Baltimore or Detroit?

Neither city is a beach destination, and the difference is mostly in the kind of water. Baltimore's nearest sand is Sandy Point, a drive out along the Bay. The water there is brackish and warm in late summer, but sea nettles drift in. The open Atlantic is a separate trip.

Detroit's swimming is in fresh water. Belle Isle has a small beach inside the city, and Lake St. Clair's shallow, calm shallows suit small children, though the water stays cooler and the season is short.

The two are broadly level, but they eat in very different ways. In Baltimore, meals revolve around one ingredient. Steamed blue crabs are cracked with mallets over brown paper, lump crab cakes are served all year, and old market halls such as Lexington sell oysters and coddies.

Detroit has more variety, and much of it comes from its communities: the Arab American bakeries and grills of Dearborn, Mexicantown, and the Polish bakeries of Hamtramck, alongside Coney dogs and square pizza. The catch is that many of Detroit's best meals need a drive, while Baltimore's crab houses and Little Italy are close to the harbour.

The two are equal in strength but differ in shape. Much of Baltimore's appeal is out in the streets: the cobbles of Fells Point, the townhouses of Mount Vernon and the rowhouses with their marble steps. Fort McHenry and two free art museums, including the Cone Collection's Matisses, sit within easy reach of each other.

Detroit's culture is concentrated in a few large institutions. The Detroit Institute of Arts has Rivera's murals, the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village take a full day, and the Motown Museum stands in the house where the label began. Between them lie Art Deco towers and long stretches with little to see.

Detroit has the stronger nights out, and the difference is in the music. Its techno heritage lives on in warehouse parties, small serious clubs and after-hours events, which Baltimore can't match. The catch is that these are scattered, and you'll take taxis between neighbourhoods.

Baltimore is a bar town with a club scene that barely exists. The old taverns around the Fells Point square, the rooftops of Federal Hill and Canton's calmer square do make a walkable evening by the water.

Baltimore has more varied country close by. Patapsco Valley's wooded gorges and bike trails begin at the city edge, the Gunpowder valley has trout streams, and the Chesapeake gives you sailing among ospreys and eagles. The Appalachian hills are within a longer drive.

Detroit's land is flat, so the outdoors there means water and parkland: Belle Isle's woods and lagoon, the RiverWalk, and the metroparks with their wetlands and autumn colour. There are no hills within easy reach.

This is where the two cities differ most. From Baltimore, Washington's Smithsonian museums and monuments are about an hour away by train, and so are Philadelphia's Independence Hall and old city. Colonial Annapolis, Gettysburg and Harpers Ferry are easy drives.

Detroit's options are pleasant rather than memorable: leafy Ann Arbor, Toledo's excellent art museum, Bavarian-themed Frankenmuth and a passport hop across to Windsor. Almost all of them need a car.

Baltimore is easier with children because its attractions sit close together. The National Aquarium's rainforest and shark ring, the science centre, Port Discovery and the harbour paddle boats are all within a short walk, which fills the first days without a car.

Detroit has several excellent places for families: the zoo's polar bear tunnel, the steam trains of Greenfield Village and the Belle Isle aquarium. But they are spread across the metro area, and the days involve more driving.

Baltimore is the easier city without a car, as long as you stay near the water. The harbour districts join up along a promenade, water taxis run to Fort McHenry, and fast trains reach Washington and Philadelphia.

Detroit's People Mover and the QLine streetcar along Woodward Avenue cover downtown and the Midtown museums well. Beyond that, the wide avenues and slow buses mean most visitors end up hiring a car.

Detroit has a little more to buy, mostly things made locally. Midtown and Corktown have makers selling Detroit-made watches and leather goods, Eastern Market adds crafts on market days, and there is an upscale suburban mall for the big brands.

Baltimore's best shopping is quirkier. Hampden's Avenue has vintage clothes and kitsch, and Fells Point has antiques and records. For anything bigger, you have to go out to the suburban malls.

Detroit is the cheaper of the two. Hotels cost noticeably less, and casual meals of pizza, Coney dogs and Middle Eastern food are good value. A hire car and parking cancel out some of the savings.

Baltimore is reasonable by East Coast standards, and its two leading art museums are free. However, a crab feast is a splurge, the harbourfront hotels charge more, and the taxi rides you'll take in place of driving push up the daily cost.

Detroit is the stronger music city. It has a resident opera company in a restored downtown house, the symphony in the acoustically admired Orchestra Hall, and the lavish Fox Theatre. Jazz clubs and a free Labor Day jazz festival add to that, along with live soul, rock and gospel most nights.

Baltimore has no opera to match, but it is stronger in resident theatre, with Center Stage and Everyman. The Peabody Institute's frequent free concerts in Mount Vernon are an easy, low-cost evening out.

Neither city suits a restful stay. Both have only hotel spas and a few day spas, and neither has a bathing tradition. If you want quiet, Baltimore gives you a harbour walk or Druid Hill's trees, and a short trip across the Bay to the Eastern Shore. In Detroit the calmest place is an unhurried afternoon on Belle Isle.