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Overrated: Its tough to judge an entire city to be overrated, but I have to say DC is a little bit overrated in my opinion. I honestly think it is the vibe I get being out. Its either too fancy or just a bar full of overgrown frat boys living the good ole days again. There are not as many relaxed/chill places were you find a local band just playing on a random corner in an old school neon lit bar like you could in most of the other large cities north of DC. I have never lived there though, so maybe I am wrong.
Underrated: I don't know if this city is underrated, but I think I would go with Seattle. Seattle gets overshadowed by its California cousins to the south, but I kind of believe Washington has a lot to offer in a much a smaller area than California. The mountains, the ocean, the rain forest are all within a short driving distance from Seattle. Watching Orca whales jump out of the water near the San Juan islands was a better experience than I could have ever imagined.
Overrated: Its tough to judge an entire city to be overrated, but I have to say DC is a little bit overrated in my opinion. I honestly think it is the vibe I get being out. Its either too fancy or just a bar full of overgrown frat boys living the good ole days again. There are not as many relaxed/chill places were you find a local band just playing on a random corner in an old school neon lit bar like you could in most of the other large cities north of DC. I have never lived there though, so maybe I am wrong.
Underrated: I don't know if this city is underrated, but I think I would go with Seattle. Seattle gets overshadowed by its California cousins to the south, but I kind of believe Washington has a lot to offer in a much a smaller area than California. The mountains, the ocean, the rain forest are all within a short driving distance from Seattle. Watching Orca whales jump out of the water near the San Juan islands was a better experience than I could have ever imagined.
We are talking about Eastern cities...Seattle is on the West Coast. There is another thread for Overrated Western Cities if you wanna post there about Seattle.
I'm guessing. I don't know for sure but I'm basing my answer from what I've heard. That's why I put a question mark at the end of "Boston".
I may see for myself since I may visit Boston later this year. I'm sure Boston is a fine city with lots to offer.
Overrated: Its tough to judge an entire city to be overrated, but I have to say DC is a little bit overrated in my opinion. I honestly think it is the vibe I get being out. Its either too fancy or just a bar full of overgrown frat boys living the good ole days again. There are not as many relaxed/chill places were you find a local band just playing on a random corner in an old school neon lit bar like you could in most of the other large cities north of DC. I have never lived there though, so maybe I am wrong.
Nope--that's fairly accurate. Being relaxed/chill is something DC is terrible at being, and there is a strong cliquish undercurrent to the social atmosphere, which is exactly what you've alluded to with the "overgrown frat" vibe.
Other than the strong elements of douchbaggery, though, the city itself is great.
I'm guessing. I don't know for sure but I'm basing my answer from what I've heard. That's why I put a question mark at the end of "Boston".
I may see for myself since I may visit Boston later this year. I'm sure Boston is a fine city with lots to offer.
I think what your hearing is that Boston is not like the mega-cities of NYC, Chicago, LA, etc. in fact, its a rather small city along the lines of SF and DC. But like SF and DC, Boston is considerably more influential than its size would indicate, it is the world's top city for medicine and education it is also one of the world's top ten centers for biomedical research and finance.
Philadelphia & Pittsburgh are probably the most underrated. Overrated is a matter of personal taste, but I'd be satisfied if I never visited Boston or DC again.
There are not as many relaxed/chill places were you find a local band just playing on a random corner in an old school neon lit bar like you could in most of the other large cities north of DC. I have never lived there though, so maybe I am wrong.
You will find these in surprising and unlikely places. Downtown Silver Spring, which is in Maryland right next to DC, has free outdoor concerts and shows on the weekends. It's a vibrant area. I haven't looked for this in DC proper, but I'm sure in places like U Street/Cardozo, Penn Quarter, Adams Morgan and other places, you will find similar.
It's not something that a tourist will always stumble upon, but the locals will certainly know where things are happening. Here is some more info:
I'm treating east as east of the Mississippi River.
Most Overrated:
Manhattan: Great and all, one of the world's urban gems, but there is still a whole city in the remaining four boroughs that people often seem to forget about. Places like Astoria, Long Island City, Downtown Brooklyn, and Williamsburg have made great strides in recent years. Places like Harlem and the Grand Concourse area are nothing like they were in the '80s. Riverdale in the Bronx was one of the very few places in NYC that suffered few effects from the fires, heroin and crack that ravaged the rest of the borough for decades; today, Riverdale remains a place that makes you forget you're in NYC. Nonetheless, I still wouldn't call the rest of NYC underrated at all.
South Florida: Great for the high quality beaches and the Keys, and I enjoy visiting, but the suburban lifestyle is something I can find anywhere else in the USA, minus the Northeastern transplant attitudes. But man, oh man, the Keys are awesome! Yet I still list South Florida b/c at the end of the day, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are where the people live, and not Monroe County (the Keys).
Atlanta: I could write a series of novels on how horribly, horribly overrated Atlanta is. Being a two-time visitor, several days each time, was way more than enough for me to know how not great that place is. What a dump.
Least Overrated: I will just regard this as plain ol' underrated.
Baltimore: horrible crime situation, yes, but a city that is earnestly trying, with some success, to regain its old glory. I wish them nothing but the best. An easily overlooked jewel in the early historical development of America.
I'm particularly fond of downtown Harlem. Also, Brooklyn has Flatbush (people get scared because of what they hear in rap songs. The area actually has some awesome shopping and eateries) and Fulton, which, to me, are far more enjoyable than the overcrowded 5th Ave.
I live in FL. Went to Miami several times, trying to convince myself to like it. I simply cannot. Key West is a much more interesting "party town," and isn't nearly as snooty.
Atlanta, not sure why people like it... The city "core" is very underwhelming, and, well, there was just nothing at all that stood out about it. Nothing to make it unique... Aside from the mess that is the "spaghetti junction."
Lastly, I'll agree with you on Baltimore. That pier area is gorgeous. I'll never forget, growing up, going there with my cousins and dining while overlooking the water and the old ships at the port.
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