13. New York City, NY

Woody Allen will tell you there is no better city in the world than the Big Apple. The only time he would actually speak at the Oscars (Los Angeles), which was received with a standing ovation, was to honor New York City after the September 11th tragedy (a day that will live in infamy for not only the city and state, but for the entire country).From a tourist perspective, the city has absolutely everything. Your best bet is to go in without a car and take advantage of the subway system. It is not difficult to learn, and it will take you everywhere in the city that you need to go. Here's another one of those long lists of attractions: the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Ground Zero, Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Broadway (including some of the best productions in the world), the Bronx Zoo (among others), the New York Aquarium, a ton of museums (art, history, science, music, air sea and space, sex, culture, sports, dolls... hundreds more), Jones Beach, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium (which is only cool now because Willie Randolph is there), FAO Schwarz (from "Big"), and a million stores, restaurants, and bars. The food and shopping could easily compare to any place in the world. I love New York-style pizza, but the city offers every kind of dish, and it's usually good. The bars will fit any taste as well (from classy to dive bars, from loud rock, techno, or hip-hop to smooth jazz and blues).Like most large cities, it serves up a dish of various cultures. There is constantly something going on (festivals and other activities) that reflect the culture of New York City. It is similar to Chicago in that way, but New York seems even more fast-paced. It is very easy to spend multiple days walking the streets without getting bored. It is a place that truly reflects America, its past, and future in its own history and also in its attractions. It is also a place that has hosted more ticker-tape parades than any other baseball city in the country, with many more to come (we don't take over 85 years to win again).