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    People Are Calling Out The Most Disappointing Cities They've Visited, And I Apologize If Your Hometown Is On This List

    "Everything cost money, even if I wanted to piss or drink water."

    Morgan Sloss
    by Morgan Sloss

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A little while ago, Reddit user u/0_7_0 posed the question, "What city disappointed you the most when visiting?"

    CBC

    And there were quite a few responses that caught me by surprise! Here are some of the top-voted answers:

    1. Amsterdam

    Buildings on the edge of a canal
    Jon-Michael Poff / BuzzFeed

    "So crowded, chaotic, and easy to get run over by other tourists on bikes who've never ridden before. I feel like it's romanticized a lot, but the first time I visited, I was genuinely disappointed. It's definitely dirty on the streets, and the canals have a lot of waste drifting in them."

    —u/Marveloes

    2. Hollywood

    Cars driving towards Hollywood Blvd with hills in the background
    Natasha Jokic / BuzzFeed

    "I always imagined it was a city full of glamour. It is not."

    —u/rubbersou

    "Just really dirty, really expensive, and too many people."

    —u/RealBrownPerson

    3. Naples, Italy

    An overhead shot of the waterfront with mountains in the background
    Bluejayphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I did a big European trip after college and spent about a month in Italy. Naples was EASILY the worst place we visited. Seedy, rundown, trashy, unsafe, you name it. Would never go back."

    —u/wanna_meet_that_dad

    "Naples was scary traveling as a single woman, and I don't scare easily. I was more confident in Bangkok and Bogotá alone at night than Naples."

    —u/animalia80

    4. Paris

    The Eiffel Tower
    Jon-Michael Poff / BuzzFeed

    "Paris was so dirty, and I was not prepared for the disdain of the French toward a stupid American. I believed the American rom-com movie version of Paris."

    —u/Idontknowthosewords

    "Every time I go to Paris, I learn how to say, 'I'm sorry, I don't speak French. I am a stupid American' in French. Parisians love it. Without that phrase, I'd have a miserable time in Paris."

    —u/nabbitnabbitnabbit

    5. Marrakesh, Morocco

    The rooftops of homes in Marrakesh with mountains in the background
    Olena_z / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "It would have been amazing before about 2000, but now it just feels like a Disneyland version of their culture to cater to Western tourists. Costumes for pretending to be desert nomads. Half of their 'handmade goods' are just cheap shit from China. And you can't walk 20 feet without being approached by scammers, like, literally every block. The entire city just feels like a facade to attract tourist money."

    —u/legshampoo

    6. Houston

    City skyscrapers behind a park and trees
    Seanpavonephoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "It’s a huuuuge city. One of the largest cities in the US, so there are a lot of parts. But like many big cities, it suffers from major problems like violent crime, poverty, run-down neighborhoods, drugs, traffic, litter, and rude and ignorant people. It has its charm and attractions, but I didn’t like Houston when I visited."

    —u/FourSeasons1972

    "Definitely not a town worth traveling to for fun."

    —u/Latter-Investment739

    7. Beijing

    Large geometrical building in between skyscrapers
    Ispyfriend / Getty Images

    "I arrived at the end of a trans-Mongolian rail trip, seeing so many incredible places, and I think it was just a huge anticlimax. I was intimidated by the level of armed security everywhere, had to fight off so many scammers, and didn't enjoy being touched and laughed at on the subway (I'm a very white European with curly hair). Overall, I just found it really challenging, despite some amazing sites."

    —u/Teapigs1984

    "I’m Black. I stepped out of a train in Beijing with my brother, and everybody was staring at us like we slapped their mums. At least 10 people didn’t even ask and just started taking pictures of me. Such a fucking weird experience, considering I was 14."

    —u/thisis2022


    8. New Orleans

    People walking down Bourbon Street
    Morgan Sloss / BuzzFeed

    "The food was great, the music was great, but the city was awful. It smelled of piss and vomit everywhere we went."

    —u/Drulock

    9. Venice

    Buildings and hotels on the side of a canal
    Morgan Sloss / BuzzFeed

    "Beautiful architecture and fascinating history, but dear god, is it humid. The water is absolutely filthy, it's so overcrowded, and there are gift stands on every corner, selling the same cheap wares."

    —u/ChibiRedgrave

    "Way too expensive. They charge you for your seat at a lot of restaurants."

    —u/iamgdaly

    10. Dubai, the United Arab Emirates

    A canal with skyscrapers in the background
    Dedmityay / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "Decided to spend 10 days there while passing through. Had enough of it after 24 hours. Too many freaking malls. No culture."

    —u/wric84

    "Horrid place. Fancy malls and hotels for the Westerners, but the streets are full of people in poverty. You really see what misery the whole place is built on. I went there for work; I can't imagine how people can go there for fun."

    —u/c19isdeadly

    11. Atlantic City

    Overhead shot of Atlantic City
    Ultima_gaina / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "It's waayyy dirtier and rundown than I thought it'd be."

    —u/User_492006

    "I was so disappointed by this city, and my expectations weren't even high. It was just nasty there. The whole experience felt like biting into an apple, only to realize it's an onion."

    —u/plz-pm-me-your-boobz

    12. Bali

    Temple on a cliff surrounded by the ocean
    R.m. Nunes / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "Bali changed so much the last 10 years. It used to be so beautiful and amazing; now it is full of 'digital nomad' douchebags and overpriced food and crap. I remember when it was just a cool surf spot with cheap eats."

    —u/HippoNo9775

    13. Brussels

    Large cathedral with trees blocking the full view
    Tessa Fahey / BuzzFeed

    "Everything cost money, even if I wanted to piss or drink water. And if I opted for tap water to drink, the waitstaff would behave rudely to my friends and me."

    —u/Strand-Aldwych

    14. Las Vegas

    Las Vegas overhead show with their version of the Eiffel Tower
    F11photo / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I hated Las Vegas so very fucking much. So dry, so trashy, so smoky, ugh."

    —u/themeanlantern

    15. Niagara Falls (New York and Ontario)

    The waterfall with the cityscape in the background
    © Allard Schager / Getty Images

    "I didn’t know the falls would be in a city. I thought it would be a national park. The whole place just felt like a giant shopping mall."

    —u/youburyitidigitup

    16. Manila

    A night shot of the Manila skyline which is filled with skyscrapers
    Nikada / Getty Images

    "Traffic was horrible, and it was so dirty. Nice buildings, but the entire experience was stressful."

    —u/Bigjay_37

    17. Cairo

    Cairo's skyline
    Leonid Andronov / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "The pyramids and museums there are amazing, but holy hell, the rest of that city is ROUGH."

    —u/PiagetsPosse

    18. San Francisco

    View of Golden Gate Bridge over the water
    Jon-Michael Poff / BuzzFeed

    "There’s poop and pee all over the sidewalks and streets, trash everywhere, and crime is very high."

    —spiritfingers

    "People warn you not to leave anything visible in your car because smash and grabs are a plague right now. The vandals deliberately target parking garages tourists frequent."

    —A_Panda

    19. Philadelphia

    The Philly skyline
    Gangliu10 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "No offense to the folks who live there, but I felt like everybody was angry. The traffic and parking were worse than Manhattan."

    —u/YOLO_SWAG_SATAN

    20. Athens

    Ruins blocked off with buildings behind them
    Tessa Fahey / BuzzFeed

    "I couldn’t wait to go because I’m Greek. It’s filthy with polluted air, and all of the famous ruins are right near city buildings, which are poorly constructed."

    —u/imatiredwoman

    "Historical sites are nice, but it was really dirty, especially when the rest of Greece is so beautiful."

    —u/misaakame

    21. And finally, New York City

    Skyscrapers and a view of the street below
    Jon-Michael Poff / BuzzFeed

    "I thought it was completely overwhelming. The sheer height of it, combined with how filthy the streets were — trash bags everywhere, the smell of sewage, the horrifying subway — and how many people were just swarming the streets made me feel really uncomfortable."

    —books_baking_broadway

    "I was very disappointed at the non-existence of public restrooms."

    —u/passthegrass4201

    Have you ever visited a city that totally disappointed you? LMK in the comments below!

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.