Which cities did you expect to like, only to feel let down? Which cities did you expect little from but impressed you? (living, map)

[Drover]

I was appalled at how thoroughly filthy Philadelphia is. It diminished the enjoyment of walking through history.

I went to Charleston SC without a without any expectation -- I never had any desire to go there but the ex won a free trip there so I said "what the hell, why not" -- and came away wanting to visit again.

I also went to Atlanta with no expectations, and the city lived right up to my lack of expectations. Didn't like it, didn't dislike it... it's just sort of there. I don't care if I ever go back.

[BigCityDreamer]

Las Vegas:

Pictures of the city make it look much larger and more glamorous than it is in reality. It's okay, I wasn't that impressed. It felt rather fake and seedy actually.

Newport, Rhode Island:

A historic, seafaring town on the Atlantic coast. Interesting scenery and cool, misty weather in July. A friend took me there once. It was a nice surprise.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by toredyvik

I disagree Grapico. I think Houston is just another large city that (like Philly and Detroit) have hit the 2 million mark, and will eventually start to decline.

What makes you say that? Just wondering.

[debzkidz]

Expected to like but actually dislike:
Boston - I was so excited to get to finally visit, and when I did, I couldn't wait to get out.
Memphis - good food, but beyond that - no thanks
New Orleans (pre Katrina)-dirty, nasty place - nothing says fun like the ever present smell of vomit!

Expected to hate, but actually like:
Las Vegas - the whole idea seemed just too bizarre, and too fake, but I think that's what I liked.
Oklahoma City - biggest shock of all for me. When DH told me he had been offered a really great job in OKC and he wanted to accept it, I thought he'd lost his mind. I thought he was moving me to the end of the earth. Been here a few years now, and I love it.

[Smtchll]

^ just wondering, what parts of Memphis did you go to? And what was lacking in those areas?

[*Sweetkisses*]

Originally Posted by durf

PHiladelphia! a weak downtown, and the city is boring, despite history. The only things I like are Ben Franklin and S. Philly. I also liked the 25 cent shuttle tour. The guy is friendly and passionate about his city. The skyline, while relatively tall, is small and uninteresting except for Comcast tower. As for cheesesteaks, a good cheesesteak can be found anywhere in the U.S..

This coming from a guy who says NYC is overrated and tries to compare a city of a lesser caliber to it. You have no credibility.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Drover

I was appalled at how thoroughly filthy Philadelphia is. It diminished the enjoyment of walking through history.

I went to Charleston SC without a without any expectation -- I never had any desire to go there but the ex won a free trip there so I said "what the hell, why not" -- and came away wanting to visit again.

I also went to Atlanta with no expectations, and the city lived right up to my lack of expectations. Didn't like it, didn't dislike it... it's just sort of there. I don't care if I ever go back.

You forgot to mention your love/hate relationship with Pittsburgh.

[debzkidz]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

^ just wondering, what parts of Memphis did you go to? And what was lacking in those areas?

I don't have anything against Memphis, it's just was not what I was expecting, therefore, as stated in the OP, I was let down. We were staying near Germantown, which I found to be quite nice, but we were really all over town. We went downtown to the Peabody, which was fun. We did the required trip to Graceland. Not at all what I expected. It was not nearly as grand as it is always made out to be. Not that I really cared one way or the other. We visited Rhodes College, which was lovely. We visited Beale Street, which I thought was quite dirty and I guess just not what I expected. A couple of times we ended up lost and in some very scary looking areas, so that probably tainted my overall view of the city. I will say, there are some awesome restaurants in Memphis which we thoroughly enjoyed. We tried Gus' Fried Chicken which was amazing, as well as Corkys BBQ, which was some of the best I've ever eaten.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

You forgot to mention your love/hate relationship with Pittsburgh.

Perhaps that's because I don't have a "love/hate" relationship with Pittsburgh.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by debzkidz

Expected to hate, but actually like:

Oklahoma City - biggest shock of all for me. When DH told me he had been offered a really great job in OKC and he wanted to accept it, I thought he'd lost his mind. I thought he was moving me to the end of the earth. Been here a few years now, and I love it.

I think I would like OKC, too. Seems like a very nice city that is redefining itself and proving itself to be a big league city.

Originally Posted by debzkidz

I don't have anything against Memphis, it's just was not what I was expecting, therefore, as stated in the OP, I was let down. We were staying near Germantown, which I found to be quite nice, but we were really all over town. We went downtown to the Peabody, which was fun. We did the required trip to Graceland. Not at all what I expected. It was not nearly as grand as it is always made out to be. Not that I really cared one way or the other. We visited Rhodes College, which was lovely. We visited Beale Street, which I thought was quite dirty and I guess just not what I expected. A couple of times we ended up lost and in some very scary looking areas, so that probably tainted my overall view of the city. I will say, there are some awesome restaurants in Memphis which we thoroughly enjoyed. We tried Gus' Fried Chicken which was amazing, as well as Corkys BBQ, which was some of the best I've ever eaten.

I liked the suburban areas in Desoto County, Mississippi. Very clean without any need to go into Memphis. But there's nothing special about Desoto that just calls out to me, if you know what I mean.

Memphis proper, or much of it anyway, is a dump. Plain and simple. Without all the horrid decay of Detroit, but still with all the crime and grime spread throughout its city.