The most OVERRATED City in the world is....
Apr 12, 2006, 2:29 pm
#76
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Originally Posted by gleff
SYD: the Opera House, Tetsuya and Rockpool, the Taronga Zoo, the Rocks, Bridge climb, a plethora of wonderful hotels (The Observatory, arguably the best Park Hyatt in the chain, arguably the best Westin in the chain, a top-notch Intercontinental, a good Marriott...). Ok, so don't spend 2 weeks in Sydney, but go there.. a hop around Australia a bit... as for MEL, check out the restaurants on Ligon St. And head up to CNS, stay outside Port Douglas, check out the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest...
Now, I don't see much reason to spend time in SIN or MEX and I agree on FRA. But don't be dissin' SYD!
Now, I don't see much reason to spend time in SIN or MEX and I agree on FRA. But don't be dissin' SYD!
Singapore is very overrated. After 10 minutes on Orchard Road and a visit to the Night Zoo, we were done. Good thing we only had 24 hours to kill.
Los Angeles is worse than dog @ss.
Apr 12, 2006, 2:34 pm
#77
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Poland?
Anyone for Gdansk or Warsaw? Concrete Jungles. F'ing freezing. Oh and the road from Warsaw to Gdansk was sommething else. It looked better once 2' of snow had been dumped on the place.
- Tim
- Tim
Apr 12, 2006, 2:36 pm
#78
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Originally Posted by Martinis at 8
Oh c'mon! 
How could that determine the quality of the town?
Did you try getting a ticket to listen to chamber music in the palace before you went there? Did you do any research in advance of visiting the monastery carved into the rock below Hohensalzburg, or any of the other very cool architecture? How 'bout dancing and gambling with some Heidi, or SO, at the Winkler casino that looks down over the city? How 'bout fruhstuck in the morning at a nice cafe? Salzburg rocks! I have had lots of happy trips there.
I want you to go back and do it over again! This time do it better.
M8
How could that determine the quality of the town?Did you try getting a ticket to listen to chamber music in the palace before you went there? Did you do any research in advance of visiting the monastery carved into the rock below Hohensalzburg, or any of the other very cool architecture? How 'bout dancing and gambling with some Heidi, or SO, at the Winkler casino that looks down over the city? How 'bout fruhstuck in the morning at a nice cafe? Salzburg rocks! I have had lots of happy trips there.
I want you to go back and do it over again!
This time do it better.M8
). We had nice speise und trinken, including fruhstuck at cafes, although as I said, I found more rude service than I'm used to in Europe. And my German accent, such as it is, should be better there than anywhere else: my original German teacher was Austrian, and my German sister-in-law always teases me about my hard ch's.I'll try to get back during Mozartfest.
Apr 12, 2006, 2:41 pm
#79
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Originally Posted by pinniped
I've spent about six weeks in London, cumulative/lifetime. The first 10 days or so was as a standard American tourist, and I have to admit that by the end of that trip I was pretty soured on the place. You can only take so many Towers of London, Portrait Galleries, Palaces, and stores selling kitschy souvenirs of the Tube logo, Big Ben, phone boxes, etc. After that trip, it would have been high on my "overrated" list. It felt like a tourist trap in the worst way.
But after that, when I was living elsewhere in the UK, we would go in to the London area for long weekends and stay with friends who lived in other neighborhoods. (Think those Tube zones 3 and higher than most tourists never see.) I really came to enjoy London's neighborhoods, markets, and eccentricities a lot more after I had a little bit of local guidance around the place. London definitely has a lot of gritty neighborhoods that aren't easy to get to know well, but I came to enjoy those weekends greatly. I think you could spend years there and always find something new to do on any given weekend.
But after that, when I was living elsewhere in the UK, we would go in to the London area for long weekends and stay with friends who lived in other neighborhoods. (Think those Tube zones 3 and higher than most tourists never see.) I really came to enjoy London's neighborhoods, markets, and eccentricities a lot more after I had a little bit of local guidance around the place. London definitely has a lot of gritty neighborhoods that aren't easy to get to know well, but I came to enjoy those weekends greatly. I think you could spend years there and always find something new to do on any given weekend.
However, if you stay in a small hotel outside the touristy areas, you will be rewarded with the joy that can be London. Stay in Clerkenwell, Islington, Hampstead or even Borough - you will see things regular tourists never see. Brick Lane at 3am Saturday night, lazing about in Richmond Park with a picnic lunch, Hampstead High Street on a warm and sunny afternoon, bustling Borough Market on Saturday... who can find these things overrated???
Ah well, I suppose it's in the eye of the beholder. If you've never been east of the Tower of London, north of Oxford Street, west of Harrods or south of the London Eye, then London can be "overrated," but that's only because of the bloody tourists
Apr 12, 2006, 2:52 pm
#80
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Much better than a sober Scotsman with a knife.
We get loads of them down in London, anyway!
We get loads of them down in London, anyway!
and with a knife not many peole are unfriendly to you
Apr 12, 2006, 3:12 pm
#82
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Los Angeles
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Remember my reminder
Originally Posted by LapLap
yep Tokyo 1964 is also completely overated
Just ask phred!
Just ask phred!
After reading all these posts, there seems to be a pretty universal pattern. It only takes a few days to burn through the tourist stuff, then it's time to deal with the real nitty gritty of the city (hey, I like that). My point that LapLap has latched onto so tightly is that for the average tourist, it only takes a while to see all the "usual" stuff. Then it's time to move on. Of course, if you are on an extended stay somewhere or decide to live in a city, that's quite different and G*d help you if you can't start finding interesting stuff.
For what it's worth, I found Hong Kong to be a larger, more crowded version of Century City in LA. Neither of which is very interesting. Of course, if I had more time and had gotten out of the city I might have found the region fascinating.
Apr 12, 2006, 3:20 pm
#83
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I'll probably get way flamed for this, but I have to vote for Buenos Aires! It's nice, fun, great restaurants, shopping, etc. BUT I was disappointed because people have raved raved raved about it for the last several years.
I liked it, there is nothing wrong with it, but I would say it is the most overrated because I was expecting so much. There are not that many tourist attractions per se, it's more of an experiential thing...just left me with a slightly depressed, empty feeling, maybe because of all that faded glory.
I liked it, there is nothing wrong with it, but I would say it is the most overrated because I was expecting so much. There are not that many tourist attractions per se, it's more of an experiential thing...just left me with a slightly depressed, empty feeling, maybe because of all that faded glory.
Apr 12, 2006, 3:29 pm
#84
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London gets my vote...........
Apr 12, 2006, 3:49 pm
#85
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Originally Posted by SFOTRAVELER
I'll probably get way flamed for this, but I have to vote for Buenos Aires! It's nice, fun, great restaurants, shopping, etc. BUT I was disappointed because people have raved raved raved about it for the last several years.
I liked it, there is nothing wrong with it, but I would say it is the most overrated because I was expecting so much. There are not that many tourist attractions per se, it's more of an experiential thing...just left me with a slightly depressed, empty feeling, maybe because of all that faded glory.
I liked it, there is nothing wrong with it, but I would say it is the most overrated because I was expecting so much. There are not that many tourist attractions per se, it's more of an experiential thing...just left me with a slightly depressed, empty feeling, maybe because of all that faded glory.
Apr 12, 2006, 4:01 pm
#86
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I moved to Los Angeles (about 20 years ago) from D.C. I, too, hated it for many years. It took me about a decade to appreciate it (or become brainwashed). And apparently, I am not the only one (i.e. see realtor.com).
Apr 12, 2006, 4:03 pm
#87
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by ILuvParis
I sort of understand your point of view - I was there while in college and was blown away. When I was there last year, although I still loved it, it was kind of sad. The Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada were once beautiful. Now, there are weeds growing in the cracks of the sidewalk and the stone is crumbling.
Apr 12, 2006, 4:22 pm
#88
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There's kind of a common theme here. Some people do the tourist thing in a city and are underwhelmed, but spending more time there begin to appreciate it more. I agree. I've lived in Shanghai and London and know you need to dig a bit deeper past the tourist stuff to appreciate the cities.
With that said, having lived the first 35 years of my life in Southern California, Los Angeles is still a steaming pile of dog dirt.
With that said, having lived the first 35 years of my life in Southern California, Los Angeles is still a steaming pile of dog dirt.
Apr 12, 2006, 4:54 pm
#89
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The other thing we're overlooking is, whether you like or love or hate or loathe a city depends a lot on what floats your boat. And that's only the most subjective thing there is. If you're not into fancy dining and all-night nitelife, NYC and the like could leave you cold. If you love riding on bike paths through stands of virgin birch trees, you won't find that in a whole lot of cities. If you love high tech, expensive shopping, people watching, Omaha is not going to work for you.
It can also often be frustrating and saddening (?) to revisit places that once meant a lot to you. Sometimes it's the place that's changed, sometimes you, sometimes both. I lived in Yokohama when I was 16, and on a recent visit back there was nothing left of where I had lived, and so much of the city had changed I didn't feel like I had ever been there. On the other hand, the house in Connecticut where I grew up is still there and every coupla years when I return it has barely changed, even as parts of the town around it have grown up. Indian and Japanese restaurants in rural CT? Wowzer.
It can also often be frustrating and saddening (?) to revisit places that once meant a lot to you. Sometimes it's the place that's changed, sometimes you, sometimes both. I lived in Yokohama when I was 16, and on a recent visit back there was nothing left of where I had lived, and so much of the city had changed I didn't feel like I had ever been there. On the other hand, the house in Connecticut where I grew up is still there and every coupla years when I return it has barely changed, even as parts of the town around it have grown up. Indian and Japanese restaurants in rural CT? Wowzer.
Apr 12, 2006, 4:59 pm
#90
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Originally Posted by BearX220
Philadelphia. Run away.
- HF