Most Overrated City:

Washington, D.C. I detest planned capitals as a matter of principle, from the overblown Brasilia to the prissy Canberra, but with its pompous boulevards, its complacent plethora of monuments and improving texts, its awful climate, and its conceited young men, I dislike Washington most of all.

Most Underrated City:

On the other hand, Chicago is surely the most underrated city in the United States, especially among foreigners. It truly is one of the great cities of the world. Its setting by the lake is extraordinary—like a seaside city in the middle of the continent!—its architecture is spectacular, and its people, one and all, are delightful. It is also very stylish, and a walk down North Michigan when the weather is right—icy cold, that is, and brilliantly windy—is one of the most exciting promenades on earth.