Cities you'd never return to

Aidric · 20-04-2014 11:29PM

I've traveled a lot through Europe and I can honestly say there isn't a city I would put in the hellhole never return to category. I've seen plenty of dreary spots, Brussels, Manchester, Bydgoszcz, but not enough to write them off as lost causes.

MrWard · 20-04-2014 11:30PM

Aidric wrote: »

Ah not really. I lived there for 3 years and as well as being one of the most beautiful cities around the locals are great once you get to know them. If you are basing your experience on the service sector alone i could see your point, they aren't renowned for being welcome and can come across as curt on first encounter.

As a place to live, however, it can give you so much.

Lads claiming Prague is bad. It's a great city. Staff are rude, compared to our western preferences. They see their job as to ensure that you get your drink and grub promptly. Not to become your pal. Different culture.

As for me. Any city I've been in, I have enjoyed immensely. Then again, I'm the most easily pleased bastard on the planet.

wotzgoingon · 20-04-2014 11:40PM

I haven't been anywhere to write them down as bad. I'm happy enough in Ireland. The past number of years I have frequented just two counties in the West of Ireland, Galway and Mayo. I went up to Dublin for the day recently and thought the place was jammed, said to myself, I won't be coming back here again.

Elmer Blooker · 21-04-2014 12:33AM

Munich: the only exciting thing there seems to be that bleedin' Glockenspeil and the only time in my life I felt like I was an inmate in a zoo was in that nightlife place Kultfabrik. Nein danke.

imitation · 21-04-2014 12:47AM

I've been in a fair few cities with poor quality's over the years, you know the ones, oo its a bit dodgy, or the place is filthy, or everybodys an arsehole, or its a bit expensive or a boring business district. Usually something else makes up for it.

The only place I have been, with not one single redeeming factor, a place that is beyond a Kip, a hole that is only a city because it has the population and nothing else, and because nobody who lives there seems to be able to escape its horrible blackhole like draw, is Stoke-on-trent. Every person you'll meet is like a character from little Britain or the league of gentlemen. The only history or character you'll find is in a dusty untouched book in one of its many Tescos. There isn't even a city center, its just 5 horrible suburbs that merged into a giant tumor, all you'll see driving through are housing estates, Sainsbury and halfords, punctuated by the odd derelict factory. I can imagine that even hinting at Thatcher in a pub is instant death here.

tobybinns · 21-04-2014 12:48AM

Probably Blackpool, apart from if I wanted to go to it's theme park! :cool:

dark crystal · 21-04-2014 01:07AM

bmwguy wrote: »

Liverpool. Must be the biggest kip in the world and such annoying locals. Taxi driver asked us if we were blues or reds when we got in before even asking where we were going. We werent there for a match. Every bar we drank in had lads coming in selling fake t shirts, dvds etc. Late night bars had metal detectors going in to them. Dump.

Loved Liverpool! Friendliest people I have ever come across.

My then boyfriend and I had arrived late on the ferry, about 5 in the morning, no taxis, no clue how to get to our hotel. There was a fella passing on his way to work and we stopped to ask him for directions and he walked us the whole way there, showing us the sights as we walked. We got that sort of hospitality everywhere we went that weekend.

I'd happily go back anytime.

Joe Doe · 21-04-2014 02:07AM

imitation wrote: »

Every person you'll meet is like a character from little Britain or the league of gentlemen.... The only history or character you'll find is in a dusty untouched book in one of its many Tescos... just 5 horrible suburbs that merged into a giant tumor... Sainsbury and halfords, punctuated by the odd derelict factory.

Brilliant! You should be a staff writer for that book/site 'crap towns'
aka 'the doomsday book of misery' even their website is crap, only 933 crappy people liked their facepage, brilliant!

LETS BE AVN IT · 21-04-2014 02:13AM

Melbourne I could not get the hype of the place there people believe its all cultured. There transport system is awful there trams are a joke for a city of 4 million people gladly never go back.

snotboogie · 21-04-2014 02:15AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I saw China mentioned a few times. I loved my time over there but I wasn't too keen on Beijing. It' somewhere that got a lot of investment and growth in a very short space of time (around the time of the Olympics) and I don't think think it has adapted fully to it yet. It seemed very polluted and sprawling, and it's impossible to get a taxi without being ripped off unless you speak Mandarin.

On the other hand I loved Shanghai (crazy mix of east and west), Suzhou, Nanjing and Chengdu. I'd definitely go back to China and see more of it if I had the time and/or money.

As somebody who has spent a long time in both cities, that is just simply wrong. Like anywhere else in China, if you get illegal "black" taxi's or rickshaws you are taking a risk. The official Beijing Taxi is extremelly safe and you will not get ripped off using it, if you do (this has never happened to me in what must be about several hundred trips) you take down the taxi drivers number, which is clearly displayed and ask your hotel's staff to report him, the driver will likely correct the price before you even get that far. If you are stuck, 99 times out of 100 the black taxi's will be fine but don't ever get a rickshaw.

Overall I think tourists prefer Shanghai as it is more aestheically pleasing than Beijing. However most people who have spent a lot of time in both city's tend to prefer Beijing; it's people are much friendlier, the food is much better, the nightlife is wilder, the difference in pollution these days is negligible, there is more culture and it's much cheaper. After a while Shanghai feels a bit like a shallow expo city for the new China, wheras Beijing does hold up as a city that has been one of the most important in the world for over a thousand years.

osarusan · 21-04-2014 02:23AM

imitation wrote: »

The only place I have been, with not one single redeeming factor, a place that is beyond a Kip, a hole that is only a city because it has the population and nothing else, and because nobody who lives there seems to be able to escape its horrible blackhole like draw, is Stoke-on-trent. Every person you'll meet is like a character from little Britain or the league of gentlemen. The only history or character you'll find is in a dusty untouched book in one of its many Tescos. There isn't even a city center, its just 5 horrible suburbs that merged into a giant tumor, all you'll see driving through are housing estates, Sainsbury and halfords, punctuated by the odd derelict factory. I can imagine that even hinting at Thatcher in a pub is instant death here.

This made me laugh quite a bit.

Joe Doe · 21-04-2014 02:25AM

LETS BE AVN IT wrote: »

Melbourne I could not get the hype of the place there people believe its all cultured. There transport system is awful there trams are a joke for a city of 4 million people gladly never go back.

Agree, suspect most of the inhabitants only remain out in the 'burbs, which are fairly extensive. Can be fairly funky, but also has a slight element of yobbishness and boy racer culture in their honda's. Not as many tracksuits as here mind you, surprisingly as they have a lot of gold Olympic medals which could justify it all the same.

Sunshine87 · 21-04-2014 03:02AM

Aberdeen. Hated it. went in June 2011 and it was freezing, unfriendly and nothing much to do (apart from drink which you can do at home)

CaraMay · 21-04-2014 03:12AM

Bangkok as I felt unsafe. Vienna as it was do dull. Amsterdam as it was full of tacky stag parties and didn't feel safe their either.

Oh and Antrim. What a kip and that goes for 99.9% of the places up north. Soulless and dreary.

ruthloss · 21-04-2014 07:18AM

donegal__road wrote: »

although I wasn't there for very long, I did not like the look of Naples.

I did not like the smell of it!

Daveysil15 · 21-04-2014 07:59AM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I like La Rambla and Barcelona in general. I don't really know what people expect from a major European city; there's obviously going to be more shady characters in them than your local village. La Rambla is not as bad as people are making out and every city has it's dodgy part. Hardly a reason to avoid the city completely. Barcelona is full of culture and history.

Yeah when I was there the hotel I was staying in was actually in the middle of La Rambla and I never had any problems. It's a little crowded though. If I was going back I'd stay in the old quarter. I loved the atmosphere in Barcelona. It's such a vibrant city, so much going on.

gramar · 21-04-2014 08:21AM

With the exception of Brugges, pretty much anywhere in Belgium especially Liege. Boring, dull and everybody looked depressed.

razorblunt · 21-04-2014 08:55AM

Joe Doe wrote: »

Not scientific fact per say, but a lack of sunshine (inc nutrients derived from it) and heat == Genetically slightly grumpier people with higher tendencies towards focus on a base primal survival mode, rather than say (towards Maslow's mid/higher pyramid elevation) focus on social interactions and self-actualisation.

e.g.
Land at an airport in St.Johns (NF), Moscow or Glasgow.
Then land in one anywhere in the Caribbean, Fiji or Hawai.

Ah c'mon, nothing to do with sunshine bringing tourism and high service levels no? Look at Edinburgh, freezing winds but a great friendly city.

Sgt Hartman · 21-04-2014 09:18AM

Bratislava. Cold, boring and the people there were ignorant and rude. Every shop and cafe there seemed to have some rough looking guy wearing a white t shirt and jeans behind the counter eyeing us up and down. I couldn't send texts or make calls and there wasn't one single solitary public phone box around. Just didn't feel safe there.

truedoom · 21-04-2014 09:26AM

Dublin, if it could be avoided

sorry lads.

As for non irish cities...uhhh Strasbourg is boring. Wouldn't go back there.

Ralf and Florian · 21-04-2014 10:07AM

RahenyD5 wrote: »

Dublin needs someone in charge to put the city first and sort out the poor state of Dublin 1. There is talk about a directly elected mayor for Dublin, is this happening and are Dubliners getting a vote on this?

I'm seriously sick of nearly every thread in AH being railroaded down this Dublincentric route with people going on about some street there like everyone reading it just lives up the road.Dublin is not the center of The Universe people and there is a Dublin city forum.

Legs.Eleven · 21-04-2014 10:08AM

Daveysil15 wrote: »

Yeah when I was there the hotel I was staying in was actually in the middle of La Rambla and I never had any problems. It's a little crowded though. If I was going back I'd stay in the old quarter. I loved the atmosphere in Barcelona. It's such a vibrant city, so much going on.

De fella is doing an interview and exam for a job in Barcelona tomorrow so there's a small chance I could be moving there. Bring it on, says I!

Legs.Eleven · 21-04-2014 10:10AM

Ralf and Florian wrote: »

I'm seriously sick of nearly every thread in AH being railroaded down this Dublincentric route with people going on about some street there like everyone reading it just lives up the road.Dublin is not the center of The Universe people and there is a Dublin city forum.

Nearly every thread? Exaggerate much?

Dublin came up in the conversation because people are obviously interested in talking about it. Maybe your not but such is life; plenty more discussion besides going on and as most posters on here are from Dublin and it's the capital of Ireland, it's naturally going to appear in conversation now and then. Total exaggeration stating it's the case with most threads in AH btw.

olliesgirl55 · 21-04-2014 10:13AM

I would never go back to Miami. I hate that city. There is always roadworks so its a nightmare to get around. Also unless you speak spanish your fcuked:mad:

shamrock55 · 21-04-2014 10:17AM

Warsaw,dull,boreing,and grey

Muise... · 21-04-2014 10:26AM

shamrock55 wrote: »

Warsaw,dull,boreing,and grey

Gotta know where to look. There's bullet holes in the walls and a Winnie the Pooh Square.

darkdubh · 21-04-2014 10:28AM

La Rambla in Barcelona has come up a few times,I was first there in 2004 and I liked it loads of mime artists and street performers and there seemed to be a good buzz.When I returned for the first time last year diden't see any of that.Instead for the entire stretch of the street was assailed by the sound of those horrible squeaky whistle things which were being sold by Pakistani guys.Eventually the noise drove me demented and I took a detour down one of the side streets.

Legs.Eleven · 21-04-2014 10:30AM

darkdubh wrote: »

La Rambla in Barcelona has come up a few times,I was first there in 2004 and I liked it loads of mime artists and street performers and there seemed to be a good buzz.When I returned for the first time last year diden't see any of that.Instead for the entire stretch of the street was assailed by the sound of those horrible squeaky whistle things which were being sold by Pakistani guys.Eventually the noise drove me demented and I took a detour down one of the side streets.

They're irritating beyond belief. Centre of Madrid is full of fellas blowing them too. Who in their right mind buys them?

darkdubh · 21-04-2014 10:38AM

While I liked a lot of things about Lisbon it has to be said the locals aren't exactly the friendliest.Also the pedestrian area in the center at night is full of drug dealers who hassle you relentlessy.They seem to operate openly and the Police turn a blind eye.

Vojera · 21-04-2014 11:01AM

darkdubh wrote: »

While I liked a lot of things about Lisbon it has to be said the locals aren't exactly the friendliest.

I worked just outside Lisbon for a month and I get what you mean about the locals. I always found them polite but quite reserved until they got to know you a little better.

Also the older generation were quite snippy that I wasn't fluent in Portuguese, often shouting "La língua!" at me. I only had a few weeks' notice I was going and learned as much Portuguese as I could in that time so it was frustrating when I was trying my hardest and getting berated for it.

Saying that I wouldn't mind going back to Lisbon, even if only as a base for the surrounding areas like Sintra.

Cities you'd never return to

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