What's your favourite fictional city?

[Incompleat]

The Rapture thread made me think: if you could get to live in a fictional city, which one would you choose? Fictionalized real cities count too, of course.

Ankh-Morphork wouldn't be bad, but it is a bit too chaotic for my tastes. That, and even if Vetinari is mostly benevolent, he's still a dictator.

I love the concept of Future New York in Asimov's series - it is the ultimate LN city, and I always had a thing for ultratechnological, subterranean megalopolises (is that even a word?).
But Asimov made clear that it was not even remotely substainable in the long run, so that's out as well.

So I think I'd go for Trantor, in the golden age of course, and try to get a job in the Library.

I really don't like it being part of an Empire; but still, a planet-wide, semi-subterranean city with a population of 45 billions? Count me in!

[Kris Strife]

Either some of the nicer parts of Ankh-Morpork (with a large supply of bananas handy), somewhere in Fourecks, Veldime or Santa Destroy

Neo America wouldn't be too bad either.

[Sanguine]

Ankh-Morpork also has

...air with character.
as a con.

I think I would like to live in either Tar Valon it has the beautiful architecture and I could train to be a Warder but then Aes Sedai arrogance and the Seanchan attack are put offs. Caemlyn would also be cool but the whole siege thing and a Forsaken ruling wouldn't have been fun. Ultimately I'd have to say I have no idea.

[paddyfool]

I forget the name of it, but the city in The City and the Stars by Arthur C Clarke is kind of awesome (and kind of monstrously limiting, at the same time...)

Besides that, there's the "alternate" Baghdad featured in Gaiman's Sandman, a couple from Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, various city-sized space ships, and Minas Tirith, immediately following the coronation of the first of the house of Telcontar.

[golentan]

I forget the name of it, but the city in The City and the Stars by Arthur C Clarke is kind of awesome (and kind of monstrously limiting, at the same time...)

It's Diaspar, but most people just call it "The City."

I think I'd wind up going with Sharn, of Eberron fame.

[JediSoth]

For me, it's a toss-up between Sigil and Ptolus. The sheer variety of what is there, the diversity, would make it worth the risks for me.

[Mercenary Pen]

I'd probably go with either Granada or von Braun city from Gundam's universal century timeline... both on the moon- which would allow for greater feats of athletics, etc.

[Dervag]

Somewhere advanced enough to have indoor plumbing and, if humanly possible, electricity. Internet access would be nice; failing that, a good library is a must...

[chiasaur11]

Dervag has a point.

And Ankh Morpork, even when "civilized" is filled with people who'd kill you for a hundred dollar watch, scam artists of all kinds, the Breccia...

And that's without going into the Shades.

Hmm. As fun as saying "City 17. It's safer there." would be, that's all bad idea.

Marvel and DC cities really depend on era. I mean, if Gotham has so little crime Batman can go gallivanting about in the 1600s for kicks, that's one thing, while Gotham from the Nolan films would be, well, less nice.

Tough question. I guess a city from Legion of Super-heroes could be keen. Assuming, you know, peppy happy Legion era rather than Dominator war era.

Wait. Got it. Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four New York.

Super heroes, modern conveniences, and nobody dying from the frequent insane catastrophes. Plus, Reed Richards selling repair services at rummage sales.

[Tirian]

I agree that the golden age of Persia (Scheherazade's vision of Baghdad, or Agrabah from Disney's Aladdin or Babylon from Prince of Persia) is pretty hard to resist.

[Dienekes]

Hyrule during one of the hundred year sections of time that ganondorf isn't taking it over.

[Zen Monkey]

Silent Hill

Nobody said it has to be the favorite city in which to buy real estate. It's just probably my favorite fictional city to read about. Besides, it has the hidden bonus of being three cities at once. You go there for a while, survive confronting your personal demons, and come out better for it with a new approach to life. (I'm assuming we all do well and get the good ending)

[Athaniar]

When it comes to fantasy, I was thinking of Silvermoon (the one from Warcraft, not Silverymoon from Forgotten Realms), but then I remembered the subtle and not so subtle indications of a despotic big brother-ish city. So no, not that one. Dalaran is better. If we move to sci-fi/space fantasy, I'll choose... some big city on Earth from Star Trek, some time after the Dominion War.

[SurlySeraph]

Well, barring a couple awesome ones that would count as religious discussion, I'd probably go with The Sprawl from William Gibson's novels. Taking where I've lived my whole life, filling everything that isn't already a city with city, making cybernetic implants, medical and other jobs I'm interested in, and general excitement easily available, and then making it easy to go from Boston to Atlanta in a few hours? I don't care if it's supposed to be the grim dark gritty future, sign me up!

[Bavarian itP]

Brabak (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDarkEye)

Gaia's Landing (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitlenhy07uuq?from=Main.SidMeiersAlphaCentauri)

[Eldan]

Well... favourite to read about? Sigil. Crazy, fantastic, varied. But live there? No. Holidays would be interesting, but, as has been said before, I prefer a city with plumbing, working fridges, and no demons as neighbours.

To live, and second favourite to read? Chasm City. Pre-melting plague, of course. The best place to live I've read about so far. All the variability of most fantasy cities, with all the advantages of crazy high tech.

[Starfols]

There was a thread a while ago about fictional locations, but this is a bit harder.

My answer, however, remains the same. The human village in Gensokyo.

If that isn't big enough to be classified as a city, then I would say either the Glass City from Loom, or Marcuria from The Longest Journey.

[Satyr]

Brabak? Brr.
Why?

Does Camelot count as a city?

Tanelorn is probably even better. I mean, it is the one constant in the whole multiverse. What's not to like about it?

[Jorkens]

Good question.


a couple from Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities
Very good answer!

Alasdair Gray's Greater Unthank appeals to me in a weird way, despite being deliberately not all that nice. Or the London of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

[Dr. Bath]

To live: Waterfall City from the book Dinotopia. Just so beautiful. Also: dinosaurs!

Or: Turnbridge Wheels. For fun. And slavery I guess?

[Drakevarg]

Sadrith Mora. Life is never boring when the Telvanni are your neighbors...

[GenPol]

Paradise City? I listen to too much GnR.....:smalltongue:

[JonestheSpy]

To live in, definitely Ni-Moya on the planet Majipoor, created by Robert Silverberg.

To read about, Fritz Lieber's Lankhmar and China Mieville's New Crobuzon top the list by a far stretch.

edit: Dinotopia's Waterfall City would also be an amazing place to live.

[Lupy]

Hm...

Gondolin, as long as I was born in the city and died before the city was sacked.

Rivendell in the early Third Age.

Armethalieh before Kellen messed it up by overthrowing the wizards.

Tar Valon between the War of Hundred Years and Aiel War.

Sto Helit, after Mort takes over.

[warty goblin]

Hm...

Gondolin, as long as I was born in the city and died before the city was sacked.

That might be kinda hard, seeing as to be born there you sorta had to live forever to begin with...

For sheer WTFness, whatever the city in Zeno Clash has to rank pretty high on the list. If the architecture isn't weird enough for you, the residents will do just fine.

[Optimystik]

I think I would like to live in either Tar Valon it has the beautiful architecture and I could train to be a Warder but then Aes Sedai arrogance and the Seanchan attack are put offs. Caemlyn would also be cool but the whole siege thing and a Forsaken ruling wouldn't have been fun. Ultimately I'd have to say I have no idea.

Big no on Tar Valon. An entire city where women browbeat you? NTY.

I'd probably live in Candlekeep, and be a psionics teacher like that Erudite guy.

[Remmirath]

Tanelorn is probably even better. I mean, it is the one constant in the whole multiverse. What's not to like about it?

Indeed. I'd probably go for Tanelorn.

Nargothrond or Gondolin would be cool, but would eventually end in ways that wouldn't be fun to be a part of.

Living in one of the better parts of Sigil would probably be interesting, too, but I don't think I'd really want to do it. Maybe visit.

Imrryr goes in the same 'visit with caution' category. Interesting, surely, but almost certainly hazardous to one's health.

[Hida Reju]

Rapture from Bioshock

[GolemsVoice]

Hard to say, really. On the one hand, most fantatic cities are insanely bautiful, but lack modenr comfort, while most modern cities are, well, modern cities, only a bit more so.

Dalaran from WoW would be a middle ground, I guess. Magic is commonplace enough to enchant brooms to sweep your floor, and add portals to the toilets instead of regular pipes. Also, it looks beautiful, and seems to have nice weather even in the midst of freaking Northrend. But maybe I'd fear falling from the sky. That would be a bummer.

One of the cities from Alpha Centauri, at the very end. Maybe Morgan, or Gaia. They have EVERYTHING. And IN THE FUTURE. And IN SPACE. Assuming, of course, the city is well maintained, and has enough food and energy. That would be paradise. I'd live among the most intelligent and open people in the universe, I'd have more luxury than I could handle (or I would no longer need luxury because that's how advanced I am), and the most intricate defenses and the most deadly troops would guard my wellbeing.

[UnChosenOne]

The City or Karath-din/The Lost City (predestruction) both from Thief would mostlikely be guite interesting places to live. Though neither of them seems to bemost safest place to live.
City has rather big undead problem and Karath-din... Well lets say that I don't like guite lot from idea of being city that will be swallowed by earth. But in the other hand both of theme are (were if we're speaking about Karath-din) both technologicaly and magical rather advanced.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Deep Space Nine...

hmm.. :smallconfused:

Sin City, from Dominic Deegan :smallbiggrin:

[DomaDoma]

Oh, living in a fictional city. Good thing you specified - as a concept, Menzoberranzan is definitely my favorite, but... yeah.

My first thought was Kamina City, but as cool as the space travel is, cutting-edge technology at a normal pace is enough to make me come over all fogeyish.

Oh. The Glittering Caves, that's perfect. It's like Carlsbad only shinier, you learn all kinds of artisan-crafts, and you're surrounded by the dwarves, who are the best damned race in Middle-earth. Not only that, but dwarves who aren't all wrapped up in ancestral grudge nonsense. Sign me up.

[Brewdude]

Cynosure, from First Comic's GrimJack.

RIP First Comics.

[ninjalemur]

Somewhere on Shlock Mercenary Luna.

Whitechapel London

Calimport, from Faerun.

[bosssmiley]

To live: Waterfall City from the book Dinotopia. Just so beautiful. Also: dinosaurs!

Or: Turnbridge Wheels. For fun. And slavery I guess?

Municipal Darwinism ftw! :smallbiggrin:

Viriconium, or Sigil. Or possibly Cinnabar.

[bibliophile]

As has been said, Trantor would be awesome.

Tar Valon, although cool, leaves you waay to close to Aes Sedai, which is a bad idea for normal people.

Chasm City, before the plague, especially the Glitter Belt would be really, really cool too.

[Indon]

Indeed. I'd probably go for Tanelorn.

...

Living in one of the better parts of Sigil would probably be interesting, too, but I don't think I'd really want to do it. Maybe visit.

Sigil probably is Tanelorn.

The problem with living in fictional cities is that most are in fictional universes, and have the attendant problems thereof.

I'd have to go with Post-Empire Trantor - when it's a calm but advanced farming planet with the largest (and most secret) mind science program in human history.

[Rattine]

Man, it's taking some brain power think over all the cities I've read about or played in games... I'll make a generic list...
~_~Zanarkand
~_~Laputa
~_~Varrock
I can't think of any more! >.<

[Da'Shain]

Coruscant, to live on.

Armada from China Mieville's work is pretty awesome, though.

[Lupy]

Man, it's taking some brain power think over all the cities I've read about or played in games... I'll make a generic list...
~_~Zanarkand
~_~Laputa
~_~Varrock
I can't think of any more! >.<

Didn't even think of Runescape. Falador or Varrock would both be nice.

[Sneak]

New Crobuzon?

Persephone?

[Dr.Epic]

Should I ever have kids, I'd like to raise them in Basin City.:smallbiggrin:

[Eddums]

Baldur's Gate. Possibly Gondolin or Nargothrond.

What can say? I like a good city of adventure. :smalltongue:

[The Big Dice]

One of the ORbitals from Iain M Banks' Culure novels. A Ringworld size cit with super advanced tech, little to no chance of something horrible happening nearby and a population dedicated to a life of hedonism.

Sign me up!

[Voldecanter]

Armethalieh

Of Course I would love to live in the City of a thousand bells , well before Anigrel turned it into Paranoia Central , but. Cilarnen Forever !

[Altair_the_Vexed]

To live there? I'd say Theed, on Naboo, in the Star Wars prequels.

To read or play or watch? Neo-Tokyo, from whatever futuristic canon you care.

[Archonic Energy]

no love for Futurama's New New York
or Doctor Who's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York.

For shame!
:smalltongue: