Is NYC an expensive, overrated and dirty nightmare? Is LA a disappointing, traffic-filled hellscape of dying dreams? Is Chicago too cold to function?
So, when a Reddit user asked, 'Americans, what is the worst big city in the USA and why?' people were ready to debate about which cities are truly not worth the visit.
1.
I passed Camden NJ on a way to a concert - and we stopped at a light and a cop drove up and literally told us “just run the reds and go do not stop” and as we turned you would just see groups of ppl on corners waiting for a stopped car. It was wild. - MarsReject
2.
East St.Louis, stopped once for gas. Didn’t think I was going to make it back on 55 - Nature_Goulet
3.
Yeah I haven’t been to a lot of the cities mentioned here, so I don’t feel qualified to make a judgement on whether or not they’re the worst, but I grew up going to Baltimore regularly. That city is nuts.
Maybe it’s improved in the years since I last visited. But last time I was there people tried to mug me and my mom in the parking garage of a HOSPITAL. I was in a wheelchair, but the wheels really sped up the getaway lmao.
Someone also tried to steal our car while we were at the hospital. Like what. I’ve been to many hospitals in many cities. Baltimore is the only one where people were trying to mug you as you walked out of the hospital or steal your car as you went into the emergency room. - throwawayacct654987
4.
In my opinion, of the ones I've been to... Miami Anywhere outside of the nightlife scene is absolutely dangerous. For example, Wynwood, the art district, is LITERALLY in the middle of one of the worst possible neighborhoods. You enter or exit Wynwood from the wrong direction, don't stop and wait at red lights. - EmployeeRadiant
5.
Bakersfield, California is the worst. Please never go there. There is no reason to go there. It is followed closely by Dodge City, Kansas. - frozen_brow
6.
The worst cities are the most boring cities- the most devoid of personality. So I'm going to say Jacksonville, Florida. - seanofkelley
7.
Boston is amazing, very historical and with great cuisine. So much to do. But God almighty getting around in the city is a nightmare. It's like they haven't modernized their infrastructure for anything more than 1950 levels of traffic. It's crazy. - hezelm
8.
I gotta go Las Vegas. It's like a plastic plate of sh*t that's been spraypainted gold. - 99-bottlesofbeer
9.
NYC, the smell. It's like working in a peroxide factory to the point that your lungs burn. - TightKitty83
10.
As a New Jerseyean I submit Camden. Place is like someone took everything bad about Philly and then forgot to add anything good except a battleship - azuresegugio
11.
Newark NJ. I will say this until I die, there is a reason they use it to portray Gotham city in Batman. - SpatialSpy
12.
Houston is one big spread out strip mall - Ztrianta
13.
Biloxi, MS. No redeeming qualities unless you like sweating your balls off at 7am and waffle houses on every corner. - ranger398
14.
I’m currently living in Phoenix right now and they do this thing where everyone puts their garbage outside and then the city has it all picked up. Like, not in the cans, but just in huge piles. But they don’t pick it up for months unless you live in a nice neighborhood.
So in my sh*tty neighborhood there have been massive piles of garbage in front of everyone’s houses for like two whole months, with rain leeching who knows what out of it all, and wind blowing garbage all over the neighborhood. It’s so f*cking stupid that I can’t help but laugh. - Islanduniverse
15.
I hated growing up by Orlando. For one, brick roads f*cking suck, but also there's just too many damn tourists all the time. Entire city's one giant tourist trap. - GreenGuardianssbu
16.
Miami. Year round tropical paradise? Year round hot garbage. Hot, humid garbage. A crime-ridden, bug-infested, trash-strewn, traffic-choked third world shit hole. The official flower is mildew, the official smell is decomp, the official birds are mosquitos and plametto bugs which is just a cute name for giant cockroaches.
Absolutely abysmal education means the native population is as dumb as a box of rocks. 'Oh but houses are so cheap!' They sure are, when they're poorly built, slum-adjacent and 20 traffic-clogged miles from any decent services or shopping. Just overlook the property taxes, too. Better hope your condo building was properly maintained. Uninsured driver, slip-and-fall scam central.
What's really hilarious is the handful of companies relocating there citing crime in the cities they're leaving. Had they read the news they'd know Miami is not Singapore or Geneva. 'Crypto hub'? Yeah, good luck with that. Rising sea level can't come soon enough. - W-S_Wannabe