Naples

Naples

Naples brings wealthy retirees to the Gulf coast for genuinely some of the prettiest beaches in Florida, and the sunsets at the pier are a community ritual (everyone gathers, no one talks). The downtown along Fifth Avenue is pastel and breezy. Mercato has the upscale restaurants. The Everglades' western edge starts just south of town. Affluent, sunny, and quieter than the east-coast Florida cities.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is Bricktown's canal and warehouses, the Thunder (who get loud), and the deeply moving Oklahoma City National Memorial. The downtown's grown up fast in the last decade, the food scene leans steaks and Vietnamese (the Asian District is legit), and the surrounding plains give the city an enormous sky. The Cowboy Hall of Fame is more thoughtful than the name suggests.