Edmonton , General info:
8/10

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, and is the hub of Canada's sixth largest census metropolitan area, with a metropolitan population of 1,034,945, making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million. At 684 square kilometres (264 sq mi), the City of Edmonton covers an area larger than Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto or Montreal. Edmonton has one of the lowest population densities in North America, about 9.4% that of New York City. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.

Edmonton , Cheap stuff:
8/10

Edmonton serves as the northern anchor of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor (one of four regions that together comprise 50% of Canada's population) and is a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories.

Edmonton , Different stuff:
10/10

Edmonton is the most northerly major city in North America. At the summer solstice, Edmonton receives seventeen hours and six minutes of daylight, with twilight extending well beyond that. Edmonton receives 2,289 hours of sunshine per year, and is one of Canada's sunniest cities.

Edmonton , Don't miss:
9/10

The Edmonton International Fringe Festival, which takes place in mid-August, is the largest Fringe Theatre Festival in North America, and second only to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in the world. More than 1500 performers take part in the festival each year. In 2006, over 77,000 tickets were sold to indoor shows, and over 500,000 people visited the festival site.

Oakland , General info:
9/10

Oakland is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Alameda County. Oakland is located in Northern California in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Combined statistical area#Largest CSAs-twelveth-most-populous metropolitan area in the United States. Based on 2006 statistical data, Oakland is the 44th-largest city in the United States.

Rand McNally named Oakland as having the best weather in the United States.

Oakland is a major West Coast port, and is home to several major corporations including Kaiser Permanente and Clorox, as well as corporate headquarters for nationwide businesses like Dreyer's and Cost Plus World Markets.

Oakland , Cheap stuff:
8/10

Like any big city...

Oakland , Different stuff:
9/10

Symbols of Oakland’s arrival as a modern 20th century metropolis -- the Beaux Arts-style City hall and Rotunda Building, the Tribune Tower, and the Art Deco-style Financial Center building

Oakland , Don't miss:
8/10

Dunsmuir House, Grand Lake Theatre, Jack London Square, Lake Merritt, Children's Fairyland, Parkway Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Preservation Park, USS Potomac-National Historic Landmark

Oakland , Food:
9/10

Jack's Bistro, Horatio's, Garibaldi's on College, Citron, ...

Oakland , Hotels:
8/10

Clarion Suites Lake Merritt Restaurant & Hotel, Jack London Square Lodging, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Oakland Airport, Regency Inn, North Oakland, Executive Inn & Suites Embarcadero Cove, Oakland Marriott

Quality Inn, Imperial Inn, Fairfield Inn by Marriott

Oakland , Safety:
9/10

Not so safe in here ...