What's your least favourite city in the world?

[blueflamenco]

1. Cairo, Egypt - the complete absence of altruism
2. Lagos, Nigeria - 18,000,000 people, 8 sealed roads
3. Papeete, Tahiti - the orifice of obesity
4. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei - spend a day, bored by lunch.
5. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - the opposite of fun

Those people that have nominated LA, Johannesburg and Bombay are perhaps trying to use humour.

Or perhaps we are not as well traveled as yourself! LA is my least favourite but I can't say I have been to any of the above mentioned and the question was "your" least favourite city.

 

[straitman]

Or perhaps we are not as well traveled as yourself! LA is my least favourite but I can't say I have been to any of the above mentioned and the question was "your" least favourite city.

I have to agree with blueflamenco that there are possible worse places than those mentioned but we each need to post from our own experience.

 

[Cocitus23]

I can't believe that no one else has nominated Johannesburg. That's a big, violent, ugly hole of a place with no redeeming features that i've discovered.

777, you have hit it on the head. Johannesburg must win this one, at least for commonly visited cities. Getting off the main line though, Antananarivo is right down there with the worst (save for some surprisingly good French restaurants.)

Cocitus 23.

 

[onlycopunk]

Worst city for me would have to be Auckland. Completely overrated, sprawled, and way too expensive for what you get in return.

 

[browski]

Johannesburg must win this one, at least for commonly visited cities.

I'm not sure what this means? "commonly visited cities"?
Saudi Arabia and Cairo have way more visitors than Johannesburg

In Johannesburg, have you not been to the trendy coffee chops and restaurants of Melville?
Have you not been to the Johannesburg Lion park?
How about the Cullinan Diamond mine. Can't play legspin, but he's super rich.
How about Carnivore restaurant? Maybe politically incorrect, but unique.
How about Car Jacking and murder? That's exciting. Gee hard to please some people..

 

[Grooba]

Los Angeles.
Americas Toilet Bowl.

Agreed 110%. LA is a great place to transit through and that is it.

 

[notzac]

3. Toronto... got quite sick there on my last trip
2. Christchurch... senior citizen capital of NZ
1. Maryborough... is that a city? Hideous place

Interesting. I absolutely loved Toronto - I found people really friendly, PATH is a great idea, the Royal Ontario Museum is a fun way to kill most of a day and there are some really good restaurants for the evenings as well. Christchurch is way too quiet for my liking, but enough good food and drink to keep me entertained for a weekend

I've only been to Maryborough once, and that was enough for one lifetime ..

Agreed 110%. LA is a great place to transit through and that is it.

:shock: LAX .. to transit through? Srsly? I'm sure I could think up some redeeming features of Los Angeles if I tried really hard, but the airport isn't one of them ..

I'm actually having difficulties trying to think of a city I really didn't like. I try to spend no more than a weekend in either LA or Sydney, but I don't specifically hate either of them.

 

[haydensydney]

Interesting. I absolutely loved Toronto

I guess if I wasn't sick, and didn't have to find a doctor open on a public holiday (fun times) I may have enjoyed myself lol.... mind you, Niagra Falls was nice - so thats a redeeming feature (oh thats right - I really hated the room we had at the Intercontinental - livid!)

 

[DrAndyC]

For mine if you throw around LA then you toss Sydney in as well. At least LA shows some form of planning took place, Sydney just grew and now can't deal with itself. It's roads, sewer and stormwater systems are just cough and can't handle the population.

Away from the harbour Sydney is a very tired, old and dirty looking place. I used to be proud to say I grew up there now I'm just happy to leave the place.

I guess you can find good and bad in every city. Reykjavic and Tokyo are great to visit but very expensive so that puts me off going to either of those cities again. I really enjoyed a short stint in DC but the locals there tell me it's a boring place.

Reykjavik was half the price of what it was a few years ago (I was only there 6 weeks ago)..and compared to my time there in 2007 it was much more affordable.

I find Niagara (if we can count it as a city) as my least favourite....and LA would be there too. I dont like Jo'burg either for that matter.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Blackpool ( not sure if it's a city but certainly hideous ), Birmingham although perhaps redeemed a little by the Cadbury factory and number one on my list Detroit.

 

[oobi doobi]

Agree with LA and Johannesburg. Have also been to Kumgansan in North Korea, the scariest place I have been to. The worst in my experience was Tehran during ramadan. Can't think of one thing going for that city.

 

[Keith009]

Your post made me think about how we weigh up a city and why we judge a certain city as our least favourite.

I would have never thought to judge a city solely by the way people dress or by the lack of a ... Prada store.

I've never found sales to be that essential to the process.

I've never really judged a city by the style of dress of the inhabitants. I think it has a lot to do with the area of the city that one spends most of their time in. For instance, when I lived in NYC, I rarely found it necessary to go south of about 50th street or west of CPW, unless I was going to an airport. If you spend your life in the Upper East side, it's a lot different to living in the Village, and so is the general standard of personal presentation.

Sales aren't essential but desirable. I like getting the new season's collections the moment they're launched. But unless you're in a high powered fashion career, are a fashion influencer with Wintour as your last name, or earn enough to buy everything at full price, most of us mere mortals would have to contend with sale season for much of the time. Like my brand new Lanvin patent leather laptop bag at 70% off. And still come back to Oz with lots of stuff nobody else has.

Though I have to say sometimes it's far better having 'real' sales where actual bargains are to be had than the faux ongoing sales we see in Oz and the US. Case in point - Saks in SF has had a 'Designer clearance sale from 60% off - last chance' since I first got here in April.

My love of anything fashion-related is what motivates me to travel (the other would be wine but so far that's only taken me to several Aussie towns and the Napa Valley). Other than actually shopping, I find it fun to people -watch and mentally catalogue. Much more exciting than living through GQ or the Satorialist vicariously (though yes I do spend heaps of time on those too anyway! ). My perspectives of various cities is hence shaped accordingly.

And yes, I'd probably have a v different idea of LA if I spent any extended periods of time outside a few select neighbourhoods (WeHo, Marina Del Rey, Abbot Kinney Blvd, the non-touristy bits of Santa Monica).... just as in Melbourne there are certain suburbs I'd never venture to.

 

[drron]

Keith you are not looking enough in the Good Ole USA.There are some spectacular sales.Just have to know where and when to look.EG Mrsdrron got Armani skirts at less than people pay for the knock offs in Vietnam.

 

[laffer]

Adelaide and Frankfurt!

 

[Keith009]

Keith you are not looking enough in the Good Ole USA.There are some spectacular sales.Just have to know where and when to look.EG Mrsdrron got Armani skirts at less than people pay for the knock offs in Vietnam.

I was referring to the "mainstream" sales by the big retailers. But yes I agree the best sales are to be had at sample sales, or discount outlets in the middle of nowhere - had a great time at Cabazon (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6) on my last visit to LA even though I saved twice as much as I'd intended to spend. :mrgreen:

 

[drron]

I was referring to the "mainstream" sales by the big retailers. But yes I agree the best sales are to be had at sample sales, or discount outlets in the middle of nowhere - had a great time at Cabazon (Desert Hills Premium Outlets) on my last visit to LA even though I saved twice as much as I'd intended to spend. :mrgreen:

Spoken like a true shopper.Mrsdrron would be proud.

 

[k_sheep]

Hmmmm....
Saigon - just horrible people in general. No matter how much of an effort you make to respect and not bother them, they'll spit at you.
Florence - if you don't like art, boring as hell. Spent an afternoon, saw everything I wanted ... then wondered what to do for the next 3 days (laundry, was the answer).
Sydney / London - so overpriced, people with attitude problems. Mind you, I loved the natural history museum.

 

[Keith009]

\
Florence - if you don't like art, boring as hell. Spent an afternoon, saw everything I wanted ... then wondered what to do for the next 3 days (laundry, was the answer).

*crosses Florence off my list*

 

[medhead]

Hmmmm....
Saigon - just horrible people in general. No matter how much of an effort you make to respect and not bother them, they'll spit at you.

Well they did win the war.....

 

[medhead]

*crosses Florence off my list*

Don't do that. Art lover or not. David is a must see. Just don't spend 3 days there. I had half a day and I enjoyed it. After 3 days that would change.