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43 Places In America Travelers Regretted Visiting Almost Immediately
The United States is a massive country. It’s the fourth-largest in the world by land mass and the third-largest by population. Because of this, the nation is home to some of the most exciting and diverse cities in the world. But because the U.S. has nearly 20,000 towns and cities, they can’t all be fascinating. In fact, there are probably some that you’d never want to set foot in.
Travelers on Reddit have recently been discussing their least favorite places in the Land of the Free, so we’ve gathered a list of their replies below. From small towns with nothing to do to big cities with weird vibes, according to these travelers, you can leave these locations off your bucket list.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Pine Ridge, S.D.
My mother is full-blooded Native (Ogalala Lakota Sioux from Pine Ridge, S.D. and also Navajo from Farmington, N.M.) and she had alcoholism & d**g problems, so it was a rough growing up. We moved a ton and stayed 3 steps ahead of CPS so we wouldn't get taken away, and we landed with family on the Pine Ridge rez for a few years when I was 14. Most depressing place I have ever been.
It is basically 3 tiny neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has "gangs" that dont get along with each other, so if you are part of one and are seen in a place you "don't belong", you get jumped. There was nothing to do there but cruise at night and drink and do d***s, and fight each other. My first experience there was a police officer who k****d himself because after he responded to a domestic a***e incident, a small child ran behind his vehicle as he was pulling out, and he k****d the child. The street was called Sesame Street because families let their children run around, barely any clothes, unsupervised. People only cared about their next f*ck or next high, being "gangster" and being bullies. It was so horrifying that I had a little cousin who refused to speak, he would only grunt like an animal. I hated being there, but I am the oldest if 6 and my mom was never around, so I took care of the kids. I dropped out of school in 10th grade (I was years ahead of my grade in school there anyway) because taking care of my siblings was more important than re-learning something I learned already in my last school, years ago.
Thankfully, we got taken away from my mom again when she abandoned us on a drunken trip with a man, and we were taken to live with my Aunty in Bremerton, WA. I promised myself to never go back to Pine Ridge, but I went one time with my little sister because she was a witness in a court case that involved a woman who ahd given our 11 year old cousin m**h, which k****d her after one hit. Thankfully she pleaded guilty and my sister and I went back to WA.
It was literal hell and caused so many issues in my life, especially trusting people and leaning on people. I am very independent and always want to do things on my own, thankfully my husband understands why. An example is when my little sister caught triple pneumonia one winter because we lived in a tiny trailer with no electricity or running water, and my uncle had to fly with her to Rapid City in a hospital helicopter, he left me his EBT card so I could feed the kids, my aunty came to "check on us" that night and stole the EBT card and sold it for d**g money. Another time, an aunt from WA cane to visit family on the rez and she gave me $200 for school clothes (I was still in school at the time) and I was bullied and called a "selfish little b*tch" for not giving money to my aunt for m**h. I know I was 14-17 during all of this, but it was rough before as well because my mother had always been an alcoholic & d**g a****t and was always coming & going, and I was left to raise myself and siblings when they came along. It all really gave me issues with connecting to other people, I always want to be alone and have solitude and never want to work as a team.
I am doing well now, though, with a beautiful family of my own. Thank you for reading, it felt good to get that out.
rhymnocerous:
People have NO IDEA the kind of poverty that exists on Pine Ridge and Roseb
tresgatos72 13 hours ago
This is so tragic - it makes me ill to think of children subjected to this.
RELATED:
#2
Sadly, any reservation I've driven past. It's a shame how Native Americans have been treated.
skaboosh:
I lived in ND and SD, very close to reservations and have had a lot of native friends. There were some bad ones I saw, but man when I went to Arizona with my partner he saw a group of trailers and no lights off a high with destroyed decaying buildings and was like “woah what’s that?” He’s an Iowan and they don’t have rezs there. When I said a reservation he got quiet for a while. Even I was surprised by how devastating and worse they were than the Midwest ones I’ve been to. No street lights in that Arizona darkness made me cry passing through. No one should live in those places. So heartbreaking such strong people with strong culture were forced into these internment camp like places and left to rot. I’ve always been close to native history and it makes my heart hurt.
#3
That place called south of the border between North Carolina and South Carolina.
It’s the stuff nightmares are made of.
LunchMoneyFail:
LOL. You just triggered a great memory. About 20 years ago my then 7 year old son, mom, and I were heading to Hilton Head. 7 year old desperate to shop there convinces me to stop.
We all need to pee. I take my son in. I tell my slightly dementia impaired Mom to go in, pee, come out and wait for me at the door. My son and I come out, wait 5 minutes. No mom.
I realize 2 doors into each bathroom. So I take my son and station him on one corner of the building and I go to the next corner so I can see the side of the building where the second door is located. There is my very white WASP mom being tended to by 7 black women.
They spot me and yell at me - "Are you Frank?" I nod sheepishly and they could not have been nicer. They said they were not going to leave until she was in good hands. As i recall, it was near 100 degrees and humid, so them waiting with her was huge. God knows if mom would have otherwise wandered off.
So yes, SOB is a hole, but the kindness of those women still makes me smile.
For the record, back in the 70's my mom ran a tutoring program at our church for underprivileged kids in Newark. So I come from a long line of woke, bleeding heart, color blind, liberals. Something that I am very proud of!
For decades, the U.S. has been an extremely popular tourism destination. And according to the International Trade Administration, the most popular states for international tourists to visit are New York, Florida, California, Nevada, and Texas. It’s understandable why so many people flock to those states. Lots of visitors want to see Hollywood, Disney World, beaches, stunning national parks, Las Vegas, and real-life cowboys.
But there are plenty of Americans who travel within their own country too, as there are 50 states to explore, and some might be thousands of miles away from home. A 2025 YouGov survey found that the most popular travel destinations for American tourists are New York City, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Miami, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Nashville, and Los Angeles.
#4
Mark another one up for Gary, IN.
I’m a social worker in East Cleveland and my jaw hit the floor while driving through Gary. One home I drove past had no exterior wall and I was literally watching a guy watch TV in his living room from the stoplight.
One-Raccoon8183:
Accidentally getting off the highway and landing in Gary, IN in the middle of the night was terrifying.
We just started ignoring stop lights and signs until we found our way back to the highway.
DoughWrayMe:
I always tell people, they should film the Fallout show in Gary. I mean, they'd have to clean it up a bit to make it feel less apocalyptic but the abandoned brick buildings everywhere are on point
bazjack 15 hours ago
Gary had a particular feeling of dislocation and strangeness for me, the first time I went through. I was 21 years old, on a Greyhound bus, and it was my first trip that crossed time zones. I knew that Chicago was in Central time, but I thought Gary was still in Eastern time, that the time zone followed the state border. So I'm dozing on the bus, I get off at the station in Gary still only half-awake, and all the clocks are wrong? Bus stations are the definition of liminal spaces in any case, and the Gary bus station was even more so.
#5
Cairo, IL, used to be a thriving city on the Mississippi River, but it’s just sad now.
CougarWriter74:
It is depressing what happened to that city. It was once regarded as one of the prettiest towns along the Mississippi River.
2PacTookMyLunchMoney:
Yes, Cairo is a sad story. It could’ve, at the very least, become a decent river town like nearby Paducah or Cape Girardeau, if not something more, had fortune played in its favor. The saddest part is that you can still see the beautiful historic architecture of some of the buildings that have been maintained.
2bit_solutionz:
Drove through here on a road trip. The "gate" with the railroad track you drive under on the north side had a foreboding vibe like it could slam shut behind you haha. It was so deserted feeling you could tell people were around by which of the few vehicles didn't look abandoned, but didn't see anyone walking or driving in the middle of the day. You couldnt tell which buildings or businesses were actually closed. Eerie. Id go back though
#6
East St Louis or Gary, Indiana. Super sketchy feel and look. Glad it was daytime.
nachos_nachas:
When I was driving trough St. Louis with some friends we truly took a wrong exit and ended up in a REAL sketchy area. It was like living in that scene of National Lampoons. No one believes me because it seems so far-fetched.
CougarWriter74:
There's areas of East St. Louis the cops won't even go to. Cops also advise people if you HAVE to drive through ESL and come to a red light or stop sign, ignore it, slow down, look both ways and roll on through but never come to a complete stop. I grew up across the river and 20 miles west in suburban St. Louis County and everyone had an ESL story. Basically if you stayed on IL State Highway 3 you were fine, but if you took the wrong exit or wrong turn, you were screwed.
On the flip side, however, there are some cities that Americans tend to avoid when going on vacation. Now, we certainly don’t think that there’s anything wrong with these destinations. They might be great places to live, and maybe the people traveling through just didn’t know where to go or what to see there.
But if you want to avoid some of the least popular cities in the U.S., Jen at A Magical Mess compiled a list of destinations that might not be worth the stress of visiting due to high crime rates, public intoxication, or difficulties getting around the city. She notes that Memphis, St. Louis, Detroit, Baltimore, New Orleans, San Francisco, Houston, Philadelphia, Little Rock, and Milwaukee aren’t usually tourists' favorite places. But, of course, you can always go for yourself and form your own opinion!
#7
Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Makes me chuckle a bit when people complain about homeless encampments in other cities and it’ll be like 10-20 tents.
Sea_Surprise716:
Same with the Tenderloin in SF. There’s a whole neighborhood of hundreds of people that live on the sidewalk. Doing normal stuff like cooking (over a barrel fire), getting haircuts, borrowing stuff from neighbors, etc. just happens to be that they’re living in tents or nesting in bundles of old clothes.
dulcetdreamer:
Drove through here during my first time in LA and, even being from NYC, I've never seen anything like that. It was sad more than anything, people lost on d***s, tents in the middle of the sidewalk, a whole other world just outside of the car. My partner compared it to El Bronx in Colombia. Definitely had a moment of gratitude for all I have now because, truly, anyone can find themselves in this position at any time.
Laszlo Larthlanc 7 hours ago
Because I lived within bicycling distance at the time, I decided -- for no discernible good reason -- to ride my bike through Downtown L.A, at just a little after 2:00 in the morning. I passed through a lot of the worst areas, but for some reason never felt afraid even though I remained highly alert. Not one person bothered me, or even paid much attention to me, and I did not see a single LAPD vehicle from the time I left home until the time I returned 2 hours later. Odd kind of night, and I never felt the need to repeat it.
#8
I’ve visited many depressing and rough places in the US, but Cancer Alley stuck with me the most. Cancer Alley is an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River in Louisiana, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, known for having one of the highest concentrations of petrochemical plants in the Western Hemisphere. The region has become infamous for unusually high rates of cancer, respiratory diseases, and other health problems linked to toxic industrial emissions.
#9
I took a wrong exit and ended up in Camden, NJ one time.
BrewertonFats:
My mom and aunt were on a Greyhound bus that passed through there back in the mid-90's. The bus randomly got sh*t at. My mom was having a panic attack, but she said most of the people aboard didn't even look shocked.
PhilyMick67:
It's just so abandoned...Philly born and raised so right across the bridge and have been through times for concerts, the aquarium, or Donkey's cheese steaks...its abandoned to such a wild level. When their minor league baseball team folded they demolished the stadium but the field stayed which is just such an eerie image to see driving over the Ben Franklin Bridge, it looks like the stadium itself just got up and fucked off out of Camden
Nikki Private Citizen 1 hour ago
My mom and grandmother moved to Camden from Philly. I was always so sad when I left wishing I was able to move them somewhere else. There is literally nothing good about that city.
Are the responses on this list changing how you view any of these U.S. cities, pandas? Keep upvoting the replies you agree with, and let us know in the comments below which cities you don’t plan to visit again. Then, if you’re looking for another article from Bored Panda discussing travel, we recommend reading this one next!
#10
Augusta, GA. I actually lived there for a year when I was younger. I thought because it has arguably the nicest golf course in the USA it would be a nice town. It was pretty terrible. The golf course is behind massive fences and ten foot hedges so unless you're a wealthy member of the club, it effectively doesn't exist outside of Master's week when the PGA tournament comes to town.
For a city of it's size, there's nothing to do, crime rates are high, everywhere is generally run down, plus the climate is oppressive with tons of bugs and pine pollen to destroy anyone with allergies. I was not sad to put it in the rear view mirror when my time there was done.
thebongofamandabynes:
My buddies and I were scammed out of Masters tickets last year. We all flew down to Augusta, got an Air b&b, rental cars, etc. After we realized it was a scam we called our wives and one of them goes "Augusta? More like AUBUSTA!!". So we had shirts and hats made with "Aubusta" on them to commemorate possibly the worst weekend of our lives. Remember kids...if its too good to be true it probably is.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
Hey! I lived there for about 13 years before I moved from the US and it was NOT that bad. I lived on the north side of the city on 10 acres of forest land and worked on the south side of the city in one of the state institutions. I never felt unsafe working the campus or in stopping at the little stores on the edge of the institution late at night and I frequently worked past midnight. On the other hand, people tend not to hang out near psychiatric institutions and think our clients are tougher than they are (well, some were, but if they were out of the locked wards they were looking to flee, not to attack anyone). I had the same thing happen in Atlanta. The facility there was in a VERY rough part of town, but all the locals were afraid of it, so I pretty much came and went from one of the roughest parts of Atlanta with no hassle and at all hours. Also, Augusta has some VERY rich people and VERY rich neighbourhoods, and that's where the Master's Golf Tournament is held every year.
#11
Navajo Nation is absolutely depressing. Broken beer bottles on almost every square inch of the shoulder on the high way through there.
I rode a bicycle through there in 2011 then I drove through there in 2025. It honestly seemed worse than I remember, it's like visiting the 1950s technology and architecture wise, just a very sad place.
dustsmoke:
Keep in mind that Navajo Nation took over all administration of their land. Land management, hospitals, etc. It's a big win for tribal sovereignty but that doesn't mean they're doing things better everywhere.
The reason the houses look like cr*p is because nobody is allowed to own one unless it's on wheels. You can't own a plot of land so the bank isn't going to give a mortgage unless they can forclose or reposess it. So you're left trailer homes and a "renters society" in these old government home blocks built like a military housing that haven't been managed or upkept in decades. On top of that you have the "renters" living in them that have zero interest in their upkeep themselves. It's not their home.
As for the beer bottles, liquor is probhibited to sale in the Navajo Nation. They do not allow it even though literally everybody drinks there. So what happens is they go off rez to buy liquor and usually drink on the way back home. When they're done drinking a beer it's better to just fire that empty bottle out the window in the event that a cop pulls you over there won't be open/empty containers. And nobody in the tribe is worried about roadside cleanup so it collects creating the situation you've observed.
S Bow 2 hours ago
The buying booze off the reservation absolutely happens. Mr. Sbow was driving home from work one night and was t-boned by a car full of people who had gotten whiskey off the rez, were drinking it on the way back and ran a red light. He wasn't too badly hurt (broken and dislocated clavicle), considering they smashed right into the driver's side door. The sad part was the person driving asked the arresting officer if he could keep the booze, as they'd just bought it. Good grief.
#12
Anniston, Alabama. The entire area is red clay soil and the air just smells bad.
I was stationed at a now closed, extremely contaminated Army base there, and I ended up developing cancer years later. There was also a Monsanto chemical plant near the base. A congressman actually tried to develop a registry similar to Camp Lejeune, to track illnesses of soldiers that had been stationed there.
ciahawkeye:
The first city I moved to in Alabama after the base closed having never stepped foot into the state and knowing nothing about anything. Moved to the west side of Anniston. Was told to not drink the water. Regularly pulled over for being a white boy in the absolute hood. Always searched for dr*gs...they could not believe I lived there. Came home one day to 4 guys in my house after they kicked in my door. Other than that its not too bad. I now live in another nearby city thats not much better but Anniston is far from the worst city in the country...but it also didnt give me cancer (yet)
#13
Louisiana.
Step outside a major city and it’s all decrepit 3rd world country. S*****n houses on stilts and unimaginable poverty.
tresgatos72 13 hours ago
Has anyonr else noticed that most of these places are in red states full of Trumpers?
#14
Amarillo
Could smell it from miles away.
nononanana:
Stopped there for a motel for the night while driving cross country. Dust, a gas station, and a rub and tug was all I could see within walking distance. The place reeked of d**d hopes and dreams.
Miserable looking guy with a limp comes out to check me into the motel. Tells me he just got hit by a car the other day. Asks me where I’m headed. I tell him to a certain triggering state on the west coast to move to a beach town. He tells me very confidently how terrible it is over there and I’ll be back in Amarillo after a while. I thought I’d honestly rather pass before move there. It just speaks a lot to the inferiority complex and delusion a lot of people have. The audacity to find out I’m moving to one of the most beautiful areas of the country and then have convince himself and me that he’s in a better spot.
#15
Jackson, Mississippi
Edit: I just meant it seemed run down and depressing . I didn’t mean to imply anything about crime or race . Cahokia, IL is my close second.
us1087:
I was in Jackson last year. Stayed a block from a federal courthouse. When we checked in, the staff told us not to leave the hotel and walk around. They were not lying.
benck202:
Parts of jackson have almost apocalyptically jarring poverty, but I’ve stayed in that hotel too and that neighborhood downtown is totally safe to walk around. If you didn’t, you missed some great stuff, including the Mississippi museum of art, mayflower cafe, and Hal and mal’s.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
Mississippi generally comes in last or somewhere at the very bottom on almost any standard of education, racial equality, health, wealth, etc. Truly a sad place held together by its racist past. Well, let me change that. Held together by its racist-ness. A true stain on the US.
#16
I've only been to like 5 places in America, but I'll say like 5 blocks off of the Las Vegas strip was pretty jarring. All the flash and crazy Ness to rundown houses abandoned looking gas stations. Even Freemont street where the old Vegas strip was is very different. And some people don't even know because they only stay on the strip the whole time.
JayWantsACat 1 hour ago
I think it's actually become relatively gentrified off the street in modern times. And I know it has come actually cool neighborhoods and art districts.
#17
East St Louis.
TheUnblinkingEye1001:
My friend and I basically got escorted out of East St. Louis by a police officer. We stopped for gas after midnight and were unfamiliar with the reputation. He had some very unflattering things to say about our situational awareness and did not express a desire for us to come back anytime soon.
Fogdrog:
My wife and took the exit for East St. Louis to see the geyser fountain down by the river. It's a very short trip off the interstate, but the few blocks we drove are best described as a war zone. It was the middle of the afternoon but we got the hell out of there in a hurry. BTW, the geyser wasn't running.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
Second entry and well worth it to caution people to avoid this place.
#18
Stockton, CA. Parts of that city are pretty rough. I would be fine to never go back there.
amendoza28:
I live and work about an hour south of Stockton. I coach high school football, and twice over the years we have had a couple Stockton schools on the schedule. The first time we traveled there we were greeted by a couple cops upon arrival and they told us we couldn’t get dressed in the locker room because the students would try to get in and fight and harass us so they escorted us to a science classroom. The second time we played there we were stuck on the bus for like 45 minutes because there was a huge brawl in front of the school like an hour before, guns were drawn, huge police presence, etc. The police were still clearing the scene and making sure it was safe when we arrived for our game.
cg40boat:
A story about Stockton: my wife was a real estate appraiser. A finance firm she did work for asked her to drive to Stockton for a re-fi appraisal. I went with her. It was a typical old wood house in a very poor neighborhood. Inside, the living room had only a poker table and chairs, and the back bedrooms were divided into smaller rooms with beds. My wife asked the old guy if it was a residence or a business and he said. “ well, Ma’am, I have poker in the front room and ladies in the back.” When we were leaving she asked him his name and he said my name is (can’t recall), “but everybody just calls me Slasher”.
The Chronic Insomniac 15 hours ago
My oldest son and his girlfriend live in a "nicer" area of Stockton. There is a park across the street from the apartment complex they live in. There is regularly shootings at that park. They are completely unbothered by it after living there 4 years.
#19
Surprisingly Niagara Falls, NY. Other than the immediate Tourist area, Niagara Falls on the US site is a d**g ridden ghetto. The Canadian side is much better.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
Of COURSE the Canadian side is better - it's in Canada after all. ;-)
#20
Obligatory, Gary, IN. Unfortunately it’s true, it is quite the s**t hole. Post apocalyptic hellscape vibes.
WorkingOnPPL:
It’s fascinating to think in the 1930s, California coastal real estate was determined to be equally valuable to Gary, Indiana real estate.
GiraffeFellator:
I was passing through MI and IL on a road trip and wanted to see what the fuss was about for some of the 'worst places' - I went to Flint Michigan and Gary Indiana.
Flint has a vibe of 'down on its luck but trying', and the streets are mainly clean, people were out mowing their lawns and fixing up their houses.
Gary has more of a vibe of 'no hope, we've given up'.
Spittnimage 42 minutes ago
Well, since the Jackson family moved to Cali all the businesses left too /j
#21
Shreveport, Louisiana is a city that needs a restart quickly.
shaun3000:
I spent a ton of time in Shreveport. Would I move there? Hell no. But there are way worse places than Shreveport. I never felt unsafe there. Check out the Blind Tiger next to the Texas Street bridge. Make sure you get some meat pies and fried corn.
Mr__Prat:
I stayed in Shreveport for just over a day on my way to moving/driving my daughter to TX for college. I stayed at Ballys casino and while it seemed a little sketchy around town it wasn't the worst city I've been to. I did have an awesome meal (shrimp and oyster Po Boy) at a hole in the wall restaurant that was crazy good. Herby K's was the name of it Highly recommend.
#22
Got off at the wrong stop in San Francisco and was immediately approached by two d**g dealers. Then I looked around and realized I was definitely not in a good area. The bus driver was frantically waving at me to get back on the bus, and we did! He asked us where we were going and said don't get off until I tell you to. Crazy how in big cities you can go from gorgeous touristy bits to absolute poverty in a couple of blocks.
mydinabox:
Yea the Tenderloin is like a block from Union square and all the expensive stores. Pretty jarring for sure.
MafubaBuu:
Always blows me away that there are cities in America that have entire neighborhoods locals just tell you dont go to, its dangerous. I suppose I am lucky that I cant list places like that in any Canadian cities I've been to.
Like we have crime and some ghetto areas but nowhere I would actively tell a tourist to flat out not go to out of fear
Kristiina Männiste 11 hours ago
I have never in my life have been approached by d**g dealers. It has always really bothered me. I actually wanted to try when I was younger, but simply did not know where people get them😂 I was too shy to ask and nobody has ever offered me some either. I either have always looked too broke to afford some, or I must have looked like an undercover cop at the ripe old age of 15😭
#23
Rawlins, Wyoming. Yuck.
AscendedViking7:
Rawlins is literally the soulless grey walls and aggressively dim LED lighting in government buildings turned into a town.
I have never seen such a town with so much nothing in it.
VoxDolorum:
Stopped at a “rest stop” that was technically in Rawlins, but literally in the middle of nowhere. What a desolate, weird place. The gas station attendant was creepy and there were no doors for the women’s bathroom. Felt like being in the backrooms, like a weird unsettling dream. The closest thing to us wasn’t even Rawlins proper it was a random prison lol.
detective miller's hat 3 hours ago
The whole state of Wyoming is just a lot of absolutely nothing. My friend and I drove through it on the way from Colorado to Deadwood, SD.
#24
Landed in Pittsburgh and had to drive 90 minutes to Morgantown. Never thought I’d get culture shock driving through my own country. You ever seen trailer homes stacked on top of each other? A whole neighborhood of trailer homes piled up? Trash everywhere, malnourished adults and children loitering with hardly any clothes on. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Edit: yes I mean literally stacked on top of each other with ladders going up to the second trailer home and support beams between them. A whole neighborhood of them like this! This was specifically in 2010.
angryWinds:
I used to drive through that area on a semi-regular basis. But I was always on the interstate, so it wasn't particularly remarkable.
Except for one time, I thought "Gah, I've driven along this stretch of I-79 so many times that I'm bored with it. I got a full tank of gas. Adventure time," and drove along some side streets that were roughly parallel to the interstate.
Man, I saw some things on that drive that I won't ever forget.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
I was born there and lived there my first five years and then visited monthly for the next 5 years from Maryland where we moved. Pittsburgh has some bad parts but I LOVE that city and would seriously think of moving back there if we ever moved back to the US.
#25
Blythe. Right on the CA/AZ border. Whole town smelled like a used litter box.
No_Theory_4213:
My band got a motel there on tour between Tempe and LA. Our singer took first shower in the morning and said “I think that water made me smell worse.” Nobody else showered.
#26
I travel for a living. Catastrophe insurance for property.
Jackson Mississippi.. hands down... the worst....
detective miller's hat 3 hours ago
Pretty much the whole American south is a giant shïthole, and the idiots living there keep voting to make their own homes and lives worse.
#27
Clearlake, CA. The lake is polluted and surrounded by m**h heads.
tinker_the_bell:
Kept a sailboat there for a time. Used to love going up there on the weekends. The water was clear and warm. Great spots to drop anchor, listen to the frogs, and watch various birds fishing. The towns were quaint and friendly.
Years later I was driving up the coast and stopped by for nostalgia's sake. Woah, what a surprise. The lake had a foot of green algae floating on top of the water and smelled horrendous. There was an infestation of bugs in the millions. Everything was run down and people visibly on drugs where stumbling around.
Apparently the algae was caused by fertilizer run off from the farms. It killed the tourism and put the area into a d**th spiral.
#28
As a swede who only been to florida and mainly florida keyes, there is no worse place. Well maybe when we took a wrong turn outside Miami and got to a place called Homestead and the area took a turn for the worse. Mom said "lock the doors".
However i loved every visit there and its been many times since my first time in 1988. Last time was 2016, and i want to go back. The general american person is a lovley person and americas politics are far away from the pleasant people that are the americans.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 14 hours ago
Well, OP went to one of the wealthiest, touristy-oriented areas of Florida, of course they had pleasant experiences XD
#29
I was driving from Seattle to the Washington coast in a rental and couldn’t stop marveling at the forests and landscapes. It’s calming and gorgeous, a part of the world that connects you to your spirituality. As I approached the birthplace of Kurt Cobain I began to wonder why he hated this place so much. It actually made me angry thinking about what a brat he must’ve been to hold such disdain for his home town but then I arrived to Aberdeen. It is bereft of joy and beauty. I get it now.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
I met my husband in Seattle. Beautiful city, wonderful people, but the cost of living was astronomical and the traffic ridiculous. Another place we'd think about living if we ever moved back to the US, but we could never afford more than a substandard house.
#30
I’m gonna go with a different kind of worse.
Frisco, TX
The “downtown” area with all the new build skyscrapers is at the intersection of two massive toll roads and is basically cut into quarters. All the skyscrapers are basically identical and soulless, and separated by overly robust parking garages with F250 sized parking spaces that make everything just a little too far away to walk. Outside of that, you have corporate campuses with gargantuan sprawling lawns that will never be of use to anyone but are meticulously maintained by landscaping crews and watered and fertilized regularly. Outside of that you have chain restaurants and subdivisions full of identical houses with perfect lawns which are ruled with an iron fist by HOA Karens.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago (edited)
When we lived in Oklahoma the locals used to say that our weather (thunderstorms and tornadoes) were so bad because "Texas sucks and Kansas blows."
#31
West Virginia. Corrugated metal roofs everywhere and the prettiest woman I saw looked like CeeLo Green.
#32
Any part of east Texas. Weird, rude, and violent people. And some of the towns would make a 3rd world slum look clean.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
I was always nervous driving through small towns in Texas and Oklahoma. We had a (yes, I admit it) Japanese car and my husband had (has) long hair. Any time we'd pull into a small town we got looks that made us nervous, so we'd just grab our gas and snacks and head out as quickly as possible.
#33
Used to work as a long haul trucker and for me it’s:
Atlanta, Ga
Baton Rouge, LA
The entirety of I-70 through Indiana.
#34
People have mentioned many towns in Texas but no one has mentioned Killeen yet. For some reason that place has a menacing edge over similar sized cities in the state. We went there to pick up a tv that was on super sale at Best Buy years ago. Everyone who wasn't clearly from the nearby base (which included a lot of younger folks seemingly stuck working at the stores we visited) looked like off-putting extras from a KOTH episode.
#35
My local dmv
BiBoFieTo:
As a Canadian, going to a DMV is a wild ride.
There was a security guard at an entrance booth with a gun looking like he was itching to use it. Inside it was like a filming of Jerry Springer. There was a lady with six-inch nails wandering around taking sh*t about people's hair, and a couple dudes that almost threw punches and had to be broken up. The guy near me either sh*t his pants, or hadn't showered in ten years.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 14 hours ago (edited)
The last time I went to the DMV, I tried to be smart and get there before it opened, so that I maybe would be stuck there for less than the usual 6 hours. There was already a line of people outside the door waiting for the DMV to open when I got there. The people in that line were quite an eclectic mix. The person immediately in front of me was a large older (but not elderly) man whose pants were slipping down pretty far from his waist, and his underwear was on full display. The underwear were.. very clearly shít-stained. Not skidmarks, full-on "gambled and lost" shít himself. It was astoundingly nasty. I had to look away and really try to force-clear my mind so that I wasn't thinking about it XD
#36
Away from the State Park at the falls… Niagara Falls NY.
phlostonsparadise123:
Niagara Falls native, here.
The city has admittedly made some strides in the downtown/Third Street tourist area, which is right near the Canadian border and Seneca Niagara casino. However, outside of that, everything else about the city is still as shitty as it was when I moved to Buffalo in 2012.
Pine Avenue seems to be boarded up mostly, Ferry/Walnut is still bad, as are the streets between 8th and 30th. Except for the police station and Rapids Theatre (are they still open?), Main Street remains a mostly abandoned war zone.
Things get slightly better when you get to the Military Road/Niagara Falls Blvd areas, but that's because it shifts to total suburban strip-mall sprawl.
I only bother coming to the city to visit my dad and my childhood friends who still live there; they're teachers, firefighters and officers. Otherwise, I generally bypass the falls altogether and visit Lewiston, which is phenomenally better, despite that village's rampant NIMBYism.
The greatest bait and switch ever is when you're traveling toward Niagara Falls and cross the Grand Island Bridge from Erie County. As you do so, you'll see this gorgeous skyline with several skyscrapers. You think you're looking at the Niagara Falls, NY skyline when in reality, you're looking at the Niagara Falls, Ontario skyline.
VoxDolorum:
I’m from the area and I warn anyone who says they want to visit the falls someday not to wander. It’s worse there than the East side of Buffalo, in my opinion, and that’s saying something. Great Italian food though if you want to brave getting potentially sh*t at. Just go during the day and don’t get lost lol.
Elladine DesIsles 14 hours ago
The image chosen, of course, showsthe Canadian side of the border, except for Goat Island on the left, which is part of Niagara Falls State Park rather than the city. Niagara Falls, Ontario, isn't necessarily a prestigious city, but it is vastly different from Niagara Falls, NY
#37
Midland Texas.
leightv:
after living in midland for 6 years and all through the pandemic i can unequivocally say that most midlanders represent the worst of humanity.
i’m not talking about the transient workers or those that move there for work related reasons — no. it’s the home grown, born and raised individuals that are truly horrendous human beings.
#38
Just going through these comments.
I lived in Memphis, TN for four years. I grew up going to my grandparents in Jackson, MS and lived there for five years. I currently have a house ~20 minutes from Gary, IN.
I've seen some s**t.
OkAnnual6084:
Memphis might be dangerous but its an alive city
#39
Southern Arkansas where my mom lives. An insane level of poverty, racism and ignorance.
Bright-Form730:
I’m less than an hour from Arkansas on the east Oklahoma border. So many people here too that seem to have just given up. Yards full of junk, house falling apart, etc. Fairly nice people, just don’t discuss politics or religion with them.
DJmagikMIKE:
I’ve always thought Arkansas was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, a vast majority of its inhabitants are absolute garbage.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
Arkansas and Missouri have some very "red state" people.
#40
I had to take a detour through Gary, Indiana while driving to Chicago. Holy s**t it felt like I was in a warzone.
#42
Nebraska. The cattle feed lots smelled like human s**t for hours along the highway. I rode through all 48 contiguous states on a motorcycle trip and Nebraska ranks #48 in my book.
#43
I was disappointed when I visited Memphis, TN.
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 13 hours ago
Memphis is sad because it has some incredible culture and some incredible people, but it is a very dangerous city to be in if you don't know where the less safe areas of town are.
What do you think ?
nottheactualphoto 14 hours ago
A few people actually bothered to write out the names of the states.
Grey Garrett 25 minutes ago
My last salary was $8750, ecom only worked 12 hours a week. My longtime neighbor yr estimated $15,000 and works about 20 hours for seven days. I can't believe how blunt he was when I looked up his information, This is what I do..... 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐀𝐭𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝟏.𝐂𝐨𝐦
Load More Replies... Anony Mouse 4 hours ago
I as waiting for West Memphis, Arkansas to show up here. Terrifying place.
Kristiina Männiste 11 hours ago
I will pay extra to visit USA without having to touch ground in LA. It is big, it is ugly, it is dirty and the air is oversaturated with sickly yellow smog. I actually tried to breath as little as possible😅 Also I did not find anything interesting in the city.. The Griffin observatory was not bad, but its not that special... The beach was dirty (as in there was a warning not to enter the water) and they actually had a police crew photographing a spot while we where there (didnt mind that, but crime must be really frequent).
Der Kommissar 3 hours ago
" the beach " runs for miles. there are nice beaches with clean water and then there are beaches like Venice and Santa Monica which should be avoided. Also stay away from Dockweiler.
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 14 hours ago
A few people actually bothered to write out the names of the states.
Grey Garrett 25 minutes ago
My last salary was $8750, ecom only worked 12 hours a week. My longtime neighbor yr estimated $15,000 and works about 20 hours for seven days. I can't believe how blunt he was when I looked up his information, This is what I do..... 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐀𝐭𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝟏.𝐂𝐨𝐦
Load More Replies... Anony Mouse 4 hours ago
I as waiting for West Memphis, Arkansas to show up here. Terrifying place.
Kristiina Männiste 11 hours ago
I will pay extra to visit USA without having to touch ground in LA. It is big, it is ugly, it is dirty and the air is oversaturated with sickly yellow smog. I actually tried to breath as little as possible😅 Also I did not find anything interesting in the city.. The Griffin observatory was not bad, but its not that special... The beach was dirty (as in there was a warning not to enter the water) and they actually had a police crew photographing a spot while we where there (didnt mind that, but crime must be really frequent).
Der Kommissar 3 hours ago
" the beach " runs for miles. there are nice beaches with clean water and then there are beaches like Venice and Santa Monica which should be avoided. Also stay away from Dockweiler.
Load More Replies...
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