Detroit or Pittsburgh?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Detroit at least lets you swim within reach. Belle Isle has a small sandy beach in the city itself, and Lake St. Clair's calm, shallow water warms to around 23°C in high summer, about forty minutes away.

Pittsburgh's rivers are for boats, not swimmers. The nearest swim is a small reservoir beach at Lake Arthur, and the proper sand at Presque Isle on Lake Erie is two hours' drive away.

Both cities eat well for their size, and the difference is in the kind of food. Detroit's local dishes are the chilli-covered Coney dog and square, crisp-edged pizza. Its real strength is the communities around it: Lebanese and Yemeni cooking in Dearborn, Mexicantown and the Polish bakeries of Hamtramck, though many of the best meals need a drive.

Pittsburgh's cooking comes from Central and Eastern Europe, with pierogies and haluski, plus its own overstuffed sandwiches. The Strip District is a better place to browse on foot than Detroit's Saturday-focused Eastern Market, and Lawrenceville has the chef-led kitchens.

Detroit comes out slightly ahead because of the Detroit Institute of Arts, whose Rivera murals fill a whole courtyard. The Motown Museum, the Wright Museum of African American History and a full day at the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village add depth. Downtown's Art Deco towers, such as the Guardian Building, are a sight in their own right.

Pittsburgh answers with a steel-baron collection: the Carnegie museums, the Warhol, the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning and the Frick estate. Its finest sight is its setting, the bridges and three rivers seen from Mount Washington, which flat Detroit cannot match.

Detroit has the more interesting nights because it is the home of techno. Warehouse parties and small clubs where the music comes first give it something Pittsburgh lacks, especially around the Memorial Day electronic festival. The catch is that its bars are scattered, so a night out means taxis between neighbourhoods.

Pittsburgh is a bar city rather than a club city, with Lawrenceville's Butler Street for cocktails and breweries and East Carson Street for loud student crawls. It is easy-going and fun, but rarely a reason to stay up late.

This is Pittsburgh's clearest win. The city is steep and wooded, with ravine trails in Frick and Schenley Parks and riverside loops by bike. The Laurel Highlands, about ninety minutes away, add whitewater rafting, waterfalls and the Great Allegheny Passage.

Detroit's outdoors are flat and centred on water: Belle Isle's Olmsted-designed woods and lagoon, the RiverWalk, and sailing or kayaking on Lake St. Clair. The surrounding metroparks are pleasant for birdwatching, but there are no hills nearby.

The two are about even, and Pittsburgh has the single standout. Fallingwater, with Kentuck Knob nearby, makes a memorable architecture day, and the Flight 93 memorial and Ligonier's fort sit on the same routes.

Detroit's options are softer but more varied: the university town of Ann Arbor, Bavarian-style Frankenmuth, Toledo's art museum and Windsor across the river for anyone carrying a passport. You need a car for almost every outing from either city.

Pittsburgh is the easier city with children. The North Side alone has the Science Center with its submarine, the Children's Museum and the free-flying birds of the National Aviary, and the Carnegie dinosaur halls are close by in Oakland. Kennywood's old wooden coasters and the incline rides make easy treats.

Detroit has strong individual draws, including the large zoo with its polar bear tunnel and the steam trains of Greenfield Village. They are spread across the metro area, though, and much more of the day is spent in the car.

Both have a walkable centre with a car-dependent sprawl beyond it, but Pittsburgh's core reaches further. The T crosses the river to the North Side, the Strip District is a riverside walk away, and the inclines climb Mount Washington. Buses and ride-hailing cover Oakland and Lawrenceville, although the hills make walking between neighbourhoods slow.

Detroit's People Mover and QLine cover downtown, Midtown and New Center well. Beyond them, the zoo, Dearborn and nearly everything else means hiring a car.

Neither is a shopping city, and both send big-brand shoppers out to the suburban malls. Detroit's appeal is Detroit-made goods, such as watches, leather and print in Midtown and Corktown, along with crafts at Eastern Market. Pittsburgh's is browsing the Strip District, plus vintage on Butler Street and Shadyside's Walnut Street, the nearest thing either city has to a boutique street.

Your money goes a little further in Detroit, mostly on the room. Hotels cost noticeably less than in most large US cities, and the People Mover and QLine are cheap for getting around the centre. The hire car and parking that most visitors need take back part of that saving. Sales tax is added on top of listed prices, and downtown rooms near the stadiums jump on game and concert nights.

Pittsburgh is in the same range, with downtown hotels sensibly priced on most nights and local beer reasonable. You may get by without a car until you head for the Laurel Highlands, but evening rides between its hilly neighbourhoods add up, and big football weekends push room rates up.

Both are serious music cities, and Detroit has the edge in live music. Motown, soul, gospel and deep-rooted jazz mean bands most nights, and the free Detroit Jazz Festival takes over downtown at Labor Day. Orchestra Hall and the Fox Theatre add classical concerts and big shows.

Pittsburgh is stronger in theatre. The Cultural District groups Heinz Hall, the Benedum's opera and ballet, and a year-round programme of plays, and the August Wilson connection gives the Hill District real literary weight.

Neither city has a bathing tradition, so this is not a reason to choose either. Pittsburgh has slightly more to offer: the warm glasshouses of Phipps Conservatory and its quiet park paths, with proper resort spas in the Laurel Highlands. Detroit's calm moments are a walk on the RiverWalk or an afternoon on Belle Isle, plus hotel spas.