50 Best US Skylines

[Prahaboheme]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

Atlanta has a nice, respectable skyline, but it's too spread out and not concentrated. Still, it's in my Top 10, so why complain?



I added DC because it's a unique and recognizable skyline, albeit no tower can be taller than the Washington Monument, last time I checked. Skylines don't always have to be skyscrapers and towers all the time.

Something unique about the DC skyline is also the cluster of highrises directly across the Potomac in Arlington — the Rosslyn skyline and a lesser extent Pentagon City. Actually, Rosslyn has a new tallest nearly completed (to be a Hilton hotel & residences). From some angles in DC, the Rosslyn skyline appears nearly perfectly lined up behind the Monument.

[pj3000]

I think Cleveland has quite an aesthetically-pleasing skyline. Obviously, its location right on Lake Erie has much to do with it, and from some viewpoints it can look a little sparse, but from others, it shows its heft and shines. Somewhat unfortunately, the new Sherwin-Williams tower will mainly obscure the SOHIO/BP building from the most attractive angle.

[edale]

That last view is Cleveland's skyline at its best. From that angle, which I think is from the east side/University Circle, it looks really dense and tall, with a nice pyramid shape. From other vantage points, Cleveland's skyline can look really spread out and lackluster. But it definitely has good height and some nice buildings from different time periods.

[edale]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

I added DC because it's a unique and recognizable skyline, albeit no tower can be taller than the Washington Monument, last time I checked. Skylines don't always have to be skyscrapers and towers all the time.

Can you show me some photos of the DC skyline because I literally don't know what you're talking about. Is the Washington Monument, old post office, and Capitol building the 'skyline'? You don't seem to be talking about Roslyn/Arlington, but DC proper, and I genuinely don't know what skyline you're talking about there. I believe there's one building over ~11 stories?

If church steeples and the like constitute a skyline, then maybe Charleston, SC should get a nod here on a top 10 list

[wanderer34]

Originally Posted by edale

Can you show me some photos of the DC skyline because I literally don't know what you're talking about. Is the Washington Monument, old post office, and Capitol building the 'skyline'? You don't seem to be talking about Roslyn/Arlington, but DC proper, and I genuinely don't know what skyline you're talking about there. I believe there's one building over ~11 stories?

If church steeples and the like constitute a skyline, then maybe Charleston, SC should get a nod here on a top 10 list

I get that those around here don't consider DC to have a skyline, and by that, they're referring to buildings and towers. DC isn't a tall skyline, but it's a notable skyline, and if you were to ask a foreigner which is the second most skyline, a lot of foreigners won't recognize the skylines of Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, or Pittsburgh, but they'll recognize DC because of the White House, the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. And DC is a major city with 680K people, not Charleston, which is over 150K. There is a difference between and Charleston!

[BlueDot]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I think Cleveland has quite an aesthetically-pleasing skyline. Obviously, its location right on Lake Erie has much to do with it, and from some viewpoints it can look a little sparse, but from others, it shows its heft and shines. Somewhat unfortunately, the new Sherwin-Williams tower will mainly obscure the SOHIO/BP building from the most attractive angle.

I’ve been to Cleveland several times - and it definitely punches above its weight. Just the right amount of density and aesthetics. Doesn’t hurt that has a spectacular view of Lake Eerie.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

I get that those around here don't consider DC to have a skyline, and by that, they're referring to buildings and towers. DC isn't a tall skyline, but it's a notable skyline, and if you were to ask a foreigner which is the second most skyline, a lot of foreigners won't recognize the skylines of Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, or Pittsburgh, but they'll recognize DC because of the White House, the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. And DC is a major city with 680K people, not Charleston, which is over 150K. There is a difference between and Charleston!

I guess it comes down to whether or not people consider recognizable to be synonymous with good. For most people good involves at least an element of impressiveness aka size and quantity. For some people it's entirely about impressiveness while for me it's only about half. But either way, most of those structures you mention in DC aren't actually visible or at least prominent in skyline shots and can only really be seen from aerials. In most DC skyline shots I've seen the only prominent and recognizable structures were the monument obelisk and the capitol dome while the rest is just low to midrise cityscape.

[Crawford]

DC is borderline trolling. DC doesn't have anything resembling what most would consider a skyline.

Skyline, not cityscape, or view corridors, or postcard views.

[BnaBreaker]

The new Sherwin Williams HQ tower in Cleveland is the absolute perfect addition to that skyline in terms of height, positioning, design... everything really. Made a great skyline somehow even better!

[mhays]

DC is a fine answer. The Capitol and Washington Monument can easily qualify as a skyline.

This is about what people like, not anything objective.

[MolsonExport]

Great shot of the Cleve.

[bdurk]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

I'm actually from Brooklyn, NY, and have lived in Philadelphia for almost two decades, so get that right! I'm not going to go through with the ACC, since the project is dead and y'all didn't want it. Haven't even mentioned that tower or anything Philly-related on this site (apart from Philly sports and the occasional SEPTA barbs and miscellaneous) since my virtual and physical exodus back in 2021. Y'all had your chance, and I've moved on to much better ventures, such as the Caribbean, and another dynamic and growing urban force in Miami and other cities such as Tampa and Orlando.

Philly will never recover from your exodus. I'm surprised I missed it in the news!

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by mhays

DC is a fine answer. The Capitol and Washington Monument can easily qualify as a skyline.

This is about what people like, not anything objective.

Sure there's nothing wrong with having unusual preferences. But it's also common for people to misinterpret (or not fully read) the premise of a thread. So if their answer is an extreme outlier, there's no harm in checking that everyone is on the right page and that they actually mean what it seems that they mean. Especially when the explanation provided doesn't really explain what it's offered as an explanation for.

[Crawford]

DC, by definition, can't have a skyline. It can't have buildings that vary in height beyond an enforced midrise limit. A skyline is typically interpreted as a distinct outline of buildings on the horizon.

So yeah, if someone wants to mention DC, have at it, but it makes as much sense as any random geography. I vote for Kennebunkport, Maine.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Crawford

So yeah, if someone wants to mention DC, have at it, but it makes as much sense as any random geography. I vote for Kennebunkport, Maine.

It's got one hell of a skyline. The building in the middle must be 150 clams high.



As a kid living in Montreal, I spent many summers in Kennebunkport.

[ChiSoxRox]

My top 10 (might do 50 if time later):

1. Chicago

The stand out peaks of Sears and John Hancock bookending a skyline with both architectural variety and the right density to be impressive but also visible throughout. Add in the sharp cut off to the vastness of the lake and the parkland transition, and this is still my top pick.

2. Seattle.

Maybe startling to be this high but I adore this skyline. The Columbia Center gives an exclamation point on another lovely march of highrises rising out of the bay, with perhaps the most beautiful scenery in the country surrounding it.

3. New York

It's New York. I drop it to third for two reasons: The tabletop effect from the Hudson viewpoint where anything below 800 feet is lost in the forest, and I don't like the new pencils sprouting all over Midtown. (But from the street canyons looking up, unmatchable.)

4. San Francisco

5. Atlanta

6. Philadelphia

7. Pittsburgh

8. Los Angeles

9. Detroit (Art Deco is a huge bonus for me)

10. Minneapolis - I love the blue/yellow color scheme and the riverfront setting

Personal honorable mention: Cleveland. Terminal Tower is one of my favorites, I like the design echo with Key Tower, and the lakefront/Cuyahoga canyon setting. Just too sparse to justify the top 10.

Also I may be a Bostonian, and IMO we might have the best urban fabric overall, but our skyline is meh. Very much a "look around, not up" city.

[homebucket]

Here are the current standings compared to the last one we did 18 months ago.

Some interesting notes:
- Chicago has the exact same score
- The only cities to have appeared on everyone's list so far are NYC, Chicago, SF, and Seattle
- Seattle has moved up 2 spots into the #4 position
- LA has dropped into the 5th tier, more in line with Miami
- Houston, Atlanta, and Boston have a firm grasp on the final grouping of the top 10 skylines
- Pittsburgh is not doing as well this time around. It has been usurped by Boston.

1. NYC - 1.25

2. Chicago - 2.13

3. SF - 3.75

4. Seattle - 4.88
5. Philly - 5.2

6. LA - 6.91
7. Miami - 7.07

8. Houston - 8.10
9. Atlanta - 8.17
10. Boston 8.20

11. Dallas - 10.21
12. Pittsburgh - 10.40
13. Minneapolis - 10.89

14. Denver - 12.00
15. San Diego - 17.75

Originally Posted by homebucket

1. NYC - 1.36 (SD = 0.95)

2. Chicago - 2.13 (SD = 1.01)

3. SF - 4.09 (SD = 1.78)

4. LA - 4.90 (SD = 2.07)
5. Philly - 5.23 (SD = 1.54)

6. Seattle - 5.84 (SD = 2.32)
7. Pittsburgh - 6.22 (SD = 2.64)
8. Miami - 6.40 (SD = 2.10)
9. Houston - 6.47 (SD = 2.03)

10. Atlanta - 8.42 (SD = 1.83)
11. Boston - 9.00 (SD = 0.89)
12. Dallas - 9.11 (SD = 1.27)

[hipster duck]

Not only does DC have famous landmarks that are all color-matched, but it has a unique cityscape of midrise office buildings, built to a Parisian scale, blanketing several square miles and criss-crossed by diagonal boulevards that radiate out from circular plazas. It's been a while since I flew in to a DC airport, but I imagine you get the same sensation that you would if you flew over Barcelona or Paris.

Is that a "skyline"? I dunno, but it sure is cooler than flying over Indianapolis or Columbus, even if there aren't any skyscrapers.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Not only does DC have famous landmarks that are all color-matched, but it has a unique cityscape of midrise office buildings, built to a Parisian scale, blanketing several square miles and criss-crossed by diagonal boulevards that radiate out from circular plazas. It's been a while since I flew in to a DC airport, but I imagine you get the same sensation that you would if you flew over Barcelona or Paris.

Is that a "skyline"? I dunno, but it sure is cooler than flying over Indianapolis or Columbus, even if there aren't any skyscrapers.

Even though it does not have a skyline, DC's height limit is to the city's benefit. Many of the highly ranked skyline cities would be better off with shorter skylines and better urban fabric. I'm not going to name those cities, but they know who they are...

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Even though it does not have a skyline, DC's height limit is to the city's benefit. Many of the highly ranked skyline cities would be better off with shorter skylines and better urban fabric. I'm not going to name those cities, but they know who they are...

That seems to imply that the two things are linked. As if DC would be less urban if it had an impressive skyscraper skyline. But I don't think the two are really related. The US cities with the largest and most impressive skylines (imo NY and Chi) have plenty of dense cityscape, while there are examples of lower density, less urban cities like Phoenix whose skylines are undersized for their population. I personally don't mind that DC is mostly lowrise as it's still beautiful and impressive in a different way, but I doubt that being short is what makes the city dense. Most NE cities have reasonably dense cityscapes.