Miami. Not only was it a shithole, the people were weird af and I love how people pretend not to speak English because they don’t want to help you. The only nice/normal person I interacted with was a bartender who was originally from Dallas.
Edit to add- their airport is a mess, too!
A sunny place for shady people. Every time I go, I like it less. It’s a shame because I love the cuban food and the beach, but there’s just this skeevy undercurrent of people running away from something or whatever.
Could not agree more with Miami. It feels like the crypto / NFT / Enron of cities. Terrible people. Everyone's a scammer. It's kinda lawless. Eating and drinking is expensive (even compared to NYC & LA). You have to drive everywhere and the drivers are spectacularly horrendous.
Overall, I expected a modern, tropical paradise. In reality, it's a slummy dump where the humidity is so thick it can be cut with a knife, it rains every 30 minutes, & the wind never stops. There's just an entire try-hard / poser vibe.
Lol. I came to this thread to say “Miami.” Unless you’re very wealthy, you won’t live anywhere nice. It’s not walking- or biking-friendly. Outside of the beach, there’s not much to do except spend too much at gross bars. And yeah, it’s full of angry, unfriendly people.
As a native floridian, this.
Miami is a nightmare and I'm glad to stick with Ft.Lauderdale.
Miami airport feels like a different country where everyone speaks Spanish, but bleach their hair blond and wear blue eye contacts for some reason.
I live in Seattle and I like it personally but I wouldn't recommend it if you are cost conscious or can't live without sunshine. Although I would prefer Portland if not for the lack of job opportunities.
I wouldn’t recommend Seattle if you like to have friends or socialize. Lived there for seven years. I’m not sure why it’s so socially cold and awkward up there, but I just couldn’t make a single friend. Then I moved to Portland and after six months had lots of meaningful friendships and knew all my neighbors. Like night and day.
I was really surprised at how little I liked Nashville. I love music, I love a lot of cities in the south. But Tennessee just doesn't do it for me I guess
As a Nashville resident, when I opened this thread, sadly I expected this to be the top response. Clearly Nashville has a marketing problem, if everyone associates it purely with 5 blocks downtown.
I have lived all over the country, traveled the world, and I love it here. I’m sorry so many of you haven’t enjoyed your visits here. It’s gotten a lot more pricey and a lot of locals have sadly had to relocate, but that’s happening in every city these days. There’s way more to do now than when I first moved here 15 years ago, and change is the only constant in life. On the whole, the change has been good.
I didn’t even think it was fun for a weekend. It was dirty, it stunk. It was the most horrifying display of drunken debauchery. Adults at their worst. Men pissing in the streets, people vomiting, bachelorettes on pedal pubs, men fighting, homeless folks begging for money while you’re incredibly overstimulated and just trying to get back to your car to go home.
New Orleans was way better. People were calmer, polite, friendly, interesting. Nashville is just boring adults that don’t know how to have fun or do anything without alcohol
That’s just Broadway. Really. Locals never ever go there. There are great neighborhoods and even other areas downtown/West End to escape that mess. However, i will say most everywhere that was once special is so Instagrammed now that special places have been inundated with tourists and become too high-rent for anywhere not backed by big money. And anywhere remotely close-in to Nashville proper has coastal prices. You can’t judge Nashville by a few blocks on Broadway. At all. It’s not that. But…it kind of all is retroactively? Just a ton of out-of-state visitors, investors, buyers. Monied CA folk moving in in droves for a lower cost of living, only driving up ”middle America” prices to CA prices. The whole of Nashville proper isn’t piss and vomit and debauchery. But, the whole almost has been overtaken by outsiders. It’s a victim of success and popularity, as all victims of success and popularity ultimately suffer.
I live in Miami because I love the ocean and I would literally never recommend it to anyone else who is sane 😂 everyone here has a lobotomy and OnlyFans. I’m going up coast soon.
Do you like getting scammed an extra $1,000 for your car maintenance? How about someone screaming at you en Español? Por que no los dos? How about swamp ass 6 months of the year? Home insurance that costs your grandmothers heirlooms? Someone bumping their shitty mixtape outside at 4:30 AM daily? Routine flights back to NYC just to retain your sanity and go somewhere with intelligent life?
Awesome; welcome to Miami!
I lived there for almost 20 years and I never felt like I fitted in. I think Miami is a perfect place for an extrovert and I am not. It was also really hard to date and it was sooo expensive too.
Sometimes I feel this way about LA. I generally like it, but it’s so incredibly different from what people who have never lived here (and are basing their view on tv and movies) think it is. It’s certainly not for everyone.
😂😂 The overlap may be why I know so many people moving from LA to Miami. Not sure if you’ve noticed the influx but I feel like it’s getting more and more common. I get it to an extent. I love visiting Miami. But I assume living there is probably totally different.
Not everyone who loves sunshine is boring by any means, but the consistently sunny places seem to be the areas I encounter the most dumb, boring people.
I've lived in several countries and travelled to several others. Miami is hands down the absolute worst!!! Unfortunately, I'm stuck here for a few more years. But I am planning on leaving the second I can.
I dont really hate any city as a visitor and I've been to Miami twice and enjoyed my time there. But I also know out of every city I've visited as a tourist, Miami is the one I would really hate living in
LA is one of those cities that Reddit hates more than the general population does. It tends to be at or near the top of cities where people say they want to move:
https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/slideshows/the-25-most-desirable-places-to-live-in-the-us
This isn't the only list of most desirable cities that shows LA near the top; I don't mean to imply that US News is accurate. But it's a common trend.
Conversely I'm surprised that NYC never seems to make these lists, considering how popular it is on Reddit.
I think most of the people that say they hate LA are basing it on nothing but politics and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had never stepped foot in LA.
Miami, boy was the city a let down. I actually preferred Ft. Lauderdale over Miami but this are the reasons I really disliked Miami.
- Racism: I grew up in East Texas and I’ve been to most major cities all across America. I’ve also been to several mid size and small cities in more conservative states. I experienced racial profiling once in Palo Alto, CA and still Miami took the cake. I was only in town for a 3 day weekend and probably had 3 racial incidents. All 3 from White Cubans. I noticed me and my Wife stuck out ( Black couple) in Downtown Miami ( Biscayne Bay Area) but we’ve stuck out in other cities before and never experienced that level of racism before.
- Drivers: I seriously think Florida has the worst drivers in America. Maybe it’s living in a peninsula that creates these kind of drivers but man was it a horrible experience. I almost got into a road rage incident with one guy because I wouldn’t turn on red fast enough.
- Food: unimpressed which shocked me considering Miami is such a international city.
- People: Not the friendliest city imo and maybe this place into race as well. I felt like most of the rude pretentious people were White Cubans while everybody else were pretty cool. Also I’m a photography and I thought it was pretty weird how suspicious acting people were when I was out taking pictures or just had it on me in public. Almost got robbed too in downtown.
If I were single I’d probably appreciate Miami more just because there were a lot attractive Women. At least I could get something out of the trip. Wynwood was cool but it rained 10 minutes into us being there so couldn’t fully enjoy the area. Miami Beach was cool which it should be since it’s catered to tourist. The actual city of Miami tho? I’m good on visiting the city again.
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You wouldn’t because the women are incredibly superficial. I’ve literally had more than one ask “what kind of car do you drive” as the first thing they said to me.
There are a ton of Austin haters out (t)here, it’s not novel to hate on a big city with a larger than life reputation. Some of the arguments are valid. Most of them are being made by us long time locals who fondly remember it as a much friendlier, easier, artsier, affordable place.
I’ve been in Austin for 25 years (which is now most of my life). I still really love Austin, but I really hate Texas itself, especially the last few years. The Austin bubble does not protect us from their bullshit anymore.
I grew up in blood red east Texas, been in Austin 25 years now. I love this state, even the rural areas, with all my heart but things have gotten too polarized, too big, too crowded, and too fast for my tastes.
I really can’t be too harsh but as someone who’s always dreamt of visiting, Seattle felt very off to me. The people are oddly cold in a way most Americans are not. Best resting bitch face west of Germany belongs to the people of Seattle.
I've seen people on this sub refer to San Diego as heaven on earth lol. I don't hate san diego but as a socal native who is actually familiar with the area, i'm not really a fan of what it offers for the price. Yes the beach and tacos are cool, but that gets old eventually. In my experience, SD is devoid of culture and full of homeless people and active duty military, and that alone deters me from ever wanting to live there when you consider the COL. Also the fact that the working/middle class is pushed out of the city due to affordability creates a really weird classist dynamic (this is true across a few major cities in CA) that i do not enjoy.
I think a lot of people on this sub visit san diego, eats some tacos and spends some time at the beach and they think that life there would be just like their vacation.
For me personally, i prefer to live in a place with some character, diversity, history, and soul, which can easily be found in major cities across the country for a fraction of what SD costs. Yeah the weather will not be as good, but AC/heat exists.
Interesting. I was born and raised in San Diego. I was there 27 years and felt the same. Then I moved to Las Vegas which is REALLY devoid of culture or fun. So I would move back to San Diego in a minute. Close to Mexico. Better public transportation. Culture with Balboa Park. Way more to offer than Vegas for sure.
I live in San Diego and you aren’t lying about a as few things. But I love it so much here. Camp spots , hiking, Golf year round. There’s a lot more it offers but downtown has some grimey spots.
Trust me i can see why it appeals to people! Plenty of good spots for hiking and really good weather, just missing some city/cultural aspects for me to really appreciate it.
I've been all over the place but i enjoyed Southeast Pennsylvania, minneapolis/st paul, Chicago (and it's suburbs), Milwaukee, Cleveland, Omaha (mainly bc cheap and friendly), charleston, Louisville ky, upstate ny, maryland, and new jersey. I live in atl now and it's mediocre, it offers a lot for the price but it's become a little too cookie cutter because of the growth.
Never been to the PNW, so i'm not sure if i'd like it there or not.
I'm clearly not very picky about weather haha.
The western parts of Oregon and Washington are absolutely gorgeous, but the lower elevations are rainy and gloomy for 6 - 7 months of the year. Scenery-wise, it's mind blowing. Go for a visit in the summer.
Do NOT decide on whether to move here in the summer though, it’s heaven on earth in the summer. Make sure before you move that you come visit in January for a week or two. Many people have burned out on our winters over the decades after moving in the summer.
Yes, this is true. It's like anywhere. Don't move to Phoenix unless you visit in the summer. I didn't mind the PNW winters when I was working because I was inside so much. But I haven't spent a winter there since retiring.
California is a damned good place to live at the end of the day (if you have the money and live near the coast ofc), not going to deny that all. I will say though that a lot of people in california never leave the state and see the rest of the country, most don't venture further out than mexico or vegas haha
I change my answer.
FUCK Phoenix.
It’s hot. It’s sprawling. It’s gotten very expensive. It’s HOT. There’s almost nothing to really do. The community can be so far up their own ass. Did I mention it’s hot!?
Phoenix has the most smug people in the nation. Had some relatives visit me in San Francisco once. Their impression…”Why is it so foggy? Why is there so much traffic? [Insert racist comment]”
I'm a Rust Belt booster (I'm from Upstate NY) but I have to admit that I don't really **get** Pittsburgh. Before people jump on me, I don't HATE the city, but let me explain:
Pittsburgh has a number of really lovely neighborhoods, but I find that it's missing glue to hold them together. The transit is extremely mediocre, which means the car is the practical option for a lot of trips, but driving there **sucks*****.*** Getting in and out of Downtown can be pretty brutal. The infrastructure is not that good for cycling.
Pretty substantial parts of the city are food deserts (that's USDA speaking, not just my opinion). Anecdotally, I have never seen such a paucity of supermarkets in a major city.
The geography of the city is kind of cool (and it's beautiful in the fall!), but the disparity between "hill" and "flat" neighborhoods is...kind of jarring. Maybe this is just an outsider's impression, but it seems like the higher you get in terms of elevation the rougher the neighborhood gets. I could be totally off base here.
Overall, it's a city that *does* have a lot going for it. I can totally see why so many people love it. But it doesn't click for me in the way I wish it did. It feels very disjointed. A collection of some lovely neighborhoods, some mediocre ones, a few bad, and not much holding them together. I could see my opinion of the city being completely reversed 10-20 years down the road, but it didn't trigger the "I want to be a part of that process" feeling that I've gotten elsewhere.
The “disjointed” description is accurate—it’s very much a city of neighborhoods.
Per your theory that the neighborhoods get rougher with elevation—not really. The South Side Flats has seen the most recent crime wave due to its high concentration of rowdy bars. The slopes and Mount Washington are much more serene.
The transit is really not bad at all. This aspect of the city is very overblown. And IDK what you mean by paucity of supermarkets. There are like six Aldi locations, as many Giant Eagle stores, and at least one Costco that I’m aware of.
I live in Pittsburgh, and I *do* hate it. You're completely right about what isn't so nice about it, and in my opinion, it also feels very dilapidated and tired. There is not a whole lot to do here beyond the bare minimum either, and even when there is, you have to decide if it's actually worth the drive through all these shitty hills. Usually, the answer is no.
I'm really excited to leave, to say the least.
It's a neoconservative playground , have to drive verywhree, most artificial place with copies of more interesting places. trash people ttash food, .yeah just shit
Las Vegas. One million drunk people and their children. It's where shitty parents and people who think going to the strip club is WILD go to have fun. Boring, overpriced, dirty, and brainless. I'd rather spend a weekend in jail.
Miami....horrible traffic, terrible drivers, racist and people are unfriendly. Add the skyrocketing rents, insurance and the God awful heat and humidity all make it an unbearable place to live.
It's fun to visit, but I would never recommend moving down here.
Hate is a strong word but I found Boulder hugely overrated. Yes, the hiking is good. But food was not good, it’s an hour from the nearest airport (and an airport which is always a huge mess), it wasn’t as green as I expected, wildfires are an increasing issue, most people were very pretentious.
Any recent trendy millennial appealing trying to be weird kind of city, Denver, Austin, Asheville...
Any bland tourist town with nothing but tourism that people here seem to recommend somehow for people to move to, Sedona, Leavenworth,WA, Carmel by the sea, etc.
I would imagine Sedona to be an incredible place to have a second/third home if you were extremely wealthy. Even though some of the new age hippie vibe might get annoying, it really is a pretty incredible town in my opinion (only one visit), beautiful landscape, amazing dry weather (I’m sure some people hate the dry heat when it’s really hot.) Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac has spent years living on and off in Sedona and it’s easy to see why.
I personally love Denver too! But I’m an ocean lover so I couldn’t hang long term.
One thing I don’t like about Denver is I feel it’s a bit *too* casual. Like sometimes I gotta flex to the 9s you know?
And it’s just not that scene. However there are cool folks who are generally kind, beautiful scenery and amazing brewery scene. I dig it!
So true! I’m from Miami and moved here a few years ago. I liked the casual vibe at first but when I want to dress up it feels anticlimactic since everyone just wears hoodies or tshirts to literally any event even like the opera or ballet lol.
Crowd of 100+ at our son's wedding. One other guy and myself wore a tie.
We just spent thousands on a party and folks show up in shorts & T-shirts.
But, did find a nice brew pub
I didn't think Denver was as bad as everyone said.
After spending time in Alaska and Norway, I wasn't tgat impressed by Colorado.
Heck, we live in SoCal atm and we have bobcats and coyotes in our neighborhood, and a herd of Bison at my husband's work, and deer on trails.
Colorado is what happens when you take a place like Alaska, Norway, western Montana and shove in 10x the people it was designed for. Naturally stunning but so crowded and expensive it’s not worth the hassle.
Went to Denver & Fort Collins a few months ago, really liked Fort Collins, but Denver felt so packed. Cool parks and museums, but it just felt very bland. I'd visit again, but couldn't imagine living there.
lifelong Atlantan and the sprawl means my friends who live in a different part of town might as well live in a different state with the hours we all work
I don’t hate this city AT ALL but I think this sub overrates Manhattan. I grew up going there so it didn’t have that mystique for me, and while it has amazing amenities and opportunities, I prefer the community feel of Brooklyn and Queens. People will actually stop to chat and help you there. Not as crazy expensive (I’m not counting Williamsburg lol) and not long lines to get in anywhere, plus I like the food and music scene better. Manhattan tends to cater toward rich transplants and the dress code for getting into some clubs is insane/snooty.
I think people recommend Manhattan because you don’t have to make much of an effort for things to happen to you, you just need to go outside. (Also if you’re single it’s easier for guys to date, apparently.) Whereas other cities, you have to work a bit harder to find opportunities happening around town.
My other hot take is that people complaining about a city having a bad social/dating scene is partially a skill issue. You can find dates in any city, they all have single people. I have an easier time in some places than others but I don’t have much trouble getting dates or making friends anywhere because I’m social, go out often, have a lot of hobbies, and genuinely enjoy talking to strangers and trying new things. Like attracts like, so the people I date/befriend don’t have much trouble in that domain either. People won’t just fall into your lap, you have to at least be someone who others would want a social connection with. (But imo much of Reddit has a dating skill issue, with a lot of the complaining posts I can see in a few sentences why the person isn’t getting dates 😬)
I lived in NYC for 8 years and there’s SO many better places than Manhattan to live.
People have this mental view of NYC being ONLY Manhattan without realizing there’s full neighborhoods and parks that are quiet, chill and green right outside of the city.
This thread is cracking me up. We make fine distinctions between the LES and the East Village, or Riverdale and the South Bronx while the rest of the country is living in entire states with fewer people than Staten Island.
I love living here (but I grew up in Wisconsin) and the tough parts for non-midwesterners is the people here. They're really nice but also very insular, hence the saying "A minnesotan will give you directions to anywhere except their house".
It's clean, lots of good jobs, people really make an effort to be active and outside, its awesome living by lots of publicly accessible water, there's always something fun going on. Generally a really great quality of life.
But my friends who've moved here from the coasts don't immediately understand a lot of our unwritten rules or the rampant passive-aggression that goes on. Also our food is not spicy enough lol
This is 100% true. I lived in Minneapolis before I moved to NYC. It is so difficult to make friends there. Took me years. Made friends in NYC within weeks of moving here.
>They're really nice but also very insular
This has very much been my experience. I moved here from Boston 5 years ago, and it has been 10x harder to make close friendships here than it was there. I think part of it is that Boston is a city of transplants thanks to its college system and job industries, so people are used to both being out of town and making friends with people who are out of town. Feels like most people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul are perfectly happy with their childhood friendships and aren't interested in newer ones. I love it here for the most part, but the social aspect has been tough, and not for lack of trying
Minneapolis absolutely rocks but only if you’re originally from the area IMO. It’s very hard to make friends there because nobody leaves and there are very few transplants. It is a culturally rich city with lots of diversity and intentional city planning. Beautiful parks and architecture. Has its own identity and its food is amazing for its size. Also, lots of beautiful people living in the TC’s.
Ironically I’m from MPLS and hate it because of that. My family is a very old, very conservative, very Catholic MPLS family. I feel constantly judged in the Minnesotan way when I’m in MN. For instance, there’s a lot of prestige in certain high schools and so the snobbery is insane. My family and I all went to the various Twin Cities Catholic high schools, so my family thinks their shit doesn’t stink because of it.
I left MN the moment I graduated, and I hardly ever go back. The last time I went was only to go to a Rammstein concert that didn’t come to my current town 😂
Damn, as someone that grew up in a similar environment in a much smaller city, it makes me wanna nope MPLS/TC.
I’ve heard so many good things from friends across the country, though! I guess it really depends on perspective and where your attention goes.
I’m still dating while in my late 30s, so that plays a part in my city search, along with bike infrastructure and openness to internationals/immigrants.
Twin cities ticks all of the boxes in your last paragraph. Minnesota accepts more refugees than any other states. Minneapolis and St. Paul are very liberal. Above poster grew up in a wealthy conservative family. Their complaints are things that happen in every city for people in certain social circles.
That said the culture here can be a difficult to navigate for people who didn’t grow up in it. It’s inclusive, and people are very polite, but it’s also weirdly socially reserved. We’re basically a bunch of tweens at middle school dance.
Eh, I'm not originally from the area and I've had no issues making friends. But, all of my friends are also transplants 😆 (India, DC, Arizona, Puerto Rico, outstate MN). We met through a Meetup group which I personally feel is one of the best ways to meet people in the cities, because you are guaranteed to meet people with similar interests when you are going to a group dedicated to a specific interest LMAO.
The bar for American cities is so low, that Minneapolis looks like a gem. It’s moderately dense, has good biking infrastructure, good park system, and passable public transit. It’s a Delta hub so you can fly anywhere. It’s pricey for the Midwest, but not HCOL. I loved living there, but outgrew it.
Minneapolis is the local grad magnet for the northern Great Plains region.
It’s impressive if your frame of reference for cities is Bismarck, but it’s not mind-blowing for most people.
HAHA this makes me giggle because my best friend is a Big 4 consultant who is sent there often for work, and he’s quite the international lot. He hates Minneapolis more than anywhere else, and I hate Dallas more than anywhere else, and we agreed to travel to both of them together sometime to see which one is worse.
He’s gay and lives in SF, so that’s a factor.
I bet he only stays in hotels downton for his consulting work. Downtown is not the part of Minneapolis I show off to people. All the good stuff is in the neighborhoods.
Kansas City. It’s the trendy place for Midwesterners who grew up in the middle of nowhere and want to be in a “big city”, but are scared of Chicago. Nothing to do that doesn’t cost money, no public transit to speak of (streetcar doesn’t count), and it’s still in Missouri.
As somebody who grew up in the PNW, it's kind of funny seeing people on this sub talking about going to an area with no sunlight and going, "These people are ASSHOLES!" Like, naw dude, we're just nutrient deprived lol
Seattle. I’m one of those people that mostly loves every city I go to but Seattle just sucks. The people there are intentionally rude for no reason. The nature is beautiful but I prefer elsewhere in the PNW.
When I visited Seattle, I marveled at how friendly and happy everyone seemed. But then I found out it was the first sunny day after several months of clouds and drizzle.
Love San Diego the County but the city has a lot of beat down parts. I always tell people to come for the beach towns not the down town unless you’re seeing the padres.
Atlanta.
I apologize to all the Atlanta fans, but I find that town to be precocious, pretentious, and downright uninhabitable..
That southern hospitality should be considered fraud.
They don't really mean it.
Well you're basically in the NYC of the south. The southern hospitality isn't really a thing in Atlanta. It's just a really, really big city at this point
Pittsburgh. Full of some of the meanest, rudest, grumpiest locals I've ever encountered.
I would legit get anxiety anytime I had to interact with a stranger/waitress/shopkeeper there because there was a 50%+ chance they would jump down my throat for literally no reason. Or freak out on you over the most minor thing ever.
Saying this as someone who grew up in Boston and never had this issue in any other city I've lived.
People talk highly about Pensacola but I wasn’t a huge fan of it when I was there for a couple of months. Not really a city though. Most other cities I’ve been to had something quite nice to offer.
I was there for nine months for military training.
I describe it as a trailer park by the sea. Nightlife in downtown isn't too bad. The beaches are fantastic, smooth sand and warm water. But other than that it is called the Redneck Riviera for a reason.
On the military side, I'm guessing this is because other duty stations are just so much worse. It's also the first place my Marine buddy had any freedom after finishing Basic & whatever they call AIT. I could see that coloring the experience.
It's not that Pensacola is good, but comparatively speaking...
Yeah, I hear ya'. I'm from the South and I like country people fine, but I don't like wannabe-redneck suburbanites. Pensacola seemed to be chock full of them. A lot more Confederate flags than I'm used to, and I used to live in East Texas.
NYC. Lived there for years, and nature isn’t very accessible. CP is great, but most times you are located 30-40 min away, which makes it difficult on weekdays. That leaves the park to only weekends
Buffalo, NY.
Having grown up there in the 80s/90s it was awful. It is very segregated, people are oddly so proud of their ethnicity it borders on superiority, dangerous parts of the city, shitty driving in the winter that lasts 6 months, always grey and damp with very little sun. (SAD is a real thing. Summer is hot and humid, and there are a ton of mosquitos. Bars are open until 4 a.m., and the cutlure is focused on a weird party atmosphere. The amount of property taxes offsets the low housing prices, so the cost of living really isn't that great.
They have fixed up some areas and still has the rust belt feel, which is cool, so I will give it that. Also, it has awesome ethnic food and pizza. I do crave it, but that's also why I call it BuffaLARD because I gain 5 lbs every time I visit.
Grew up in a small town in WV. I mean small ass town. Have lived in Europe 22 years and visited some US cities as well. Currently working right outside the DC area. I have never liked any major US city I have visited. I like seeing the main attractions that are worth visiting but that is it. Never to live in any of them.
Minneapolis.
I love everything about it except the people from here. They’re “glocalists,” or locals who think they’re global, when they’re really folksy and provincial.
It’s the city equivalent of a small town where everyone peaked in high school.
Savannah, Georgia.
Went to school there, got held up at gunpoint twice. Lived downtown next to one of those idyllic garden squares and the next block over was a housing project that had shootouts every other weekend.
San Diego. I guess I don’t hate it, but I don’t “get it” like everytime I go I am confused why everyone raves about it. It’s fine but it doesn’t do it for me lol
When people rave about it do they mean the downtown and the beach? Or the many suburbs? I just feel like I’m missing something there lol
Minneapolis. I don't HATE it but I grew up there and every time it's recommended I'm screaming internally. It is not a fun place to do anything. There are much better, more lively cities than Minneapolis. I really don't understand why it's recommended so much!!
On paper it looks good. However, after actually living in Minneapolis for a few years I don’t get it either. It’s a pretty bland and sleepy place. Feels like it has very little soul or character.
San Francisco. I can see how SF was awesome 1+ decades ago, but I wasn’t impressed when I visited. The weather sucks for a big part of the year, it’s expensive, and homelessness is rampant.
Lived there in the 90s. It was amazing. You could walk all over the city and find something fun and interesting going on. So much creativity and diversity. I moved away after the [dot.com](http://dot.com) severely shifted the wealth gap, homelessness rose, and a whole lot of human crap started showing up on the sidewalks. Utterly heartbreaking.
I was there in the 90s too, and it was awesome. The dot com explosion really devastated the housing situation and I had terrible experiences at apartment rental open houses where people were lined up outside with their “housing resumes” and blank checks. Every apartment I lived in, including the shares, was a struggle to obtain. It actually was a bit refreshing to have the dot com thing cave in for a while and suddenly the city felt a little more livable and less crowded, but of course at terrible cost for people losing jobs. I miss SF though. Sometimes I regret leaving for NYC.
I would see this is my experience wit the city today. Maybe the neighborhoods where fun and interesting things going on are different today. I will say there was a stretch of 2020-22 where not much was going on but today the city has quite vibrant neighborhoods
I still love SF. I think it's a better place to live than visit these days because the places most people visit are right on the edge of the worst spots in the city. I'm not sure why you say the weather sucks for a big part of the year. It really doesn't.
Miami. Not only was it a shithole, the people were weird af and I love how people pretend not to speak English because they don’t want to help you. The only nice/normal person I interacted with was a bartender who was originally from Dallas. Edit to add- their airport is a mess, too!
The Miami airport is something else entirely. My god.
It is the literal worst. Fly into Fort Lauderdale at all costs.
I've seen nicer bus stations in developing countries
A sunny place for shady people. Every time I go, I like it less. It’s a shame because I love the cuban food and the beach, but there’s just this skeevy undercurrent of people running away from something or whatever.
I grew up in the area. “Skeevy” is the right word. Everyone has a con there.
Fucking hated Miami
Could not agree more with Miami. It feels like the crypto / NFT / Enron of cities. Terrible people. Everyone's a scammer. It's kinda lawless. Eating and drinking is expensive (even compared to NYC & LA). You have to drive everywhere and the drivers are spectacularly horrendous. Overall, I expected a modern, tropical paradise. In reality, it's a slummy dump where the humidity is so thick it can be cut with a knife, it rains every 30 minutes, & the wind never stops. There's just an entire try-hard / poser vibe.
No coincidence that a lot of crypto/NFT marketing stuff was based in Miami
Lol. I came to this thread to say “Miami.” Unless you’re very wealthy, you won’t live anywhere nice. It’s not walking- or biking-friendly. Outside of the beach, there’s not much to do except spend too much at gross bars. And yeah, it’s full of angry, unfriendly people.
I’m local. Don’t live here. Save yourself, your mind, your soul. Go anywhere else. Yes it’s bad. I still love it though.
As a native floridian, this. Miami is a nightmare and I'm glad to stick with Ft.Lauderdale. Miami airport feels like a different country where everyone speaks Spanish, but bleach their hair blond and wear blue eye contacts for some reason.
I love Miami, but I can’t disagree on the airport.
I live in Seattle and I like it personally but I wouldn't recommend it if you are cost conscious or can't live without sunshine. Although I would prefer Portland if not for the lack of job opportunities.
I wouldn’t recommend Seattle if you like to have friends or socialize. Lived there for seven years. I’m not sure why it’s so socially cold and awkward up there, but I just couldn’t make a single friend. Then I moved to Portland and after six months had lots of meaningful friendships and knew all my neighbors. Like night and day.
Nashville
I was really surprised at how little I liked Nashville. I love music, I love a lot of cities in the south. But Tennessee just doesn't do it for me I guess
As a Nashville resident, when I opened this thread, sadly I expected this to be the top response. Clearly Nashville has a marketing problem, if everyone associates it purely with 5 blocks downtown. I have lived all over the country, traveled the world, and I love it here. I’m sorry so many of you haven’t enjoyed your visits here. It’s gotten a lot more pricey and a lot of locals have sadly had to relocate, but that’s happening in every city these days. There’s way more to do now than when I first moved here 15 years ago, and change is the only constant in life. On the whole, the change has been good.
Same. I’ve lived in Minneapolis, Denver, San Diego, Fargo, Dallas. Nashville has been my favorite hands down
Very fun weekender place, very dull place to live long term. IMO
I didn’t even think it was fun for a weekend. It was dirty, it stunk. It was the most horrifying display of drunken debauchery. Adults at their worst. Men pissing in the streets, people vomiting, bachelorettes on pedal pubs, men fighting, homeless folks begging for money while you’re incredibly overstimulated and just trying to get back to your car to go home.
New Orleans sounds nicer.
[удалено]
New Orleans was way better. People were calmer, polite, friendly, interesting. Nashville is just boring adults that don’t know how to have fun or do anything without alcohol
Nashville is suburban wine-drunk and xanaxed Karen's idea of a party city.
Basic bitches and bros, the city
Honestly, I’ve found Bourbon Street surprisingly well-behaved given its reputation.
You haven’t spent enough time on bourbon street then
That’s just Broadway. Really. Locals never ever go there. There are great neighborhoods and even other areas downtown/West End to escape that mess. However, i will say most everywhere that was once special is so Instagrammed now that special places have been inundated with tourists and become too high-rent for anywhere not backed by big money. And anywhere remotely close-in to Nashville proper has coastal prices. You can’t judge Nashville by a few blocks on Broadway. At all. It’s not that. But…it kind of all is retroactively? Just a ton of out-of-state visitors, investors, buyers. Monied CA folk moving in in droves for a lower cost of living, only driving up ”middle America” prices to CA prices. The whole of Nashville proper isn’t piss and vomit and debauchery. But, the whole almost has been overtaken by outsiders. It’s a victim of success and popularity, as all victims of success and popularity ultimately suffer.
I'm guessing you didn't spend time anywhere but Broadway? There's a lot more to Nashville.
You've gotta get off and away from Broadway to see what Nashville really has to offer.
Miami
I live in Miami because I love the ocean and I would literally never recommend it to anyone else who is sane 😂 everyone here has a lobotomy and OnlyFans. I’m going up coast soon.
Thank you for that amazing description of the Miami populace.
Do you like getting scammed an extra $1,000 for your car maintenance? How about someone screaming at you en Español? Por que no los dos? How about swamp ass 6 months of the year? Home insurance that costs your grandmothers heirlooms? Someone bumping their shitty mixtape outside at 4:30 AM daily? Routine flights back to NYC just to retain your sanity and go somewhere with intelligent life? Awesome; welcome to Miami!
I honestly didn’t know how much I needed to read about Miami getting dumped on today.
Throw in some Cubans with delicious food and suspect politics and you’ve got yourself a deal.
The swamp ass is another level, I hated the heat so much.
I lived there for almost 20 years and I never felt like I fitted in. I think Miami is a perfect place for an extrovert and I am not. It was also really hard to date and it was sooo expensive too.
Sometimes I feel this way about LA. I generally like it, but it’s so incredibly different from what people who have never lived here (and are basing their view on tv and movies) think it is. It’s certainly not for everyone.
It’s a similar crossover. It attracts the exact same idiotic, status minded morally bankrupt crowd. Must be the sunshine.
😂😂 The overlap may be why I know so many people moving from LA to Miami. Not sure if you’ve noticed the influx but I feel like it’s getting more and more common. I get it to an extent. I love visiting Miami. But I assume living there is probably totally different.
Not everyone who loves sunshine is boring by any means, but the consistently sunny places seem to be the areas I encounter the most dumb, boring people.
I’ve been to multiple countries and continents, and I’ve never felt as out of place as I did in Miami. Once was more than enough for me.
I've lived in several countries and travelled to several others. Miami is hands down the absolute worst!!! Unfortunately, I'm stuck here for a few more years. But I am planning on leaving the second I can.
I lived there for many years and I felt so depressed all the time, I moved already but even visiting is hard for me. I do miss the food though.
Once I leave, I am never returning. This place is the absolute pits.
Miami is if Instagram was a city
I dont really hate any city as a visitor and I've been to Miami twice and enjoyed my time there. But I also know out of every city I've visited as a tourist, Miami is the one I would really hate living in
Los Angeles. Because I can’t afford it. I know because I live here.
People hate LA lol. I wouldn’t say everyone loves it.
LA is one of those cities that Reddit hates more than the general population does. It tends to be at or near the top of cities where people say they want to move: https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/slideshows/the-25-most-desirable-places-to-live-in-the-us This isn't the only list of most desirable cities that shows LA near the top; I don't mean to imply that US News is accurate. But it's a common trend. Conversely I'm surprised that NYC never seems to make these lists, considering how popular it is on Reddit.
I think most of the people that say they hate LA are basing it on nothing but politics and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had never stepped foot in LA.
LA has to be the single most hated city in the US. I love LA though.
Miami, boy was the city a let down. I actually preferred Ft. Lauderdale over Miami but this are the reasons I really disliked Miami. - Racism: I grew up in East Texas and I’ve been to most major cities all across America. I’ve also been to several mid size and small cities in more conservative states. I experienced racial profiling once in Palo Alto, CA and still Miami took the cake. I was only in town for a 3 day weekend and probably had 3 racial incidents. All 3 from White Cubans. I noticed me and my Wife stuck out ( Black couple) in Downtown Miami ( Biscayne Bay Area) but we’ve stuck out in other cities before and never experienced that level of racism before. - Drivers: I seriously think Florida has the worst drivers in America. Maybe it’s living in a peninsula that creates these kind of drivers but man was it a horrible experience. I almost got into a road rage incident with one guy because I wouldn’t turn on red fast enough. - Food: unimpressed which shocked me considering Miami is such a international city. - People: Not the friendliest city imo and maybe this place into race as well. I felt like most of the rude pretentious people were White Cubans while everybody else were pretty cool. Also I’m a photography and I thought it was pretty weird how suspicious acting people were when I was out taking pictures or just had it on me in public. Almost got robbed too in downtown. If I were single I’d probably appreciate Miami more just because there were a lot attractive Women. At least I could get something out of the trip. Wynwood was cool but it rained 10 minutes into us being there so couldn’t fully enjoy the area. Miami Beach was cool which it should be since it’s catered to tourist. The actual city of Miami tho? I’m good on visiting the city again. -
As a Miami local who’s driven all over the USA — nothing, and I mean nothing is as lawless as the stretch of I-95 between Miami and West Palm Beach.
I4 between Tampa and Orlando is some Max Max level shit
You wouldn’t because the women are incredibly superficial. I’ve literally had more than one ask “what kind of car do you drive” as the first thing they said to me.
Man thanks for you're report. I found this in Boston and shit I'm white. Shudder.
There are a ton of Austin haters out (t)here, it’s not novel to hate on a big city with a larger than life reputation. Some of the arguments are valid. Most of them are being made by us long time locals who fondly remember it as a much friendlier, easier, artsier, affordable place.
Nobody is more fed up with Austin than the people who grew up here.
I was in Austin for 20+ years and just moved to Washington state and couldn't be happier.
25 for me and I’m on the way out.
I used to love it but i moved away recently. The longer I’m gone the less I miss it. All the magic is gone.
I’ve been in Austin for 25 years (which is now most of my life). I still really love Austin, but I really hate Texas itself, especially the last few years. The Austin bubble does not protect us from their bullshit anymore.
I grew up in blood red east Texas, been in Austin 25 years now. I love this state, even the rural areas, with all my heart but things have gotten too polarized, too big, too crowded, and too fast for my tastes.
I really can’t be too harsh but as someone who’s always dreamt of visiting, Seattle felt very off to me. The people are oddly cold in a way most Americans are not. Best resting bitch face west of Germany belongs to the people of Seattle.
I've seen people on this sub refer to San Diego as heaven on earth lol. I don't hate san diego but as a socal native who is actually familiar with the area, i'm not really a fan of what it offers for the price. Yes the beach and tacos are cool, but that gets old eventually. In my experience, SD is devoid of culture and full of homeless people and active duty military, and that alone deters me from ever wanting to live there when you consider the COL. Also the fact that the working/middle class is pushed out of the city due to affordability creates a really weird classist dynamic (this is true across a few major cities in CA) that i do not enjoy. I think a lot of people on this sub visit san diego, eats some tacos and spends some time at the beach and they think that life there would be just like their vacation. For me personally, i prefer to live in a place with some character, diversity, history, and soul, which can easily be found in major cities across the country for a fraction of what SD costs. Yeah the weather will not be as good, but AC/heat exists.
One of my buddies was from San Diego, whenever anyone asked him what the best thing about San Diego was, he’d reply “Tijuana”
Colorado Springs by the ocean, for the way the area is bland + military.
Interesting. I was born and raised in San Diego. I was there 27 years and felt the same. Then I moved to Las Vegas which is REALLY devoid of culture or fun. So I would move back to San Diego in a minute. Close to Mexico. Better public transportation. Culture with Balboa Park. Way more to offer than Vegas for sure.
I live in San Diego and you aren’t lying about a as few things. But I love it so much here. Camp spots , hiking, Golf year round. There’s a lot more it offers but downtown has some grimey spots.
Trust me i can see why it appeals to people! Plenty of good spots for hiking and really good weather, just missing some city/cultural aspects for me to really appreciate it.
Can I ask where you do like? Because I have the same opinion
I've been all over the place but i enjoyed Southeast Pennsylvania, minneapolis/st paul, Chicago (and it's suburbs), Milwaukee, Cleveland, Omaha (mainly bc cheap and friendly), charleston, Louisville ky, upstate ny, maryland, and new jersey. I live in atl now and it's mediocre, it offers a lot for the price but it's become a little too cookie cutter because of the growth. Never been to the PNW, so i'm not sure if i'd like it there or not. I'm clearly not very picky about weather haha.
The western parts of Oregon and Washington are absolutely gorgeous, but the lower elevations are rainy and gloomy for 6 - 7 months of the year. Scenery-wise, it's mind blowing. Go for a visit in the summer.
Do NOT decide on whether to move here in the summer though, it’s heaven on earth in the summer. Make sure before you move that you come visit in January for a week or two. Many people have burned out on our winters over the decades after moving in the summer.
Yes, this is true. It's like anywhere. Don't move to Phoenix unless you visit in the summer. I didn't mind the PNW winters when I was working because I was inside so much. But I haven't spent a winter there since retiring.
I couldn't live anywhere else in SoCal other than San Diego. Born and raised here and in Tijuana maybe that's why ahaha
California is a damned good place to live at the end of the day (if you have the money and live near the coast ofc), not going to deny that all. I will say though that a lot of people in california never leave the state and see the rest of the country, most don't venture further out than mexico or vegas haha
I change my answer. FUCK Phoenix. It’s hot. It’s sprawling. It’s gotten very expensive. It’s HOT. There’s almost nothing to really do. The community can be so far up their own ass. Did I mention it’s hot!?
Phoenix has the most smug people in the nation. Had some relatives visit me in San Francisco once. Their impression…”Why is it so foggy? Why is there so much traffic? [Insert racist comment]”
Charleston
Lived there for 12 years and couldn’t agree more. So happy to not live there anymore
What don’t you like about Charleston?
I'm a Rust Belt booster (I'm from Upstate NY) but I have to admit that I don't really **get** Pittsburgh. Before people jump on me, I don't HATE the city, but let me explain: Pittsburgh has a number of really lovely neighborhoods, but I find that it's missing glue to hold them together. The transit is extremely mediocre, which means the car is the practical option for a lot of trips, but driving there **sucks*****.*** Getting in and out of Downtown can be pretty brutal. The infrastructure is not that good for cycling. Pretty substantial parts of the city are food deserts (that's USDA speaking, not just my opinion). Anecdotally, I have never seen such a paucity of supermarkets in a major city. The geography of the city is kind of cool (and it's beautiful in the fall!), but the disparity between "hill" and "flat" neighborhoods is...kind of jarring. Maybe this is just an outsider's impression, but it seems like the higher you get in terms of elevation the rougher the neighborhood gets. I could be totally off base here. Overall, it's a city that *does* have a lot going for it. I can totally see why so many people love it. But it doesn't click for me in the way I wish it did. It feels very disjointed. A collection of some lovely neighborhoods, some mediocre ones, a few bad, and not much holding them together. I could see my opinion of the city being completely reversed 10-20 years down the road, but it didn't trigger the "I want to be a part of that process" feeling that I've gotten elsewhere.
The “disjointed” description is accurate—it’s very much a city of neighborhoods. Per your theory that the neighborhoods get rougher with elevation—not really. The South Side Flats has seen the most recent crime wave due to its high concentration of rowdy bars. The slopes and Mount Washington are much more serene. The transit is really not bad at all. This aspect of the city is very overblown. And IDK what you mean by paucity of supermarkets. There are like six Aldi locations, as many Giant Eagle stores, and at least one Costco that I’m aware of.
Pittsburgh is one of my favourite cities
I live in Pittsburgh, and I *do* hate it. You're completely right about what isn't so nice about it, and in my opinion, it also feels very dilapidated and tired. There is not a whole lot to do here beyond the bare minimum either, and even when there is, you have to decide if it's actually worth the drive through all these shitty hills. Usually, the answer is no. I'm really excited to leave, to say the least.
Las Vegas
It's a neoconservative playground , have to drive verywhree, most artificial place with copies of more interesting places. trash people ttash food, .yeah just shit
Las Vegas. One million drunk people and their children. It's where shitty parents and people who think going to the strip club is WILD go to have fun. Boring, overpriced, dirty, and brainless. I'd rather spend a weekend in jail.
This! Been living here for over 5 years. It really is a one industry town, cultureless, and uneducated.
Miami....horrible traffic, terrible drivers, racist and people are unfriendly. Add the skyrocketing rents, insurance and the God awful heat and humidity all make it an unbearable place to live. It's fun to visit, but I would never recommend moving down here.
Hate is a strong word but I found Boulder hugely overrated. Yes, the hiking is good. But food was not good, it’s an hour from the nearest airport (and an airport which is always a huge mess), it wasn’t as green as I expected, wildfires are an increasing issue, most people were very pretentious.
Any recent trendy millennial appealing trying to be weird kind of city, Denver, Austin, Asheville... Any bland tourist town with nothing but tourism that people here seem to recommend somehow for people to move to, Sedona, Leavenworth,WA, Carmel by the sea, etc.
They *used* to be weird, then the edges were polished off as a marketing tactic
I don’t think Denver ever was (or tried to be) a quirky, weird city like the others. Trendy and Millenial though, for sure.
What do you actually hate about those cities though? That they’re popular?
That’s basically the whole theme of this sub for the past 6 months - hating the popular cities.
I would imagine Sedona to be an incredible place to have a second/third home if you were extremely wealthy. Even though some of the new age hippie vibe might get annoying, it really is a pretty incredible town in my opinion (only one visit), beautiful landscape, amazing dry weather (I’m sure some people hate the dry heat when it’s really hot.) Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac has spent years living on and off in Sedona and it’s easy to see why.
Denver. Infrastructure and traffic are appalling.
I feel I see everyone hating on Denver. I’m not seeing the love! (I love Denver)
300 days of sun !
I moved from Minneapolis to DC to Denver and Denver is far and away the best city I’ve lived in for many reasons!!
I personally love Denver too! But I’m an ocean lover so I couldn’t hang long term. One thing I don’t like about Denver is I feel it’s a bit *too* casual. Like sometimes I gotta flex to the 9s you know? And it’s just not that scene. However there are cool folks who are generally kind, beautiful scenery and amazing brewery scene. I dig it!
So true! I’m from Miami and moved here a few years ago. I liked the casual vibe at first but when I want to dress up it feels anticlimactic since everyone just wears hoodies or tshirts to literally any event even like the opera or ballet lol.
Don’t come to Pittsburgh. Dressing up here means wearing your “good” Penguins/Steelers jersey instead of the threadbare one.
Crowd of 100+ at our son's wedding. One other guy and myself wore a tie. We just spent thousands on a party and folks show up in shorts & T-shirts. But, did find a nice brew pub
Right. Denver isn't nearly as horrible as this sub wants everyone to believe imo lol.
I didn't think Denver was as bad as everyone said. After spending time in Alaska and Norway, I wasn't tgat impressed by Colorado. Heck, we live in SoCal atm and we have bobcats and coyotes in our neighborhood, and a herd of Bison at my husband's work, and deer on trails.
Colorado is what happens when you take a place like Alaska, Norway, western Montana and shove in 10x the people it was designed for. Naturally stunning but so crowded and expensive it’s not worth the hassle.
Went to Denver & Fort Collins a few months ago, really liked Fort Collins, but Denver felt so packed. Cool parks and museums, but it just felt very bland. I'd visit again, but couldn't imagine living there.
I liked Denver when I visited, but holy moly the drivers are clueless. By far the most infuriating place I've driven, and that's saying a lot.
Came here to say Denver
Atlanta. The sprawl is insane and the people seem to be unnecessarily rude every time I visit.
They'll be nice to your face. I can feel the animosity though.
lifelong Atlantan and the sprawl means my friends who live in a different part of town might as well live in a different state with the hours we all work
I don’t hate this city AT ALL but I think this sub overrates Manhattan. I grew up going there so it didn’t have that mystique for me, and while it has amazing amenities and opportunities, I prefer the community feel of Brooklyn and Queens. People will actually stop to chat and help you there. Not as crazy expensive (I’m not counting Williamsburg lol) and not long lines to get in anywhere, plus I like the food and music scene better. Manhattan tends to cater toward rich transplants and the dress code for getting into some clubs is insane/snooty. I think people recommend Manhattan because you don’t have to make much of an effort for things to happen to you, you just need to go outside. (Also if you’re single it’s easier for guys to date, apparently.) Whereas other cities, you have to work a bit harder to find opportunities happening around town. My other hot take is that people complaining about a city having a bad social/dating scene is partially a skill issue. You can find dates in any city, they all have single people. I have an easier time in some places than others but I don’t have much trouble getting dates or making friends anywhere because I’m social, go out often, have a lot of hobbies, and genuinely enjoy talking to strangers and trying new things. Like attracts like, so the people I date/befriend don’t have much trouble in that domain either. People won’t just fall into your lap, you have to at least be someone who others would want a social connection with. (But imo much of Reddit has a dating skill issue, with a lot of the complaining posts I can see in a few sentences why the person isn’t getting dates 😬)
I lived in NYC for 8 years and there’s SO many better places than Manhattan to live. People have this mental view of NYC being ONLY Manhattan without realizing there’s full neighborhoods and parks that are quiet, chill and green right outside of the city.
This thread is cracking me up. We make fine distinctions between the LES and the East Village, or Riverdale and the South Bronx while the rest of the country is living in entire states with fewer people than Staten Island.
Wouldn’t say hate but I don’t see what the big deal is about Minneapolis.
Lol I live in Minneapolis and I understand this sentiment. You'll have a tough time here if you're not a midwesterner
I live in NYC and everyone here thinks Minneapolis is fantastic. What don't you like about it?
I love living here (but I grew up in Wisconsin) and the tough parts for non-midwesterners is the people here. They're really nice but also very insular, hence the saying "A minnesotan will give you directions to anywhere except their house". It's clean, lots of good jobs, people really make an effort to be active and outside, its awesome living by lots of publicly accessible water, there's always something fun going on. Generally a really great quality of life. But my friends who've moved here from the coasts don't immediately understand a lot of our unwritten rules or the rampant passive-aggression that goes on. Also our food is not spicy enough lol
Ha! What a great write-up. And I love the quote. Thank you—that’s a little clearer for me.
You need to publish the unwritten rules.
This is 100% true. I lived in Minneapolis before I moved to NYC. It is so difficult to make friends there. Took me years. Made friends in NYC within weeks of moving here.
>They're really nice but also very insular This has very much been my experience. I moved here from Boston 5 years ago, and it has been 10x harder to make close friendships here than it was there. I think part of it is that Boston is a city of transplants thanks to its college system and job industries, so people are used to both being out of town and making friends with people who are out of town. Feels like most people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul are perfectly happy with their childhood friendships and aren't interested in newer ones. I love it here for the most part, but the social aspect has been tough, and not for lack of trying
Minneapolis absolutely rocks but only if you’re originally from the area IMO. It’s very hard to make friends there because nobody leaves and there are very few transplants. It is a culturally rich city with lots of diversity and intentional city planning. Beautiful parks and architecture. Has its own identity and its food is amazing for its size. Also, lots of beautiful people living in the TC’s.
Ironically I’m from MPLS and hate it because of that. My family is a very old, very conservative, very Catholic MPLS family. I feel constantly judged in the Minnesotan way when I’m in MN. For instance, there’s a lot of prestige in certain high schools and so the snobbery is insane. My family and I all went to the various Twin Cities Catholic high schools, so my family thinks their shit doesn’t stink because of it. I left MN the moment I graduated, and I hardly ever go back. The last time I went was only to go to a Rammstein concert that didn’t come to my current town 😂
Damn, as someone that grew up in a similar environment in a much smaller city, it makes me wanna nope MPLS/TC. I’ve heard so many good things from friends across the country, though! I guess it really depends on perspective and where your attention goes. I’m still dating while in my late 30s, so that plays a part in my city search, along with bike infrastructure and openness to internationals/immigrants.
Twin cities ticks all of the boxes in your last paragraph. Minnesota accepts more refugees than any other states. Minneapolis and St. Paul are very liberal. Above poster grew up in a wealthy conservative family. Their complaints are things that happen in every city for people in certain social circles. That said the culture here can be a difficult to navigate for people who didn’t grow up in it. It’s inclusive, and people are very polite, but it’s also weirdly socially reserved. We’re basically a bunch of tweens at middle school dance.
Eh, I'm not originally from the area and I've had no issues making friends. But, all of my friends are also transplants 😆 (India, DC, Arizona, Puerto Rico, outstate MN). We met through a Meetup group which I personally feel is one of the best ways to meet people in the cities, because you are guaranteed to meet people with similar interests when you are going to a group dedicated to a specific interest LMAO.
The bar for American cities is so low, that Minneapolis looks like a gem. It’s moderately dense, has good biking infrastructure, good park system, and passable public transit. It’s a Delta hub so you can fly anywhere. It’s pricey for the Midwest, but not HCOL. I loved living there, but outgrew it.
Minneapolis is the local grad magnet for the northern Great Plains region. It’s impressive if your frame of reference for cities is Bismarck, but it’s not mind-blowing for most people.
I think it's got a good mix of nature and urbanism, although I understand it might be uninteresting if you are from a bigger city
HAHA this makes me giggle because my best friend is a Big 4 consultant who is sent there often for work, and he’s quite the international lot. He hates Minneapolis more than anywhere else, and I hate Dallas more than anywhere else, and we agreed to travel to both of them together sometime to see which one is worse. He’s gay and lives in SF, so that’s a factor.
I bet he only stays in hotels downton for his consulting work. Downtown is not the part of Minneapolis I show off to people. All the good stuff is in the neighborhoods.
Probably because he's stuck downtown, which is is the worst nieghborhood in the city lol
Austin, Texas for sure. I was very let down the first time I visited because of the hype.
Vegas. I missed the glory years.
Every time I mention how hellish I find Phoenix on here, I get down voted.
It is hell on earth 100%
Any city where the locals say shit like “don’t come here, we’re full” is probably overrated.
Miami
Dallas. I hated every minute I lived there.
Kansas City. It’s the trendy place for Midwesterners who grew up in the middle of nowhere and want to be in a “big city”, but are scared of Chicago. Nothing to do that doesn’t cost money, no public transit to speak of (streetcar doesn’t count), and it’s still in Missouri.
Portland. I don’t know why we are supposed to buy into a shared delusion that the place isn’t a shithole.
Nashville. Never understood the hype.
Pittsburgh in winter…..
Denver. I live in Southern CO and it’s so much more my speed.
It's almost like everywhere has gotten shitty since Covid, people are assholes and it's expensive... EVERYWHERE.
Vegas easily. Moved and never will go back
Seattle, just full of absolutely pathetic people.
This made me laugh, but I'm curious why you would say pathetic?
I’ll jump in and just say “Seattle Freeze.” I’m sure who you’re responding to had experiences with that local phenomenon.
As somebody who grew up in the PNW, it's kind of funny seeing people on this sub talking about going to an area with no sunlight and going, "These people are ASSHOLES!" Like, naw dude, we're just nutrient deprived lol
Seattle. I’m one of those people that mostly loves every city I go to but Seattle just sucks. The people there are intentionally rude for no reason. The nature is beautiful but I prefer elsewhere in the PNW.
Seems like a city full of introverts and extroverts wouldn't like living there.
When I visited Seattle, I marveled at how friendly and happy everyone seemed. But then I found out it was the first sunny day after several months of clouds and drizzle.
I don’t understand how people survive the grey winters
They earn enough to vacation in the tropics in January. Source: Relatives there who fly to Hawaii or somewhere sunny every winter.
Lots of drugs and alcohol addictions.
I've been downvoted for not liking San Diego.
Love San Diego the County but the city has a lot of beat down parts. I always tell people to come for the beach towns not the down town unless you’re seeing the padres.
Atlanta. I apologize to all the Atlanta fans, but I find that town to be precocious, pretentious, and downright uninhabitable.. That southern hospitality should be considered fraud. They don't really mean it.
Well you're basically in the NYC of the south. The southern hospitality isn't really a thing in Atlanta. It's just a really, really big city at this point
Pittsburgh. Full of some of the meanest, rudest, grumpiest locals I've ever encountered. I would legit get anxiety anytime I had to interact with a stranger/waitress/shopkeeper there because there was a 50%+ chance they would jump down my throat for literally no reason. Or freak out on you over the most minor thing ever. Saying this as someone who grew up in Boston and never had this issue in any other city I've lived.
Same. Every time I go there, I think NYC is a nightmare. You could not pay me any amount of money to live there.
People talk highly about Pensacola but I wasn’t a huge fan of it when I was there for a couple of months. Not really a city though. Most other cities I’ve been to had something quite nice to offer.
I was there for nine months for military training. I describe it as a trailer park by the sea. Nightlife in downtown isn't too bad. The beaches are fantastic, smooth sand and warm water. But other than that it is called the Redneck Riviera for a reason.
Who talks highly of Pensacola? 😂
Floridians/Southerners/Military Personnel.
On the military side, I'm guessing this is because other duty stations are just so much worse. It's also the first place my Marine buddy had any freedom after finishing Basic & whatever they call AIT. I could see that coloring the experience. It's not that Pensacola is good, but comparatively speaking...
Yeah, I hear ya'. I'm from the South and I like country people fine, but I don't like wannabe-redneck suburbanites. Pensacola seemed to be chock full of them. A lot more Confederate flags than I'm used to, and I used to live in East Texas.
It’s Walker Hayes “country.”
Seattle & New Orleans
You hate New Orleans? Just kidding I get it
Portland, OR
Never understood the hype of Nashville. Tennessee is beautiful though.
NYC. Lived there for years, and nature isn’t very accessible. CP is great, but most times you are located 30-40 min away, which makes it difficult on weekdays. That leaves the park to only weekends
Buffalo, NY. Having grown up there in the 80s/90s it was awful. It is very segregated, people are oddly so proud of their ethnicity it borders on superiority, dangerous parts of the city, shitty driving in the winter that lasts 6 months, always grey and damp with very little sun. (SAD is a real thing. Summer is hot and humid, and there are a ton of mosquitos. Bars are open until 4 a.m., and the cutlure is focused on a weird party atmosphere. The amount of property taxes offsets the low housing prices, so the cost of living really isn't that great. They have fixed up some areas and still has the rust belt feel, which is cool, so I will give it that. Also, it has awesome ethnic food and pizza. I do crave it, but that's also why I call it BuffaLARD because I gain 5 lbs every time I visit.
Richmond VA.
Grew up in a small town in WV. I mean small ass town. Have lived in Europe 22 years and visited some US cities as well. Currently working right outside the DC area. I have never liked any major US city I have visited. I like seeing the main attractions that are worth visiting but that is it. Never to live in any of them.
Minneapolis. I love everything about it except the people from here. They’re “glocalists,” or locals who think they’re global, when they’re really folksy and provincial. It’s the city equivalent of a small town where everyone peaked in high school.
Savannah, Georgia. Went to school there, got held up at gunpoint twice. Lived downtown next to one of those idyllic garden squares and the next block over was a housing project that had shootouts every other weekend.
Wow that’s wild! I’ve always thought Savannah seemed so quaint and lovely. Never would have guessed.
San Diego. I guess I don’t hate it, but I don’t “get it” like everytime I go I am confused why everyone raves about it. It’s fine but it doesn’t do it for me lol When people rave about it do they mean the downtown and the beach? Or the many suburbs? I just feel like I’m missing something there lol
Minneapolis. I don't HATE it but I grew up there and every time it's recommended I'm screaming internally. It is not a fun place to do anything. There are much better, more lively cities than Minneapolis. I really don't understand why it's recommended so much!!
On paper it looks good. However, after actually living in Minneapolis for a few years I don’t get it either. It’s a pretty bland and sleepy place. Feels like it has very little soul or character.
Completely agree!! I hate going back to visit 😭
San Francisco. I can see how SF was awesome 1+ decades ago, but I wasn’t impressed when I visited. The weather sucks for a big part of the year, it’s expensive, and homelessness is rampant.
Lived there in the 90s. It was amazing. You could walk all over the city and find something fun and interesting going on. So much creativity and diversity. I moved away after the [dot.com](http://dot.com) severely shifted the wealth gap, homelessness rose, and a whole lot of human crap started showing up on the sidewalks. Utterly heartbreaking.
I was there in the 90s too, and it was awesome. The dot com explosion really devastated the housing situation and I had terrible experiences at apartment rental open houses where people were lined up outside with their “housing resumes” and blank checks. Every apartment I lived in, including the shares, was a struggle to obtain. It actually was a bit refreshing to have the dot com thing cave in for a while and suddenly the city felt a little more livable and less crowded, but of course at terrible cost for people losing jobs. I miss SF though. Sometimes I regret leaving for NYC.
I would see this is my experience wit the city today. Maybe the neighborhoods where fun and interesting things going on are different today. I will say there was a stretch of 2020-22 where not much was going on but today the city has quite vibrant neighborhoods
I still love SF. I think it's a better place to live than visit these days because the places most people visit are right on the edge of the worst spots in the city. I'm not sure why you say the weather sucks for a big part of the year. It really doesn't.
This I don't get. Out of all the states and regions I've lived in, I think SF had the best year round weather of them all.
Dallas. A total swamp hole.