Your Bottom 5 US Cities to Visit (1 Viewer)

[Slapdash]

Camden, NJ - good luck

Houston, Texas - their mall was one of the top attractions on TripAdvisor and 95 and humid at 7 am

Jacksonville, FLA - pretty bland and boring city

Atlanta, GA - see Jacksonville

Oakland, CA - across the bridge is the place to be

Jacksonville has a beach though.

 

[Don Quixote]

My experience has been that the NJ beaches get worse as you travel North. Cape May is the furthest South (and least crowded) of them all. It may not be the best of the NJ beaches, but I don't see how you could possibly consider it the worst.

I'd definitely take Cape May over some of the northern beaches.  I can't remember if it was Seaside Heights or Point Pleasant where my virgin self first witnessed some live coitus on the beach (with a cop weakly yelling "hey, you, cut it out," and they would pause for a few seconds before getting back at it).  

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Jacksonville has a beach though.

I'll admit I'm probably being unfair as I was not there very long just basically on route to Amelia Island but it just seemed like a city of strip malls and the one dinner we had was pretty below average.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I'd definitely take Cape May over some of the northern beaches.  I can't remember if it was Seaside Heights or Point Pleasant where my virgin self first witnessed some live coitus on the beach (with a cop weakly yelling "hey, you, cut it out," and they would pause for a few seconds before getting back at it).  

Point Pleasant is pretty nice. Seaside Heights is appropriately nicknamed "Cheese-side".

 

[MAC_32]

I'll admit I'm probably being unfair as I was not there very long just basically on route to Amelia Island but it just seemed like a city of strip malls and the one dinner we had was pretty below average.

You aren't. There are thousands of cities and towns with beaches up and down the eastern seaboard. There are other redeeming qualities with (most of) them.  There isn't with Jacksonville.

 

[Slapdash]

I'll admit I'm probably being unfair as I was not there very long just basically on route to Amelia Island but it just seemed like a city of strip malls and the one dinner we had was pretty below average.

No you pretty much nailed it.  Along with a dead downtown (Riverside neighborhood is ok).  I've good places to eat over the years since my Aunt lives there.  But I just find it hard to put anything bottom 5 when you can be at the beach in 30 minutes...even a 30 minute drive through strip malls and megachurches.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

Going major cities only...

Cleveland

Detroit

Houston

Orlando

Tampa Bay

After spending as much time in Cent Fl as I have, I can pretty confidently say both of those places dream of being a "major city", IMO anyway.  Especially Orlando: It's a one story 'burgh/cow town that had the good (mis?)fortune to have Disney vomit tourism into its lap.  Super transient population, infrastructure that doesn't come close to supporting the mass of tourists that annually make their zombie pilgrimage to the money hole to the West of town, no real culture to speak of, crap job market for just about anything unrelated to tourism (and maybe defense contractors), very frequently saddled with Three Stoogesian-level local leadership, etc, etc.

Orlando is basically a big town masquerading as a city.

 

[joffer]

surprised to see Tampa.  i've got some family there and always enjoy visiting.  good golf.

 

[Apple Jack]

surprised to see Tampa.  i've got some family there and always enjoy visiting.  good golf.

Agreed. Tampa/St. Pete is fine.

 

[Steve Tasker]

All of western New York. There is a reason why houses there cost the same amount as a mid tier sedan. You need to drive an hour to go anywhere, no jobs, just trees and confederate flags. 

This is correct.  cc: @Ranethe

 

[culdeus]

You’re overthinking it. People just want food that tastes good, regardless of its authenticity.

Also, as a non-cultured individual who isn’t much into cities, good food is one of the primary reasons I visit any urban area.

I haven't been to a metro area with "bad food".  Given the nature of crowd sourcing reviews it's really on you if you end up at a poor restaurant.  That being said TripAdvisor and Yelp aren't the be all end all, but it's not like 20 years ago where you just had maybe a guide book like zagat to put on on somewhere.

 

[Super King]

Yuba City, CA - there is no there there ... literally. 

Camden, NJ - take all the worst aspects of bigger cities like Detroit, and condense it into a smaller package ... it's brutal. 

Newburgh, NY - just don't go. 

Atlanta - the NYC of the South?  gtfo with that #### - rude and ignorant MFers - get bent, #####es. 

Lewisburg, PA - just hope a relative never has to do time in the Fed pen there. 

/fin

First time I ever had a gun fired in my direction. (I wasn't getting personally shot at, just was in the firing line

 

[JaxBill]

I'll admit I'm probably being unfair as I was not there very long just basically on route to Amelia Island but it just seemed like a city of strip malls and the one dinner we had was pretty below average.

Yeah, way too many strip malls. Plenty of good places to eat/drink if you look though. The craft beer scene was about a decade behind the mainstream, but they're catching up in a hurry.

Don't worry, we'll muddle through. Counting down to Happy Hour with pizza and 50 taps.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Copeman]

First time I ever had a gun fired in my direction. (I wasn't getting personally shot at, just was in the firing line

Never heard of the place.  A quick google image search shows that it looks like a lovely place.

 

[Slapdash]

Yeah, way too many strip malls. Plenty of good places to eat/drink if you look though. The craft beer scene was about a decade behind the mainstream, but they're catching up in a hurry.

Don't worry, we'll muddle through. Counting down to Happy Hour with pizza and 50 taps.

Different strokes for different folks.

Restaurant Orsay is a must visit.  My favorite French place in Charlotte closed recently  

 

[skycriesmary]

Not understanding all of the Tampa hate in here. Much different than Orlando IMO. 

I'll give you that I'd much rather be in Tampa than Orlando. At least Tampa has Clearwater beach, which is one of the nicest beaches on the east coast IMO. Also has the Dali museum in St Pete, which is amazing. Dunedin has some charm and good beer, so there's that. My father moved from Gainesville to Palm Harbor a few years ago due to a grandson being born, as such, I've spent far more time in that region than I'd like. The areas around Tampa are nicer than Tampa proper, at least they have some character. I'd take Gainesville over any other area in Florida though, with St Augustine a close second. 

 

[eoMMan]

I'd definitely take Cape May over some of the northern beaches.  I can't remember if it was Seaside Heights or Point Pleasant where my virgin self first witnessed some live coitus on the beach (with a cop weakly yelling "hey, you, cut it out," and they would pause for a few seconds before getting back at it).  

Yup, Cape May rules.  I had some great childhood beach days there and fishing off the jetties.

The beach tag people can suck it though.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

3.  San Diego.   Yep.  Hate it. 

Pull the other one!

 

[Brunell4MVP]

I'm only going to consider US cities in the top 50 in population.  There are so many dumpy smaller towns that the list is endless if you include those.

Philadelphia - I hate this city.  Downtown is a dump.  Every part of it.  Even west of Philly out the main line where there is money, it feels trashy and old.  The people are mean.  The houses are ugly.  I hate this city.  I hate this city.  

Columbus OH - Other than around Dublin, this place is a disaster of a city.  OSU pushes for ugliest campus on Earth.  Once you get out of the city, it's straight to pumpkin patches.

Baltimore - Another dump.  The water is it's saving grace, but it's not enough to keep it off my list.  Just like all of Maryland/NJ anywhere near I95, you can assume the worst.

Detroit - Frankly I'm surprised it still exists.  It always been a terrible place. For like 50 years. 

Oakland - The west coast Philly.  It's too bad cause it's surrounded by pretty nice areas.  But Oakland itself.  Total disaster.

 

[General Malaise]

I like Detroit.

 

[Osaurus]

The beer alone in the Tampa Bay Area makes it not bottom tier imo

 

[otb_lifer]

First time I ever had a gun fired in my direction. (I wasn't getting personally shot at, just was in the firing line

... come for the skanks, stay for the bullets  

#### that town. 

 

[identikit]

I'm only going to consider US cities in the top 50 in population.  There are so many dumpy smaller towns that the list is endless if you include those.

Philadelphia - I hate this city.  Downtown is a dump.  Every part of it.  Even west of Philly out the main line where there is money, it feels trashy and old.  The people are mean.  The houses are ugly.  I hate this city.  I hate this city.  

Columbus OH - Other than around Dublin, this place is a disaster of a city.  OSU pushes for ugliest campus on Earth.  Once you get out of the city, it's straight to pumpkin patches.

Baltimore - Another dump.  The water is it's saving grace, but it's not enough to keep it off my list.  Just like all of Maryland/NJ anywhere near I95, you can assume the worst.

Detroit - Frankly I'm surprised it still exists.  It always been a terrible place. For like 50 years. 

Oakland - The west coast Philly.  It's too bad cause it's surrounded by pretty nice areas.  But Oakland itself.  Total disaster.

Please, don't hold back...

 

[Ranethe]

All of western New York. There is a reason why houses there cost the same amount as a mid tier sedan. You need to drive an hour to go anywhere, no jobs, just trees and confederate flags. 

This is correct.  cc: @Ranethe

Yep, but huthut forgot to mention cornfields. Just trees, confederate flags, and endless cornfields.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I haven't been to a metro area with "bad food".  Given the nature of crowd sourcing reviews it's really on you if you end up at a poor restaurant.  That being said TripAdvisor and Yelp aren't the be all end all, but it's not like 20 years ago where you just had maybe a guide book like zagat to put on on somewhere.

Sure, almost everywhere has at least a couple decent restaurants, and technology allows you to find them. But if one has dietary restrictions (my wife and I are pescatarian), the choices can be really limited in all but larger metro areas. And my vegan friends often need to put their diet on hiatus while traveling. 

I think your point is even more applicable to beer as a selling point for a city. Does anyone travel primarily for beer selection, and is it ever really difficult to find something decent? Forget Zagat, just go to the grocery/liquor store. 

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Los Angeles, CA

Dallas, TX

Wichita, KS

Detroit, MI

Des Moines, IA

"If you ever want to get away from it all.  I mean get away from. IT. ALL, go to Des Moines, IA.  It ain't got there yet.  It ain't headed that way.  Des Moines is a French phrase.  It means void of life."

 

[The General]

Philadelphia - I hate this city.  Downtown is a dump.  Every part of it.  Even west of Philly out the main line where there is money, it feels trashy and old.  The people are mean.  The houses are ugly.  I hate this city.  I hate this city.  

That you Bill Burr?

Some very naughty language

 

[General Malaise]

Sure, almost everywhere has at least a couple decent restaurants, and technology allows you to find them. But if one has dietary restrictions (my wife and I are pescatarian), the choices can be really limited in all but larger metro areas. And my vegan friends often need to put their diet on hiatus while traveling. 

I think your point is even more applicable to beer as a selling point for a city. Does anyone travel primarily for beer selection, and is it ever really difficult to find something decent? Forget Zagat, just go to the grocery/liquor store. 

How long have you gone this route?  I'm toying with that idea now as my wife has been one for years.  Any positive benefits that you can notice?  

Had blackened rockfish salads last night for dinner.  Delicious.  Cheap too!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The beer alone in the Tampa Bay Area makes it not bottom tier imo

I wouldn't put Tampa on my list but there's beer everywhere.

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Cincinnati OH

x2 for me -- sure, they have an NFL team, so there is one thing to do. But I find the entire city lacking in any positive features, it's extraordinarily homogenous -- and especially in terms of its demographics. I guess if you like boredom and white bread, it's nirvana? 

 

[H Jass]

x2 for me -- sure, they have an NFL team, so there is one thing to do. But I find the entire city lacking in any positive features, it's extraordinarily homogenous -- and especially in terms of its demographics. I guess if you like boredom and white bread, it's nirvana? 

It’s got shuke. What more positive features do you need?

 

[LC512]

Man I didn't read all four pages but some of you are crazy. Boston? DC? New Orleans? San Diego? The hell?! Y'all are doing it wrong, obviously. Some of them like Houston, sure, I can see it. I've found fun stuff and had some great times in Houston, but I can see why it's not someone's cup of tea.  Boston and New Orleans are not only two of the best cities in the country, they're some of the best in the world. They're crown jewels of our planet.

Cities listed upthread that are awesome: NOLA, Boston, DC, NYC, Detroit, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, San Diego, Atlanta. If you listed any of these cities, I probably do not want to party with you. Actually, the number of American cities >500,000 people that aren't awesome can probably be counted on two hands, and they probably all fit into one of two buckets: 1) Midwestern city 2) Is Philadelphia

Cities that suck: OKC, Philly, Pensacola (the actual mainland city - beach is nice), Lake Charles. Newark/Camden/all of New Jersey outside of the beach and gentrified parts. I'm not a fan of LA or Miami at all, but I wouldn't say they "suck" because I can definitely see why some people would enjoy either. The rest of the cities I listed are objectively terrible.

I assume we're sticking to big cities here. Otherwise I've been to some really awful places - Gonzalez, TX is probably the worst place I've been and I've been everywhere.

 

[Judge Smails]

Santa Maria, CA. Pretty sure without their speed trap on 101 this town would not exist.

Santa Maria seasoning on tri tip grilled over oak down?

 

[wikkidpissah]

Santa Maria seasoning on tri tip grilled over oak down?

Careful - bench warrants for dry-rubbing in a marination zone

 

[rockaction]

I'm only going to consider US cities in the top 50 in population.  There are so many dumpy smaller towns that the list is endless if you include those.

Philadelphia - I hate this city.  Downtown is a dump.  Every part of it.  Even west of Philly out the main line where there is money, it feels trashy and old.  The people are mean.  The houses are ugly.  I hate this city.  I hate this city.  

Baltimore - Another dump.  The water is it's saving grace, but it's not enough to keep it off my list.  Just like all of Maryland/NJ anywhere near I95, you can assume the worst.

Hoo boy. You might want to look into relocating. That sounds very unhappy. I know those two cities, and I don't agree, but I can totally see it. Move before it messes with your head.