City You Would Never Live In?

[The Hitch]

The most depressing place I've ever been in my life was Marne-La-Vallée-Chessy, a new town just outside Paris. And I've been to concentration camps.

I would almost rather die than visit that place again.

Funny you put it that way. When it was created it was labelled a "Cultural Chernobyl"

I like it though. The trains run on time for one, and crime tends to be confined to the "Frontierland" area on the Western side of the city.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Honolulu. I moved to Hawaii in 1970. I lasted 9 days. I would never go back to that stinking rock pile.

Amusing. I lived there from 1970-1971 and it was the happiest time of my life. (Granted, I was 9 at the time, and we weren't in the heart of the city, but on the outskirts, mauka of Diamond Head).

Some of the people making posts of European cities, be that Dublin or Disney, you really do need to take a trip to El Paso. Or Bakersfield for that matter. Heat, dust, single wide trailers, plenty of illegal dumping.

Do a google maps search for Dell City, TX, and use street view to be your tour guide.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Funny you put it that way. When it was created it was labelled a "Cultural Chernobyl"

I like it though. The trains run on time for one, and crime tends to be confined to the "Frontierland" area on the Western side of the city.

Would you LIVE there though?

It's ugly, characterless and hugely ostentatious.

I suppose in its defence it's closer to some not-too-dreadful cities, whereas some of the worst places in the US and Africa are a long way from anywhere.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

but atm i study in oporto(also a beautiful city) where i live during the week

i have always been a big fan of japanese culture and have always been fascinated by tokyo as a city. besides i still have to graduate and all that so i have time

they do have an interesting, honorable culture in Japan.

from the beautimous (don't think that's really a word) images of Portugal you posted, Portugal is a place I'd like to see some day.

 

[pmcg76]

Nice thread, I think there is a difference between living in a city and visiting a city, it also depends on your personal circumstances, environment and experience in each place. I come from the sticks in Ireland but spent over 4 years living in Birmingham, UK followed by 18 months in Portland, Maine, US. I then returned to Ireland, living in Dublin for a year. Off on my travels again to Sydney, Australia for a year. I have also spent a month in Granada, Spain and two weeks in Barcelona. Also lived in the small city of Tournai in Belgium for a year in between.

Birmingham was the college years for me and a huge cultural shock coming from the sticks. It has changed so much since I first went there, the city centre has been totally revamped. Personally I dont think its that bad , perhaps because I have good memories from there.

Portland seems a strange place for some but I had the best 18 months of my life there, I loved it so much. I have been back many times since, sometimes I dont get why I loved it, others I totally get it.

Dublin, I hated simple as that, dull, grey, not much of interest. Perhaps influenced by bad social experiences there after being abroad for so long.

Sydney I liked a lot even if I wasnt toatally happy there, must have been the Aussies Lots of cool places and things to see.

Granada and Barcelona I loved, both times I was studying Spanish so lots of partying as well but still both cities are fantastic.

Tournai in Belgium will have many scratching their head but I loved it there even though I couldnt speak much French, nice little Grand Place with Beffroi and the huge Cathedral dominating everything. Fantastic place for travelling in Europe or even better, getting to bike races, the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix only 10 miles away. The last stage of Circuit Franco-Belge finished 100m from my front door.

In summary, I think I prefer smaller cities like Portland, Granada or Tournai, decent size but easy to reach the countryside also with nice architecture and history.

I must have visited over 150 cities all over the world, most recently I hit Rio, La Paz, Cusco, Asuncion, Montevideo, Salta, Buenos Aires on a two month excursion in South America Jan/Feb.

Its hard to pick one city, I could say Asuncion which was deserted when I was there, most Asian cities frizzle your brain so dont think I would want to live in any of them or indeed most African cities. Even though I have never been to Johannedburg, it sounds worse than most in the world. I didnt have a single problem in Rio or never felt unsafe even though I was very paranoid and cautious based on all the stories, I stayed in Leblon so maybe that impacted on things.

So, being more realistic and sticking with first world cities, I will go with Dublin. I am back living in the sticks in Ireland but most of my friends live in Dublin and I visit then regularly and they always want me to move there, better job opportunites, more cultured, more modern etc but I still refuse to make the jump so....Dublin it is.

 

[TexPat]

We all have them, cities or towns you would never live in, no matter what. You don't even want to drive through it. If a company gave you a job offer that paid mid-six figures, you'd probably turn it down.

My pick is El Paso, Texas.

Having spent a bit of time there when my parents lived in El Paso del Norte, I can see how you would choose this city, Alpe. However, it is close enough to alot of beautiful parts of los estados unidos, as well as la republica to be acceptable. I've lived in far worse places.
My pick: NYC. It's the Ninth Circle in Dante's Inferno.
Or LA.

 

[Boeing]

Waco Texas

 

[Anonymous]

Fukushima, at least for the next thousand years or so

Dang, beat me to it.

Okay, Miami Florida. HELLATIOUSLY hot. HELLATIOUSLY humid. Flat. Did I mention it is HELLATIOUSLY hot and humid?

I would however love to live in Anchorage Alaska. My wife however would not...

 

[redtreviso]

Amusing. I lived there from 1970-1971 and it was the happiest time of my life. (Granted, I was 9 at the time, and we weren't in the heart of the city, but on the outskirts, mauka of Diamond Head).

Some of the people making posts of European cities, be that Dublin or Disney, you really do need to take a trip to El Paso. Or Bakersfield for that matter. Heat, dust, single wide trailers, plenty of illegal dumping.

Do a google maps search for Dell City, TX, and use street view to be your tour guide.

Laredo would be much worse

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Worse than Dell City? Did you look that town up?

Okay, Miami Florida. HELLATIOUSLY hot. HELLATIOUSLY humid. Flat. Did I mention it is HELLATIOUSLY hot and humid?

I'll take Miami over Houston, or Atlanta. Same weather. Actually, Houston is worse. It's super hot and humid, and pancake flat as well, but in Miami you get some trade winds, and you have fairly nice beaches where you can get into the ocean, pretty much right in town. More concrete, asphalt, traffic and smog in Houston.

Though I will say the people in Houston are actually fairly friendly for a big city. Miami, half the people in that town are just weird. Just a strange mish-mash of people.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Lovely Dell City, just outside of scenic El Paso:

Let's go shopping:

Here's the scenery TexPat mentioned, just north of El Paso.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I would never live in bangkok. might be a bit of a surprise but it is too crazy for me and not a very clean place at all.

 

[Boeing]

I would never live in bangkok. might be a bit of a surprise but it is too crazy for me and not a very clean place at all.

clearly you never had a nuru massage

 

[TexPat]

Lovely Dell City, just outside of scenic El Paso:

Let's go shopping:

Here's the scenery TexPat mentioned, just north of El Paso.

Now, Alpe--you're just taking the p!ss aren't you? The scenery I'm referring to is much further north or south. El Paso is in the middle of an absolute wasteland. Still, the desert has its charm.
Dell City on the other hand...
Laredo? Egads!
Let's face it. Most of Texas is a sh!th0le. Like Siberia, except hotter.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Yeah, I had to have a little fun at your expense, now that you're living quite a ways from the "Tex" homeland.

 

[redtreviso]

Hobbs New Mexico is pretty ghastly

 

[Anonymous]

clearly you never had a nuru massage

That made me laugh.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

While we're talkin' Texas, let's not forget Big Tuna, home of Bobby Peru:

 

[krebs303]

Some of the people making posts of European cities, be that Dublin or Disney, you really do need to take a trip to El Paso. Or Bakersfield for that matter. Heat, dust, single wide trailers, plenty of illegal dumping.

Bakersfield is paradise compared to Taft.
I actually used to go to Bakersfield for the weekend.
You only go to Taft to drill oil or buy meth.

 

[craig1985]

Nice thread, I think there is a difference between living in a city and visiting a city, it also depends on your personal circumstances, environment and experience in each place. I come from the sticks in Ireland but spent over 4 years living in Birmingham, UK followed by 18 months in Portland, Maine, US. I then returned to Ireland, living in Dublin for a year. Off on my travels again to Sydney, Australia for a year. I have also spent a month in Granada, Spain and two weeks in Barcelona. Also lived in the small city of Tournai in Belgium for a year in between.

Birmingham was the college years for me and a huge cultural shock coming from the sticks. It has changed so much since I first went there, the city centre has been totally revamped. Personally I dont think its that bad , perhaps because I have good memories from there.

Portland seems a strange place for some but I had the best 18 months of my life there, I loved it so much. I have been back many times since, sometimes I dont get why I loved it, others I totally get it.

Dublin, I hated simple as that, dull, grey, not much of interest. Perhaps influenced by bad social experiences there after being abroad for so long.

Sydney I liked a lot even if I wasnt toatally happy there, must have been the Aussies Lots of cool places and things to see.

Granada and Barcelona I loved, both times I was studying Spanish so lots of partying as well but still both cities are fantastic.

Tournai in Belgium will have many scratching their head but I loved it there even though I couldnt speak much French, nice little Grand Place with Beffroi and the huge Cathedral dominating everything. Fantastic place for travelling in Europe or even better, getting to bike races, the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix only 10 miles away. The last stage of Circuit Franco-Belge finished 100m from my front door.

In summary, I think I prefer smaller cities like Portland, Granada or Tournai, decent size but easy to reach the countryside also with nice architecture and history.

I must have visited over 150 cities all over the world, most recently I hit Rio, La Paz, Cusco, Asuncion, Montevideo, Salta, Buenos Aires on a two month excursion in South America Jan/Feb.

Its hard to pick one city, I could say Asuncion which was deserted when I was there, most Asian cities frizzle your brain so dont think I would want to live in any of them or indeed most African cities. Even though I have never been to Johannedburg, it sounds worse than most in the world. I didnt have a single problem in Rio or never felt unsafe even though I was very paranoid and cautious based on all the stories, I stayed in Leblon so maybe that impacted on things.

So, being more realistic and sticking with first world cities, I will go with Dublin. I am back living in the sticks in Ireland but most of my friends live in Dublin and I visit then regularly and they always want me to move there, better job opportunites, more cultured, more modern etc but I still refuse to make the jump so....Dublin it is.

Did you do Yungas Road on a mtb? A co-worker of mine did it last year, and it was a case of you go over the edge, then you are history, literally. Me being me, I would love to do that.

As for me, aside for much of Northern Africa, I wouldn't live in Liepāja, Latvia. There are some incredibly beautiful women there (out of my league though), but it's flat and freaking windy as anything.

I wouldn't live in the outback Queensland towns of Cloncurry and Mount Isa, both are stinking hot in summer and far too many locals resemble Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel for my liking.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Bakersfield is paradise compared to Taft.

You are correct, and I'm truly sorry you had to live in Taft. But like Dell City, Texas, no one knows where Taft is (probably "nicer" houses in Taft than Dell City). But yes, it's an unreal hellhole, void of anything. I too would live in Bakersfield before Taft.

 

[RedheadDane]

Any huge city with congestion and pollution. It can't be too hot either.

 

[Cobblestones]

Never been there myself, but I was told by someone who has that Lagos/Nigeria is pretty much the closest you can get to hell on earth.

 

[craig1985]

Has that person been to Mogadishu?

 

[L'arriviste]

Bakersfield is paradise compared to Taft.
I actually used to go to Bakersfield for the weekend.
You only go to Taft to drill oil or buy meth.

This reminded me of that Whicker's World episode in which the eponymous hero visited Coober Pedy in Australia.