Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Have you guys ever been to a place that you thought you would hate but actually enjoyed it?
Maybe you had to go on a Business trip, take care of family business, maybe had a long layover, in a place that you never really wanted to go, based on stereotypes, generalizations, stuff you may hear about in the media, or from friends, pictures on the internet, but while you were there you realize it was actually better then you thought it would be?
That place for me is Charlotte, NC I had a long layover. I heard so much about North Carolina. Right when I got off the plane I knew that I was entering the southeast. Some had the southern/(country??) accent.
"Honey, Sweetie, Son."
I got a chance to walk around the city, talk to people. The people were pretty polite. Though I was there for only a few hours it seemed to pretty clean. The food was good, prices actually weren't too bad.
My Sister went to New Mexico, Mainly Albuquerque and Roswell(UFO Fans).
We were concerned the whole time she was there, we heard so much in the news about "Invading Mexican Gangs," Kidnappings, Right Wing Radicals in Arizona and Texas, we just assumed guilt by shared borders.
She had a blast, had no issues what so ever. Made a few friend share some pictures brought home a load of souvenirs.
On paper, Dallas isn't my type of city. I like cold weather cities. I prefer my cities to be on the coast (or at least a large body of water) and have a great public transit network in addition to being walkable. Boston, San Francisco, New York, DC, Philly, etc. are what I consider to be "ideal." So heading into Dallas, I wasn't expecting to really like it (didn't expect to hate it, either).
I loved it. Not because it surprised me by fitting into some of the criteria for my ideal cities (DART was mediocre, poor even for a city that size, there was no water in sight, outside of a few small pockets, it's not particularly walkable, etc); but because it worked very well in its own way. The people were friendly, fun and outgoing. While I couldn't rely on transit to get around, renting and driving a car was cheap and easy. The food I had was fantastic (from Truck Stop tacos to authentic German food to yes, great BBQ) and even some of the neighborhoods outside of downtown were fun (with walkable centers). Dallas introduced me to Whirleyball which may be the greatest game ever known to mankind.
I wouldn't move to Dallas. It still doesn't fit what I'm looking for in a city. However, I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying it. I'd definitely go back.
I was expecting some mixed emotions about San Francisco. Online sources, stereotypes, etc told me that the people were snobbish and unfriendly. Instead, I found strangers to be approachable, smiling, and even keen for a quick conversation. People riding their bikes past me said "excuse me" more times than a Southerner with a shopping cart!
I was only there for 10 hours but I approached and talked to a lot of strangers on the street, on trams, and at bus stations. Partially because I was curious/needed advice and partially because it had been a year since I had been in an English-speaking city. I know people's friendliness was because I was a tourist and they found my travels interesting, but I've been a tourist in dozens of cities and was very impressed by SF.
I also loved the architecture, seafood, and vistas but I already knew I would like those.
Orange County, Calif. My job sent me there for half a year, and I dreaded the move.
I thought I would hate it because it was swarming with rabid conservatives and racist cops.
While they do exist there, there are also wonderful, openminded, intelligent people in OC as well. And the first cop I ran into in Newport Beach, where I lived and was warned to be scared of the police, was black.
It was one of the nicest, most beautiful places I ever lived, and I didn't want to leave. In fact, I'd move back there to raise my family in a heartbeat.
Salt Lake City. I had no idea what to expect before I visited, but I pleasantly surprised. I definitely recommend it for anyone who wants a blend of skiing and nearby city amenities on their next vacation.
-The city is very clean and very pretty. The mountains are beautiful. I also remember seeing lots of green and trees, which is a pleasant surprise when you compare it to other mountain west cities (which tend to be more brown).
-Downtown has nice architecture and is well-maintained. Despite being a young/western city, there's actually a lot of character and history in the architecture. You will see some cookie-cutter suburbs, but even in the suburbs, the homes appear to be built well, and everything looks nice.
-There are no bad areas. The areas that the locals describe as being "bad" are actually very nice compared to the ghettos you'll see in any other city.
-Everyone was very nice and polite. I don't think I met a single rude person while I was there.
-I'm not Mormon. Before I visited, I was afraid that religion would be pushed on me all the time and that people would treat me differently for not belonging to the church. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. The LDS culture is very obvious in some small ways (you'll notice if you try to buy alcohol, etc.), but no one ever asked me about my religious affiliation while I was there, and I never felt like I didn't belong. Granted, it might be different if you live there - I have no idea.
Though I'll admit, I simply drove through on my way West, I was pleasantly surprised at Wisconsin along I90 and the first part of Minnesota. Some of it was truly beautiful, especially near Lake Onalaska. That area really shocked me. After I got out of the hillier part of Minnesota I found it pretty boring, though not bad or anything. And it's not like I expected to hate driving through, I just hadn't really expected anything. I'd like to go back some time when I can stay longer.
I had a meeting in Omaha last year. I was expecting the normal middle of the country blandness, flat and boring. Omaha was a really cool city actually, and I tell people all the time how underrated it is. Home to plenty of large companies, great parks, and the Old Market district was nice. Downtown Omaha has a lot of work to do though, but I found the riverfront to be ok. Omaha has a lot of suprising potential considering it is in Nebraska.
Pittsburgh. I went there on business a couple of years ago. Was expecting a dirty, run-down steel town. Instead, it was really an attractive city.
I vote Pittsburgh as well. Even though my expectations were probably greater than yours, it exceeded them. I was not prepared for "quaint" and "picturesque".
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
