Just curious.

Whiterun and Riften are my two least favorite cities. I mean I don't hate them, well I hate Riften, that place is a total [censored] hole because of the Thieves Guild. I like the Argonian jewler and the mage at the castle, but that's about it. I can't believe I had to have my wedding in that dirty city.

Besides getting some Skyforge steel and being a good place to sell weapons, I much prefer Solitude and Markarth. I make most of my income as a Jeweler (enchanted and generic) and I like Radiant Raiment a lot because I can sell my jewlery there and at the general store too and it has an archer store + blacksmith for me to buy arrows and sell Glass Greatswords that I craft. The house in Solitude has 3 floors, first rate, married to Camilla the Breton from Riverwood. Perfect home, moved there from Markarth.

Even Windhelm I prefer over Whiterun, there's a High Elf merchant like me that sells good stuff and right next to the Blacksmith + the General story = good place to sell Jewlery too. I like the ancient look of the city.

Also I like the fact that there are High Elves like me in Solitude, which adds immersion, and I like the visit the Bards college and the Blue palace, nice to have a home to such luxury.

I prefer Whiterun to all other holds because my main house is there, and the Jarl's a pretty cool guy. I just somehow feel loyalty to Whiterun, like its my home-city. The worst, however, is Markarth. They're terrible there. Everyone has some secret. The Forsworn are savages and the Silver-Bloods are not much better. Killed the lot of them.

Whiterun is ok, but Riten is my favorite and where I purchased my house, and I only had Lydia as a follower for a short time, got tired of her dragging behind and constantly getting in my way.

My Nord Native is quite comfortable in his small Whiterun home.

My Imperial is having a hard time deciding if he'd like to live in Soltiude or Windhelm. Him being a member of the Legion makes the choice harder.

My Khajiit is about to be settling down in Riften so that he is closer to business.

I have another Khajiit who is quite at home, traveling the roads and selling narcotics and other goods. (:

So between the four, I can't really decide, though the house in Windhelm is my favorite. But Solitude is a nice place as well.

I hate Markarth.

Whiterun is very easy to get right from the shops to your house and back. I feel like that's why. I usually have a lot of my storage at least in Whiterun and I normally do my crafting there.

Falkreath for me just love the gloomy atmosphere.

I live in Whiterun. I also like the surrounding environment for exploring and stuff, although I've exhausted it now, because snow and mountains bug me. Yeah, and I'm playing Skyrim.

Same here. If I had to pick two cities it would be these. Although I bought a house in Markath because it fits my character more than a mansion in Solitude.

dawnstar is my fav. once they release the CK ima make my own house there

Also Cicero is the coolest companion. "I saw a Dwarf ! I did ! I did ! Cicero saw a Dwarf ! THERE !..........oh wait.....no Dwarf." -Cicero when you visit Markarth with him.

Whiterun is one of the easiest cities to get around in, I think that's probably a pretty good reason that many people enjoy using it as a home base sort of place.

I'm planning on buying all the houses(I have whiterun, solitude, and Riften so far), but I hate riften right now because I have a quest to return to the Jarl of Riften, but talking to the Jarl of Riften doesn't give me any options.

My first house was in Markarth, but I needed a bigger place for all my stuff and wanted something more luxurious. Markarth is beautiful for the waterfalls, but Solitude is nice because I have some High Elf kin there and the Blue Palace + Bards College is cool.

Hey Dune, i got stuck at the moment at Whiterun because they won't let me buy the house at Windhelm :brokencomputer: and i did everything there :brokencomputer:

Yeah, something about the interaction with the Jarl, the cities look and layout, the central location, and the fact that most residents are friendly, makes Whiterun one of my favorite cities. Lydia was my first companion, but I didn't stick with her for long. I prefer Annekke (already married, though she prefers adventuring with me than staying at home with her husband), and Joris from Solitude.

Anyway, Whiterun is centrallylocated, and has your house right next to 2 smiths, and all of the smithing equipment.

My first playthrough I lived in Windhelm. It has a very nice mansion there, but imo the Solitude mansion is better - three floors, more containers, and the interior is better.

Windhelm has the most display cases out of any house. So if you like to display your armor and weapons, that's the best house for it.

I think it's a glitch after patch 1.2 that i can't buy my Butcher place.... dunno :brokencomputer:

I think everyone picks whiterun because its the cheapest and has the most amenities.

I'm staying in Riften right now. Windhelm has just as many amenities as whiterun, its just harder to get around and not as cozy feeling.

Fun fact: According to the wiki, the abandoned house for a certain quest in Markarth does not respawn containers. So if you can get over the creep factor, it has the most storage space of any house in the game. Good hideout for a necromancer or vampire or something. Also a good place for people to....dissapear

Solitude is most definetely my favourite city, and as an Imperial I make my home there. It seems to be an oasis of Imperial culture and tolerance, as opposed to the rugged Nord nationalism and racism you see elsewhere. It's sunny, the architecture is beautiful (the Blue Palace is a world wonder really), the location is magnificent, the shipping and presence of the East Empire Company makes it that much more of a multicultural trade hub and Imperial outpost. I love it, and Proudspire Manor is an absolute delight of a home (though I must say, Jordis does become quite tiresome, treating me like a stranger in my own home).

Haafingar, Solitude's Hold, is also a very beautiful place. The north/northwestern coastline is amazing, and much more tolerable than that arctic fjord/tundra style beach to the east. The mountains on the border with High Rock are as breathtaking as any in Skyrim. The boundary with the reach is a little annoying, because you get the occasional Forsword party poking in to Haafingar territory, or hiding out in Dwemer ruins. The south is Whiterun-style terrain, and it's quite pleasing, and the swamps aren't too bad.

My second favourite hold is the Rift; the autumnal forests there are an absolute delight, and I love the canol architecture of a lakeside town like Riften. Riften somehow reminds me of Cyrodil, perhaps of Bravil with its canols or Cheydinhal with its forests. The temple of Mara is quite nice. However, Riften's beauty is marred by the nasty presence of the thieves guild; I wish they'd have put them elsewhere.

Do you really need to be level 20 to get the Markarth house?

Camilla is an imperial. Just saying.

Anyway i like whiterun because with my wife I have 3 smiths, 2 general traders, a guy that sells bows and arrows, and an alchemist. Also the house is right by the entrance so dont have to walk far when I have to much stuff.

it's not a glitch. I'm thinking off the top of my head how to help people. There's the White Phial, the murders, the Dark Elf merchant who needs to put a stolen ring back to the owner, the vegetable merchant who needs something, the guy who lost his daughters (give him a drink.

You say you like Solitude and in your signature you say "Death to the Legion". You do know Solitude is the Legion's city right?

I like Whiterun mostly because it's in the center, out on the plains, got that golden look to it, feels warm. I like the water running throughout the city. But I'm not sure it's my favorite. Solitude might be where I end up living, just something about the atmosphere I like. Windhelm's just too black and white for my tastes, Riften reminds me way too much of Bravil. Falkreath's ok, but just a little too gloomy. Markarth's indeed a unique and cool place, but it's definitely got it's problems. I dunno, it's always a possibility I suppose. Except for the College, Winterhold is useless, and I feel the same way about Dawnstar and Morthal.

Oh and as for Lydia.. well I don't care for companions. They get in the way.

Wow, I was so sure she was a Breton. Though I thought she was kind of tall for a Breton. But then again, playing as a High Elf, everyone feels short to me. She looks Breton, you have to admit that her face looks Breton.