Cities you'd never return to

Irishguy16

Warsaw is a bit of a dump, not a lot to do and loads of homeless people all over the city

womandriver

Oruro in Bolivia, tho it might be more a town than a city. God it's so grim, dirty, horrible. Really makes you appreciate where you live.

maninasia

PowerToWait wrote: »

I have to admit, I'm going to judge someone who dismisses Paris as a 'dirty kip' or somesuch.

You could never be bored in Paris. Not with even the most remote sense of romance (meaning mystery, not St. Valentine's) or history or imagination. The place is steeped, drenched, soaked in history, art, literature, revolution, gastronomy, intrigue.

It's a true melting pot as well. All life is there really. To borrow from Samuel Johnson, when a man is tired of Paris he is tired of life. I love it.

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Saipanne

maninasia wrote: »

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Paris when exactly? A century ago?

Definitely the same place.

MadYaker

Bratislava isn't great. The old part in the centre is grand but the rest of it is a kip. If you find yourself there id recommend a short train train journey to Budapest, amazing city

I don't get the hate for Paris? Don't go at the height of tourist season and avoid the tourist traps and it's lovely. I've always found Parisiens to be nice people, maybe the fact that I speak fluent french helps?

Paramite Pie

MadYaker wrote: »

I've always found Parisiens to be nice people, maybe the fact that I speak fluent french helps?

Yeah, I speak decent French & I found the people quite friendly. My pronunciation was complemented. I guess my subconscious ability to mimic peoples accents helped alot!!

John_Rambo

I loved some of the cities mentioned here. I must have something wrong with me. Can't believe someone mentioned Hanoi!! Epic city, the most atmospheric city I've been to. Each to their own though.

kefir32

birmingham-istan, truly awful dirty kip.
Stockholm, only remember it for being expensive and dreary.

wakka12

from_atozinc wrote: »

ROME.

I absolutely hated it. Could not wait to get home. Every day, just incessant traffic and horns beeping and mopeds everywhere. (I know people will say, wait till you see Bangkok etc) Every taxi driver trying to do ya. People just seem full of **** and they just constantly talk in what always sounds like an argumentative tone.
And I know tourists flock to see the attractions, but every tourist place we went to was uncomfortably packed. We were there for a wedding and I visited other people's different hotels and they were all very over priced, old fashioned kips.......like our own. Not one half modern looking hotel in all the ones I seen.

Just hated it.

I agree with some points. But why do hotels need to be 'modern'? Its one of the oldest cities on earth people don't go there for modern.

wakka12

Im surprised so many people say Brussels. Its such a charming relaxing little city, so beautiful looking, not the most exciting but like it has clubs and bars you can keep yourself entertained anywhere if you try. Great restaurants too, its clean and safe. Just don't understand the hate..so so many much worse places

worded

John_Rambo wrote: »

I loved some of the cities mentioned here. I must have something wrong with me. Can't believe someone mentioned Hanoi!! Epic city, the most atmospheric city I've been to. Each to their own though.

Enough of your positivity. Its all about finding fault with Cities here on this thread.

Go start your own - "Cities youd return to" thread

from_atozinc

wakka12 wrote: »

I agree with some points. But why do hotels need to be 'modern'? Its one of the oldest cities on earth people don't go there for modern.

Don't need to be I suppose, I just personally like modern. Even something like a double glazed Window instead of a rickety single pane wooden one etc. Wrong city for me so says you.

FLOOPER

FLOOPER wrote: »

Bruges ??? It's a fairytale town, isn't it? How's a fairytale town not somebody's ****ing thing?How can all those canals and bridges and cobbled streets and those churches, all that beautiful ****ing fairytale stuff, how can that not be somebody's ****ing thing, eh?

Bruges is lovely but I don't think I'd ever return there either. Once you've done the river tour and walked around for an hour or so, you've pretty much seen the whole place.

If someone gave me a free ticket then I'd certainly go again but otherwise there's not much incentive to return.

adamshare01

marseille

Mollyd90

Deleted User wrote: »

Bruges is lovely but I don't think I'd ever return there either. Once you've done the river tour and walked around for an hour or so, you've pretty much seen the whole place.

If someone gave me a free ticket then I'd certainly go again but otherwise there's not much incentive to return.

yeah completely agree with you on Bruges. was there during the summer. We done a driving tour of belgium and were planning on going to be in bruges for 24 hours. we went out for something to eat and drink the first evening. we had a walk around and had seen everything that evening so we just got up the next morning and didnt even stay the 24 hours dont get me wrong it a lovely place but not much to it.

asherbassad

beerbuddy wrote: »

Liverpool what a total kip

Yeah but the women make up for it

Mesrine65

adamshare01 wrote: »

marseille

I love Marseille, the third largest city in France.

The French- African quarter & docklands area a little rough around the edges, but no worse than anywhere else.

I got pissed & ended up in the OK Corral cowboy theme park, had a ball (& a stinking hangover the next day )

Brianderunner

Berlin for me

Nothing to look at, boring buildings everywhere yet everyone thinks it's great. Each to their own!

not yet

asherbassad wrote: »

Yeah but the women make up for it

Duurty...

Breaston Plants

Naples. Filthy, and full of sinister characters.

not yet

kUSADASI....

Full of turks funny enough..

bnt

JacquesSon wrote: »

Tell me more.

Slough is underrated. A Dutch Slough might just be the new adventurous Blackpool.

Is Slough a city? If so, it's on my list. I felt genuinely unsafe walking around at night. The busy A4 runs straight down the middle, dividing the town in two. To get from the north side to the south side, or vice versa, you have to navigate these creepy underpasses. It's only interesting as a gateway to London.

In the last year I've spent 4 weeks on the north side of Jacksonville, Florida. Even so, I've been nowhere near the centre, and so I don't really know what to make of the place. It's about two-and-a-half times the size of Dublin County, with about the same number of people, meaning that its population density is about 40% of Dublin County's. The Urban Sprawl is among the worst in the USA: there's almost no "there" there ...

Dr. Mantis Toboggan

Belfast. I've been there twice and really was not impressed.

I think i don't like it because it's full of Nordies.

antonymin

lufties wrote: »

Having been in a good few places around the world, I would have to say Budapest is a beautiful one with regard to history and architecture, but it is definately to most unfriendly place I've been, the people I encountered were rude and unhelpful consistantly, hence I will not be returning. Other than that I'd say stuttgart in germany(yawn), or varanassi in India, an interesting place but a nightmare to get around.

London. I lived the first 20 years of my life there then I moved to a "New Town." Never regretted that move. Best thing I ever did.

blackbird98

Manchester, the worst place I've ever been!!

ohnonotgmail

blackbird98 wrote: »

Manchester, the worst place I've ever been!!

so much to answer for

sunnysoutheast

wakka12 wrote: »

Im surprised so many people say Brussels. Its such a charming relaxing little city, so beautiful looking, not the most exciting but like it has clubs and bars you can keep yourself entertained anywhere if you try. Great restaurants too, its clean and safe. Just don't understand the hate..so so many much worse places

I think it's very dependent on where you go in a larger city. The centre->palace->Luxembourg part of Brussels is lovely, anywhere near the Gare de Midi is an absolute kip.

Same with Amsterdam, I was there in the summer and we stayed in the western 'burbs around Sloterdijk, a bit dull but nice and quiet. The previous year we stayed near the Ajax stadium and it felt very unsafe.

gazzer

Ice Storm wrote: »

Lots of negativity about LA here!

I was there about a week ago. I had to pass through the city but I decided to spend just the one night there as I hadn't heard anything good about it.

So I had very low expectations of the place but it actually surprised me and I wish I'd spent more time there. Its such an iconic city and if you're into music, so many bands have their roots in LA. I really enjoyed seeing famous places like The Troubadour, Whisky a Go Go, The Viper Room etc.

I wouldn't rule out returning and if I do, I'll make it a longer visit.

I was in LA a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. Spent 6 days there. Did a LOT of walking and also used public transport. Went out every night to various pubs and clubs and did a lot of sightseeing during the day. Id love to go back.

Ray Palmer

EB_2013 wrote: »

Liverpool's not too bad. Has bad areas like Toxteth but the areas around Albert Dock and city centre are nice. Lots of money has been pumped in lately. The people are also very friendly and easy going.

I was there about 2 years ago and it isn't a nice city at all in my opinion. Lots of dodgy pubs in the main part of the city.Tons of girls caked in make up going around with their hair mid way through being finished for some reason. Stayed in the night club part of town in a fancy new hotel which was lovely. The problem was the rather aggressive drunks you had to pass to get to it. I thought Temple Bar could be bad some nights but this was much worse. Felt very unsafe in the city and saw more then one fight and two were during the day. In a 3 day stay that is terrible.

anto9

Hong kong ,overcrowded ,and has bad air polution year round .