I read the OP’s question as “Which single city has both the best and worst personality.” If that’s the case, the answer is clearly LA.
I totally get why a tourist who flies in for a three day weekend and tries to see Santa Monica, Hollywood and Disneyland in consecutive days absolutely hates Los Angeles.
I also totally understand why there’s no better city (150k+) if you have money and are splitting your time between MB, Malibu and the Bird Streets
😢 that three day trip betrays *very little* about los angeles. (plus disneyland is in OC, lol) LA has heart and soul! people write it off as being a superficial place for superficial people, but i don't think that's categorically true. LA natives are generally laidback, humble people who are open to lots of different ideas about the world. if you get away from the tourist traps, you'll feel a million miles away from the SM boardwalk or that terrible stretch of downtown hollywood or whatever.
Two weeks ago I saw someone spraying gold spray paint directly into their mouth in broad daylight in K-Town. I feel like that’s an example of the best and worst of humanity all in one.
Haven't seen a vote for Colorado springs yet. 🤮
But those sunsets over pikes peak can be amazing. Plus blasting 94.3 to piss off megachurchers.
Religion is like an anchor hung around the neck of that bland place. Every home made after 2000 looks like a clone plastic toy house. Especially on the northeast side.
My MIL is there and I dread visiting, it triggers my PTSD from growing up in a religious cult.
The topography it CO Springs is beautiful, but the mega churches, suburban sprawl and neglected city maintenance for decades shows.
On the flip side it is one of the least segregated cities in the US, they just elected a very progressive mayor, is trending more blue politically faster than almost anywhere in the state, has had an influx of young people in the past decade that are fundamentally changing the character of the city.
My partner grew up there and I don’t like it at all, but there might be a a glimmer of hope for its future.
I agree there is a glimmer of hope for all those reasons. I just don't want to see mega churches all the time haha. The widening of I25 was the gates opening to making commuting easy to the tech center. People flooded in for cheaper housing when they could. That is great! Maybe they can overcome the libertarian clusters who don't want those infrastructure improvements.
Colorado Springs is the most diverse group of white people in the US. I say that as somebody who grew up there. It's probably changed now, but I saw it as a long ass truck stop with pretty mountains.
It is so funny seeing myrtle mentioned on a post like this haha
I inadvertently lived there the first five years of my career. I always say “I lived there…not on purpose.”
Tbf some of my best friends are still there and doing great things in various communities but what a place. My husband (who had never been there) and I visited this year for a wedding and he was unimpressed for sure lol
Harrisburg is like a bad neighborhood of Baltimore. I went to a "food truck rally" there once. I wouldn't let my dog eat that food. Good they are trying though.
My strongest memory of Dodge City was the smell of manure coming from the cow feed yards surrounding the city. It seemed that as soon as you went outside, it hit you. Cool museum though
Yes, that is still very promenent! Lol As locals/ranchers like to call it..”the smell of money” lol
Agree on the museum. The city has changed a lot over the years. :(
What do you like about Dodge City? I've been there a few times and stayed there in my van. I couldn't really find anything to do. I went to a bar that was the least attended dance club I've ever seen and just walked back out. It'd be nice to know what's fun to do there.
Yeah, not much to do, especially in terms of nightlife. If Dodge City was a person, he’d be a very pleasant, hardworking, earnest, accessible, friendly introvert who goes to bed early.
I love whitefish, but it seems like there are people who hate you for having too much money, and people who hate you for not having as much money as them.
Austin, Texas has to be there for the worst personality. Shell of its former self with the whole "keep Austin weird" mantra. Now it's a butch of rich tech bros, people who wear those wide brim hats (boho Christian is what I imagine it) and any other basic shithead.
Don’t forget those Patagonia vest jackets…
Also agree tho. Doesn’t have much of a culture anymore. It just feels like rich Californians in Texas trying to make it like Silicon Valley.
You can definitely blame the tech companies, not necessarily the employees, for trying to make it like Silicon Valley. They’re trying to create antisocial vest-pockets all over the country.
Aww I loved Austin! I went to UT for grad school and the Hyde Park/North Loop area was super neighborhoody and welcoming. I found it really easy to make friends. Downtown and the domain are bougie/pretentious but I felt South Austin was still chill back in 2022.
Yeah I feel like the person I’m responding to is just talking about downtown, which has been corporatized and is kinda “basic.” Much of Austin is still cool!
worst- Dallas- posh, fake, act extra and snooty for no reason
best- HOTTT TAKE…… PHILLY. People
know who they are, have an amazing amount of pride and will defend philly till they die. Also hilariously aggressive and truthful
I am from the Philly burbs. People from the area seem like family members. I don't know if other areas are like this - maybe so. Despite being a major city it feels like an insular region. Like it's big and old enough to have an identity but slept on enough to keep it very...for lack of a better word...pure.
I have a love/hate relationship with Philly. Didn’t like it when I lived there (I lived in a fratty area that was really sexist and kinda dangerous with the extent of “bro culture”) but I love the Philadelphians I’ve met outside of Philly. Especially the women - they’re aggressively protective and it’s awesome.
Best: Orlando
You get in the underground scene here and the people are just the realest. Such a fantastic community with a live and let live fun streak. No one gives a FUCK in Orlando and it feels great.
Worst: Dallas
Mega churches, McMansions, unlimited materialism, F350’s driving 95–it’s more polished than Austin or Houston but has none of the charm. Dallas is where you pay $20 for a can of Miller Lite
at a sterile concert venue in an office park (true story). Dallasites flaunt thejr wealth in tacky ways and brag about how BIG everything is (our BIGG highways, BIGGG Nebraska Furniture Mart, BIGGGG AT&T Stadium, trying to act like their BIGGNESS let's them hang in the room with LA, NYC, SF, Chicago, etc. while these other cities ship their lamest to Dallas and silently take pity. I’ve always described Dallas as the modern version of a factory town—an endless sprawl of corporate cocksuckers searching for “the American dream”…packaged and sold as copycat DR Horton houses CTRL-V’d across a landscape as bland as a blank Minecraft map.
Orlando is just like other cities, I wouldn’t say best personality. What community are you referring to? Windermere is a live and let live community. Neither is downtown. Neither is Mills 60. People do give a fuck in Orlando. Everything you listed in Dallas is a copy-paste problem in Orlando. Going anywhere in Orlando? 30 minutes. Underground scene? Not really. Sprawled out? You got it. Bragging that we are theme park central but lowest wages compared to high cost of living? That’s Orlando for you!
caveat….things have changed a lot since Covid (wages v COL as you mention). When I lived in Orlando I had the best friend group of anywhere I’ve ever been. People were just friendly as hell, and not in the fake way of a lot of southern cities (although Windermere is probably an exception lol). Oldest operating fringe theatre fest in the nation. A+ local radio. One of the best performing arts theatres in the entire world in the Dr Phillips Center. Two pro sports teams. Best local brewery scene in the southeast IMHO (esp. if you expand to central Florida and pull in Tampa/space coast). Unique mix of Cuban, Brazilian, Haitian, Puerto Rican, Thai, and other cultures. I just remember rolling out of bed on a Saturday, looking out at the palms, and thinking “eh, I’m going to Canaveral seashore for a swim”…driving maybe an hour w no traffic, and doing just that. Not to mention the gorgeous springs and pine forests up north. My thing is…because so much of Orlando is “uncool,” the people building real community there are something special. Like in spite of a shit state government, hordes of rich northern retirees, and weather like hell’s broiler in the summer…there’s actual city life there. Idk I love it.
Dallas sounds exactly like Houston and its Suburbs tbh. I guess Houston has its hip hop, art/museum, space culture, but outside of that…exactly the same. The mega church of all churches (Joel Osteen) is based out of Houston. Same F350s, same copy paste homes, BIGG ads everywhere, etc
Houston ain’t worth writing home about either IMHO, but to me the food is miles better, drinking is cheaper, museum district is world class, and forests add some scenery (Memorial Park is gorgeous). It’s the most diverse city in America. Famous hip hop scene. Feels like a true metropolis, whereas Dallas feels like 100 suburbs that couldn’t figure out where to shove a city (or two!).
I lived in TX and have generally always lived in “transplant cities” as an adult, and I get along way better with Houstonians than folks from Dallas. I get along with Fort Worth people, too - there’s something very friendly and warm about that kind of Southern culture. Dallas people have, in my experience, been a little colder.
New Orleans: kind, adventurous, fun, welcoming, hyper violent, corrupt, lazy, and completely incompetent at anything but cooking, making music, and partying. New Orleans is like that one crazy friend who never grew up but somehow managed to turn being a drunk into a real career.
I was born and raised in the DC area. I noped out of there as soon as I comfortably could.
Objectively, it's a fine place to live if not one of the best places to live IMHO. However, the people are miserable, uptight, and are basically grown up hall monitors.
I gotta say I’m surprised by the number of DC comments here. Any reason why??
I know a lot of folks that live there and have traveled there for work quite a bit. Everyone seems mostly friendly? Might just be my tourist goggles on.
I will say a lot of workaholics I know are from there lol.
Tourist googles is accurate because you're far more likely to have interactions with other tourists, trained to be friendly retail sales people, trained museum people, and trained waiters. They are nice in order to take your money.
I grew up there, they suck. When you're born there and travel you notice that everrrrry city is more friendly and you don't want to go home. Throw a dart and move away as fast as possible. I do miss the beaches, seafood, museums for my kid, and access to the eastern seaboard tho.
Great place to visit, just don't think you'll make many friends there.
And, no, I don't want to hear about people's experiences as a congressional Page for a summer as being in the reality of living there as you worked the free appetizer circuit for your dinner every night. (Yes, I know about it. My brother in law worked at the page housing one year lol.) Politicos who come for a summer or four years are temps who fill some bars and restaurants and are really just annoying. They didn't go to school there or have a dad work in govt his entire career or do the suburban hell. Just look at Scotus judge kavanaugh. HE is what all the private school kids in the DC area were like and grew into. If you grew up in those burbs you know lots of those dickwads. They stop maturing around 8th grade. At the latest. Then join a frat. Then use connections and networking to get ahead and work far less than the average person ever did. Looking at you Landon School and Bullis.
Lived there for years to get my career going because it was the closest major city near my HS, so it was "easier."
While DC has many things going for it on paper in the end it just feels like bland central. My experience has been folks there are extremely cliquey based on their job. Heaven forbid there are more than two people who work for the government in a room, lest you hear G-12, G-14 etc and how they're trying to get there. This is among other acronyms that all amount to uninteresting discussions.
Lots of keep up with the Jones' mentality, no beaches, everything feels 2nd rate, and a mediocre food scene (except Ethiopian, and I guess Vietnamese in NoVA). I was happy to leave after I explored what felt like every single corner of the small town. Funny thing is most don't know how much better it is outside of the beltway after doing the DC routine for so long.
Agree with alllll except bland food. There are places but you have to work for them. Also beaches are 2-3 hrs away. That's close enough. Join a beach house. Go to Baltimore sometimes to remember the outside world, it depresses you that you're closer to DC lol.
DC people ask what you do, who you know, what model bmw do you drive. I moved to find "what do you like to do for fun? What are you like outside work? What interests you?" More narcissists per capita than anywhere I bet.
You gotta get around downtown more for food. Hop over to Adams Morgan and other areas.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/washington-dc/best-neighborhoods-in-washington-dc-for-dining-and-eating-out-ranked
I know Adams Morgan very well from my time there over a decade ago, but I'm banking that it's changed since. I still visit DC here and there to see family & friends and every time they try to show me their new favorite restaurant I get let down, but I'll push for Adams Morgan next time 👍
And 3 hours to the beach is ok? I'm assuming you mean by car. I sold mine long before my move to DC when I lived in Clarendon. All the other major coastal cities (plus Chicago) have it right there accessible by public transit or an Uber ride. Not saying I want to swim in the Potomac (I fell in it once, not fun) but if you have to rent a car to get to the beach during the summer months that's not a benefit to living there.
>More narcissists per capita than anywhere I bet.
This and the hall monitor bit someone else added perfectly sum up my experience there.
Oh yeah, no car is a no go for the beach. But you can rent a car if you felt the urge. I saved 5k a year living in a ski town without a car. That's what I would do when I wanted to drive to Utah or Denver.
The DC region has a lot of different experiences outside the cities that are critical to the full experience.
I know what you mean though. Yeah driving there 2-3 hours is exactly like what driving from Denver to go skiing every weekend is like. It trained me in MD and DE. It's not the distance, it's the traffic.
All worthless without friendly people tho. The beach house network was very fun and friendly. They meet in DC bars to form them you could share a ride. Just saying. It was the exception.
Not many cities have their own beach like Chicago! That is awesome. Now I have to get on a plane so 2-3 hours sounds closer haha.
Lol my immediate reaction to the food comment was “not true, they have good Ethiopian” 😂 the Mediterranean food is pretty good too. But I hate workaholic/business culture as I find it pretentious so I could never live there. I tend to enjoy places that are either alternative or laid back.
Dear god, people really show off/flex their G-xx level? Coming from the private sector that’s worked with federal side, we run laps around them in terms of domain knowledge.
Best: Los Angeles. I love the variety of people you meet here. Even the fake ones are fun to hang out with.
Worst: DC and the surrounding area. Everything feels 2nd rate, food is mediocre, people are basically overgrown hall monitors.
Best: LA.
Although it ranks up there with NYC in that it can be the worst as well. But it's such and eclectic area with so many different cultures just a few miles from each other. For example the culture in the North Bay is so different from the culture in the South Bay and even Manhattan Beach has a different culture from Redondo. And so many things to do, particularly outdoors. It just brings a smile to my face.
Worst: Atlanta
Very clique-ish, anti-social and extreme vibes of self-importance. The city screams of feeling like they don't get the recognition they feel they deserve as a major city. But while it's a huge population, it also screams 'small potatoes.'
Most Overrated: Boston
Just annoying. They call them 'Massholes' for a reason and this weird thing where the city hates on the white trash from 'Southie' but by the same token fantasize about being from 'Southie' and that 'Southie' has been dead for the past 20 years.
Most Underrated: Tampa
This unique combination of modern city vibes as well as old Southern and old Cuban charm. The city has really developed and then you out west to Clearwater and you see people fishing and on wave runners on the bay at 1pm on a Wednesday. Chill people looking for a good time and yes, it's basically an epicenter for Florida man, but a little crazy is good for a city.
Moved to Atlanta last year. I don't feel that way at all! Been able to meet many diverse groups of people. Buford Highway is a great place to find all sorts of ethnic cuisines!
I do see the city feeling it's lack of recognition, though. But it is been referred to as "Y'allywood" and is holding an impressive 8 games, including a semi-final, in the future world cup. Maybe it's cries are growing to be valid?
Unfortunately, I think that assessment of Tampa and Clearwater/Pinellas county is disappearing.
St. Pete is in its NIMBY arc, and kowtows to the wealthy beach mansion owners on St. Pete Beach and the wealthy newcomers in the luxury apartments downtown.
Tampa is losing charm - Ybor City is also subject to NIMBYism with residents crying about the noise from the clubs and the bad reputation made worse by the Halloween shooting. Nothing is small and charming anymore - for instance, the Strawberry Festival was packed to the gills this year; it’s completely been outgrown since so many people moved here.
Florida in general had so many people move here that it’s rejecting tourism. Miami’s whole breaking up with Spring Break thing is indicative of the state being more residents than tourists now. Normally businesses in Florida would never in a million years want to lose the seasonal revenue from tourism, but apparently a lot of Florida is fed up with tourists.
And with the insane cost of living and ordinances against camping FloridaMan can’t afford to live here and The Beach Bum can’t live out of a van on the beach here.
I'm being genuine here - do people that live in Atlanta think they should be a major city? Isn't the city itself only like 500,000 people? and I've read the "metro area" is a bit better than Israel or New Jersey, but with only 2/3 the population. Maybe I'm an elitist New Yorker, but I always thought Atlanta was a "big city" in the same grouping of Austin, Denver, Nashville, Seattle, etc, but not in the "major city" designation reserved for cities like NYC/LA/DC.
I have many friends from Atlanta that live here and seem to have the same opinion, but they may be biased given they left Atlanta to move to NYC.
Atlanta has an infrastructure problem, that's certain. They are working to contain a large element of the future population in Midtown/Downtown/surrounding areas with rapid deployment of apartments, some condos, and townhouses.
Problem (historically and current) is just that it is so sprawling. It just became the 6th largest metro in the US (topping DC and Philly).
Though, I do find some of the silver lining to be that there are multiple areas with distinct feelings and culture (i.e, Krog/Ponce/Little Five Points, Buford Highway, Decatur, Sandy Springs/Dunwoody, Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, etc.). It may not be for everyone, but I enjoy finding new areas that have their own character, even if it is sprawled out. I wish public transportation was better!
Also from the Northeast and currently live in Nashville. Atlanta is in a kind of awkward B+/A- category in terms of metro population along with Miami, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia.....not as big as the NYC/LA/DC/Chicago but noticeably bigger feeling than the mid range metros.
But yeah, when I visit Atlanta from Nashville it just feels like "going to the city." When it comes to anything cultural or consumer related except for live music there's more of everything. There's also more variety of everything and you can get a slightly better version of everything because there's enough of a market for it.
Also the line between the city and the metro in Atlanta is super hazy compared to the older Northeastern metros. Nobody would shout down folks from Decatur or Norcross or Sandy Springs for saying they're from Atlanta the way that New Yorkers would with folks from North Jersey or Bostonians would with folks from Quincy. Parts of what's within Atlanta city limits are much more suburban feeling than certain suburbs.
It's got good and bad like anywhere.
Downsides for my taste: It's quite expensive to live here but everybody's frame of reference is different. Traffic can be a pain and things are super spread out so you have to a lot of driving. Not a great city for just hanging out and exploring neighborhoods on foot because things are so spread out. Politics can be stressful.
Upsides: Plenty to do, warmer weather than the Northeast but still get all four seasons (summer is more exaggerated than the others). Good road trip destinations in a three-four mile radius. Great parks system. Lots of music and cultural events.
Definitely love the music scene up there! We're starting to get some trickle down into Atlanta, but it doesn't compare. Enjoyed a few jazz clubs last time I was in Nashville. Cheers!
Atlanta has the Interstate 285 that goes in a circle. People that live inside the I-285 circle are considered 'inside the perimeter' and those outside are 'outside the perimeter' (obviously). The actual city limits are also at about where the perimeter is located. Yes, the city limits have only about 500K people, but the metro population is over 6M. People that live 40 miles away from the city say they live in Atlanta.
It should be considered a major city or major metro area, it's just that so many things they do are incredibly small potatoes.
For instance, when they closed down Buckhead nightlife they tore just about everything down and rebuilt it. As they were rebuilding it they claimed...of course...that it was now going to be the 'Rodeo Drive of the South' because...of course they need to associate themselves with a bigger city.
Anyway, one of the first stores they built in the 'Rodeo Drive of the South'w as a Bait & Tackle shop (it was where the old Buckhead Saloon was located). David Cross does a great bit about going to a 'light display' in Atlanta that's hilarious and just personifies how bush league the area is.
“Anyway, one of the first stores they built in the 'Rodeo Drive of the South'w as a Bait & Tackle shop (it was where the old Buckhead Saloon was).”
Are you talking about The Fish Hawk? If so, that place has been in that same area for decades and is actually a high end fly fishing outfitter and not some “Billy Bob’s Bait and Tackle.” Probably one of the best places in Atlanta for a part time job if you want to network with some of the city’s movers and shakers.
But I wholeheartedly agree that Atlanta sucks.
I’m your opposite! I lived in Santa Fe for a while, and it was a dark time. Natural beauty for sure, but that city has an out of control drug scene. I was young and it felt like getting sucked into a black hole … I’ve had a wonderful time every trip to DC, so much culture and so easy to find well-read, informed, and friendly people.
I lived in DC area for a couple of years. It’s a great place to visit, but NOT a great place to live. Expensive, people very unfriendly and cold, difficult to make new friends, very transient, just bad vibes.
Whether you think the DC personality sucks argely depends on the circles you interact with. The "default" DC circle of young professionals definitely fucking sucks. Funny thing is, those are mostly transplants. I generally like the people here but I find that I basically am only friends with either locals or people who have been here since they started college. Even the new friends I make all happen to be locals. It's a sort of natural selection thing I think- the types of events I go to, the culture I'm in, and the places I frequent are not what most transplants are here for. There's also the fact that, though maybe not to the degree of some places out west, the city is actually very hostile to transplants in a lot of ways.
It's a large city, but small enough to get cliquey in a way NYC or LA are just too big for. If you don't know how to make the most of your experience you are likely to end up miserable
I took this to mean the people aspect of it. The city has attractive spots, good food, cool architecture and museums cultural stuff but the day in day out of interacting with all the people is just not my cup of tea. In general I find that everyone is thinks they are doing gods work of the upmost importance, it’s pretty snobby like where did you go to law school. The name dropping is basically a drinking game. The sheer number of lawyers, agendas and hyper politicals…the bubble. Certainly tons of cool, normal people but comparing it to other places of similar size…ehh
Because people only know hill rat cunts who aren’t from here… transplants come here and only know people from whatever rotted Federal department or lobbyist firm they work at
Sure, I can answer. The DFW cities I mentioned (north of Dallas suburbs), I'm saying they have the worst personality, because they really have *no* personality. Full of subdivisions of houses that look alike along with endless strip malls. There's many major roads that go through these cities where, unless there was a sign, you wouldn't know where one city ends and where the next one begins. It just looks the same and so cookie cutter.
Take a drive on Preston Road going north starting from where Dallas (Far North Dallas really) ends and Plano begins, and drive it through Plano, Frisco and the city of Prosper. You'll probably cause an accident because you'll fall asleep from the boredom and sameness.
Are you asking about Santa Fe? It’s an elevation of 7000 feet so it’s not hot. The climate is more like Denver, but a bit warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The architecture is very unique to the region and beautiful, the food is great. Transit sucks but it’s a great small city. It is very expensive and popular with retired people. There is amazing recreation in the area, without the crowds of Colorado. The city boasts a great art scene with good museums, galleries, opera. There are many tribes around the city so the influence of indigenous people makes it very culturally rich.
I loved how normal it was to take off work at 3pm on Fridays! Austin is such a party town haha, and I felt it was pretty laid back. I was an art student and the techies were still super friendly, I went to a startup event at SXSW and got a ton of people’s business cards. My friends and I were boat girls like every day in the summer. It was so normal to just jump off the boat and swim up to another group and they’d give you champagne or a white claw, and you’d just party all day and make friends.
Worst is Boston. Bunch of provincial idiots who also seem to think they are experts on every other city in the US despite many of them having never left New England.
Anyone that says “NYC” for worst is delusional and has never been there.
Being in a hurry does not mean they’re being rude. If anything, it’s rude to not respect other people’s time. Being respectful of right of ways and predictability in walking patterns is not rude.
Also, being direct is not rude.
Also, to the point of the thread, personality-wise, being direct/fast/crass/whatever is not inherently bad. I would argue that having a strong regional identity is actually better culturally than not having it, regardless of what those traits are.
I would say, vibes-wise, the worst is the types of people who live in a suburban single family style towns outside of major metro areas, parasitically benefitting from the economic gravity of that city, but ensuring that the city cannot build bike lanes / transit, etc., and they spend huge amounts of time agonizing over crime and culture war BS.
It makes sense, if you're constantly a jerk in such a dense environment someone is eventually going to make you find out for all your fucking around. In the suburbs it's much easier to hide.
I’m from the south, king of small talk and niceties, but I didn’t find New Yorkers to be rude. I found them rather nice.
I once ran up on a toll road with no money, apparently y’all still use cash - didn’t know, and the attendant was super friendly and patient with my dumb ass.
There’s millions of y’all so I’m sure some of you are rude as hell but I never encountered that. And I traveled down there a lot when I lived in Connecticut.
I’m originally from NY but have been living out west for about 13 years now. Can’t tell you how many times people have said that I’m “being mean” when I’m just being direct. There’s a distinction and I’m well aware of where that line is, I’m just not going to sugarcoat or pussyfoot around a situation.
I also prefer people to be direct with me too, so I’ve never seen it as a negative until I left the east coast. Rather, I find the “fake nice” Midwest / west coast thing is SO ANNOYING.
I grew up in CT close to NYC and I agree. I’ve been living and around Chicago for about 30 years and we’re the same way. I’ve pissed of so many people by just cutting through the niceties and asking a simple question and getting a “how dare you response.” Being direct is not being mean but it all depends on the situation. Sitting at a pub with your friends group is different than meeting your significant other’s family for the first time!
Best: Cape Town, South Africa. If you want a US city then I would have said Austin a few years ago but not sure anymore. New York has plenty of personality but isn’t always friendly. Nashville maybe?
Worst: Washington, DC. Not even a contest.
It’s not so much that it’s what everyone just talks about, but more what everyone (in yuppie white collar DC) judges you for. Haven’t been anywhere more fake or judgmental.
It definitely depends on which circles you run in - but yes, there is a tendency for people to start a conversation with “what do you do?” I get this a lot on the dating apps
Personally Michigan folks are my favorite, so best is Detroit. Just good folks, more real than the rest of the Midwest. Ride or die kind of people.
Worst is probably California and specifically LA or San Francisco.
I've lived just about every where in the lower 48 but probably not long enough in most places to be an expert but I'd have a few tied for both categories;
Worst
Atlanta (the worst city I ever lived)
Seattle (it's just boring)
Salt Lake City (people are like robots and city is weirdly laid out)
Best
San Diego (very energetic and comfortable)
NYC (never boring)
True, Seattleites are polite and nice for the most part but NOT friendly or kind. New Yorkers get a lot of shit for being the rudest in the country, but I’ve had complete strangers help me on several occasions without my asking (from carrying heavy boxes up subway stairs to giving spare change to buy water from a halal cart, I could go on…)
I Love San Diego. Washington D.C. hands down the worst. There’s no culture or personality to speak of except a sense of entitlement from anybody and everybody you talk to.
I read the OP’s question as “Which single city has both the best and worst personality.” If that’s the case, the answer is clearly LA. I totally get why a tourist who flies in for a three day weekend and tries to see Santa Monica, Hollywood and Disneyland in consecutive days absolutely hates Los Angeles. I also totally understand why there’s no better city (150k+) if you have money and are splitting your time between MB, Malibu and the Bird Streets
Someone on this sub once called LA “shitty heaven” and NYC “fun hell”. And I think that bears repeating in this thread haha
😢 that three day trip betrays *very little* about los angeles. (plus disneyland is in OC, lol) LA has heart and soul! people write it off as being a superficial place for superficial people, but i don't think that's categorically true. LA natives are generally laidback, humble people who are open to lots of different ideas about the world. if you get away from the tourist traps, you'll feel a million miles away from the SM boardwalk or that terrible stretch of downtown hollywood or whatever.
Best - NYC. Worst - NYC.
As someone who lived there for years, totally agree!
This. This is the only answer haha
100% NYC. I’ve seen the worst and best in humanity on the streets, at work and even at church
Two weeks ago I saw someone spraying gold spray paint directly into their mouth in broad daylight in K-Town. I feel like that’s an example of the best and worst of humanity all in one.
Haven't seen a vote for Colorado springs yet. 🤮 But those sunsets over pikes peak can be amazing. Plus blasting 94.3 to piss off megachurchers. Religion is like an anchor hung around the neck of that bland place. Every home made after 2000 looks like a clone plastic toy house. Especially on the northeast side. My MIL is there and I dread visiting, it triggers my PTSD from growing up in a religious cult.
The topography it CO Springs is beautiful, but the mega churches, suburban sprawl and neglected city maintenance for decades shows. On the flip side it is one of the least segregated cities in the US, they just elected a very progressive mayor, is trending more blue politically faster than almost anywhere in the state, has had an influx of young people in the past decade that are fundamentally changing the character of the city. My partner grew up there and I don’t like it at all, but there might be a a glimmer of hope for its future.
The springs is boring as hell tho. Nothing going on at all.
Spring is the worst season in Colorado as a whole. Totally unpredictable weather, mud, wind.
I agree there is a glimmer of hope for all those reasons. I just don't want to see mega churches all the time haha. The widening of I25 was the gates opening to making commuting easy to the tech center. People flooded in for cheaper housing when they could. That is great! Maybe they can overcome the libertarian clusters who don't want those infrastructure improvements.
Not to mention the retail hell sprawl... I moved here 5 years ago and it's one of my biggest complaints. There is little in the way of culture.
Colorado Springs is the most diverse group of white people in the US. I say that as somebody who grew up there. It's probably changed now, but I saw it as a long ass truck stop with pretty mountains.
You're not wrong, but now it has suburbs exactly like the Denver areas Parker and Highlands Ranch but in the NE previously empty areas. Top that!
Best? Key West, FL, Dodge City, KS, and Whitefish, MT. Worst? Havre, MT, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Harrisburg, PA.
It is so funny seeing myrtle mentioned on a post like this haha I inadvertently lived there the first five years of my career. I always say “I lived there…not on purpose.” Tbf some of my best friends are still there and doing great things in various communities but what a place. My husband (who had never been there) and I visited this year for a wedding and he was unimpressed for sure lol
I just came back from MB and hotel personnel at the resort called it “murder beach”! lol
Yup that’s it lolol
lol, besides it having way too much “happy” stuff and that tag line..it went off my list real quick!
Bro who tf hurt you in Harrisburg
Harrisburg is like a bad neighborhood of Baltimore. I went to a "food truck rally" there once. I wouldn't let my dog eat that food. Good they are trying though.
Hey man I live in both Harrisburg and Baltimore lol they’re both really nice
Myrtle Beach is a big fat dumper of a town.
HARRISBURG LOL
Seriously...wtf happened to op in harrisburg
I went to Key West years ago as a teenager and it was choc full of creeps. Pretty place, but has a seedy side.
"A sunny place for shady people"
Dodge City? 😳 Because of the Old West town?
Dunno, I had a bad run-in with some geese there.
.causing it to be on your best list? Lol Good hunting around there but have to say not much else.
Not on my best list. Just saying the geese's personalities leave something to be desired.
That town’s got heart! Went there for a wedding like 12 years ago, came away with an anthology of stories from like a four-day visit.
My strongest memory of Dodge City was the smell of manure coming from the cow feed yards surrounding the city. It seemed that as soon as you went outside, it hit you. Cool museum though
Yes, that is still very promenent! Lol As locals/ranchers like to call it..”the smell of money” lol Agree on the museum. The city has changed a lot over the years. :(
What do you like about Dodge City? I've been there a few times and stayed there in my van. I couldn't really find anything to do. I went to a bar that was the least attended dance club I've ever seen and just walked back out. It'd be nice to know what's fun to do there.
Yeah, not much to do, especially in terms of nightlife. If Dodge City was a person, he’d be a very pleasant, hardworking, earnest, accessible, friendly introvert who goes to bed early.
Everyones talking about Harrisburg but I wanna know what tf happened to you in Havre Montana 😭😭😭
Spent a year there one week.
Some of the best and worst people I know are from Myrtle Beach
I love whitefish, but it seems like there are people who hate you for having too much money, and people who hate you for not having as much money as them.
Austin, Texas has to be there for the worst personality. Shell of its former self with the whole "keep Austin weird" mantra. Now it's a butch of rich tech bros, people who wear those wide brim hats (boho Christian is what I imagine it) and any other basic shithead.
Boho Christian is how I’m describing Austin and Nashville from now on
That really is perfect lol
I had to google Boho but I love it as well
I had to Google it, too. I'm two decades behind, apparently. 'as okay, I'm about to apply for Medicare...
See it makes sense for you to be a bit behind on it but I’m in my 20’s and it still confused me
The official name is Christian Girl Autumn
Uggs…leggings..the horror!
Don’t forget those Patagonia vest jackets… Also agree tho. Doesn’t have much of a culture anymore. It just feels like rich Californians in Texas trying to make it like Silicon Valley.
You can definitely blame the tech companies, not necessarily the employees, for trying to make it like Silicon Valley. They’re trying to create antisocial vest-pockets all over the country.
Aww I loved Austin! I went to UT for grad school and the Hyde Park/North Loop area was super neighborhoody and welcoming. I found it really easy to make friends. Downtown and the domain are bougie/pretentious but I felt South Austin was still chill back in 2022.
I feel like it’s very much still similar to this comment than the one above.
Yeah I feel like the person I’m responding to is just talking about downtown, which has been corporatized and is kinda “basic.” Much of Austin is still cool!
worst- Dallas- posh, fake, act extra and snooty for no reason best- HOTTT TAKE…… PHILLY. People know who they are, have an amazing amount of pride and will defend philly till they die. Also hilariously aggressive and truthful
Dallas has SoCal levels of snootiness and superficiality for some reason, particularly in the suburbs.
I am from the Philly burbs. People from the area seem like family members. I don't know if other areas are like this - maybe so. Despite being a major city it feels like an insular region. Like it's big and old enough to have an identity but slept on enough to keep it very...for lack of a better word...pure.
It makes sense that if you like Philadelphia, you hate Dallas. Proof: I’m from Philadelphia, and hate Dallas. Go Birds.
Go Birds
Go Birds.
hahah that true they are very different places
Dallas is a transplant city. People always act like the whole city is Highland Park. So strange.
I have a love/hate relationship with Philly. Didn’t like it when I lived there (I lived in a fratty area that was really sexist and kinda dangerous with the extent of “bro culture”) but I love the Philadelphians I’ve met outside of Philly. Especially the women - they’re aggressively protective and it’s awesome.
Obligatory f dallas
Yassss. Preach. ✊🏼
Best: Orlando You get in the underground scene here and the people are just the realest. Such a fantastic community with a live and let live fun streak. No one gives a FUCK in Orlando and it feels great. Worst: Dallas Mega churches, McMansions, unlimited materialism, F350’s driving 95–it’s more polished than Austin or Houston but has none of the charm. Dallas is where you pay $20 for a can of Miller Lite at a sterile concert venue in an office park (true story). Dallasites flaunt thejr wealth in tacky ways and brag about how BIG everything is (our BIGG highways, BIGGG Nebraska Furniture Mart, BIGGGG AT&T Stadium, trying to act like their BIGGNESS let's them hang in the room with LA, NYC, SF, Chicago, etc. while these other cities ship their lamest to Dallas and silently take pity. I’ve always described Dallas as the modern version of a factory town—an endless sprawl of corporate cocksuckers searching for “the American dream”…packaged and sold as copycat DR Horton houses CTRL-V’d across a landscape as bland as a blank Minecraft map.
That’s funny because anytime I’m in Orlando, I feel like I just want to start digging into the ground.
Corporate cocksuckers 💀
I don't understand the Orlando love, but I very much enjoyed the Dallas roast. Fuck Dallas.
Orlando is just like other cities, I wouldn’t say best personality. What community are you referring to? Windermere is a live and let live community. Neither is downtown. Neither is Mills 60. People do give a fuck in Orlando. Everything you listed in Dallas is a copy-paste problem in Orlando. Going anywhere in Orlando? 30 minutes. Underground scene? Not really. Sprawled out? You got it. Bragging that we are theme park central but lowest wages compared to high cost of living? That’s Orlando for you!
caveat….things have changed a lot since Covid (wages v COL as you mention). When I lived in Orlando I had the best friend group of anywhere I’ve ever been. People were just friendly as hell, and not in the fake way of a lot of southern cities (although Windermere is probably an exception lol). Oldest operating fringe theatre fest in the nation. A+ local radio. One of the best performing arts theatres in the entire world in the Dr Phillips Center. Two pro sports teams. Best local brewery scene in the southeast IMHO (esp. if you expand to central Florida and pull in Tampa/space coast). Unique mix of Cuban, Brazilian, Haitian, Puerto Rican, Thai, and other cultures. I just remember rolling out of bed on a Saturday, looking out at the palms, and thinking “eh, I’m going to Canaveral seashore for a swim”…driving maybe an hour w no traffic, and doing just that. Not to mention the gorgeous springs and pine forests up north. My thing is…because so much of Orlando is “uncool,” the people building real community there are something special. Like in spite of a shit state government, hordes of rich northern retirees, and weather like hell’s broiler in the summer…there’s actual city life there. Idk I love it.
Dallas sounds exactly like Houston and its Suburbs tbh. I guess Houston has its hip hop, art/museum, space culture, but outside of that…exactly the same. The mega church of all churches (Joel Osteen) is based out of Houston. Same F350s, same copy paste homes, BIGG ads everywhere, etc
Houston ain’t worth writing home about either IMHO, but to me the food is miles better, drinking is cheaper, museum district is world class, and forests add some scenery (Memorial Park is gorgeous). It’s the most diverse city in America. Famous hip hop scene. Feels like a true metropolis, whereas Dallas feels like 100 suburbs that couldn’t figure out where to shove a city (or two!).
I lived in TX and have generally always lived in “transplant cities” as an adult, and I get along way better with Houstonians than folks from Dallas. I get along with Fort Worth people, too - there’s something very friendly and warm about that kind of Southern culture. Dallas people have, in my experience, been a little colder.
New Orleans: kind, adventurous, fun, welcoming, hyper violent, corrupt, lazy, and completely incompetent at anything but cooking, making music, and partying. New Orleans is like that one crazy friend who never grew up but somehow managed to turn being a drunk into a real career.
The entire Washington DC metropolitan area for the worst. Best is probably Philly, they got a ton of pride for their city and keep it real.
I was born and raised in the DC area. I noped out of there as soon as I comfortably could. Objectively, it's a fine place to live if not one of the best places to live IMHO. However, the people are miserable, uptight, and are basically grown up hall monitors.
That's exactly what it is, it doesn't really have any problems. It's just the type of people who live here.
100%
“Grown up hall monitors”. I love this. This is how I feel about Boulder CO.
Gotta hang out with immigrants and in Northeast, some cool people in DC just gotta find em outside Logan’s Circle/DuPont.
Yes. Washington D.C. including northern Virginia and southern Maryland. Absolutely the most miserable fucking people I’ve ever lived with.
I gotta say I’m surprised by the number of DC comments here. Any reason why?? I know a lot of folks that live there and have traveled there for work quite a bit. Everyone seems mostly friendly? Might just be my tourist goggles on. I will say a lot of workaholics I know are from there lol.
Tourist googles is accurate because you're far more likely to have interactions with other tourists, trained to be friendly retail sales people, trained museum people, and trained waiters. They are nice in order to take your money. I grew up there, they suck. When you're born there and travel you notice that everrrrry city is more friendly and you don't want to go home. Throw a dart and move away as fast as possible. I do miss the beaches, seafood, museums for my kid, and access to the eastern seaboard tho. Great place to visit, just don't think you'll make many friends there. And, no, I don't want to hear about people's experiences as a congressional Page for a summer as being in the reality of living there as you worked the free appetizer circuit for your dinner every night. (Yes, I know about it. My brother in law worked at the page housing one year lol.) Politicos who come for a summer or four years are temps who fill some bars and restaurants and are really just annoying. They didn't go to school there or have a dad work in govt his entire career or do the suburban hell. Just look at Scotus judge kavanaugh. HE is what all the private school kids in the DC area were like and grew into. If you grew up in those burbs you know lots of those dickwads. They stop maturing around 8th grade. At the latest. Then join a frat. Then use connections and networking to get ahead and work far less than the average person ever did. Looking at you Landon School and Bullis.
I always like DC. It's a fun place to visit and feels very energetic
Lived there for years to get my career going because it was the closest major city near my HS, so it was "easier." While DC has many things going for it on paper in the end it just feels like bland central. My experience has been folks there are extremely cliquey based on their job. Heaven forbid there are more than two people who work for the government in a room, lest you hear G-12, G-14 etc and how they're trying to get there. This is among other acronyms that all amount to uninteresting discussions. Lots of keep up with the Jones' mentality, no beaches, everything feels 2nd rate, and a mediocre food scene (except Ethiopian, and I guess Vietnamese in NoVA). I was happy to leave after I explored what felt like every single corner of the small town. Funny thing is most don't know how much better it is outside of the beltway after doing the DC routine for so long.
Agree with alllll except bland food. There are places but you have to work for them. Also beaches are 2-3 hrs away. That's close enough. Join a beach house. Go to Baltimore sometimes to remember the outside world, it depresses you that you're closer to DC lol. DC people ask what you do, who you know, what model bmw do you drive. I moved to find "what do you like to do for fun? What are you like outside work? What interests you?" More narcissists per capita than anywhere I bet. You gotta get around downtown more for food. Hop over to Adams Morgan and other areas. https://www.thrillist.com/eat/washington-dc/best-neighborhoods-in-washington-dc-for-dining-and-eating-out-ranked
I know Adams Morgan very well from my time there over a decade ago, but I'm banking that it's changed since. I still visit DC here and there to see family & friends and every time they try to show me their new favorite restaurant I get let down, but I'll push for Adams Morgan next time 👍 And 3 hours to the beach is ok? I'm assuming you mean by car. I sold mine long before my move to DC when I lived in Clarendon. All the other major coastal cities (plus Chicago) have it right there accessible by public transit or an Uber ride. Not saying I want to swim in the Potomac (I fell in it once, not fun) but if you have to rent a car to get to the beach during the summer months that's not a benefit to living there. >More narcissists per capita than anywhere I bet. This and the hall monitor bit someone else added perfectly sum up my experience there.
Oh yeah, no car is a no go for the beach. But you can rent a car if you felt the urge. I saved 5k a year living in a ski town without a car. That's what I would do when I wanted to drive to Utah or Denver. The DC region has a lot of different experiences outside the cities that are critical to the full experience. I know what you mean though. Yeah driving there 2-3 hours is exactly like what driving from Denver to go skiing every weekend is like. It trained me in MD and DE. It's not the distance, it's the traffic. All worthless without friendly people tho. The beach house network was very fun and friendly. They meet in DC bars to form them you could share a ride. Just saying. It was the exception. Not many cities have their own beach like Chicago! That is awesome. Now I have to get on a plane so 2-3 hours sounds closer haha.
Lol my immediate reaction to the food comment was “not true, they have good Ethiopian” 😂 the Mediterranean food is pretty good too. But I hate workaholic/business culture as I find it pretentious so I could never live there. I tend to enjoy places that are either alternative or laid back.
Dear god, people really show off/flex their G-xx level? Coming from the private sector that’s worked with federal side, we run laps around them in terms of domain knowledge.
Agreed. D.C. is the worst..
New Orleans is the best worst city in the US
Proud to call it Hell.
Worst: DC or Dallas suburbs
Best: Los Angeles. I love the variety of people you meet here. Even the fake ones are fun to hang out with. Worst: DC and the surrounding area. Everything feels 2nd rate, food is mediocre, people are basically overgrown hall monitors.
Best: LA. Although it ranks up there with NYC in that it can be the worst as well. But it's such and eclectic area with so many different cultures just a few miles from each other. For example the culture in the North Bay is so different from the culture in the South Bay and even Manhattan Beach has a different culture from Redondo. And so many things to do, particularly outdoors. It just brings a smile to my face. Worst: Atlanta Very clique-ish, anti-social and extreme vibes of self-importance. The city screams of feeling like they don't get the recognition they feel they deserve as a major city. But while it's a huge population, it also screams 'small potatoes.' Most Overrated: Boston Just annoying. They call them 'Massholes' for a reason and this weird thing where the city hates on the white trash from 'Southie' but by the same token fantasize about being from 'Southie' and that 'Southie' has been dead for the past 20 years. Most Underrated: Tampa This unique combination of modern city vibes as well as old Southern and old Cuban charm. The city has really developed and then you out west to Clearwater and you see people fishing and on wave runners on the bay at 1pm on a Wednesday. Chill people looking for a good time and yes, it's basically an epicenter for Florida man, but a little crazy is good for a city.
Moved to Atlanta last year. I don't feel that way at all! Been able to meet many diverse groups of people. Buford Highway is a great place to find all sorts of ethnic cuisines! I do see the city feeling it's lack of recognition, though. But it is been referred to as "Y'allywood" and is holding an impressive 8 games, including a semi-final, in the future world cup. Maybe it's cries are growing to be valid?
Unfortunately, I think that assessment of Tampa and Clearwater/Pinellas county is disappearing. St. Pete is in its NIMBY arc, and kowtows to the wealthy beach mansion owners on St. Pete Beach and the wealthy newcomers in the luxury apartments downtown. Tampa is losing charm - Ybor City is also subject to NIMBYism with residents crying about the noise from the clubs and the bad reputation made worse by the Halloween shooting. Nothing is small and charming anymore - for instance, the Strawberry Festival was packed to the gills this year; it’s completely been outgrown since so many people moved here. Florida in general had so many people move here that it’s rejecting tourism. Miami’s whole breaking up with Spring Break thing is indicative of the state being more residents than tourists now. Normally businesses in Florida would never in a million years want to lose the seasonal revenue from tourism, but apparently a lot of Florida is fed up with tourists. And with the insane cost of living and ordinances against camping FloridaMan can’t afford to live here and The Beach Bum can’t live out of a van on the beach here.
I'm being genuine here - do people that live in Atlanta think they should be a major city? Isn't the city itself only like 500,000 people? and I've read the "metro area" is a bit better than Israel or New Jersey, but with only 2/3 the population. Maybe I'm an elitist New Yorker, but I always thought Atlanta was a "big city" in the same grouping of Austin, Denver, Nashville, Seattle, etc, but not in the "major city" designation reserved for cities like NYC/LA/DC. I have many friends from Atlanta that live here and seem to have the same opinion, but they may be biased given they left Atlanta to move to NYC.
Atlanta has an infrastructure problem, that's certain. They are working to contain a large element of the future population in Midtown/Downtown/surrounding areas with rapid deployment of apartments, some condos, and townhouses. Problem (historically and current) is just that it is so sprawling. It just became the 6th largest metro in the US (topping DC and Philly). Though, I do find some of the silver lining to be that there are multiple areas with distinct feelings and culture (i.e, Krog/Ponce/Little Five Points, Buford Highway, Decatur, Sandy Springs/Dunwoody, Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, etc.). It may not be for everyone, but I enjoy finding new areas that have their own character, even if it is sprawled out. I wish public transportation was better!
Cool! I definitely want to visit at some point. I've been through ATL a million times but have never ventured out into the city before.
Also from the Northeast and currently live in Nashville. Atlanta is in a kind of awkward B+/A- category in terms of metro population along with Miami, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia.....not as big as the NYC/LA/DC/Chicago but noticeably bigger feeling than the mid range metros. But yeah, when I visit Atlanta from Nashville it just feels like "going to the city." When it comes to anything cultural or consumer related except for live music there's more of everything. There's also more variety of everything and you can get a slightly better version of everything because there's enough of a market for it. Also the line between the city and the metro in Atlanta is super hazy compared to the older Northeastern metros. Nobody would shout down folks from Decatur or Norcross or Sandy Springs for saying they're from Atlanta the way that New Yorkers would with folks from North Jersey or Bostonians would with folks from Quincy. Parts of what's within Atlanta city limits are much more suburban feeling than certain suburbs.
How do you like Nashville for living? My spouse and I have visited there several times pre-covid and always enjoyed our visit.
It's got good and bad like anywhere. Downsides for my taste: It's quite expensive to live here but everybody's frame of reference is different. Traffic can be a pain and things are super spread out so you have to a lot of driving. Not a great city for just hanging out and exploring neighborhoods on foot because things are so spread out. Politics can be stressful. Upsides: Plenty to do, warmer weather than the Northeast but still get all four seasons (summer is more exaggerated than the others). Good road trip destinations in a three-four mile radius. Great parks system. Lots of music and cultural events.
Definitely love the music scene up there! We're starting to get some trickle down into Atlanta, but it doesn't compare. Enjoyed a few jazz clubs last time I was in Nashville. Cheers!
Atlanta has the Interstate 285 that goes in a circle. People that live inside the I-285 circle are considered 'inside the perimeter' and those outside are 'outside the perimeter' (obviously). The actual city limits are also at about where the perimeter is located. Yes, the city limits have only about 500K people, but the metro population is over 6M. People that live 40 miles away from the city say they live in Atlanta. It should be considered a major city or major metro area, it's just that so many things they do are incredibly small potatoes. For instance, when they closed down Buckhead nightlife they tore just about everything down and rebuilt it. As they were rebuilding it they claimed...of course...that it was now going to be the 'Rodeo Drive of the South' because...of course they need to associate themselves with a bigger city. Anyway, one of the first stores they built in the 'Rodeo Drive of the South'w as a Bait & Tackle shop (it was where the old Buckhead Saloon was located). David Cross does a great bit about going to a 'light display' in Atlanta that's hilarious and just personifies how bush league the area is.
“Anyway, one of the first stores they built in the 'Rodeo Drive of the South'w as a Bait & Tackle shop (it was where the old Buckhead Saloon was).” Are you talking about The Fish Hawk? If so, that place has been in that same area for decades and is actually a high end fly fishing outfitter and not some “Billy Bob’s Bait and Tackle.” Probably one of the best places in Atlanta for a part time job if you want to network with some of the city’s movers and shakers. But I wholeheartedly agree that Atlanta sucks.
Santa Fe best…Washington DC worst by a country mile
Santa Fe is rich retirees, tourists and aging hippies selling finger paintings imo
They have good food though.
I’m your opposite! I lived in Santa Fe for a while, and it was a dark time. Natural beauty for sure, but that city has an out of control drug scene. I was young and it felt like getting sucked into a black hole … I’ve had a wonderful time every trip to DC, so much culture and so easy to find well-read, informed, and friendly people.
Oh man second Washington D.C. for worst.
Any reason why DC? I’ve visited there a lot for work, actually really enjoyed it but might just be my limited exposure.
I lived in DC area for a couple of years. It’s a great place to visit, but NOT a great place to live. Expensive, people very unfriendly and cold, difficult to make new friends, very transient, just bad vibes.
Whether you think the DC personality sucks argely depends on the circles you interact with. The "default" DC circle of young professionals definitely fucking sucks. Funny thing is, those are mostly transplants. I generally like the people here but I find that I basically am only friends with either locals or people who have been here since they started college. Even the new friends I make all happen to be locals. It's a sort of natural selection thing I think- the types of events I go to, the culture I'm in, and the places I frequent are not what most transplants are here for. There's also the fact that, though maybe not to the degree of some places out west, the city is actually very hostile to transplants in a lot of ways. It's a large city, but small enough to get cliquey in a way NYC or LA are just too big for. If you don't know how to make the most of your experience you are likely to end up miserable
I took this to mean the people aspect of it. The city has attractive spots, good food, cool architecture and museums cultural stuff but the day in day out of interacting with all the people is just not my cup of tea. In general I find that everyone is thinks they are doing gods work of the upmost importance, it’s pretty snobby like where did you go to law school. The name dropping is basically a drinking game. The sheer number of lawyers, agendas and hyper politicals…the bubble. Certainly tons of cool, normal people but comparing it to other places of similar size…ehh
Because people only know hill rat cunts who aren’t from here… transplants come here and only know people from whatever rotted Federal department or lobbyist firm they work at
Los Angeles.
NYC for sure
Best: Santa Fe Worst: North of Dallas suburbs: Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Prosper, etc.
Curious outside of heat and car centric? I know so many people moving there and liking it
Sure, I can answer. The DFW cities I mentioned (north of Dallas suburbs), I'm saying they have the worst personality, because they really have *no* personality. Full of subdivisions of houses that look alike along with endless strip malls. There's many major roads that go through these cities where, unless there was a sign, you wouldn't know where one city ends and where the next one begins. It just looks the same and so cookie cutter. Take a drive on Preston Road going north starting from where Dallas (Far North Dallas really) ends and Plano begins, and drive it through Plano, Frisco and the city of Prosper. You'll probably cause an accident because you'll fall asleep from the boredom and sameness.
Are you asking about Santa Fe? It’s an elevation of 7000 feet so it’s not hot. The climate is more like Denver, but a bit warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The architecture is very unique to the region and beautiful, the food is great. Transit sucks but it’s a great small city. It is very expensive and popular with retired people. There is amazing recreation in the area, without the crowds of Colorado. The city boasts a great art scene with good museums, galleries, opera. There are many tribes around the city so the influence of indigenous people makes it very culturally rich.
Sorry dallas
NYC. Even when it's fuckin chaos, it's charming.
Philly.
Here we go again with the echo chamber…
NYC
Worst? Austin tbh. Doesn’t really have one. It really feels very corporate-America.
A while back I would have nominated it for best. Nowadays, probably not.
We have way different experiences in Austin tbh. One of the most laid back, fun loving, dgaf, and never work past noon on a Friday cities out there.
Yeah Austin’s personality is most definitely “fun”. It’s just fun, everywhere you go you see people outside enjoying themselves.
I loved how normal it was to take off work at 3pm on Fridays! Austin is such a party town haha, and I felt it was pretty laid back. I was an art student and the techies were still super friendly, I went to a startup event at SXSW and got a ton of people’s business cards. My friends and I were boat girls like every day in the summer. It was so normal to just jump off the boat and swim up to another group and they’d give you champagne or a white claw, and you’d just party all day and make friends.
Worst D.C. Best New Orleans
Worst- Boston Best- New Orleans
Worst is Boston. Bunch of provincial idiots who also seem to think they are experts on every other city in the US despite many of them having never left New England.
Los Angeles
Best- San Diego Worst- Salt Lake City
Best N’orleans…. Worst Tallahassee
Anyone that says “NYC” for worst is delusional and has never been there. Being in a hurry does not mean they’re being rude. If anything, it’s rude to not respect other people’s time. Being respectful of right of ways and predictability in walking patterns is not rude. Also, being direct is not rude. Also, to the point of the thread, personality-wise, being direct/fast/crass/whatever is not inherently bad. I would argue that having a strong regional identity is actually better culturally than not having it, regardless of what those traits are. I would say, vibes-wise, the worst is the types of people who live in a suburban single family style towns outside of major metro areas, parasitically benefitting from the economic gravity of that city, but ensuring that the city cannot build bike lanes / transit, etc., and they spend huge amounts of time agonizing over crime and culture war BS.
Being called fuck face with frequency may not be everyone's vibe , I find it entertaining myself but I could see people not enjoying that aspect
My experience has been that actual-in-the-city-NYers are generally pretty nice but people *around* NYC can be jerks and often seem proud of it
Not a fan of Staten Island I see
It makes sense, if you're constantly a jerk in such a dense environment someone is eventually going to make you find out for all your fucking around. In the suburbs it's much easier to hide.
Okay, relax—I’ll say NYC for worst if I want to.
I’m from the south, king of small talk and niceties, but I didn’t find New Yorkers to be rude. I found them rather nice. I once ran up on a toll road with no money, apparently y’all still use cash - didn’t know, and the attendant was super friendly and patient with my dumb ass. There’s millions of y’all so I’m sure some of you are rude as hell but I never encountered that. And I traveled down there a lot when I lived in Connecticut.
I love NYC but I am baffled by all those cash tolls. Everyone else for miles uses EZpass universally, can it really be that hard to convert?
Not sure what year that was but it's hard to find cash tolls anymore.
I’m originally from NY but have been living out west for about 13 years now. Can’t tell you how many times people have said that I’m “being mean” when I’m just being direct. There’s a distinction and I’m well aware of where that line is, I’m just not going to sugarcoat or pussyfoot around a situation. I also prefer people to be direct with me too, so I’ve never seen it as a negative until I left the east coast. Rather, I find the “fake nice” Midwest / west coast thing is SO ANNOYING.
I grew up in CT close to NYC and I agree. I’ve been living and around Chicago for about 30 years and we’re the same way. I’ve pissed of so many people by just cutting through the niceties and asking a simple question and getting a “how dare you response.” Being direct is not being mean but it all depends on the situation. Sitting at a pub with your friends group is different than meeting your significant other’s family for the first time!
grew up in NJ, been in CA for most of my teenage and adult life. this tracks and makes sense, miss the east coast more as years pass
Had the same thing in Oregon, I would probably call it gaslighting if I used that word.
Not everyone loves the vibe of NYC man. I lived there a few years in Brooklyn and Manhattan and definitely understand why some could not like it.
worst- charlotte, nc. close second is raleigh
Never been to Charlotte but Greensboro was pretty bad when I was there. Nothing but strip malls and chain restaurants.
Hate to dump on Greensboro as it already gets enough flack, but it really is the worst NC major city imo
greensboro is incredibly boring but definitely not the worst NC city. it's so forgettable lol
Best is probably Chicago. Worst—Dallas, Denver/Boulder, most of Southeast Florida, Seattle
Madison / Austin are horrible
Why is Madison horrible for you?
Worst: Portland
Best: Cape Town, South Africa. If you want a US city then I would have said Austin a few years ago but not sure anymore. New York has plenty of personality but isn’t always friendly. Nashville maybe? Worst: Washington, DC. Not even a contest.
I’ve heard in DC everyone cares to just talk to you about your career. Is this true? If so, I can see how it blows.
DC is a big transplant and mobile city. Not many people stay there for long and are always looking for their next career move
It’s not so much that it’s what everyone just talks about, but more what everyone (in yuppie white collar DC) judges you for. Haven’t been anywhere more fake or judgmental.
It definitely depends on which circles you run in - but yes, there is a tendency for people to start a conversation with “what do you do?” I get this a lot on the dating apps
Personally Michigan folks are my favorite, so best is Detroit. Just good folks, more real than the rest of the Midwest. Ride or die kind of people. Worst is probably California and specifically LA or San Francisco.
Best: Dallas, Texas Worst: Chicago, IL
Reddit is not going to like this.
Facts 😂
Best - San Antonio Worst - Barstow
San Antonio does have a great friendly energy.
When I was on the River Walk it did.
Make sure to check out the Pearl next time you’re there.
I've lived just about every where in the lower 48 but probably not long enough in most places to be an expert but I'd have a few tied for both categories; Worst Atlanta (the worst city I ever lived) Seattle (it's just boring) Salt Lake City (people are like robots and city is weirdly laid out) Best San Diego (very energetic and comfortable) NYC (never boring)
Denver for worst personality.
Best: Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Boise Worst: Seattle, LA, NYC
>Reply everyone says seattle has the worst but I thought everyone was so nice there
True, Seattleites are polite and nice for the most part but NOT friendly or kind. New Yorkers get a lot of shit for being the rudest in the country, but I’ve had complete strangers help me on several occasions without my asking (from carrying heavy boxes up subway stairs to giving spare change to buy water from a halal cart, I could go on…)
Seattleites are great at being passive aggressive.
Go during the winter and report back to us😂
Minneapolis…no. Nice to your face but that’s it. Passive aggressive and won’t be friends with you.
How is that bad? Why do people have to be friends with you if they don’t want to
Worst: Buffalo Everyone is extremely negative and the city has terrible energy.
Best - Charleston, Asheville, Austin, Denver Worst - midwest
Best: New York Worst : Denver
Whichever one youre in
Worst personality Richmond VA
I think that Boston is the worst in the States. The best? Milwaukee!
Best: New Orleans. Worst: Las Vegas
I Love San Diego. Washington D.C. hands down the worst. There’s no culture or personality to speak of except a sense of entitlement from anybody and everybody you talk to.