Anon

To: Daniel Williams ([email protected])

You're right, I didn't explore it. I live there.

Every big city has a Chinatown, a little Italy, a funky Queen St West area, a tendy Yorkville, etc. If you come from Omaha, OK maybe you'll be impressed. If you've been around, you probably won't be.

When I travel, I look for the different and unique that gives a place some local, distinctive character, sense of history or at least a nice natural setting. Toronto has none of these things. It's bland, bland, bland.

It's probably not the worst place in the world to visit, but there are so many better that I don't see why anyone would bother. Try Montreal or better Quebec City. At least you'd know that you are some place new.

Dan

Yeah Toronto has a little of that sterile Dallas, Atlanta and Houston architecture. But it has a pretty decent restaurant and arts sceene. And I'm always amazed how clean it is. A very nice city, it just doesn't have the natural beauty of Vancouver or sophistication of Montreal. But isn't this thread about the US.

Daniel Williams

Hey anon

(Yeah I know this about the US, but one more word about T.O.) Now I see...you live in T.O. and its merits have become commonplace to your eyes, therefore it seems blah to you.
Toronto's a vibrant city; I lived in Montreal for 5 years and while I do prefer Montreal (I'm a big fan of Quebec City too), I always had fun when I visited T.O. The restaurants and arts scene are good as mentioned and it's a pretty decent city to be a pedestrian. You really can't say that last sentence for a lot of places in North America. And Toronto does to my eyes have an anglo-Canadian charm that might just seem "everyday" to you and therefore "bland", but is different and novel to others' eyes.

And BTW not all big cities have Chinatowns, Little Italys and funky pedestrian Queen St. W like areas. Baltimore doesn't have a Chinatown, Washington DC doesn't have a Little Italy or a Queen St. W-like area (Dupont Circle is far less funky), and believe me they're not the only cities lacking those.

Cheers DAN

James

I have to agree that Montreal is a better tourist destination than Toronto. However, this thread was in regard to underrated cities. I truly believe that no city in North America can compare to the overall multiculturalism of Toronto. This is not to say many other cities have many different cultures. But there is no other city like Toronto with the large pockets of so many different types of people. I don't believe a city has to have tourist attractions to be a great destination for adventurous travellers. Toronto is an incredible city in which to live and work and should be viewed as such, not as a massive sanitized tourist attraction (Fisherman's Wharf, Times Square, Vegas, etc).

I hope I got my point across. Maybe not....

Linda

Thanks for mentioning Louisville, Suzy.I am from here- have traveled extensively but want to live here. It's cheap, lots to do, easy to get around and has lots to see in the city and in the 50 mile vicinity. Friendly people.No, we are all not hicks here!
Underrated: Chicago..easy to get around, fun, felt safe on streets at night. Wash DC...Georgetown in spring!
Overrated; Orlando...out of control. Cheap flights though.

dan

Overrated:
- San Francisco (great city, but overrated)
- Seattle (again, nothing wrong with it)
Phoenix
Denver
Orlando

Underrated:
San Diego
Minneapolis
Chicago

James Turner

I know this is a older post, however, I have to say that my pic for most overrated metropolitan regions are: Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Tampa-ST. Pete, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Detroit, MI; Orlando, FL; and Washington, D.C. As one can see not all of these cities are in Sunbealt region, nor are they all located in the Northeast or Midwest. Personally, it doesn't matter if they are suburban or urban cities. Now, my pick for the most underrated metros I'd have to choose the following: Pittburgh, PA; Cleveland, OH; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Philadelphia, PA. Finally, I have created a third category. These are cities that are not quite what I expected, however, are still noteworthy metros to visit and/or to reside in: New York, New York; Chicago, IL, and Baltimore, MD.

todd

Underrated:
Asheville, NC (this place has character)
Birmingham, AL (Located at the end of the Appalachian chain - southern end of town is beautiful)

Overrated:
Atlanta (one big strip-mall with little character)
Los Angeles (most destinations are dispersed; requiring LOTS of drive-time)

loty

Most overrated city in US is San Francisco.
Tiny, dirty, rainy, earthquaky and BORRRRING. I live in NY city and we have more stuff happening in 1/2 hour than San Francisco has in a year

jill

Underrated:
Los Angeles...The Getty Museum, lots of theatre-concerts-clubs, a fabulous Zoo, the parks, The Observatory, countless beaches and resorts within an hours drive, great shopping, unsurpassed weather almost year-round, spotless Metro and decent bus service, friendly people, widely varied hotel choices, the best array of restaurants anywhere in the world- especially notable for moderately price restaurants, and an easy weekend drive or bargain flight to San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Las Vegas, Mexico, Lake Tahoe or several state and National Parks.

Overrated: New Orleans

DBR96

UNDERRATED:

Pittsburgh, PA. Fun nightlife, nice neighborhoods with old character, impressive colleges and universities, solid sports tradition, diverse restaurants, and arguably more high culture per capita than any other city in the U.S.

St. Louis, MO. I love the Midwestern charm and the local sports scene. (For everything that's wrong with Major League Baseball, Cardinals fans are part of what's right with Major League Baseball.) Nice airport too. And I love driving around the St. Louis area near Christmas because it seems half the region decorates their houses in lights! Lake St. Louis is nice too.

Nashville, TN. The best highways of any large city I know. Cool, powerful radio stations. Big enough to be fun, but still small enough to not batter anyone.

OVERRATED:

Atlanta, GA. An overgrown office park with egocentric, snobbish people. I've heard Atlanta described as being like "Los Angeles with a Southern accent."

DBR96

UNDERRATED:

Pittsburgh, PA. Fun nightlife, nice neighborhoods with old character, impressive colleges and universities, solid sports tradition, diverse restaurants, and arguably more high culture per capita than any other city in the U.S.

St. Louis, MO. I love the Midwestern charm and the local sports scene. (For everything that's wrong with Major League Baseball, Cardinals fans are part of what's right with Major League Baseball.) Nice airport too. And I love driving around the St. Louis area near Christmas because it seems half the region decorates their houses in lights! Lake St. Louis is nice too.

Nashville, TN. The best highways of any large city I know. Cool, powerful radio stations. Big enough to be fun, but still small enough to not batter anyone.

OVERRATED:

Atlanta, GA. An overgrown office park with egocentric, snobbish people. I've heard Atlanta described as being like "Los Angeles with a Southern accent." I have fun in Atlanta, but I can have the same kind of fun in many other cities too. Atlanta wanted to be #1 at something, well it's #1 among all major U.S. cities in its personal bankruptcy rate, the number of strip clubs per capita, and amount of time wasted in traffic.

Orlando, FL. I like to refer to Orlando as "a suburb of nowhere." Other than Walt Disney World and the world's largest McDonald's, I can think of no other reason to live there or visit there. (And I don't even want to go to Walt Disney World.)

Russ

In response to the mention of the Canadian cities mentioned above, my personal favorite city that I've visited is Victoria BC. I haven't really explored the nightlife or cultural scene much, was only there twice on whistlestop visits, but the architecture and feel was gorgeous. I would love to go back and see more... if any posters of above threads have any inside info about the city I would love to hear a Canadian's take on it.

Bill

Overated:

Looking at these reviews, I would have to start with Pittsburgh! What are people thinking?? Definitely one of the worst medium/big cities in the country. Poor restaurants (I like Primanti's though), rising violent crime, dilapidated buildings everywhere u look other than the skyline (which is beautiful), bone crushing debt (Pittsburgh will likely go bankrupt in the next year or 2), residual pollution (still one of the worst in the country) parochial attitudes, horrid weather (ok--not their fault), worst place for singles (according to Forbes magazine), the lowest wage earners in more categories than any other city in the country, and residents have been fleeing the city for decades--it is really going down the drain (allegheny county also has the 2nd oldest population in the country).

Boston: Historic and fairly unique--but it's not one of the 20 best cities in the country. Nice sports scene, lots of irish bars, and plentiful chowdah' though.

Philadelphia: Yeah--it has improved--but so has most of the rest of the country. One of the more dangerous cities--and not much appeal other than historic areas.

Portland: Futuristic areas juxtaposed to decrepit architecture--a mish-mash of new and old. Great beer scene, but the nightlife is rather bland and crime is higher than expected. Would rank this city midway between Pittsburgh and Seattle--though it really is nowhere near the same class as its Pacific Northwest neighbor.


Underrated:
Not saying these are particularly great cities--but they deserve more/better recognition.

Portland, ME:

Washington DC: Lots of unsafe areas unfortunately--but historic with great bars and restaurants. The suburbs in Virginia (Arlington, Old Town Alexandria, etc) and Maryland (Silver Springs, etc) are often safe, happening, chic places that are great for young people.

Best Cities (no order)
Seattle
San Francisco
Austin
Chicago
New York

travelgirl

i still vote for pittsburgh being underrated as a travel destination - i went there recently because i had to - now i go back because i want to. (don't think i'd want to live there - hate the weather - but great for a long weekend).

Bill

Overated:

Looking at these reviews, I would have to start with Pittsburgh! What are people thinking?? Definitely one of the worst medium/big cities in the country. Poor restaurants (I like Primanti's though), rising violent crime, dilapidated buildings everywhere u look other than the skyline (which is beautiful), bone crushing debt (Pittsburgh will likely go bankrupt in the next year or 2), residual pollution (still one of the worst in the country) parochial attitudes, horrid weather (ok--not their fault), worst place for singles (according to Forbes magazine), the lowest wage earners in more categories than any other city in the country, and residents have been fleeing the city for decades--it is really going down the drain (allegheny county also has the 2nd oldest population in the country).

Boston: Historic and fairly unique--but it's not one of the 20 best cities in the country. Nice sports scene, lots of irish bars, and plentiful chowdah' though.

Philadelphia: Yeah--it has improved--but so has most of the rest of the country. One of the more dangerous cities--and not much appeal other than historic areas.

Portland: Futuristic areas juxtaposed to decrepit architecture--a mish-mash of new and old. Great beer scene, but the nightlife is rather bland and crime is higher than expected. Would rank this city midway between Pittsburgh and Seattle--though it really is nowhere near the same class as its Pacific Northwest neighbor.


Underrated:
Not saying these are particularly great cities--but they deserve more/better recognition.

Portland, ME:

Washington DC: Lots of unsafe areas unfortunately--but historic with great bars and restaurants. The suburbs in Virginia (Arlington, Old Town Alexandria, etc) and Maryland (Silver Springs, etc) are often safe, happening, chic places that are great for young people.

Best Cities (no order)
Seattle
San Francisco
Austin
Chicago
New York

geith

And enough with the L.A. bashing...

Such an easy target, but there are at least 3 or 4 hard-working, decent down-to-earth people here.

I have many reasons to hate this place too. I work across the street from the Chinese Theater. I see it all on my lunch break.

Then again, this is all part of the fabric that makes up this vast great city when you can literally go skiing and surfing the same day. We have beautiful mountain ranges, parks (Griffith -- with it's hiking trails and hills), scenic coastline (drive down Sunset to the sea and up highway 1), plenty of natural grandeur for day trips just outside the city.

Yes, the phony Escalade-driving cell-phone set and Hollywood-ites are annoying, but what else would the rest of us have to mock then? Actually, the locals are the cool ones, it's all the over-eager wanna-be transplants that are unbearable.

Culture? Sure, it's thin, but it exists. Pasadena, The Huntington Library, the new Disney Hall, MOCA, LACMA, Hollywood Bowl, Dorothy Chandler, downtown, the new Cathedral, arts revival in Chinatown, etc.

So be it, I love L.A. You can have Pittsburg. Where else can you eat a chili dog made by a Mexican in a Jewish district with an Armenian family on a 75 degree day in December?

k

Most underrated:

Chicago. Great city, and actually doesn't get the credit it deserves. It offers everything.

Most Overrated:

San Diego. This was tough. I do enjoy San Diego alot, but it is overrated. I hear people talk about how heavenly it is. It is a fun city, but not incredible.

phillygirl

Bill: I don't know where you're getting your info. from, but it's wrong. Philly is not one of the more dangerous cities - in fact crime has decreased, and continues to decrease. As for not having much appeal other than the historic sites, then obviously you haven't seen anything of Philly other than the historical sites. It's a shame when people can't appreciate a "real" city when they see one. However this is coming from someone who thinks Austin is a great "city". Go figure.

Cappy

Just to satisfy my own curiosity and for what it’s worth, according to the Morgan Quinto Awards – the 8th Annual Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities, Philly rates #24 in the most dangerous category while Pittsburg rates #98. Detroit, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Baltimore are rated #1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

The report did not include any of Illinois because their reporting system isn't compatible with other states.