Cities you'd never return to

Green farmer

I found New York to be claustrophobic and expensive. Having said that the natural history museum is cool.
I passed through Naples another time. It didn't look the best either

Frank Lee Midere

Christ some strange opinions in this thread.

Paris is clearly one of the most beautiful and complete cities in the world or history of the world. If not the greatest.

Rome while less completely perfect has so much history only an imbecile couldn't like it.

Budapest is unfriendly by Western European standards but is clearly not a kip.

And Bristol and Nottingham are great British cities too. I bet the Bristol haters tumbled out of their mid town hotels to take a train to Cardiff for the game. Missing lots that way.

I get the inpression people are travelling to these places, looking outside their cheap hotel in some manky area, visiting one attraction if any ( or seeking the Irish bar) and judging it on that.

I would agree however on Brussels but since I visited it for work for a day I think I would be guilty of the same offence as most here

miss no stars

Daveysil15 wrote: »

Yes it is. In the city centre there's fecking loads of them. I've never seen a city as bad Dublin for pick pockets, and I've been to Barcelona.

I live in Dublin and have been to Barcelona. Barcelona is much, much, much worse.

beks101

Probably Miami, though it's not a very cool answer.
Found it sweaty, full of meatheads and bimbos, very superficial and the people not so friendly and open as per your usual yanks. Also a bit dirty and wildly over-priced.

Daveysil15

miss no stars wrote: »

I live in Dublin and have been to Barcelona. Barcelona is much, much, much worse.

Well I never had any problems in Barcelona myself, but I've heard a lot of bad stories about La Rambla in particular. I guess I was just lucky. Every city has its rough areas, but I still haven't encountered anything like Dublin city centre for pick pocketing.

Frank Lee Midere

lufties wrote: »

You must be joking about budapest, where is any good? been to the ruin pubs and boat pub, both a bit meh..other than that where is there? the people are horrible. I' d rather stay indoors tbh.

For ****'s sake get on a bus tour. See the actual sights. Go to the Gellert sauna. Visit the damn opera house. Jump on that cable car yoke. See the park with the communist era statues. Etc.

murpho999

From this thread I have learned that if you take out the tourist attractions , historical landmarks,museums, nightclubs and bars from every city then no city is worth visiting and everyone is out to rob you.

Kettleson

James__10 wrote: »

Newport in Wales is a kip as well.

I believe that to be true. Inspired/setting for a great song though..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bLN3hi0Q04

Frank Lee Midere

Daveysil15 wrote: »

Well I never had any problems in Barcelona myself, but I've heard a lot of bad stories about La Rambla in particular. I guess I was just lucky. Every city has its rough areas, but I still haven't encountered anything like Dublin city centre for pick pocketing.

Really? I've been walking Dublin for years without being pickpocketed. Nor do I know anyone who has been.

Bikes aren't safe though.

Daveysil15

So is Budapest good or not? I'm so confused. :mad:

EyeSight

Don't get all the hate for Paris. It's one of my favorite cities. so much to do there. In terms of being dirty and full of crime, i disagree. it's like any other major city, just be smart and you'll be fine. I find Dublin to be worse and the guards here are not as proactive or respected as the paris cops

In saying that my answers are:
Amsterdam: nice city but the pot smokers & stags put a dampener on things. The bikes get a bit annoying too, always dinging bells at you and almost hitting you(and no i did not walk on the road or in bike lanes, just stayed on the footpaths)

Limerick: Maybe cause it's smaller than Dublin, I noticed there was a higher concentration of scumbags. There was not much to do there.

The Backwards Man

Daveysil15 wrote: »

So is Budapest good or not? I'm so confused. :mad:

It depends if you like damn opera or not, apparently.

murpho999

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Really? I've been walking Dublin for years without being pickpocketed. Nor do I know anyone who has been.

Bikes aren't safe though.

Use a condom when you ride one.

Frank Lee Midere

Daveysil15 wrote: »

So is Budapest good or not? I'm so confused. :mad:

It's a very beautiful city with lots of history, fairly good restaurants, great baths, fantastic churches but unfriendly people ( which is true). I found the nightlife to be good but ymmv.

Daveysil15

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Really? I've been walking Dublin for years without being pickpocketed. Nor do I know anyone who has been.

Bikes aren't safe though.

I know a lot of people that have been pick pocketed in Dublin, and have seen it taking place myself. I've seen guys getting caught doing it. I went up with a group of lads once and everyone of them was pick pocketed except me. I've actually been very lucky - It has never happened to me anywhere.

Frank Lee Midere

The Backwards Man wrote: »

It depends if you like damn opera or not, apparently.

It depends on whether people can actually go to places and actually find an attraction which isn't a pub. It's been a decade since I've been on a weekend trip to Budapest but I know how to travel so I listed some - just some - of the stuff I did.

Frank Lee Midere

Daveysil15 wrote: »

I know a lot of people that have been pick pocketed in Dublin, and have seen it taking place myself. I've seen guys getting caught doing it. I went up with a group of lads once and everyone of them was pick pocketed except me. I've actually been very lucky - It has never happened to me anywhere.

And yet it doesn't happen to those of us here. Odd huh?

Daveysil15

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

And yet it doesn't happen to those of us here. Odd huh?

Some people are just unlucky.

Richard Hillman

Derry/Londonderry. It was an absolute dive.

job seeker

Dublin... Tis like the land of tribes...


























*runs

Vito Corleone

The Hague.

holystungun9

dan1895 wrote: »

The falls are amazing but other than that Niagra in Canada. The only way of the describing it is as the illegitimate love child of Las Vegas and Bray.

So true. Of course it was super naive of me to imagine these falls were out in the wilderness with just a hiking path up to them but there was a great big f**kin' city there.

theboywonder

david75 wrote: »

There's a seaside village outside Marseille called Cassis. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

was in Cassis last summer..fantastic little fishing village..not a bad thing to say about it..perfect.
on the other hand Marseilles is an absolute kip

lufties

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

It's a very beautiful city with lots of history, fairly good restaurants, great baths, fantastic churches but unfriendly people ( which is true). I found the nightlife to be good but ymmv.

I think the people just put me off the place, went to the bath yesterday, was ok. did some wandering, went over the chain bridge. This is my last night, might go for a beer or 2 and go home. In all honesty I should've went to Berlin which would've been much more interesting.

Choodefat

Went downtown Los Angeles years ago, and checked into cheap hotel, with asian reception guy looking suprised to see anyone. Grinning with cracked teeth, lips and glasses, he took our passport details and grabbed the bag nearly running to a room...flung the door open with 'You will like! You will like!'
He referred to three green walls, each holding pictures of JFK, a Pope and St. Paddy.....'Eh, thanks.'
We hit the'Shamrock' bar later, and after much moonshine, my mate thought he was in like flynn with a hottie. Barman says to me 'your buddy knows that's a guy, right?' to which the mate says I'm jealous, on telling him aside...
I stumble to a unisex jacks with no doors, and copies of An Phoblacht for toilet roll. Cue much coming and going of 'Yo'ing &'Bro'ing like it's a reunion or something...
I returned to the bar just as a pool player misfires and launches the cue ball hitting the singer who's murdering 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath. All fu**ing hell broke loose, and then I see the mate has realized his hottie is nottie - by dropping his hand for evidence and receiving a clatter across the face hah.
We get the feck out, and passing a palm tree with a poster for the pub - the mate throws his smoke at it - and it goes up in flames! There was petrol or something spilt near it heh. We leg it to the hotel room where one of the pictures is flapping...I take it down and behind is a hole where the air conditioner should be, and stick me head out to the sights & sounds of the L.A. fire department screaming down the road.....
But, to talk about cities I wouldn't return to..? That's for another day.

batistuta9

lufties wrote: »

I think the people just put me off the place, went to the bath yesterday, was ok. did some wandering, went over the chain bridge. This is my last night, might go for a beer or 2 and go home. In all honesty I should've went to Berlin which would've been much more interesting.

You're spending your holiday on boards?

Daveysil15

batistuta9 wrote: »

You're spending your holiday on boards?

Jasus it must be a bad place so. :pac:

lufties

batistuta9 wrote: »

You're spending your holiday on boards?

Pretty much yea, sad eh.

thee glitz

Cantremember wrote: »

Glasgow. An air of madness just under the surface. Never felt safe there.

3rdDegree wrote: »

Have to agree. We had a customer there so visited lots of different parts of it many times -
from the city centre to some of the crazy suburbs - where you just expect to be accosted
by a Rab C Mean it type at every turn.

Birneybau wrote: »

Yeah, Glasgow is pretty grim alright, even the city centre.

Sorry, this extends a lot longer than planned.
TLDR - Glasgow's fun. and cheap. just be careful. Leeds looks ok, Nottingham dodgy, Birmingham rough.

I've visited friends in Glasgow many times and always liked the place. I'll agree there is an air of madness.
If you're looking for a weekend away, not too far away, and you like a few beers, do give Glasgow a thought.

Out the west end, the Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum is well worth a visit. There's also a nice park there.
Around the corner is Ashton Lane where you'll find some lovely beer gardens, Brel's being the best. Jinty's
has possibly the best Guinness outside Ireland and literary quotes adorn the walls to inspire and entertain.
Radio is also on the Lane. Much like their website, the walls are covered with casettes. They do lovely cocktails
upstairs. This is all out the West End so there's no Rab C types to bother you. It's walkable from the city
centre and is beside Hillhead subway station.

Back towards the city centre is Molly's, where you can watch the gaa live. Do that either in Waxy's, where
they've 6 bars over 3 floors. You can get lost in there (both literally and figuratively). There are regular
trad sesions, if that's what you're into. Down Buchanan St (but hidden) is bread + butter, where they serve
food til 4am on Fri and Sat. It's very comfortable and always full of wimmins.

On the aforementioned air of madness, this likely emenates from Sauchiehall Street, which is not for the
faint of heart after dark :eek:. I might start a night there, sharing a pitcher of margherita (approx £9!), before
crossing the motorway (yes, in the city centre) and reentering civilisation in the Bon Accord. This fine bar
stocks 300 malt whiskeys and does a great steak. There does be lovely Scottish lassies there too .

The Failte bar (walls covered in old newspapers) is an ideal place to go for the cure and recall/forget the
previous nights antics. It's a few doors down from the Drum and Monkey, where you can try Haggis, Neeps & Tatties.

Check out what's on in Merchant Square, where there's a Craft Fair every weekend, restauruants and more bars.
Eg, they've a family fun day planned for Easter. Pass through picturesque George Square on the way there.

Between Buchanan Street (like Grafton St), St. Enoch's and (the near end of) Sauchiehall St, there's plenty of
shops for whatever you want. For those who remember what CDs are, Music Zone under Central Station offers
music, DVDs and games for feck all. Buy or sell your granny in the Barras market :eek:. Proceed with caution.

Further out London Road is Celtic Park, where they've tours 7 days a week. They've club shops in the city and airport too.

They love their karaoke over there, some places run it every night.

I find the locals very friendly, once they get over their skepticism of you just being a visitor.

The best part: while you pay more for quality, in general the whole place is cheap as chips. Use local cabs, eg West End.

To answer op, I'd think twice about going back to Nottingham. It's got some redeeming features in Notts Forest
and Notts County and also a bar with a canal running through - the only place I know where you can get Bacchus.

I didn't see much of Leeds yet, but I hope see more soon.

I've seen little of Birmingham but I've seen enough.

Larianne

Sunglasses Ron wrote: »

This post has 7 thanks.

Add you, and eight people agree.


Are there really 8 people here who have been to Sierra Leone?

Maybe they were giving thanks, for the heads up as in not to go there rather than agreeing.