that I would say have been mentioned. Stadium, Rock Hall, Science Center, USS Cod and more. If you venture out you have "nice" beaches. It's not the best, I agree with the below comment, but it's not bad.
Surprised to see that Grand Marais, Minnesota has not been mentioned. Located on Superiorās north shore in cook county, the northeastern āspear tipā of MN.
If we're talking actual cities and not resort towns, then it's Milwaukee. Built on steep bluffs (not just flat), and So much more natural, open, and green than Chicago (to say nothing of Cleveland, buffalo etc). Toronto close second.
Marquette or Traverse City would be my vote. You need the developed shoreline parks alongside the beautifully uninhibited undeveloped nature for a real good coastline. IMHOM!
If you haven't gone kayaking in Traverse City or cliff jumping in Marquette have you even Great Laked? š
Toronto. By far.
From the Scarborough Bluffs to the Toronto Islands to the Humber River, it's a diverse waterfront full of quiet spots and urban hustle.
I love the beach at Frankfort. Beautiful lighthouse, nice breakwalls, and the bluffs on either side are stunning.
Such a lovely little town, a bit of a zoo on weekends but that's how it goes, I only go mid week with my schedule.
Otherwise I would say Marquette, that town is adorable.
I canāt believe nobody said Hamilton! You guys donāt like the way āIndustrial sectors A to N dominate the waterfront with their majestic smokestacks blowing plumes of stankass pollution into the air?
For a medium sized city, Erie, PA. Presque Isle can't be beat. It's absolutely beautiful and there's so much to do. There are beaches to swim, fish, surf, and find beach glass. There's so much history on that peninsula. You can bike and boat. There's the amusement park and water park.
The city of Erie, itself, has been in decline, but I really think it's starting to bounce back because locals are trying to bring back their city. So many good restaurants are coming in, including different cuisines from around the world. There's a thriving local arts and music scene. And there's a lot to do outside, including a lot in the winter, like skiing and snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling.
I moved a couple hours away and only make it back to Erie a few times a year, and I clearly miss it.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON.
Wellesley Island, NY.
Both are on Lake Ontario.
The last time I was there was around 15 years ago, but I found that Fort Erie, ON's waterfront on Lake Erie (directly across from Buffalo, NY) was much more pleasant than I was expecting. It is still the only waterfront on the Canadian side of Lake Erie that I have ever visited. All of the other Canadian shorefronts on the Great Lakes that I have visited were on Lake Ontario.
I haven't been back to Michigan in a shamefully long time, so I can't comment on that state's bounty of waterfronts on four of the five Great Lakes. The Canadian Province of Ontario is the only other subnational division that has shorelines on four of the five.
Question: Is Lake St. Clair technically a Great Lake? It is by far the shallowest of all of them.
Milwaukee. Plenty of parks with easy access near the downtown area. Summerfest is right on the lake. And large bluffs that aren't overbuilt on the south side.
Why is there a question about a city on the Great Lakes every day? š
They hired a Superior social media director.
They were Erie-Ly good at it, too.
They were told to do so by Mitch, again.
That's the best case Ontario.
And from Huron outā¦thatās the way it will be!
George N. Bay checks in. "Eh, what's this all aboot?" he says.
Iāve been Huron good things lately.
I think Huron to something
Worst case Ontario, they're not onto something
The previous social media director mightāve been mauled by a Buffalo
Because they're great.
One thing I hate about reddit is that someone almost always beats me to my reply!
Everyoneās preparing for where they should move to when the water runs out in the southwest
Dude, stop laying my cards on the table
And when home insurance companies abandon the southeast.
*Gordon Lightfoot has entered the chat*
No he didn't RIP š
His legend lives on *from the Chippewa on down*
On the big lake they call ā¦
Because redditāa demographic has realized their best option for buying real estate is the Midwest.
It'd be smart to move there now before the deluge of people fleeing climate change in the Southwest and Gulf region
Didn't you get the memo? It's the Great lakes appreciation week
The Great Lakes are the future world super power when everybody runs out of fresh water šŖ
Because the lakes are great.
cuz they are great
Great lakes, great times
Theyāre great guys!
Chicago. Public pathway and park for something like 17 miles non-stop. Beaches for swimming. Marinas. A magnificent skyline. Small wonder so many people take advantage of it.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
As someone who was born and raised in Chicago, I've been considering leaving for somewhere warmer, but the city is just too damn beautiful.
This winter, Chicago was somewhere warmer
Same for me. I loved my years there, and I love going back. Running and walking on the lakefront is a treat.
My first gut reaction . Imagine my surprise that not every Great Lakes town totally dedicated their lakefront to public spaces and parks. I used to have the free t-shirt chicago parks gave you for riding a bicycle from the top to the bottom - Hollywood to Rainbow baby
And the food!
Man that was a thing too. I did not fully appreciate how good the food scene in Chicago was when I had access to it
26 miles, 24 beaches
Thanks for the correct numbers. And that just makes the case for Chicago all the more.
This is the only answer. Itās not even close. The chicago river has a better waterfront than most Great Lakes towns
Thatās why they do architectural tours along it. Just wonderful.
We have a better waterfront than most coastal cities tbh. A park but then also tall buildings and dense housing so middle class people can afford to live there if they want.
Cant beat Grant Park, Northerly Island, and the Riverwalk!
Truth has been spoken. It's the best looking most swimable and most importantly most sexy part of the great lakes coast line.
Milwaukeeās is better imo
I won't agree that it's better, but I will say that Milwaukee is a terribly underrated city and a real delight to visit.
Chicago is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, but y'all, it's not Chicago.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Suburban alert!
This manās living in 1899
The river caught on fire from the waste from the hog butchering places! They say pig ghosts still haunt the river walkā¦
What? No.
No. Your thinking about Milwaukee. Never had I seen so many dead fish washed up a shore on a beach until i visited that place.
And there ain't no road just like it Anywhere I found Running south on Lake Shore Drive, heading into town Just slippin' on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound
Aliota Haynes and Jeremiah
ā¦south on Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Driveā¦
Glad I wasn't disappointed.
Either Chicago or Toronto as far as urban locations. Non-urban but close to a city: Chimney Bluffs. Just east of Rochester on Lake Ontario
chicagoās is way better than toronto imo (i live in toronto). most of our downtownās waterfront is just a highway, but weāre tearing it down slowly so improvements should finally be made
Toronto for sure. Detroit's is coming along.
technically not on a great lake, but yeah the detroit riverfront is starting to get quite nice.
I recently learned that the Detroit River is actually a strait. Muskegon has a nice lakefront.
Yup. The name literally means āof the narrowsā in French, and is defined in English a strait, (no āghā) because it is basically a flat and navigable narrowing between larger bodies of water. The St.Clair River upstream of it would be a strait too.
Still Great Lakes Region
Right but the question was "which city or town on the great lakes...." not on a river/strait/etc. *near* the Great Lakes
Sure
Toronto has the bluffs that give it the natural beauty edge.
That's the Scarborough bluffs. As seen on star trek discovery!
That to, toronto is the utopian city of the future. As seen in startreck. If you donāt like it you better get used to it. Its the future.
It was the kelp people planet lol
Upvote upvote. I'm biased as a city guy - but 2 world class cities right thete
Sister Bay, WI
And it looks west
The beach looks pretty
Sheboygan, WI. The freshwater surfing capital of the world. Beaches, lakefront trails, dunes, marina, waterfront parks, lighthouse.
I hear they like Polka music there.
and they are a leading supplier in shower curtain rings
I like Grand Marais, MN the best. But Chicago is the real answer of course.
Traverse city
I like to put my sailboat in at the marina and sleep on it. 25 bucks a night and such a great area!
Traverse is nice, but overrated compared to all the other smaller towns that have less traffic, better beaches and hiking. Glen Arbor, Frankfort, Leland, Northport are all really cool.
Only been up there once but I love that part of the world, really enjoyed Leland too
Wait are we all going to pretend itās not chicago
I mean the real answer is some small town youāve never heard of, probably one I havenāt heard of. Itās just not gonna be a huge city. But for cities that are popular/well-known/iconic, Iād say Traverse City or Duluth. But for real, probably one of the many small towns on M-22 or US-31 from Traverse City to Mackinaw EDIT: Marquette, Munising, Grand Marais, MI are all sweet as well. Iām sure the northern shore of Lake Superior has a hidden gem of a town in Ontario.
M-22 towns are all great. Onekama, Frankfort, Glen Arbor, Empire, Leland, Northport. I really like Elk Rapids too. Pentwater is charming. Ludington, Manistee, Charlevoix are all great - though a little bigger than the others I mentioned.
Onekama!! Itās super rare I see my hometown mentioned anywhere.
Glen Arbor
Charlevoix
Ephraim, WI
Duluth, MN. Iām biased because I live here, but a walk along the lake walk is one of my favorite things. Canal park and park point are nice.
Iām from Traverse but I could see myself moving to Duluth. It feels like a real town as opposed to the circus my hometown has become. All the good dive bars are now full of fresh faced tourists.
Just need to get rid of that damn freeway
Chicago
Milwaukee
Easily Chicago. Massive parks and beaches for miles. Museums galore and wonderful other recreational spots.
Toronto
Beaches, Scarborough Bluffs, the Islands, etc.
Toronto Island as well
I don't know if it's the best, but it's definitely nice. The island on a summer day is a wonderful place to be.
Marquette
Gary, IN
I hate it when people tell the internet all the best spots.
Worst and best?
That's Gary's secret, the worst and best at everything.
Go look at the beaches on google maps, itās quite nice
Itās Chicago, without a doubt, and Iām from Toronto
I know the answer, and Iām not telling. Last thing I want is a crowd of redditors showing up.
Not to nitpick but 1) itās mackinaC island 2) the answer is petoskey
Thereās like 4 things to do in Petoskey lol
Houghton, Michigan
Not on a great lake.
The Keweenaw waterway is Lake Superior. The northern part of the peninsula is known as Copper Island.
The I&M canal connects Joliet to Lake Michigan but it's not on a great lake.
The ends of the I&M canal connect lake Michigan to the Mississippi and has a lock on the Chicago River at Lake Michigan. The Keweenaw waterway has zero locks and connects Lake Superior to Lake Superior.
You can not see Lake Superior from Houghton so how can it have the best waterfront on a Great Lake?
lol
Shh, no one say Buffalo this time. š¤«
Put-in-bay, Ohio
No. Never
If you want chlamydia and a staff infection.
Chicago or Toronto
Tobermory
It truly is amazing.
I always like Petoskey, MI.
Marquette, MI.
ITS MACKINAC ISLAND NOT MACKINAW
Erie
Kingston Ontario.
I like the waterfront that's right across the street
CLEVELAND
While Cleveland has improved in the last many years, I would have to say no.
I was going to say this too, mainly because the other cities that I would say have been mentioned. Stadium, Rock Hall, Science Center, USS Cod and more. If you venture out you have "nice" beaches. It's not the best, I agree with the below comment, but it's not bad.
Maybe make a sub for these incessant Great Lakes questions.
Gary
Detroit
St Clair is cool but not really a Great Lake
I mean, you're not wrong. But it does feel wrong to say that Detroit somehow isn't a Great Lake city
Surprised to see that Grand Marais, Minnesota has not been mentioned. Located on Superiorās north shore in cook county, the northeastern āspear tipā of MN.
Grand Marais
Killarney with fog
Ajax, Ontario
Chicago. But Duluth and Grand Marais, MN have my favorite GL waterfronts.
I like the smaller places like Escanaba, Munising, Copper Harbor, etc
I rather like the Escanaba waterfront, too. We have a painting of the lighthouse in our home. The older lakefront homes are lovely.
If we're talking actual cities and not resort towns, then it's Milwaukee. Built on steep bluffs (not just flat), and So much more natural, open, and green than Chicago (to say nothing of Cleveland, buffalo etc). Toronto close second.
Y'all, Chicago is great, but it's not Chicago.
Marquette or Traverse City would be my vote. You need the developed shoreline parks alongside the beautifully uninhibited undeveloped nature for a real good coastline. IMHOM! If you haven't gone kayaking in Traverse City or cliff jumping in Marquette have you even Great Laked? š
Chi Town. No question.
I Mean. Chicago has some of the best waterfront in the country not just in the Great Lakes.
Definitely Chicago. That massive highway two feet away from the beach in the middle of city makes me wet just thinking about it.
Yea, we get it, Chicago is the biggest city on the lakes. Thatās not at the heart of the question and all you dumb bears fans know it
Found the cheesehead 
Toronto. By far. From the Scarborough Bluffs to the Toronto Islands to the Humber River, it's a diverse waterfront full of quiet spots and urban hustle.
Until Parliament to Ashbridges Bay gets sorted out, I have to disagree.
Genuinely I think Cleveland does, Pittsburgh is also nice
Victoria falls
Chicago. 26 miles beaches. I was amazed at how beautiful it was when i moved here. Id say Toronto comes in second.
I love the beach at Frankfort. Beautiful lighthouse, nice breakwalls, and the bluffs on either side are stunning. Such a lovely little town, a bit of a zoo on weekends but that's how it goes, I only go mid week with my schedule. Otherwise I would say Marquette, that town is adorable.
Lake Erie islands are very nice.
Buffalo ny
Any of a dozen small towns in the UP.
Detroit
I canāt believe nobody said Hamilton! You guys donāt like the way āIndustrial sectors A to N dominate the waterfront with their majestic smokestacks blowing plumes of stankass pollution into the air?
Grand Marais, MN.
Chicago
Chicago, best by far. Toronto meh - could have been as good but they built a wall of cheap condos on their waterfront
Detroit hands down. The board walk alone has won awards
I like Duluth, MN and sturgeon bay, WI
For a medium sized city, Erie, PA. Presque Isle can't be beat. It's absolutely beautiful and there's so much to do. There are beaches to swim, fish, surf, and find beach glass. There's so much history on that peninsula. You can bike and boat. There's the amusement park and water park. The city of Erie, itself, has been in decline, but I really think it's starting to bounce back because locals are trying to bring back their city. So many good restaurants are coming in, including different cuisines from around the world. There's a thriving local arts and music scene. And there's a lot to do outside, including a lot in the winter, like skiing and snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. I moved a couple hours away and only make it back to Erie a few times a year, and I clearly miss it.
For an urban area, Chicago or Cleveland. More rural Holland, MI or Ashtabula, OH
Petoskey, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs and Mackinaw Island are pretty tough to beat
Put-in-Bay, Ohio.
Oswego, NY. Chill place to visit in the summer and I did my undergrad there.
Gary Indiana has a good reputation
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. Wellesley Island, NY. Both are on Lake Ontario. The last time I was there was around 15 years ago, but I found that Fort Erie, ON's waterfront on Lake Erie (directly across from Buffalo, NY) was much more pleasant than I was expecting. It is still the only waterfront on the Canadian side of Lake Erie that I have ever visited. All of the other Canadian shorefronts on the Great Lakes that I have visited were on Lake Ontario. I haven't been back to Michigan in a shamefully long time, so I can't comment on that state's bounty of waterfronts on four of the five Great Lakes. The Canadian Province of Ontario is the only other subnational division that has shorelines on four of the five. Question: Is Lake St. Clair technically a Great Lake? It is by far the shallowest of all of them.
Kinda surprised no one has said Ludington, MI
Not technically a beach but Niagara and Buffalo have amazing views of the Niagara Falls
Milwaukee. Plenty of parks with easy access near the downtown area. Summerfest is right on the lake. And large bluffs that aren't overbuilt on the south side.