Erm, I picked
1.
New Reno: Well, this might be a given. I have always enjoyed the free pvp there. The long streets are a bit of a pain in the ass for sniper camps, but none the less, has always been fairly fun. There are a number of bartenders to trade with, the Rocketman and Eldridge in Commercial section. One of my biggest problems though with Reno is, that since the Reputation systems implementation, the casino people as well as the pimp/hookers eventually become a complete PAIN IN THE ASS. You pvp there, collateral damage eventually happens, its fairly a given. I would like it if some npcs just ran the hell away from you... like hookers and pimps. They see you, they should just run the fuck off to escape.
Having to go there pre-pvp with ammo and a crappy gun just to clear out the spastic NPCs that will swarm you on sight is tedious and I am fairly sure anyone who has pvped there has some idea of what I talk of.
And
2nd,
Boneyard made another choice of mine. This might not be high on some peoples list, but...
I love the area. Being fairly active in the area since first playing 2238, I have enjoyed how it has developed. The scenery is nice, with mountains nearby just outside a city terrain, with a few traders, and even a train station now to cut away the long walk if you don't want it (not to mention that the train goes to SF and NCR both, some of the most interesting places to run off and fart around in), with some fairly alright encounters for low levels. Yes, the dogs can be a horrid pain, but some armor and fighting instead of running can be a nice method of grinding out some gradual xp. Top this off with a few neat quests added since last wipe in the area, a 1 Charisma trader along with a midget bastard, and you have a nice area.
Finally, lastly I leave with comments about
Hub.Always liked Hub, though I am a little iffy on it being automatically a part of NCR during 2238. Despite that, it has plenty of shops, lots of crapcows, scorpions outside in the wasteland, and only a short walk to either Junktown or (more importantly) Boneyard, and even Necropolis, its ... well, as the name says, a Hub. Taking the train from NCR, its not really that far out of the way now, either. I've Pvped there too in the past, with some extremely fun results, having a shootout among the buildings with pks. Quest-wise, its a little lacking, but that is fine. Hub is still great and I look forward to its future incarnations with anticipation.
In the end, I found it hard to actually pick places (only 3? NOOOO) because I am fond of a few other areas.
Gecko is awesome, but its pvp-playground combined with windowless buildings (Gtfo no-windows), longggg walks to any exit grids, wide open spaces gives me bad vibes, and lots of bullets. Love the ghouls and reactor, however, and it always holds a place close in my heart.
SAD is extremely fun, though sadly almost entirely ignored by players(and pvpers) from my experience during the present era.
And lastly,
Frisco. Great place, fun(and damn deadly) encounters, sadly hidden behind a wall of sand and said hardass city encounters. Its one of the few places that can be really challenging even to a lone lvl 21, which keeps it very high on my list despite its far-off distance.
... Yeah, I went overboard, but I said I liked lots of places. Like lots more, but I do have to shut up at some point.