The United States is a vast country with so much to offer: gorgeous national parks, friendly people, excellent customer service and 24-hour diners that will serve you a beautiful breakfast plate at 2am that you’ll never forget. And while news cycles often highlight the nation's wildest and least attractive qualities, the truth is that plenty of people around the world actually love the good old USA.
Reddit users have been sharing what they cherish most about the US and Americans, so we’ve gathered some of their most wholesome replies below. From thick and creamy milkshakes to public restrooms that are always free, enjoy reading about some of the best perks of living in the 'Melting Pot', and be sure to upvote the replies you agree with!
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As an european who has done two roadtrips across the states, the main thing i will remember fondly for the rest of my days is how friendly people in the states are. I talked with busy new yorkers and with homeless folks, had a f*****g bbq in Detroit ghetto with the neighbourhood. I spent the night on a farm in Southern Iowa. Clubbing in Vegas, smoking and chilling in LA.
I had long conversations with people who are so far apart from eachother on the political and financial spectrum that its harder to get it any wider, but i didnt met a single person who didnt treat us very nicely. On top of the hospitality, the smalltalk and s**t felt so good when you come from a country where you are considered a f*****g lunatic if you actually say anything else than "hi" to a stranger on the bus.
That country has it's problems, but my f*****g god what a place it is to travel around as a tourist. I'd recommend the roadtripping for anyone who likes to travel. The country is huge and you get to see everything from deserts into snowy mountains, 50 people villages into massive cities.
Sorry if my english sucks, not my native language.
Edit: i also miss some of the restaurants and the overall superb customer service. You dont get that anywhere else.
I would not have guessed english wasn't your first language. About every other year, I get to spend time with someone from the UK here in the US and occasionally with someone from Australia. It is enlightening to hear their points of view and they generally echo your observations, which, is why it's so annoying when BP puts up posts designed to bring out trolls who don't add anything to the conversation except their bad attitude.
Southern BBQ. Goddamn, you guys know your ribs
I once had a long layover in Birmingham and went to a random barbecue place to grab supper. OMG I still dream about those ribs!
The Americans I've worked with have been totally unlike the brash and loud idiots we see on US TV. They have been kind, sensitive, intelligent, thoughtful and very encouraging.
EXACTLY! I've lived here all my life and am still surprised when I meet people like this!
What I loved about Americans I met is the encouragement to try new things.
Like: "Just go for it. If it works, great. If it doesn't, you gained experience."
Here in Germany it's more: "Nah, rather be careful. If you dare to fail, you are a loser that we won't ever trust with responsbilities again."
Works with some things. Not with others. Example- try making your own rocket bike.
The fuggin hash browns in diners. I just love them. And even when i find grated hash browns outside of the US it's never quite as good.
American diners don't do fancy. They do old-fashioned comfort food, and they do it better than anyone else on the planet.
This depends a bit on where in the US you are and also in the pre-covid times, but Americans hug a lot compared to Asians and it makes me feel really fuzzy on the inside
We need 18 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth. (I get 0 most days, more than 18 when I see my nephew 😊)
Not being racist. America is actually a pretty tolerant place compared to the rest of the world. Go pay a visit to India, Russia, Japan, or South Africa and then get back to me.
I'll probably get downvoted to Hell and back for this, but Japan is actually one of the most racist, xenophobic countries on the planet.
Your outdoors.
The sheer size of the country means there are so many national parks with a large variety of sceneries.
That said, the sheer size of the country also means you’ll be putting the same amount of effort getting there compared to me visiting a neighbouring country.
Culture is somewhat similar so it makes planning / communication easier, though you’re not exposing yourself to other cultures.
I agree that the size of the combined 48 (continuous) states means traveling between different regions takes the same amount of effort as visiting different regions of the 44 European countries. The OP is wrong, however, about the culture being somewhat similar across the US. ... The fact there is a (mostly) common language disguises the differences for tourists. Tourists probably aren't visiting places where all of the advertising/billboards are in Spanish, or visiting a city's "Chinatown", or visiting where the vast majority of residents are black/African American. Europe has different European cultures, but the US has different European cultures plus ones from Asia, Africa and South America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . While on the surface it might seem like the citizens of Vermont (who always elect socialist/Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders) are the same as those in western South Carolina, they are as different as a typical resident of Sweden vs Hungary.
The fact that yelling 'yee-haw' in a country setting will almost always be met with whooping, hollering, and other 'yee-haw's. I live in the US, but am from Ireland. I live in Arizona.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-
When they do something, they go all out and really commit to it. Very enthusiastic people.
Depends on what it is, for me. I love sports, but I can't stand die hard fans. I love all sorts of movie franchises, but I can't stand people who have very strong opinions and consider differing ones to be wrong. "Fully committing" to something can mean different things to different people.
i love the way you've been protesting against police brutality and racism. solidarity from the UK
As simple as saying good morning when i walk past. Goes a long way
I really like that you do proper lemonade.
If you ask for lemonade in Australia, if you're lucky you get Kirk's or Gest, if you're unlucky you get Sprite, but you're definitely getting something clear and fizzy that has never in its existence met a lemon.
As a Brit I love it when I’m in the states and I’ll get talking to an American and they’ll ask me like 200 questions about Britain you know the usual stuff about the queen and what we call things like trolly instead of shopping cart. I genuinely love it and it’s so funny seeing their faces when they hear some of my answers
I was staying with someone in a fairly remote bit of New Mexico. His wife was a nurse at the local school. I was asked to give a talk to the 7-8 year olds about England and the UK. Most of the kids had barely travelled outside their own state, let alone abroad. It was seen as a real experience for them to meet an English person.
Americans can me very upbeating. The casual good mood when it comes to business is so refreshing compared to the always negative swiss/german opinions
As a guy from Turkey i can say
- they are really easy going and encoureging about talking and blending in. Some europeans and asians can be cold at first so thats a big plus.
- even though they are not well informed about geography or states of other regions, they are willing to ask and learn. Which matters a lot actually.
- and they are really thick skinned. Can take a joke or two. Unlike , Turkey :) or some european states. ( Years of dark humour may ve helped this for usa too)
Sorry if i made some mistakes.
i like their dark humor, they r rlly funny for me i made tons of friends from USA on the internet. GODDAMN they understood my humor unlike the other people. I think its rlly cool to have friends that understands u and accepted u for being a crazy mf
Americans I’ve met are usually a delight to talk to. Very upbeat and talkative from my experience.
I still remember a conversation I had with a small family who were on holiday on holiday where I live. They basically told me their life story and what they were up to that day. Didn’t know them but it made my commute home more interesting.
For me hands down it has to be milkshakes. Oreo milkshakes are the god dammn best thing that I have experienced when I came to America (I’m from Mexico). It can be midnight and I can just go to a fast food place and order any milkshake I want. It’s so simple but it sure is amazing.
Visited America with my family when I was 16. Almost everyone who talked to us would end the conversation with, 'Have a good one!' It was really nice hearing it all the time, and I use the phrase all the time now.
Such amazing food, and even better food service. The American restaurant experience is truly heaven.
They're friendly and invite you to stuff. Maybe it's not 100% genuine, but at least they pretend to like you while figuring out of they like you or not.
I was staying in New York with a online friends. A friend of theirs was celebrating his 50th birthday by inviting about 20 of his friends to a little Italian restaurant. My hosts were invited so I got invited along too. He knew nothing whatsoever about me, other than that we had mutual friends, but I was treated like a special guest he was delighted to have at his birthday party - he paid for all the food, including my meal. It was good food too.
Americans make the best stoner foods, they take loads of fast food and smash it together and it tastes amazing
Fried chicken sandwiches, they got it mastered.
Saying this as a Canadian I’ve always found Americans to genuinely be so friendly. Depends on the place but in some places I’ve found the people to be friendlier than those back home in Canada. Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas and the entire state of Hawaii were places I found to have really friendly people. Some places weren’t this way but I won’t list them
I love the US and Americans. My husband and I (29M&31F from Germany) always had an amazing time on our various trips to America and even got married there. The people are so friendly & laidback. Next on our list are Texas & Louisiana! See you after Covid.
Lived in Louisiana for about 10 years(originally from Canada) You will LOVE it there!! Ugh...I miss it every day! Lol! The people, the culture, the food. I know what it means, to miss New Orleans ❤️
They talk to strangers. I have just moved back to a country where people don’t do that and I hate it.
I have no shame in picking up a conversation with someone. I would be SOOOOOO annoying in other countries. Lol
Their positive attitude and positive thinking. That's amazing and something that my country will probably never learn.
Also... I love that america is a general popculture bastion. I would love to live in USA
For me personally? The schools and the school system. I moved here about 12 years ago from SA when I was still a kid and yes while the education (meaning: what you learned in class and how stricter rules were) was much better where I’m from imo i was so shocked that schools here had soooo many clubs and after school programs/activities and even classes? i can’t imagine taking theater as a 12 year old over there!! i also love how involved parents are in school events and programs there was also a lot of involvement from parents where i grew up don’t get me wrong but it’s different here i also really love how teachers decorate their classrooms a lot more? I haven’t been in an actually school in years but i have the fondest memories of my 5th grade class being so decorated and pretty lol im a cornball but really appreciate American teachers for that
That it’s not unusual to air condition your home, nobody bats an eye.
Germans are so penny pinchers when it comes to that. It’s a big deal if you have home A/C
Although in Germany, I can see how it would be considered a luxury, whereas in some parts of the US it's as important for survival as having heat.
Complain.
I know it sounds weird but it's something you'll notice when you live in a passive country.
It's normal here to work Monday to Monday, not get paid overtime and work multiple jobs at once but be paid for the lowest one. It's insane. They just bend over and take it. Americans, at least, make a scene as much as they can when s**t seems unfair for them. Even if sometimes it's something stupid.
As an undercover Canadian living in the US, I find they like buying beers for strangers.
2 things I immediately thought of 1. Bbq I've eaten in a number of different bbq places and they've all been great. We have a few in the UK but nothing like the States. Oh and independent burger places where the burgers are homemade in house there is nothing like that here. I'm on a mobile ( cell) phone so excuse the block of writing. 2. Being able to turn right on a red light if it's clear. Turning left at a red is the equivalent here. It's a great idea and works really well. I guess that 3 things not 2!!
The fact they have some pride in their country.
Here in Britain it's considered a bad thing to wave or display our national flag other than with a few exceptions like sporting events and royal weddings. Even saying you are 'proud to be British' is considered some kind of far right dog-whistle or something. We are instead supposed to just sit there quietly contemplating all our failings and feeling bad about things our distant ancestors did 200 years ago. We have taken self-loathing to a new level.
Every country has bad history. You're not responsible for anyone's actions but your own. If you're great-great-great-great grandfather robbed a bank or something, that's not on you.
Thoughts from an Australian that has visited the USA:
American BBQ is fantastic. I still haven't had brisket anywhere near as good since coming home.
Your large population has allowed for more flavour choices to sell well enough to be profitable to produce. As an example, here in Australia we get none of the Bacardi flavours and only a handful of the flavoured vodkas (I'm talking bottles, not pre-mixes, btw) - your stores have six or seven different flavoured white Bacardis and an entire wall of flavoured vodkas. (Also, anyone coming to Australia that is willing to use their duty free to bring me Bacardi Banana, please hit me up - that stuff is amazing, but import duties are nearly AUD$40 per bottle to get shipped here).
American Football is without a doubt the best sport on Earth. Harder hits, more athleticism and much more cerebral than rugby, soccer or AFL. That sport was great enough to inspire me to travel across the globe and build a holiday around the concept of getting to see my Packers play live just once.
Your people - when they choose to be - can be some of the most giving, lovely, helpful people.
That Southern Belle accent is ridiculously hot. It is kryptonite to my will-power.
Never seen Bacardi Banana, but you can get Bacardi Raspberry and Bacardi Coconut. Captain Morgan has a few funky flavours too. But the point about bigger population providing opportunities to have a wider range of products is definitely true. There's a lot of stuff I wish we could get here but we just don't have enough people to make it viable.
Really talkative, positive and confident. I also really like your patriotism. I am from England and I couldnt really care less about the monarchy but oooo boy do you guys love your flag
Edit: I love my country and I am proud to be English. I would fight for our way of life. I just dont feel anything for the royal family
It's mostly the older folks who like the monarchy - according to opinion polls and my own personal experience. The rest of us really are not that bothered about them and many would like them gone.
Most of the non-political stuff that comes out of America is pretty exceptional. I like American culture, media and tech in general.
I’m American, but I live in Europe. Something that always astounds my European friends is the fact that I have a driver’s license. In the area of Europe where I live, it can cost something like €2000 to get licensed, so I’ve had several Europeans express jealousy that so many Americans are able to drive.
(Of course, in America it’s a necessity to learn how to drive, since our public transportation is terrible.)
As an Asian that has never been to America but has a close online friend from America, it's their humour.
Haircuts, Barbers: a majority of hair professionals are very much above average. Never had a bad haircut there. Never.
Friendly. Open. Honest (as in they say whats on thier mind and not layer it like Europeans)
Thank you to all of the posters on this thread — I always thought we just looked like stupid loud idiots to everyone else in the world.
I heard the community colleges/ junior colleges don’t exist in some other countries. I spoke to someone who failed their exams for university in their country and they’re basically f****d. In the US you could probs have an easier time fixing your life with CC
Depends on the country of course. In Australia there are private and public universities and TAFE college. You can get credit for courses at the cheaper places that still count towards degrees. TAFE used to be more trade skill oriented, but it has a much wider range now (maybe it always did but wasn't perceived that way). Even the "standard" universities range in quality/reputation/price greatly.
Their entertainment is top notch! TV, movies, sports, Broadway, music
American patriotism is both unnerving and very entertaining - once visited a Navy airbase in North Carolina and the gigantic sign outside, 4ft letters hewn from rock read “pardon our noise; it’s the sound of freedom” I had no idea team America was basically a documentary 😉
That sort of uber-patriotism (which is phony as hell IMHO) is found mainly among right-wingers. The rest of us are a bit more laid back about it. ;-)
They make good memes.
Y E S. can be offensive and brutally offensive anddddddddddddddd dark.. i fking love it
I find that Britain really has a mindset where people resent others for doing well. There's still a remnant of the "know your place" attitude which manifests as wanting to see successful people "brought back to Earth". I really like that the US doesn't see aspirational as a dirty word.
American football. Might sound weird, but I like watching NFL.
It doesn't sound weird. Sports are sports. Enjoy whichever one interests you.
Small cars with stupidly big engines.
Car culture. Racing. Show cars. Supercars. The lot. Which made it so surprising when American Top Gear sucked so bad.
Their cars, i mean, the Chevy Corvette is f*****g awesome, and the whole thing with trucks is pretty cool too. Not to mention their racing series, the Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of motorsports, and the NHRA drag racing is crazy
There's a lot of rich-shaming in Europe, especially in France. Now, I'm not going to clap for billionaire clearly exploiting their exployee in giant society like Amazon, but I do respect succesful people who worked hard and get money out of it.
In France, you're shamed for having a nice car. In US, you're applauded. This is the spirit ! Other people success is not a threat to your life, it's an inspiration
Why is it always "People share what they like/dislike about the US" or "US citizens share what they like/dislike about Europe/the rest of the world"? Why not "What the Dutch people like/dislike about Germans" or "What the French think of French Canada"?
Agreed. It is rarely ever anything new that comes up. Mostly the same things are disliked and liked everytime. It is nice to see positive, but it is still same old, same old. Would love to read about other countries and cultures that are far less known.
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I love Americans in general. I'm British but I've worked for an American corporation for most of my career. The American attitude of "we can get this done!" is admirable, but their best quality is their friendliness. Once, stuck in a hotel alone in CT at Thanksgiving (my flight home was cancelled). The hotel manager invited me to his parents house for Thanksgiving. I was a stranger to them but his family took me like an old friend. I had the best time and, 25 years later, we still exchange greetings and news. And it was an enormous pleasure to help out one of their cousins who got into trouble here in the UK.
It's cool that you still have a relationship with them. Spending Thanksgiving and Christmas alone is not something we like people to do.
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This post comes after another that was something like “people share what they dislike about the US”, and it’s giving ‘not all men’ vibes. Right now, in the US, the Human Rights Campaign has declared a state of emergency for LGBTQIA ppl, because they’re being attacked and killed, their kids are being abducted, they’re medical care is being banned…even speaking about LGBTQIA is becoming illegal. LGBTQIA from other countries are being warned not to visit for their own safety. POC are brutalised and murdered by the police, harassed and attacked in the streets, and the schools are being told not teach their history. Parents are buying bulletproof backpacks for their kids because too many Americans value their guns over the lives of their children. The injured and the sick are being put into life changing debt when they seek help. Half the populations’ rights to decide what to do with their own bodies have been taken away. But at least they have great burgers, right?
The world never, ever lets us forget where we're screwing up, even though there are millions of Americans who are just as angry as you are about what's being allowed to go on in our own country. This site loves to shoehorn in insults and passive-aggressive comments about the US into articles and comments even if it's not relevant. Let us have this one article telling us that not everything about our country is a trainwreck, FFS.
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Why is it always "People share what they like/dislike about the US" or "US citizens share what they like/dislike about Europe/the rest of the world"? Why not "What the Dutch people like/dislike about Germans" or "What the French think of French Canada"?
Agreed. It is rarely ever anything new that comes up. Mostly the same things are disliked and liked everytime. It is nice to see positive, but it is still same old, same old. Would love to read about other countries and cultures that are far less known.
Load More Replies... I love Americans in general. I'm British but I've worked for an American corporation for most of my career. The American attitude of "we can get this done!" is admirable, but their best quality is their friendliness. Once, stuck in a hotel alone in CT at Thanksgiving (my flight home was cancelled). The hotel manager invited me to his parents house for Thanksgiving. I was a stranger to them but his family took me like an old friend. I had the best time and, 25 years later, we still exchange greetings and news. And it was an enormous pleasure to help out one of their cousins who got into trouble here in the UK.
It's cool that you still have a relationship with them. Spending Thanksgiving and Christmas alone is not something we like people to do.
Load More Replies... This post comes after another that was something like “people share what they dislike about the US”, and it’s giving ‘not all men’ vibes. Right now, in the US, the Human Rights Campaign has declared a state of emergency for LGBTQIA ppl, because they’re being attacked and killed, their kids are being abducted, they’re medical care is being banned…even speaking about LGBTQIA is becoming illegal. LGBTQIA from other countries are being warned not to visit for their own safety. POC are brutalised and murdered by the police, harassed and attacked in the streets, and the schools are being told not teach their history. Parents are buying bulletproof backpacks for their kids because too many Americans value their guns over the lives of their children. The injured and the sick are being put into life changing debt when they seek help. Half the populations’ rights to decide what to do with their own bodies have been taken away. But at least they have great burgers, right?
The world never, ever lets us forget where we're screwing up, even though there are millions of Americans who are just as angry as you are about what's being allowed to go on in our own country. This site loves to shoehorn in insults and passive-aggressive comments about the US into articles and comments even if it's not relevant. Let us have this one article telling us that not everything about our country is a trainwreck, FFS.
Load More Replies...