Most disappointing major US city to visit. From an international tourist's perspective? (gated, vs)

[Fitzrovian]

Originally Posted by drro

I agree, Chicago looks run down except for downtown, which is actually pretty nice. And it is very cold and too expensive for what it has to offer.

What is your experience with Chicago to make that conclusion? Most of Chicago's north side is not run down (especially the areas close to the lake).

As for expensive, I think most people would probably say the opposite -- Chicago is actually remarkably affordable for what it has to offer.

[grmasterb]

Having been stationed in Germany for two years, I observed that cities in Germany and the Netherlands tend to be more pristine than American cities. Not so much true with France. I suspect some of that is due to culture. Another reason could be that Holland and Germany had a lot of redevelopment after WWII. So, many areas of those two countries are newer than inner city Chicago and NYC.

As for Detroit, I've always had a good time there. It has a great geographic location, too, with access to the Great Lakes and Canada.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by nola101

not really. Nyc is a lot more gentrified and affluent than chicago, and doesn't have abandoned ghettos like chicago.

There are obviously bad areas in nyc, like in every city on earth, but they don't look similar to the slums in chicago.

And lincoln park is basically the nicest neighborhood in chicago. Obviously lincoln park isn't a slum.

NOLA stikes again to give chicago her slights......

[steeps]

Originally Posted by drro

I agree, Chicago looks run down except for downtown, which is actually pretty nice. And it is very cold and too expensive for what it has to offer.

Chicago is full of vibrant neighborhoods .. these 1920s example AMERICAN Craftsman style Bungalows in a few styles are virtually half the city⤵

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9380...pE8tP60DhA!2e0

Some of the 50s 60s Mid-century varieties ⤵

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9714...415qsfZ4kQ!2e0

Chicago after all is the "Most American City".

[tcave360]

Originally Posted by afonega1

Did you REALLY look at the video you posted a link to?Many of these house were under construction or being renovated
This is why you have to visit a place to understand the scope of what you see in pictures.There are several things wrong with that video you posted:

1)Its NOT Vine City.That English Avenue and several different neighbhoods and streets. and English AVEworst neighborhood in Atlanta and it is adjacent to Vine City.
I know this because I lived there for 9 years and owned rental properties in Vine City.
The city has steepped up efforts to razed many of the properties and I know for a fact some of those places in that video are not there anymore.

2)Much of what you showed is snippets from more that one neighborhood.
Anyone will tell you that in Atlanta you can be in the hood and within few minuties you are in a nice area.It can change street by street.

3)There is urban renewal happening all over the city including the pooerer areas.Unlike Detroit or Flint there is very little at best.
If you have ever been to Detroit or Flint you would see just consecutive blocks of just empty burned out houses with no people around.Just vacant except crackhead,prositutues and drug dealers.
That video you showed is from different communities on one side of town.Its not "downtown".

In Detroit is not just neighborhoods decaying,its parts of the core that is pervasive.


What is hard to see from the video is that many of those boarded up house are NEW or renovated properties but because it is a high crime area,they get vandalized amd loooted.I know this becaue I bought a new house and when I moved out before selling it,I boaded it up.

So you can post videos and look at Google maps all day but unless you have been to these places you have no idea.
Your argument was that Atlanta has as much as other cities you mentioned
Ridiculous and obvious you have never been
ts so misleading and just wrong.

Are you typing from a phone afonega? I'm asking because I see a few run-on sentences and misspellings. I'm not petty but they are noticeable lol

[Hightower72]

Could people upvoting new york speak out on what they found disappointing about it?

[T. Damon]

Originally Posted by Hightower72

Could people upvoting new york speak out on what they found disappointing about it?

Calling New York disappointing is just plain ridiculous!

[DUMBONyc]

Not always if you're talking expectations vs reality.

Maybe if you come from smalltown america, NYC will blow you away but here we're talking people coming from cities around the world that are just as or more impressive. Add to that the amount of mad hype and tourism NY gets. It's just basic math that many are gonna get disappointed.

Originally Posted by T. Damon

Calling New York disappointing is just plain ridiculous!

[Hightower72]

Maybe I should have phrased the question this way: What about New York would make it seem very disappointing from the point of view of an international traveller?

[NOLA101]

Originally Posted by DUMBONyc

Not always if you're talking expectations vs reality.

Maybe if you come from smalltown america, NYC will blow you away but here we're talking people coming from cities around the world that are just as or more impressive.

Such as where?

I can't offhand think of a city in the world that would be clearly overall be more impressive than NYC.

There are two or three cities that might be competitive with NYC, but I can't think of one that clearly tops it.

And I would think non-Americans would be more impressed with NYC than Americans. Americans tend to be anti-urban, so probably sometimes think "ew, buildings and density and people", but in most of the world, this is the norm, so people wouldn't be negative about urbanity.