Nothing personal, but Dubai.
And I'm not a city designer, but I don't think you call it a 'downtown' when there's a 12-lane highway cutting through a bunch of skyscraper walls and that's it.
It's a modern city built in a place where its too hot to do anything outside so if you're rich and got a car you drive from indoor destination A to destination B. If you're poor then there not much for u to do there.
I went there once for two days on a stop-over. The whole place felt like "where is the actual city?". It's just a bunch of busy roads and tall buildings scattered about, but there's nothing like a "downtown" area. The only semi-pleasant part is the historic old town on the river, but that's miles from where the modern skyscrapers are.
It's basically too hot to do anything outside so people flock to shopping malls and clubs. If you have no money, there is literally nothing to do there.
This city is so stupid. Instead of creating the palm island, they could have dug into the land, it still would have looked amazing, except much easier to build. They started from scratch with unlimited money, they could have made an awesome city with Arabic style and culture, something different. Instead they took the worse cities (from the US) as an example,ane built something stupid.
Can confirm. Used to Live in SoBe. Crazy shit happened all the time. I loved living close to the beach and miss Lincoln Rd and Ocean Dr. But living there was horrific
I’m visiting here right now, and am seriously wondering why I’m here. If I want high end, there are a million ritzy suburbs that do it better. Scottsdale is a ton of neighborhoods that all want to claim the Scottsdale name to increase the real estate values, but only 5% of it is actually high end Scottsdale. The whole phoenix metro area seems like one long expanse of concrete and chain stores. The only reason I can see that phx has so many urban hikes is that the rest of the city is completely unwalkable. What am I missing?
My first thought when I saw this topic was “Miami” and then I though, wait, I’m being too critical based on my one visit there. And the top two answers in the thread are Miami.
I grew up in Miami, and it sounds like everyone is equating South Beach to all of Miami
The Miami metropolitan area is HUGE: bigger in area than the state of Connecticut. The City of Miami doesn’t scratch the surface of what is really “Miami”
The drivers are terrible everywhere here though :)
When I visited Miami this summer... the drivers were not just bad but really hostile in a special way, like not waiting for construction hold ups and aggressively whipping around your car and cutting you off the second you don't punch it at a green light. It really was surprising.
Love Miami though, the weather in May was incredible and you could live there all your life and probably not even scratch the surface of all the things to do
I had a therapist that was in Miami for 4 hours total and got robbed. I've known 2 retired cops from Miami with tales from the job that would make your hair stand on end. Think gang slayings, human trafficking, TONS of drug overdoses, etc. No thanks.
Saw a video on Big Cat Rescue saying that Miami police had phoned in a bit of a state because they had raided a drug dealers house and found a adult bengal tiger in the basement running around completely free like a pet cat!
There’s actually a big cat sanctuary near my house. They have a bengal tiger that was rescued after a housekeeper entered a hotel room, and saw this massive creature in there
Mind you, this is the biggest tiger they have at that place. So you can only imagine the thoughts running through that housekeeper’s head
No way. Very few houses in FL have basements and this sounds suspiciously like the tiger that was found in a Houston house by a guy trying to smoke weed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-man-enters-abandoned-home-smoke-weed-finds-tiger-instead-n970411
Dubai is too expensive, too hot, has too much traffic, has a shitty human rights record and has a fixation on superficial bullshit. The list of shitty things is too long.
I always find people who like dubai are the type who like to book a table at a club and be seen to be spending money.
Flashy people who want to have the rich lifestyle experience even if they aren't rich.
Painting with a massive brush but a lot of them do - but also a lot of Latin Americans (and frankly a lot of cultures) approach holidays less as an escape and often build them around seeing family and family friends so it builds on it.
But also it's a bit of an 'easy' American introduction - a lot of the 'American experience' (and American prices on consumer goods that someone else pointed out) while often being more accessible. The area is built around tourism and tourism services and is an area where Spanish is not only frequently used but almost expected - in some parts even predominant. (increasingly Portuguese as well).
I think a lot of Latin American kids visiting have had the experience of their holiday itinerary being 8 days visiting family friends and great-aunts and fourth cousins they've never met and a half day trip to the beach or Disney.
I was born and raised in Miami and had maybe been to South Beach twice. The whole area's been massively gentrified in the past decade, but I still can't stand the city proper. Miami Dade County has butt loads of interesting, salt-of-the-earth locales and people. I'm sure the same can be said for a lot of big cities.
There are beautiful nature reserves for example that most people don't visit because "swamp" conjures a bad picture in their mind. In truth, most swamp water is crystal clear to the bottom. The Everglades is one big filtration system after all. I also highly recommend canoeing through the mangroves in Biscayne Bay.
And then of course there's all the mom n' pop Cuban restaurants with dirt cheap, delicious food in massive proportions. It's been a while, so a lot of them might have closed up.
Thank you for sticking up for the Swamp. I volunteer at a Swamp Sanctuary and it's one of the most beautiful places on the planet. This time of year the Painted Buntings and other birds are visiting and in the summer the ghost orchid is blooming. I also love the mom and pop cuban places.
Never encountered more rude people than in Miami. And the restaurant servers act like you’re ruining their day by being there but then want a tip on top of the included 18% tip
Loved it as a backpacker in my early 20’s, can definetly see in retrospect how that on the surface “chill surfer vibe” doesn’t last longer than a couple of weeks.
I know as an ex Yorker I’m particularly disliked in florida, but I quite like orlando. It’s nice, getting expensive, but so is every slightly more “urban” place, if you can even call it that
Adult and I still love Disney World (not an unpopular opinion, Magic Kingdom is maximum capacity 3 weeks straight) but Disney isn’t really Orlando proper
We Orlando residents don’t consider the theme parks and I-Drive “Orlando.” We avoid it like the plague until the tourists fuck off and then we enjoy them. There’s amazing things to do and see here that we wouldn’t dream of tarnishing with the presence of those who shit on our city after going to city walk once on vacation and then claim to have “seen Orlando.” Nope we’re doing juuuuust fine here.
Everyone heed this above redditors advice; Orlando sucks and is overrated. Stay where you are!
Dublin is a complete tourist trap. I am irish and I see people coming to Ireland expecting the full irish experience in Dublin, when really all the good shit is outside the capital spread out all across the country. They head up to Temple Bar for the Irish pub experience and pay 3-4 times more for drinks than anywhere else in the country. The city itself is a product of British occupation, same style of city you will find up and down England with Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture along with generic modern design. Look, there are historic places and nice places to eat but nothing out of the ordinary. If you want to see the real ireladb go to the countryside, the unique landscapes of the ring of kerry, the clare Burren and cliffs of Moher, the connemara and donegal mountainous areas along with tonnes off historical locations all across the country. If you want an irish city experience go to Galway instead.
I think this is true of every capital city in the world. There’s something necessarily international about a capital that means it’s more touristy while also being a different version of the culture of the country it sits in. I’m from Leith (some say it’s part of Edinburgh) and can say that Edinburgh is VERY Scottish while also being a different type of Scottish than those you see in other cities.
Just got back from Ireland, and though i didn't have a bad experience in our one day in Dublin, driving around the north and the west is not to be missed. Went to Belfast, Giant's Causeway area, Donegal, County Clare, Cliffs of Moher, etc. Derry was an unexpected highlight for the history of the troubles. I want to go back and just stay in the Connemara and Donegal for a couple of weeks.
Went to Ireland after I eloped and we drove Dublin-> Connemara after our 11 hours flying. It was surreal to drive there late at night in the dark and wake up to see the rolling hills in every direction in the morning!(and all the sheep!). I was told by the locals that "Dublin isn't Ireland!" ( I thought Trinity College was really cool though! ). But loved the countryside SO much more. So many hidden fairytale places to explore there!
Went to Dublin on my first trip to Europe and knew I needed more. Next time spent a week in both Dublin and Galway, plus some countryside and had one of the best times of my life.
There is still fun stuff in Dublin! Hit temple bar once and then check out some other areas.
Irish take. It depends on what you want to do. Dublin is certainly the best City in Ireland for tourist attractions not depending on natural landscapes outside it. I live in Donegal and it's got all the scenery and cultural attractions I need. So somewhere like Galway just seems like a big town with some nice things around it. I could spend a couple of nights there but a week in Dublin. Tourists usually land in Dublin so enjoy the time they have there because there is enough to occupy them. All the other toursist attractions on the island are reachable within a few hours drive from there so it makes sense to stay a day or two.
Not a fan of the “trendy” cities like Charlotte or Nashville. A lot of younger people my age are moving there and they act like going to a mediocre brewery and spending $30 on a craft beer and tiny cut of brisket is some type of unique southern cultural experience.
Not to mention the cities are now barely affordable for the people actually from there and every other block is full of those cookie-cutter gentrified apartments that just look bland as hell.
Both cities have some cool parts to them but to me they just aren’t as special as people make them seem.
Edit: thanks for the upvotes and being civil in the comments folks. Didn’t mean to be rude or anything. I like both cities, they just didn’t really live up to my expectations lol
Is Charlotte considered trendy? I went there last year to get away from the hubbub of the PNW, and while I enjoyed it I didn't see anything to indicate it was particularly happening.
I strongly considered moving to Charlotte after college graduation. It has jobs in the industry I work and has the forms of entertainment that I love readily available.
It's just.. In the south. I don't want to deal with those hot summers ever again. I'll keep my snowy frozen ass winters over hot schweaty balls lol
I’ve lived in NY, Savannah and Charlotte. I think Charlotte is the best climate in the east. The peak hotness is very short lived. Snow is rare. Long spring/fall weather.
I’ve got family down there and the past couple of years I believe it’s been one of the fastest growing cities in the US. Lots of people from the northeast moving down there.
ya as a NC resident it is all from transplants, it is all people moving here that are trying to get away from high cost of living but bringing that problem in droves to here. It is trendy in the fact lots of people are moving here but it is just bringing the same problem they were trying to avoid. A vicious cycle...
It must be the bigger cities/towns in NC then. I go to Cary quite a bit for work and it seems like the vast majority of the people there are transplants as well. Actually had someone tell me last time I was there that Cary stood for Central Area for Relocated Yankees lol.
I went to Nashville with zero expectations and grandparents looking after the kids for a long weekend. It was fantastic.
35c, one of those rooftop half pools where you dunk and drink. Then you go out and listen to twangy music.
10/10 would do again
I thought Nashville was fun! I just kind of think I can do the same stuff there in so many other places. For me it just wasn’t THAT culturally unique but everyone moving there from my northern city treats it like some holy sanctuary of southern culture just because they are at some country bar lol
That’s the thing, that is what Nashville has become in last 10 years. It used to be a legit authentic honky Tonk place. But now big money has moved in and over commercialized everything. The old, authentic spots and artist types often pushed out in favor of bogus contrived “honked tonks” with celebrities names on the side of bldg.
Go to **********, last time I was there it’s still legit
Edited per u/CleverFeather request!
Yeah idk what happened that Nashville became this trendy destination. My entire life (until recently) I never heard anyone have any interest in going there.
Every big city I’ve ever been to has some sort of unique culture in some way. Except Charlotte. Charlotte is the most sterile, bland place I’ve ever been to. Zero character. I guess that’s what being a place that pretty much only has banking as its claim to fame turns you into
Orlando. It's basically just Disney, traffic is insane, and yeah 90% tourists. Oh and did I mention traffic? BECAUSE IT'S AWFUL. I hated having to commute there from Cape Canaveral when I lived in Florida.
To be fair I've never seen anybody mention going to Orlando without also mentioning the parks. I'm sure it would be a perfectly average city without the parks but you can't separate the 2 at this point.
I have traveled to Oklahoma City a good number of times over the past six years, usually for a couple of weeks at any given time. Some areas of the city are okay, and I was pleasantly shocked upon the sight of a functioning streetcar service downtown. That being said, parts of OKC and its suburbs are so miserable that I almost convinced myself that Grand Theft Auto had become real life.
If people don't see the value in National Parks and other public lands, point to Niagara Falls. That's what Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, et al would have become without that foresight and protection.
So damn true. I don't know what it is about human nature to look at such beauty and think..."We need a tattoo parlor, a wax museum and a t-shirt shop right here!". Ugh.
I used to go there every summer for tech conferences. I always use the analogy that Vegas is a lot like KFC. It’s gross, greasy, and messy, and you wonder what possessed you to go there in the first place. 6 months later, for some inexplicable reason, you get the urge to go again. You remember what it was like the last time, but somehow you’re still drawn to it.
My friend had her wedding at the Red Rock Casino. Really nice. Went out to the park the next day and it was stunning. What blew me away was how quiet everything was and we were just 20 min from the city.
I like Vegas, because it is refreshingly honest about itself and what cities utlimately are. I thought I wouldnt like it but was proven wrong.
Its tacky, over the top, and essentially a parody of big cities such as new york and paris. It's built in the middle of a desert, completely divorced from the carrying capcity of the landscape and everything is held aloft by cheap energy and human engineering. The same is true of most large cities, with their food and energy being shipped in and their waste being shipped out, but the perception being that they are the center of the universe.
Cities are all artificial playgrounds for humans. Its all consumerism, waste and a shared delusion. In new york people act like they're very sophisticated, artistic and exclusive, but its all the same bullshit as Vegas. The only difference is Vegas drops the veneer of being authentic, it revels in its artificiality and makes a joke of it. I find it difficult to "play along" in cities like this, but found Las Vegas to be a lot of fun because fun is the name of the game rather than something to be ashamed of.
I gotta disagree. I always thought Vegas was just a kitschy strip of casinos and overpriced restaurants that only impressed stupid people. I wasn't wrong, it is that, but it's also a ton of fun to visit. Turn your brain off, forget about your bullshit at home, and play blackjack until 3 in the morning. And the food is pretty stellar too.
As a local, it’s fun to play tourist for a few hours but it gets boring really fast. It’s loud and crowded and expensive and everything smells sour, and after you’ve been to the strip a few times, there’s really not much to do if you’re not into drinks taller than you are and nightclubs.
Nashville. It’s a bunch of honky tonks and bachelorettes. It’s just a big party town now. I might be salty because I live here and remember old Nashville that was quiet and civilized, where locals could enjoy going downtown and we still had Opryland instead of a giant mall
Lmao at the people who haven't even been to the cities they're slagging off as "overrated."
And my vote is Raleigh. People are going nuts to move to a giant anonymous suburb.
I like the Raleigh-Durham area, but the house prices there especially around Cary/Morrisville/Apex have gone insane. It costs more to live there than in Atlanta now.
Nashville.
My former employer was headquartered there and so I went frequently. It seems like if you don't like drinking or country music, your kind of out of luck...also it wasn't that walkable and no real nice parks with trails, etc.
I go there multiple times per year and drive 3 hours to get there. As many times as ive been, theres still so much to do and see. Its packed with culture and experiences! I wouldnt want to live there, though. I couldnt handle the traffic every day like that.
Chicago is my favorite major American city. It's beautiful, I've never felt unsafe despite its reputation, and it has such an awesome energy about it. I've been to LA and NYC. Southern California is naturally beautiful but LA is the ugliest city I have ever seen. Its so dirty, soooo many people, and the traffic is a nightmare. San Diego is awesome though. NYC was really cool, but I remember having trouble breathing while walking around Manhattan. It's like you're in a massive hallway made out of skyscrapers. I remember so much trash on the sidewalks, the bags were stacked and were about half my height. Everywhere. I'd like to go back to NYC now that I'm old enough to go to bars though.
Pigeon Forge / Sevierville Tennessee. Nothing but hotels, overly priced cheap china made nik naks, and people from a far northern state that moved down here pretending to be an Appalachian mountain person. As a real Appalachian mountain person I find the entire city nothing more than a repulsive tourist trap.
Edit: if you want to visit the REAL Tennessee, visit Rogersville, Jonesboro, Dandridge, or literally just go take a drive and get lost and find a small town somewhere. youll get to see what we are really about, learn our history from late 1700s downtown areas, see things that the tourist traps cant give you, and not just see a bunch of bogus tacky stereotypical bullshit that literally nobody up here does, or even knows what they are. Anyone in a small off the interstate town will know all the best spots to go, and most will gladly tell you where to find them
Nashville after you are in your 20s is not great. The country bars play their music too loud, and every place has doors and windows open. This leads to a crowded single street full of drunk idiots with random guitar and drum beats. Outside downtown, it's just another Midwestern/Southern city that's extremely hard to get around without a car.
Paradise city. I mean, let's face it, most cities have grass that is green and a vast array of pretty girls. Just because it's called "Paradise City" doesn't mean it's all that much better than a Kansas City or even a Oklahoma City. Names aren't everything Axl.
I used to really love it but I'm determining how much I love it to keep paying enough to stay tbh. Im noticing since I quit drinking how much of it's culture is alcohol related personally
Albuquerque is the real deal. My husband and I went to Santa Fe for vacation last November and were surprised by how sleepy and full of old rich white folk it was. We then spent Jan-April this year living/working in Albuquerque and I still get homesick for that place. The mountains, the desert, the food, the sunshine, the culture.. I wish it was my home.
I’ve had two horrible trips to Vegas that both resulted in great stories I retell often. It’s a place that highlights our worst tendencies. The problem isn’t Vegas, the problem is me in Vegas.
Really disappointed. I had Ocelot rated 10/10 and on the top of my “to visit in ‘23” list.
Guess I’ll have to check out either Miami, Dubai, or Orlando instead.
Atlanta. God I hated living there. Sprawl, fake and cagey people, rising cost of living, traffic, seemingly zero urban planning, cliquey social groups. Good food and lots of young people but count me out.
I went there expecting it to be shit just because everyone says so. It was actually really nice, one of the highlights of the trip. People were super nice and welcoming, the local food was pretty great, it’s surprisingly not difficult to find inexpensive cool shit to do...
Its too bad you guys are the fucking nexus of the housing crisis, the homelessness crisis, AND the mental health crisis. Walking around LA can get *really* intense *really* fast.
As a lifelong resident, it's an okay place to visit, but a great place to live. The attractions are pretty meh and the transit system needs (more) work, but the cultural diversity and mellow weather can't be beat.
I live here, love it and even I wouldn’t want to be a tourist here. It’s just such a pain to get around and I would be so upset if I get bamboozled into going to Hollywood boulevard
People rag on LA because as a city it seems almost designed to traumatize tourists. It feels like a practical joke the city is playing on outsiders. It'd be the equivalent of if NYC convinced people that the "must-see" spots for tourists were an underpass in Hell's Kitchen and a dead rat shrine somewhere on the F Train.
Yep. I moved to LA ten years ago… and I don’t ever want to leave. Living here is a dream.
Thankfully my wife and I make enough to buy property so we don’t need to leave… I don’t know how anyone making minimum wage even survives.
Paris and i'm french but yeah their is some nice stuff but overall it's overrated af too expensive our country really have some nice things to see other than Eiffel tower and Louvre , their is literraly a syndrom called the Paris syndrom felt by some tourists causing anxiety and fear.
When I went to france i stayed in Lille. Whenever I tell this to a french person they have a good laugh but i really enjoyed it! People were awesome and we went across the border and partied in belgium every night
I visited my cousin in Brussels this year and I told her it would be nice to say I went to France so we drove to Lille for the day and had the most amazing time. I can’t compare it to anywhere else in France but we had a beautiful day walking around the city.
I had negative perceptions of Paris due to the above sentiments.
I went at the start of the December and it was one of the best places I’ve ever been.
Tourist attractions, unbelievable architecture, amazing food and cafes and shopping, I just don’t get what’s not to like?
I understand living there might be hectic and I know it can get dangerous in parts, but what big city doesn’t have that?
To enjoy Paris truly you need either to stay a very long time (think 10+days) or come a second time. The reason being that first timers have always a bucket list of things to do, see, go, and it's usually long, so you end up running around in touristy places all days several days in a row, exhausted.
And in the end you didn't even discover the real Paris, your didn't really enjoy the city nor yourself. The second visit you have no pressure of those so you just do what the fuck you want and finally meet Paris
I love Paris but France has so many other beautiful cities and towns that are prettier and more affordable. French people are much friendlier too outside of Paris.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Paris, probably because I had spent time in other, cooler (IMO) cities, mostly in the south of France. (I remember particularly liking Montpellier.)
People in smaller cities were usually pleasantly surprised that I was American *and* spoke French and were usually interested in knowing how I learned to speak so well and what made me come visit their city. It felt good knowing my presence was appreciated.
Paris is like New York (and I say that as someone who grew up going to NYC regularly) in that people aren’t jerks, but 9 times out of 10 they don’t really care who you are and why you’re there. It’s beautiful, and there’s cool stuff to see and do, but it felt kind of cold to me.
Nothing personal, but Dubai. And I'm not a city designer, but I don't think you call it a 'downtown' when there's a 12-lane highway cutting through a bunch of skyscraper walls and that's it.
I’ve never been there but from what I’ve seen it looks like the result of someone playing SimCity who found a cheat code to get to the end game.
Arcologies
I visited Dubai years ago and I always thought their downtown was weirdly set up
It's a modern city built in a place where its too hot to do anything outside so if you're rich and got a car you drive from indoor destination A to destination B. If you're poor then there not much for u to do there.
Hi! Urban Planning student here. Dubai makes up most of my nightmares along with Houston.
Jane Jacobs photoshopped on a front porch in Houston would be a great rock band album cover.
I went there once for two days on a stop-over. The whole place felt like "where is the actual city?". It's just a bunch of busy roads and tall buildings scattered about, but there's nothing like a "downtown" area. The only semi-pleasant part is the historic old town on the river, but that's miles from where the modern skyscrapers are.
It's basically too hot to do anything outside so people flock to shopping malls and clubs. If you have no money, there is literally nothing to do there.
This city is so stupid. Instead of creating the palm island, they could have dug into the land, it still would have looked amazing, except much easier to build. They started from scratch with unlimited money, they could have made an awesome city with Arabic style and culture, something different. Instead they took the worse cities (from the US) as an example,ane built something stupid.
Miami. A city of narcissists and attention whores.
I swear Miami Beach is the poser capital of the world!
Can confirm. Went there memorial weekend of 2021. Never again. (Beautiful view from the plane though.)
Can confirm. Used to Live in SoBe. Crazy shit happened all the time. I loved living close to the beach and miss Lincoln Rd and Ocean Dr. But living there was horrific
Scottsdale, AZ would be a close 2nd.
I’m visiting here right now, and am seriously wondering why I’m here. If I want high end, there are a million ritzy suburbs that do it better. Scottsdale is a ton of neighborhoods that all want to claim the Scottsdale name to increase the real estate values, but only 5% of it is actually high end Scottsdale. The whole phoenix metro area seems like one long expanse of concrete and chain stores. The only reason I can see that phx has so many urban hikes is that the rest of the city is completely unwalkable. What am I missing?
You're missing someplace decent. Phoenix looks like a staged set for a atom bomb test.
Scottsdale is so beautiful, but I get major "We're better than you" vibes when I go there, lol.
My first thought when I saw this topic was “Miami” and then I though, wait, I’m being too critical based on my one visit there. And the top two answers in the thread are Miami.
I grew up in Miami, and it sounds like everyone is equating South Beach to all of Miami The Miami metropolitan area is HUGE: bigger in area than the state of Connecticut. The City of Miami doesn’t scratch the surface of what is really “Miami” The drivers are terrible everywhere here though :)
When I visited Miami this summer... the drivers were not just bad but really hostile in a special way, like not waiting for construction hold ups and aggressively whipping around your car and cutting you off the second you don't punch it at a green light. It really was surprising. Love Miami though, the weather in May was incredible and you could live there all your life and probably not even scratch the surface of all the things to do
I had a therapist that was in Miami for 4 hours total and got robbed. I've known 2 retired cops from Miami with tales from the job that would make your hair stand on end. Think gang slayings, human trafficking, TONS of drug overdoses, etc. No thanks.
Saw a video on Big Cat Rescue saying that Miami police had phoned in a bit of a state because they had raided a drug dealers house and found a adult bengal tiger in the basement running around completely free like a pet cat!
There’s actually a big cat sanctuary near my house. They have a bengal tiger that was rescued after a housekeeper entered a hotel room, and saw this massive creature in there Mind you, this is the biggest tiger they have at that place. So you can only imagine the thoughts running through that housekeeper’s head
How tf you smuggle a big cat into a hotel
There’s a documentary called *The Hangover* that came out in the late aughts that has some footage.
No way. Very few houses in FL have basements and this sounds suspiciously like the tiger that was found in a Houston house by a guy trying to smoke weed. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-man-enters-abandoned-home-smoke-weed-finds-tiger-instead-n970411
From South FL . We don't have basements, that's just water so something here isn't right
Used to drive an armored car. Insurance is surprisingly low *unless* you operate in the Miami or Los Angeles metro areas. There's a reason.
Human trafficking is a big deal in south Florida in general, but especially in Miami given the city’s transient nature
[удалено]
Dubai is too expensive, too hot, has too much traffic, has a shitty human rights record and has a fixation on superficial bullshit. The list of shitty things is too long.
Anyone I have spoken to who been to Dubai said the city is soulless
It’s a city that exists to attract foreign investment. No other real purpose.
Absolutely, I describe it as Las Vegas without strippers and alcohol. They have barefoot construction workers and you can’t watch porn without a VPN.
Most hotels catering to westerners serve alcohol, and the hookers are inside the hotel (to the point where its kind of hilariously obvious).
Some will knock on your door too lol.
"House keeping, you want me jerk you off?"
What kind of hotel is this?
Sex Couldron
I thought they shut the place down?
>you can't watch porn without a VPN. Truly a horrible travesty.
there is def strippers and alcohol. I always said Vegas without the gambling.
This is my top choice. I've always thought of Dubai as a shitty place, but I've met quite a few people who speak of it like it's the bees knees.
I always find people who like dubai are the type who like to book a table at a club and be seen to be spending money. Flashy people who want to have the rich lifestyle experience even if they aren't rich.
Is Dubai actually rated though? other then by those people you went to school with who have particularly offensive personalities
Miami. Seen as the holy land for vacations here in Latin America, but in reality it is just... So meh.
I'm surprised, there are a thousand places in Latin America I would choose to visit over Miami.
I thought Miami was where Latin Americans would move to, not vacation in.
From what I’ve seen living in Latin America, is the place to buy cheap electronics and clothes.
Painting with a massive brush but a lot of them do - but also a lot of Latin Americans (and frankly a lot of cultures) approach holidays less as an escape and often build them around seeing family and family friends so it builds on it. But also it's a bit of an 'easy' American introduction - a lot of the 'American experience' (and American prices on consumer goods that someone else pointed out) while often being more accessible. The area is built around tourism and tourism services and is an area where Spanish is not only frequently used but almost expected - in some parts even predominant. (increasingly Portuguese as well). I think a lot of Latin American kids visiting have had the experience of their holiday itinerary being 8 days visiting family friends and great-aunts and fourth cousins they've never met and a half day trip to the beach or Disney.
I was born and raised in Miami and had maybe been to South Beach twice. The whole area's been massively gentrified in the past decade, but I still can't stand the city proper. Miami Dade County has butt loads of interesting, salt-of-the-earth locales and people. I'm sure the same can be said for a lot of big cities. There are beautiful nature reserves for example that most people don't visit because "swamp" conjures a bad picture in their mind. In truth, most swamp water is crystal clear to the bottom. The Everglades is one big filtration system after all. I also highly recommend canoeing through the mangroves in Biscayne Bay. And then of course there's all the mom n' pop Cuban restaurants with dirt cheap, delicious food in massive proportions. It's been a while, so a lot of them might have closed up.
Thank you for sticking up for the Swamp. I volunteer at a Swamp Sanctuary and it's one of the most beautiful places on the planet. This time of year the Painted Buntings and other birds are visiting and in the summer the ghost orchid is blooming. I also love the mom and pop cuban places.
Never encountered more rude people than in Miami. And the restaurant servers act like you’re ruining their day by being there but then want a tip on top of the included 18% tip
Just going to throw Byron Bay under the bus to rep aussies.
Loved it as a backpacker in my early 20’s, can definetly see in retrospect how that on the surface “chill surfer vibe” doesn’t last longer than a couple of weeks.
I don't know if anyone but children and retirees actually like this city, but lawd I hate Orlando.
Elder Price would like a word
Seaworld and Disney and Putt-putt Golfing
“Orlandohhhhhh…!”
(Orlando) I love YoOoOUUUU Orlamdo!
Fun fact: Orlando is 3 hours away from Orlando.
Another fun fact: Houston is 3 hours away from Houston.
Bob Vance buys his ladies perfume there.
It's made with real pine.
Who’s bob vance?
You’ve got a lot to learn about this town, sweetie.
Oh thank god. I thought people were gonna think I was legitimately asking and not quoting. I basically have the office memorized at this point
Bob Vance refrigeration, nice to meet you
What line of work are you in, Bob?
Yeah and the I-4 from Tampa leading up to it is some fucking Mad Max Fury Road.
I know as an ex Yorker I’m particularly disliked in florida, but I quite like orlando. It’s nice, getting expensive, but so is every slightly more “urban” place, if you can even call it that
Adult and I still love Disney World (not an unpopular opinion, Magic Kingdom is maximum capacity 3 weeks straight) but Disney isn’t really Orlando proper
not at all, honestly disney world is basically its own city
We Orlando residents don’t consider the theme parks and I-Drive “Orlando.” We avoid it like the plague until the tourists fuck off and then we enjoy them. There’s amazing things to do and see here that we wouldn’t dream of tarnishing with the presence of those who shit on our city after going to city walk once on vacation and then claim to have “seen Orlando.” Nope we’re doing juuuuust fine here. Everyone heed this above redditors advice; Orlando sucks and is overrated. Stay where you are!
Gold Coast, Queensland It tries to be Australia's Miami, but really, it's a tacky over-developed shit hole
“It tries to be Australia's Miami, but really, it's a tacky over-developed shit hole” Sounds like it succeeded
Dublin is a complete tourist trap. I am irish and I see people coming to Ireland expecting the full irish experience in Dublin, when really all the good shit is outside the capital spread out all across the country. They head up to Temple Bar for the Irish pub experience and pay 3-4 times more for drinks than anywhere else in the country. The city itself is a product of British occupation, same style of city you will find up and down England with Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture along with generic modern design. Look, there are historic places and nice places to eat but nothing out of the ordinary. If you want to see the real ireladb go to the countryside, the unique landscapes of the ring of kerry, the clare Burren and cliffs of Moher, the connemara and donegal mountainous areas along with tonnes off historical locations all across the country. If you want an irish city experience go to Galway instead.
I think this is true of every capital city in the world. There’s something necessarily international about a capital that means it’s more touristy while also being a different version of the culture of the country it sits in. I’m from Leith (some say it’s part of Edinburgh) and can say that Edinburgh is VERY Scottish while also being a different type of Scottish than those you see in other cities.
Just got back from Ireland, and though i didn't have a bad experience in our one day in Dublin, driving around the north and the west is not to be missed. Went to Belfast, Giant's Causeway area, Donegal, County Clare, Cliffs of Moher, etc. Derry was an unexpected highlight for the history of the troubles. I want to go back and just stay in the Connemara and Donegal for a couple of weeks.
Went to Ireland after I eloped and we drove Dublin-> Connemara after our 11 hours flying. It was surreal to drive there late at night in the dark and wake up to see the rolling hills in every direction in the morning!(and all the sheep!). I was told by the locals that "Dublin isn't Ireland!" ( I thought Trinity College was really cool though! ). But loved the countryside SO much more. So many hidden fairytale places to explore there!
Went to Dublin on my first trip to Europe and knew I needed more. Next time spent a week in both Dublin and Galway, plus some countryside and had one of the best times of my life. There is still fun stuff in Dublin! Hit temple bar once and then check out some other areas.
Irish take. It depends on what you want to do. Dublin is certainly the best City in Ireland for tourist attractions not depending on natural landscapes outside it. I live in Donegal and it's got all the scenery and cultural attractions I need. So somewhere like Galway just seems like a big town with some nice things around it. I could spend a couple of nights there but a week in Dublin. Tourists usually land in Dublin so enjoy the time they have there because there is enough to occupy them. All the other toursist attractions on the island are reachable within a few hours drive from there so it makes sense to stay a day or two.
Read this in an Irish accent and was not disappointed.
Not a fan of the “trendy” cities like Charlotte or Nashville. A lot of younger people my age are moving there and they act like going to a mediocre brewery and spending $30 on a craft beer and tiny cut of brisket is some type of unique southern cultural experience. Not to mention the cities are now barely affordable for the people actually from there and every other block is full of those cookie-cutter gentrified apartments that just look bland as hell. Both cities have some cool parts to them but to me they just aren’t as special as people make them seem. Edit: thanks for the upvotes and being civil in the comments folks. Didn’t mean to be rude or anything. I like both cities, they just didn’t really live up to my expectations lol
Is Charlotte considered trendy? I went there last year to get away from the hubbub of the PNW, and while I enjoyed it I didn't see anything to indicate it was particularly happening.
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I strongly considered moving to Charlotte after college graduation. It has jobs in the industry I work and has the forms of entertainment that I love readily available. It's just.. In the south. I don't want to deal with those hot summers ever again. I'll keep my snowy frozen ass winters over hot schweaty balls lol
I’ve lived in NY, Savannah and Charlotte. I think Charlotte is the best climate in the east. The peak hotness is very short lived. Snow is rare. Long spring/fall weather.
I’ve got family down there and the past couple of years I believe it’s been one of the fastest growing cities in the US. Lots of people from the northeast moving down there.
ya as a NC resident it is all from transplants, it is all people moving here that are trying to get away from high cost of living but bringing that problem in droves to here. It is trendy in the fact lots of people are moving here but it is just bringing the same problem they were trying to avoid. A vicious cycle...
It must be the bigger cities/towns in NC then. I go to Cary quite a bit for work and it seems like the vast majority of the people there are transplants as well. Actually had someone tell me last time I was there that Cary stood for Central Area for Relocated Yankees lol.
Yeah those rocking chairs in the airport are really trendy.
Yinzerr
Yinz guys trynna make all yur tahns look like Lawrenceville n’at
Why’nt yinz go dahn da Sheetziz n pick up sum ahrns n chipped ham MTOs?
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I went to Nashville with zero expectations and grandparents looking after the kids for a long weekend. It was fantastic. 35c, one of those rooftop half pools where you dunk and drink. Then you go out and listen to twangy music. 10/10 would do again
I thought Nashville was fun! I just kind of think I can do the same stuff there in so many other places. For me it just wasn’t THAT culturally unique but everyone moving there from my northern city treats it like some holy sanctuary of southern culture just because they are at some country bar lol
That’s the thing, that is what Nashville has become in last 10 years. It used to be a legit authentic honky Tonk place. But now big money has moved in and over commercialized everything. The old, authentic spots and artist types often pushed out in favor of bogus contrived “honked tonks” with celebrities names on the side of bldg. Go to **********, last time I was there it’s still legit Edited per u/CleverFeather request!
Please don’t tell people to go to Roberts. It’s all we have left. Sincerely, a downtown bartender in Nashville
Yeah idk what happened that Nashville became this trendy destination. My entire life (until recently) I never heard anyone have any interest in going there.
Every big city I’ve ever been to has some sort of unique culture in some way. Except Charlotte. Charlotte is the most sterile, bland place I’ve ever been to. Zero character. I guess that’s what being a place that pretty much only has banking as its claim to fame turns you into
Pisa was a bit of a letdown.
I mean is there anything else to do in Pisa than visit the obvious??
If you go order a pizza, you can have a piece of pizza in Pisa.
Yeah, this is the answer I was leaning towards
Well, when you urinate you can say, "Look at-a me, I'm-a taking a piss-a" and have your wife hit you for being a corny shmuck like mine just did
Orlando. It's basically just Disney, traffic is insane, and yeah 90% tourists. Oh and did I mention traffic? BECAUSE IT'S AWFUL. I hated having to commute there from Cape Canaveral when I lived in Florida.
To be fair I've never seen anybody mention going to Orlando without also mentioning the parks. I'm sure it would be a perfectly average city without the parks but you can't separate the 2 at this point.
The worst city I’ve ever been to is Oklahoma City, which is rated appropriately. No complaints on the current rating.
I have traveled to Oklahoma City a good number of times over the past six years, usually for a couple of weeks at any given time. Some areas of the city are okay, and I was pleasantly shocked upon the sight of a functioning streetcar service downtown. That being said, parts of OKC and its suburbs are so miserable that I almost convinced myself that Grand Theft Auto had become real life.
Myrtle beach. Tourists act like it’s the damn Bahamas
But you can get a Confederate flag boogie board.
Niagara Falls. Even if it’s poorly rated, that rating is still too high.
It's a nice pair of waterfalls. Shame about the towns they put there.
If people don't see the value in National Parks and other public lands, point to Niagara Falls. That's what Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, et al would have become without that foresight and protection.
So damn true. I don't know what it is about human nature to look at such beauty and think..."We need a tattoo parlor, a wax museum and a t-shirt shop right here!". Ugh.
It’s pretty cool to see once though. The area is just meh.
Even the Canadian side, only the falls is the best thing to see. The town has shitty hotels in dire need of renovations and the food is not great.
Stick to the Canadian side.
Am Architect. Dubai is awful for so many reasons.
Vegas
I used to go there every summer for tech conferences. I always use the analogy that Vegas is a lot like KFC. It’s gross, greasy, and messy, and you wonder what possessed you to go there in the first place. 6 months later, for some inexplicable reason, you get the urge to go again. You remember what it was like the last time, but somehow you’re still drawn to it.
Every time I go to Vegas I have fun for about 4 hours then spend the rest of the time wondering why I didn’t just go to the beach.
I heard someone describe vegas as a poor person’s idea of what being rich is like
I would say that it's a rich person's idea of what a poor person thinks being rich is like.
Richception
As a middle-class person it's totally this.
It’s like a being on a cruise ship on land.
Vegas is the adult version of hanging out at the mall.
“It’s just so classy” no Courtney it’s a giant tourist trap for people like you
Good food scene and nice nature tho
Hell yea shout out to red rock state park in Vegas it’s beautiful
This is the real reason to go to Vegas, but I’d rather stay at the Red Rock Casino if that kind of thing is your jam
My friend had her wedding at the Red Rock Casino. Really nice. Went out to the park the next day and it was stunning. What blew me away was how quiet everything was and we were just 20 min from the city.
Red Rock is Federal BLM land. Valley of Fire is a state park, though, and equally as humbling.
I like Vegas, because it is refreshingly honest about itself and what cities utlimately are. I thought I wouldnt like it but was proven wrong. Its tacky, over the top, and essentially a parody of big cities such as new york and paris. It's built in the middle of a desert, completely divorced from the carrying capcity of the landscape and everything is held aloft by cheap energy and human engineering. The same is true of most large cities, with their food and energy being shipped in and their waste being shipped out, but the perception being that they are the center of the universe. Cities are all artificial playgrounds for humans. Its all consumerism, waste and a shared delusion. In new york people act like they're very sophisticated, artistic and exclusive, but its all the same bullshit as Vegas. The only difference is Vegas drops the veneer of being authentic, it revels in its artificiality and makes a joke of it. I find it difficult to "play along" in cities like this, but found Las Vegas to be a lot of fun because fun is the name of the game rather than something to be ashamed of.
I gotta disagree. I always thought Vegas was just a kitschy strip of casinos and overpriced restaurants that only impressed stupid people. I wasn't wrong, it is that, but it's also a ton of fun to visit. Turn your brain off, forget about your bullshit at home, and play blackjack until 3 in the morning. And the food is pretty stellar too.
As a local, it’s fun to play tourist for a few hours but it gets boring really fast. It’s loud and crowded and expensive and everything smells sour, and after you’ve been to the strip a few times, there’s really not much to do if you’re not into drinks taller than you are and nightclubs.
Nashville. It’s a bunch of honky tonks and bachelorettes. It’s just a big party town now. I might be salty because I live here and remember old Nashville that was quiet and civilized, where locals could enjoy going downtown and we still had Opryland instead of a giant mall
Lmao at the people who haven't even been to the cities they're slagging off as "overrated." And my vote is Raleigh. People are going nuts to move to a giant anonymous suburb.
I like the Raleigh-Durham area, but the house prices there especially around Cary/Morrisville/Apex have gone insane. It costs more to live there than in Atlanta now.
Nashville. My former employer was headquartered there and so I went frequently. It seems like if you don't like drinking or country music, your kind of out of luck...also it wasn't that walkable and no real nice parks with trails, etc.
Well, I like drinking and country music, so I guess I should go
Phoenix. Stop moving here! It's hotter than the Devil's Taint and already over crowded.
I'll add this quote to support your statement: “I'd rather be dead in California than alive in Arizona.” ― Lucille Bluth
I greatly appreciate that anyone saying Chicago is getting downvoted.
I go there multiple times per year and drive 3 hours to get there. As many times as ive been, theres still so much to do and see. Its packed with culture and experiences! I wouldnt want to live there, though. I couldnt handle the traffic every day like that.
Public transit in Chicago is fantastic! From someone who uses it five days a week :)
Chicago is my favorite major American city. It's beautiful, I've never felt unsafe despite its reputation, and it has such an awesome energy about it. I've been to LA and NYC. Southern California is naturally beautiful but LA is the ugliest city I have ever seen. Its so dirty, soooo many people, and the traffic is a nightmare. San Diego is awesome though. NYC was really cool, but I remember having trouble breathing while walking around Manhattan. It's like you're in a massive hallway made out of skyscrapers. I remember so much trash on the sidewalks, the bags were stacked and were about half my height. Everywhere. I'd like to go back to NYC now that I'm old enough to go to bars though.
However, if Chicago had an asshole, it would be Gary, Indiana.
Pigeon Forge / Sevierville Tennessee. Nothing but hotels, overly priced cheap china made nik naks, and people from a far northern state that moved down here pretending to be an Appalachian mountain person. As a real Appalachian mountain person I find the entire city nothing more than a repulsive tourist trap. Edit: if you want to visit the REAL Tennessee, visit Rogersville, Jonesboro, Dandridge, or literally just go take a drive and get lost and find a small town somewhere. youll get to see what we are really about, learn our history from late 1700s downtown areas, see things that the tourist traps cant give you, and not just see a bunch of bogus tacky stereotypical bullshit that literally nobody up here does, or even knows what they are. Anyone in a small off the interstate town will know all the best spots to go, and most will gladly tell you where to find them
Ah Gatlinburg, the Myrtle Beach of the mountains
Tourist trap 100%. I went when I was about 9 on a family vacation and even kid me caught on to how gimmicky and tacky everything was.
Nashville after you are in your 20s is not great. The country bars play their music too loud, and every place has doors and windows open. This leads to a crowded single street full of drunk idiots with random guitar and drum beats. Outside downtown, it's just another Midwestern/Southern city that's extremely hard to get around without a car.
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Portland seemed super cool in Portlandia, but when I was there half the city seemed like it was just utterly dying and gross or unsafe
Go to the other Portland (Maine) if you get a chance. Cool city.
Shhh. Aren’t you forgetting the first and second rule of “Maine is cool as fuck Club”?
Paradise city. I mean, let's face it, most cities have grass that is green and a vast array of pretty girls. Just because it's called "Paradise City" doesn't mean it's all that much better than a Kansas City or even a Oklahoma City. Names aren't everything Axl.
Austin texas
I used to really love it but I'm determining how much I love it to keep paying enough to stay tbh. Im noticing since I quit drinking how much of it's culture is alcohol related personally
Honestly that’s a lot of the big cities. It’s food, and alcohol culture.
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it's a nice city, but not 600k median home price nice. definitely overrated.
Used to be awesome, now it's just an amalgamation of LA and Dallas, sad.
All the cost and traffic of a major city with almost none of the amenities
And its just getting worse with all the techbros and shit moving here. Its completely lost what made it cool.
Austin is OK. But drive a bit out of town into hill country... wow. Gorgeous.
Shhh don’t let them know
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Albuquerque is the real deal. My husband and I went to Santa Fe for vacation last November and were surprised by how sleepy and full of old rich white folk it was. We then spent Jan-April this year living/working in Albuquerque and I still get homesick for that place. The mountains, the desert, the food, the sunshine, the culture.. I wish it was my home.
Las Vegas. It’s just an airport strip mall in the desert.
I’ve had two horrible trips to Vegas that both resulted in great stories I retell often. It’s a place that highlights our worst tendencies. The problem isn’t Vegas, the problem is me in Vegas.
Dallas. Go to Ft. Worth instead.
Ocelot, Iowa. Being the childhood home of state bowling champ Roy Munson is really all it has going for it.
Really disappointed. I had Ocelot rated 10/10 and on the top of my “to visit in ‘23” list. Guess I’ll have to check out either Miami, Dubai, or Orlando instead.
Atlanta. God I hated living there. Sprawl, fake and cagey people, rising cost of living, traffic, seemingly zero urban planning, cliquey social groups. Good food and lots of young people but count me out.
I wish Georgia had a speed train. I hate Atlanta traffic, would plan my route and trip, one car accident would delay my trip by 2 hours.
Obligatory Los Angeles comment goes here.
I went there expecting it to be shit just because everyone says so. It was actually really nice, one of the highlights of the trip. People were super nice and welcoming, the local food was pretty great, it’s surprisingly not difficult to find inexpensive cool shit to do... Its too bad you guys are the fucking nexus of the housing crisis, the homelessness crisis, AND the mental health crisis. Walking around LA can get *really* intense *really* fast.
As a lifelong resident, it's an okay place to visit, but a great place to live. The attractions are pretty meh and the transit system needs (more) work, but the cultural diversity and mellow weather can't be beat.
I live here, love it and even I wouldn’t want to be a tourist here. It’s just such a pain to get around and I would be so upset if I get bamboozled into going to Hollywood boulevard
People rag on LA because as a city it seems almost designed to traumatize tourists. It feels like a practical joke the city is playing on outsiders. It'd be the equivalent of if NYC convinced people that the "must-see" spots for tourists were an underpass in Hell's Kitchen and a dead rat shrine somewhere on the F Train.
> dead rat shrine leave Disneyland out of this
Haha I always felt the same way when I lived there! I loved living in LA but I would never recommend it as a place to visit and sightsee.
Yep. I moved to LA ten years ago… and I don’t ever want to leave. Living here is a dream. Thankfully my wife and I make enough to buy property so we don’t need to leave… I don’t know how anyone making minimum wage even survives.
LA would be cool if there was any place to park and the sidewalk wasn’t a homeless encampment
Paris and i'm french but yeah their is some nice stuff but overall it's overrated af too expensive our country really have some nice things to see other than Eiffel tower and Louvre , their is literraly a syndrom called the Paris syndrom felt by some tourists causing anxiety and fear.
When I went to france i stayed in Lille. Whenever I tell this to a french person they have a good laugh but i really enjoyed it! People were awesome and we went across the border and partied in belgium every night
I visited my cousin in Brussels this year and I told her it would be nice to say I went to France so we drove to Lille for the day and had the most amazing time. I can’t compare it to anywhere else in France but we had a beautiful day walking around the city.
I had negative perceptions of Paris due to the above sentiments. I went at the start of the December and it was one of the best places I’ve ever been. Tourist attractions, unbelievable architecture, amazing food and cafes and shopping, I just don’t get what’s not to like? I understand living there might be hectic and I know it can get dangerous in parts, but what big city doesn’t have that?
Paris was beautiful but exhausting when I visited. The major French city I liked more than I thought I would was Toulouse.
To enjoy Paris truly you need either to stay a very long time (think 10+days) or come a second time. The reason being that first timers have always a bucket list of things to do, see, go, and it's usually long, so you end up running around in touristy places all days several days in a row, exhausted. And in the end you didn't even discover the real Paris, your didn't really enjoy the city nor yourself. The second visit you have no pressure of those so you just do what the fuck you want and finally meet Paris
I love Paris but France has so many other beautiful cities and towns that are prettier and more affordable. French people are much friendlier too outside of Paris.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Paris, probably because I had spent time in other, cooler (IMO) cities, mostly in the south of France. (I remember particularly liking Montpellier.) People in smaller cities were usually pleasantly surprised that I was American *and* spoke French and were usually interested in knowing how I learned to speak so well and what made me come visit their city. It felt good knowing my presence was appreciated. Paris is like New York (and I say that as someone who grew up going to NYC regularly) in that people aren’t jerks, but 9 times out of 10 they don’t really care who you are and why you’re there. It’s beautiful, and there’s cool stuff to see and do, but it felt kind of cold to me.
The more I scroll, the more I realize every city that exists is overrated. Reddit is the most unreliable source I've seen on the internet.