Baltimore or Pittsburgh?

Baltimore comes out ahead, though neither is a swimming city. Sandy Point on the Chesapeake is about forty minutes away, and its bay water gets genuinely warm in August, despite summer sea nettles and the odd closure after rain.

Pittsburgh's nearest swim is a small reservoir beach at Lake Arthur. The better sand at Presque Isle on Lake Erie is two hours away and noticeably cooler. If water matters to you, Baltimore at least offers a warm afternoon on the bay.

The two are evenly matched, so the choice comes down to what you want to eat. Baltimore means blue crab: steamed and covered in Old Bay at crab houses in summer, or made into crab cakes all year, along with oysters at Lexington Market and red-sauce Italian food in Little Italy.

Pittsburgh's cooking comes from Central European kitchens, with pierogies and haluski, plus its own overstuffed sandwiches with fries inside. The Strip District is a livelier market street than anything in Baltimore, and Lawrenceville adds chef-led restaurants and craft breweries.

Baltimore has the slightly stronger set of sights, led by the Cone Collection's Matisse works at the free Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters and Fort McHenry. Its historic character also lives in the streets, in the cobbles of Fells Point and the marble-stooped rowhouses.

Pittsburgh's collections lean towards the twentieth century and the unusual: the Warhol Museum, the installations at the Mattress Factory, and the Carnegie's dinosaurs next to the Nationality Rooms. Its best sight is the landscape itself, the bridges and rivers seen from the top of an incline.

Both are bar towns with small club scenes and a 2am last call, so the difference is the setting. Baltimore's best evenings are in old taverns around the cobbled waterfront square in Fells Point, or on the rooftops of Federal Hill after a game.

Pittsburgh spreads its nights across hill neighbourhoods. You will find cocktail bars and breweries on Butler Street in Lawrenceville and a long student strip on East Carson Street. Getting between them usually means a ride.

Pittsburgh is the better place to be outdoors. The hills and woods start right behind the houses, riverside paths make easy bike loops, and the Laurel Highlands offer whitewater rafting, waterfalls and the long Great Allegheny Passage cycle trail.

Baltimore's countryside is gentler. There are the wooded gorges of Patapsco Valley and trout streams in Gunpowder Falls, and its real strength is the Chesapeake, with sailing out of Annapolis and herons, ospreys and eagles in the marshes.

This is the widest gap between the two, and Baltimore is far ahead. Washington's museums and monuments and Philadelphia's old city are each about an hour away by train, and Annapolis, Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry and the Eastern Shore villages are all easy drives.

Pittsburgh has one outstanding outing in Fallingwater, which pairs well with Kentuck Knob and Ligonier. Beyond that the choice thins out quickly, and almost every trip needs a car.

Baltimore keeps its children's attractions in one place. The National Aquarium, with sharks circling a ring-shaped tank and a rainforest under glass, sits on the Inner Harbor a short walk from the Maryland Science Center and Port Discovery, so the first days with children need no transport at all. Away from the water the city is patchier.

Pittsburgh offers a wider spread but asks for more travel between the pieces. The North Side has the Science Center's submarine and the free-flying birds of the National Aviary, Oakland has some of the country's best dinosaur halls, and Kennywood's old wooden roller coasters make a summer day out. With small children, the hills and distances make a car far more useful.

Baltimore's centre is flat and strung along the water. The Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Federal Hill and Little Italy join up along one promenade, and on a fine day the water taxis out to Fort McHenry become part of the outing. Hampden and the zoo still need a bus or a taxi.

Pittsburgh's core is built on several levels. Bridges lead straight from downtown to the North Side, the T runs underground and across the river, and two inclines carry you up Mount Washington. Beyond that, steep hills and river crossings make walking between Oakland, Lawrenceville and Shadyside slow, and evenings out usually end with a ride.

Neither is a shopping destination, and both send big-brand shoppers to suburban malls. Baltimore's best browsing is the vintage and kitsch along Hampden's Avenue, plus antiques and records in Fells Point.

Pittsburgh offers a bit more variety: the stalls and kitchenware of the Strip District, independent shops on Butler Street and the more polished boutiques of Walnut Street in Shadyside.

Pittsburgh is somewhat easier on the wallet. Hotels, including downtown, and casual food and drink cost less than on the coast.

Baltimore is still cheaper than Washington or New York, and its two great art museums are free. Waterfront hotels, crab feasts and frequent taxis bring the daily cost up, though.

Pittsburgh has the fuller stage. The Benedum Center is home to a resident opera and ballet company and also hosts touring musicals, the symphony plays in the gilded Heinz Hall, and the theatre programme runs all year.

Baltimore has no opera to match. It does offer a full symphony season, and many of the Peabody Institute's concerts in Mount Vernon are free. Its indie and experimental club scene around Station North has more edge than Pittsburgh's rock clubs.

Neither city is made for a restful stay, but Pittsburgh offers a little more calm. Phipps Conservatory's warm glasshouses and the shaded paths of Frick Park are good places to slow down, and there are resort spas in the Laurel Highlands.

Baltimore's pace is grittier. Beyond hotel spas, the quiet moments are early walks along the harbour or time in Druid Hill Park, and anyone wanting real rest heads for the Eastern Shore.