SCREENS OF AMERICA

"Recently visited the USA from The Netherlands. Here is my take on the cities we visited."

That was the opening line from a traveler who came back with four sharply different American city portraits, and one detail kept jumping out: the screens. "It was like turning off life's ad blocker," the poster wrote after moving through the neon and digital sprawl of New York and Chicago.

The trip began in New York City, which the poster described as massive, very urban, and extremely diverse. It also came with a grim edge: dirty in some areas, but strong on food and decent on transit. Times Square got a visit, but it didn't leave much of an impression. The city felt intense and crowded, the kind of place that impresses and exhausts at the same time. The verdict was clear enough: not a place to live, but one worth visiting again.

Chicago came next, and the tone shifted. It was still massive and urban, still diverse and international, but surprisingly clean. Transit was pretty good, the food was amazing, and several parts of the city stood out: Chinatown, Devon Avenue, the river and downtown area, and the waterfront. O'Hare also made an impression as busy and global. By the end of Chicago's section, the poster had gone from observing to imagining a future there: "Would visit again, and could see myself living there."

Then came San Francisco, smaller than the first two but striking in a different way. The city was described as beautiful, with great food, a diverse feel, and a cozy atmosphere shaped by hills and trolleys. Another contrast with New York and Chicago: no big digital advertisements dominating the streets. Chinatown was a highlight again, and the people were described as very nice. The poster was ready to return: "Would go back and could see myself living there."

Washington, DC, closed out the list. It was called small, beautiful, open and airy around the National Mall, with very low-rise buildings, almost no digital screens or billboards, very nice transit, and only okay food. DC felt less internationally diverse than the other three, but it still earned a clear "Would visit again."

After the city-by-city writeup came the rankings: international feel, urban feel, transit, cleanliness, food, friendliness, safety, recommendation, and personal preference. Chicago ended up on top for recommendation, with Chicago and San Francisco tied as favorites. In follow-up edits, the poster explained why digital advertising stood out so much, why Chicago and DC were chosen, why the trip focused on cities, and why Chicago ranked below NYC for friendliness. As the poster put it: "Friendliness to me isn't the same as being respectful and polite." Another note, after some backlash over the rankings, was short and firm: "No reason to feel bad."