I understand what you're trying to say about the historical center but i hope you don't mind that i said the following:

If you think in Lisbon the food is bad and the architecture is old, gritty, and run down, then you didn't understand Lisbon at all.

Lisbon is an old city because of its age, not because of the buildings.

Lisbon was not destroyed in the second world war, but it followed other European cities in their "age of (re-)construction".

Did you know that 60% of all the buildings in Lisbon have at least only 65 years?

And 1\5 of the city's buildings have about 30 years?

Despite the common knowledge, Lisbon is actually a new city, built mostly after the first world war until now.

For a number of reasons: the earthquake in 1755, and the growth of the city towards the north, east and west sides, mainly in the last 100 years.

There are many buildings "run down" but they are not by far the majority, about 8%, because of many reasons, mostly because of lack of care or disputes between private owners. Also it's true that Lisbon lost a population of around 300 thousand to the suburbs since the 1970's.
Run down buildings should get serious legislation in the next few years.

Lisbon is not only the downtown, Alfama or Bairro Alto...

I can only say that in Lisbon we were continually hassled by beggars (who all seemed to be African) esp groups of young men congregating outside banks, restaurants and shops. I didn;t feel unsafe - since as a New Yorker I have lived in areas that had drug dealers who made these guys look like Mary Poppins - but they were unpleasant and at times tried to intimidate tourists - not just beg. And groups of young men doing this is a whole lot different from a random individual panhandler of different genders, ages and ethnicities.

As for cement buildings - sorry to me the image is just of peeling, crumbling and not very pleasant super budget housing. I suppose I'm just used to apartment houses faced with brick or granite - and homes in residential areas that are brick or shingle or stucco or whatever - not plain cement.

Bom dia..Good point and nytraveler you can keep NY I will choose Lisbon and points south( in this case). Wonderful beaches along the southern cosst at lest as far as we went..Porto Cova..Beggers?? All over the world where there are tourists. Hot it will be..but there will be breezes from the sea and Targus, so if you know that you adjust your activities..

There is not one single building in Lisbon built of just cement. They're all made of brick. In the old center, they're even often covered in beautiful tiles or painted in pastel colors. But now I know how the term "ugly American" came about...