Favorite Skyrim City?

[Varra]

So what is your favorite city in Skyrim and why?

Is the reason you chose this city because it is pretty? It's easy to get around the guards? You like the house for purchase? The quest there blow your very mind?!

Personally, I think I fell in love with Solitude. Not because I completely support the Imperials but because the city has so many shops to sell to! So much to steal from, I enjoy the layout of the city, and gorgeous views.

 

[Serperior]

Markarth! I love love love Dwarven themes!

 

[Lady Redpool the Unlifer]

I am in love with Riften. Everything about the city is fluffed up, and I have always appreciated things more for their flaws than their perfections. Riften just seems more real than the others, oh and the whole city is pretty much floating! Seriously, I just love Riften.

 

[Annageckos]

I don't know... My favorites are Whiterun, Solitude and Riften. But I don't know if I can pick just one. Whiterun, I love the area, the plains outside the city are great for hunting. I love the house, nice and cozy. And the alchemy table has a satchel right on it, very convenient as I love alchemy and have hundreds of pounds of ingredients. There are plenty of shops to sell to also.
Solitude is beautiful. There is a great view from the house overlooking the water. But the area isn't as good for hunting, and the swamps outside the city have chaurus... ugg. The house is nice there and huge too. And there are a good amount of venders.
Riften, I love the area. The woods are beautiful, the kind of place I love to wander around. The hunting is great, but there may be too many bear. I love the water. And the house is very nice too, but not set up the greatest.

Hum, overall it looks like Whiterun wins.

 

[jonathan90]

I would say falkreath,due to the lush green forests and hilltops.

 

[Fenix09]

Whiterun Hands down

 

[Benthos]

Well there's two I like but are really depressing at the same time. Personally, I love Falkreath and Morthal. If it weren't full of glum citizens, it would be 80x better. I love the scenery and I feel more at home there than anywhere else. Temperature seems to be the best there as well.

 

[Liger]

Whiterun:
3 places to sell weapons and armor plus free to use Smelter
1 general shop
1 potions shop and making
1 Inn
Market stalls
The companions (free bed)
Wizard in the keep to buy wizard stuff. and enchant stuff
5000 Gold house (7500) full loaded

and outside of the city there is good hunting and many giant camps withing walking distance

Whiterun just have everything you need, plus Riverview or River-town just up the road is close enough too, extra shops and food cutting as well.

 

[Mwhals]

Whiterun for the same reasons in the previous post and also for the openness of the city layout.

 

[Remington721]

Whiterun for the same reasons in the previous post and also for the openness of the city layout.

Markarth-- Once ya learn to navigate the city it's hard it beat , and the only house I need . Two Smith's And smelter too. I'm really burned out on the H.F DLC way too much money, and got to protect your Stead against all the bad things. So I just got my self to watch out for now. Vendril Hall for the low price is hard to beat and I really like the fact that it's a Stone Fort

 

[Khasrin]

Markarth....not only is it a beautiful city in its own right (and I love all the water flowing through it), but I'm also in love with all the Dwemer elements of the game, so of course I never get tired of Markarth The people who live there are an interesting bunch, and Vlindrel Hall is hands-down my favorite house in the game; beautiful stonework, no windows, far away from your neighbors....sounds like the perfect house to me. I think it's worth becoming Thane of Markarth just to have Argis the Bulwark as your housecarl...yum

(Though I have to wonder why there's like 20 tables in Vlindrel Hall...if you have a spouse it's funny watching them sit down, eat bread, then get up and go to a table five feet away to eat more bread, and so on, for hours on end.) And also why my alchemy room has dog meat in it.

Even though it's run down and most of it fell into the sea, I also have a soft spot for Winterhold. Mostly the College, but there's something about the town I like. It feels haunted somehow, like there's something lurking in this area that's just biding its time and someday all hell (er...Oblivion) is going to break loose. Plus there's all that cool stuff to explore to the north.

 

[Black Orchid]

Markarth for it's beauty and architectural wonderment, and Whiterun for it's usefulness and central hub to the rest of Skyrim.

Windhelm is just downright depressing, and so is Dawnstar.

Winterhold has an amazing College, but there is too much damn snow.

 

[Opinionated Asmodeus]

Whiterun, because I find myself passing through there more than anywhere else.

Edit: iPad fail.

 

[Raijin]

Markarth all the way for It's ancient history.

 

[Alysa Roesch]

I have a weird liking for Windhelm personally, though that could just be 'cause I tend to side with the Stormcloaks. Other wise Riften all the way. I get alone with (almost) everyone there and who doesn't like the Thieves Guild?

 

[Raijin]

As for Windhelm.... It's OK but rather depressing with the continuous amount of snow, and yes I'm A stormcloak supporter too

Serana doesn't seem to impressive for Windhelm.

 

[LotusEater]

Gotta go with Solsthiem, but it has it's flaws.

Pros

- House is perfect if you use all facets of crafting. Only house where you can craft anything right from ore without a load screen. (everything I use/make is crafted from the rawest material available so this is big for me, I buy nothing)
- Ebony mine right next door
- All the vendors are outside
- People actually acknowledge that I'm a hero and say nice things


Cons

- My only real beef is that it's dreary and the music in the house is depressing


Towns that I don't like and avoid

- Markarth, after the initial awestruckness it got old fast, plus Thalmor annoy the hell out of me

- Falkreath, I've already killed the shop owner because I was sick of him implying that I was gonna steal something after I spent thousands building a house. He's been dead behind the counter for months. His brother who sells wood is on the list too. He's lucky I don't bother with Hearthfire any more and therefore don't need any lumber.

-Windhelm, I don't play video games to see children sleeping in snowy alleys... or to adopt children sleeping in snowy alleys.


EDIT- Just noticed my choice wasn't an option. In that case I go with Riften for the reasons below.

 

[FarmGirl]

Riften, It never snows, almost never rains, and no one cares who or what I am!

 

[Joker]

Whiterun for the house with everything nearby, plus a free bed in Jorrvasker, Winterhold for the free education and free bed as Arch-Mage, Riften because of the hunting and country feel.

 

[The Wanderer]

I like them all, but Whiterun is the only one that doesn't depress me.