An ex-banker who has been to all 50 US states shares his favorite cities and 3 he won't go out of his way to visit again
Maria Noyen
- Lee Abbamonte has visited every US state, every country in the world, and the North and South Poles.
- Abbamonte, a 45-year-old travel blogger, grew up in NYC but now lives in Los Angeles.
When you've done as much travel as Lee Abbamonte has, you know a thing or two about the places worth visiting within the US.
Abbamonte, 45, is a travel blogger who has visited every US state, every country in the world, and the North and South Poles.
He told Business Insider that he caught the travel bug at age 20, when he left the US for the first time to study abroad in London. After graduation, Abbamonte spent time working on Wall Street until 9/11 changed the trajectory of his life. The deadly tragedy was "eye-opening," he said, and spurred him on to dedicate his life to travel.
Abbamonte has traveled far and wide in the decades since, sampling new cuisines, exploring underrated countries, and immersing himself in different cultures. But he also believes his home country, the US, has a lot to offer — and he's not alone.
According to a May report published by McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm, nearly 70% of trips that start in the US are domestic. What's more, the firm reports that $1 trillion is spent on trips within the US on a yearly basis, making it the largest domestic travel market in the world.
But when it comes to US cities, Abbamonte has preferences. He's got a soft spot for places that are rich in history, have plenty of outdoor activities, and reflect the latest food and culture trends.
Here, he picked three US cities he can't get enough of and three that he prefers not to revisit.
Abbamonte has long been fond of NYC, one of the trendiest cities in the world.
Abbamonte lived in NYC for 21 years, witnessing the concrete jungle evolve and the perseverance of locals following the devastation of 9/11.
But the real reason the Big Apple is one of his favorite cities in the US is because "it has the best of everything," he said, from delicious food and incredible museums to cultural diversity and awe-inspiring architecture.
"It's a trendsetting place," Abbamonte said, adding that he can only really compare it to other international hot spots like London, Paris, Tokyo, and Sydney.
Simply put, Abbamonte said, NYC is "a world-class city."
The only downside, in his opinion, is that is can be expensive.
He's visited Philadelphia over 70 times but still hasn't warmed to the local delicacies or sports culture.
Abbamonte estimated he has been to Philadelphia about 75 times so far but said he's still "not a fan."
He admitted that his feelings might be swayed because he doesn't support the Philadelphia Eagles, but that's not the only reason Abbamonte doesn't enjoy the City of Brotherly Love.
Other factors include his personal dislike of the area's accent and its local delicacies. While he doesn't mind Philly's food scene generally, he takes issue with the sandwich the city is best known for.
"They're known for cheesesteaks," he said. "But I think the cheesesteaks in New York are better than cheesesteaks in Philly."
Abbamonte likes Chicago because it's similar to NYC but with a small-town feel.
Abbamonte said he's had "the best time" on every trip he's booked to Chicago, which he's visited at least 40 times.
It's often referred to as "the second city" when compared to NYC, but Abbamonte doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing.
What he likes most is that Chicago "feels like New York but is more of a small town," adding that the local Midwestern culture is much warmer than its East Coast counterpart.
Despite his NYC roots, Abbamonte is a fan of Chicago's signature deep-dish pizza.
"I love that the pizza is different than it is in New York," added Abbamonte, who said he likes to indulge in moderation.
Besides the food and culture, Abbamonte would also argue that Chicago is the best "summer city" in the world because of its proximity to Lake Michigan.
"It's just absolutely gorgeous in the summer," he said.
His only reservation about Chicago is that he hates "being there in winter" when temperatures can plummet to below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
He doesn't like the traffic in Atlanta.
Abbamonte doesn't enjoy the Georgia capital's reliance on cars — and how difficult it can be to get around.
"The traffic is terrible," he said, adding that the layout of the city can make it feel somewhat "never-ending."
"It just goes on forever, seemingly without any city planning," he said.
He does enjoy Atlanta's food scene, but not enough hang a visit around it.
Most of the times he's found himself there, it's either because he's had a flight connection through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which the Airports Council International (ACI) ranked the busiest airport in the world in April, or because of a large sporting event.
"It's a great 'big event' city for me, just not an everyday city," Abbamonte said.
Washington DC is chock-full of historic sites that he loves visiting.
Abbamonte ranked Washington, DC, among his favorite cities to visit in the US because he's fascinated by American history and politics.
The city is dotted with famous sites, such as the White House, memorials, monuments, and museums like the Smithsonian.
Abbamonte has also enjoyed seeing DC evolve since he first visited.
Back in the 1990s, Abbamonte wouldn't have been so quick to compliment the city's architecture.
"Now, it's, like, this beautiful place," said Abbamonte, citing quaint streets dotted with stunning townhouses.
He also said he appreciates DC's green parks and the Potomac River, the natural border between DC and Maryland.
"It's very well done," he said. "I just really love that city."
San Antonio might be one of the most populated cities in the US, but Abbamonte isn't a fan.
Abbamonte "can't believe" that San Antonio is the seventh-most-populous city in the US, according to the Census Bureau.
He said he realizes his perspective is based on only two trips, the last of which was in 2017. Recalling those visits, Abbamonte said he felt the city came across like one "big conglomerate."
Despite loving history, Abbamonte also found some of the area's cultural hot spots, like the Alamo, quite dull.
He remembers waiting in a long line to enter the site where the 1836 battle between Mexico and the then-republic of Texas took place, and left thinking it was "one of the most underwhelming touristy sites" he'd visited in the US.
Another letdown was the famous San Antonio River Walk, a pedestrian path along the water lined with restaurants and bars. Abbamonte remembered it smelling like "old stale cheap alcohol."
"It has potential to be nice, and to some, I'm sure it is," he said. "But the two times I've been, I wasn't impressed."
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