New Orleans vs Vancouver

New Orleans moves to its own rhythm, and three days is enough to feel it. Start in the French Quarter, where wrought-iron balconies hang over Royal Street, street musicians play outside St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square, and a plate of powdered-sugar beignets at Café Du Monde is a rite of passage. By night, skip the Bourbon Street crowds and head to Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, where small clubs host brass bands, trad jazz and funk for little or no cover. Ride the green St. Charles streetcar under live oaks to the Garden District, a neighborhood of antebellum mansions and shady sidewalks, then browse Magazine Street. Save an evening for a long Creole or Cajun dinner of gumbo, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee or redfish, and a morning for the French Market. With more time, spend a full day at the National WWII Museum, glide through cypress swamps on a boat tour, visit Whitney Plantation for an honest look at the lives of enslaved people, and explore the murals of the Bywater and the oaks of City Park. Come in spring or fall for the best weather, and pace yourself: in this city, lingering over lunch is the plan.

Vancouver combines a dense, walkable downtown with mountains and ocean visible from nearly every street corner. Stanley Park's seawall, the North Shore mountains for skiing or hiking, and a food scene shaped by Pacific Rim influences make it consistently ranked among the world's most liveable cities, if also one of the more expensive.