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What major US city disappointed you the most and why? Which one was a pleasant surprise?

Steve

I had to go to Kansas City on business. It was a very nice city. I wouldn't want to go for an extended trip, but it is nice for a long weekend.

Laura

I didn't care for Memphis at all. I was very pleasantly surprised with Minneapolis.

lara

I don't know what city was a major disappointment, although I expected to be blown away by San Francisco and wasn't. I loved it, but I expected to REALLY LOVE it. I wasn't very impressed with Ghiradelli (sp) Square or Fisherman's Wharf, and I was surprised at how car-dependent it is. Still, it is such a great and beautiful city, I would return in a heartbeat.

I was pleasantly surprised by LA. I completely expected to hate it, experience traffic and smog, etc., but traffic was not a problem and it was so nice to see flowers when I still had a foot of snow at home.

Boston was also a pleasant surprise. I just visions of dirty Irish bars, but found it beautiful and quite hip. All the old churches and buildings made it almost feel like a slice of Europe.

art

I was disappointed with Miami. Yes, the beach and people are beautiful, but I felt like the ugly duckling among all the posers.

I thought Chicago was a huge surprise. Small-town attitude with big city amenities. Great.

dnorrie

I don't know about the worst but the most pleasant surprise for me was San Diego. Such nice people, great restaurants and close to so much. Other than the smog, which I am not used to, I thought it was a great city.

Howard

One place I was dissappointed in was Charlotte. We went on one of those last minute internet fares...arrived early on a Saturday and departed Sunday evening...so basically 2 days. We didn't feel like renting a car, so we stayed right downtown and hoofed it. The downtown was all new, which we were expecting, but there was not much to see, save a couple of museums. We read about some old historic neighborhoods on the periphery of downtown, and walked to them..they were not much..a few square blocks of mildly interesting houses.

On Sunday, downtown was dead...we took a pleasant trolley..it has been renovated..to the end..about two miles, and walked thru a "tidy" neighborhood of fairly upscale houses..which were from maybe mid-20th century. It was about a 5 mile walk altogether..a nice walk, but nothing to fly in an airplane for. Just before we got back to downtown, it started to rain, and we went to the movies.

Howard

I forgot the pleasant surprise. Although not a major city, I really liked Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For a place its size, there is a lot to see, good restaurants, and a very ubran feeling downtown.

art

I should clarify what i said about Miami. I liked it, the food, the sun,etc. Perhaps my discomfort at South Beach has more to do with my not looking like a Calvin Klein underwear model (or my not really wanting to pretend I am?).

brian

Lara,
I loved San Francisco, but I agree that Ghiradelli square isnt that great. However, I dont think that locals go there much. I toured the museums which are pretty good and I also explored the neighborhoods. And the parks and surrounding towns are nice.What I was surprised by was the large number of homeless. I also disliked the all-day traffic jams on the freeways( does it ever clear up?)

chuck

Biggest diappointment: probably Dallas. I was there for several days on a not-too-exacting business trip about 5 years ago. Not a bad place by any means, but just less than I expected as far as sights, "walkability," and overall ambience.

In the dissapointment category I must also heartily agree with the previous post about Charlotte NC. I'd like to know if there is a more self-promotional, void-of-charm "nice" city in the US. And I am biased--I actually live here!

Biggest pleasant surprise: NYC. I've been 3 times now. And each time I have been amazed at how comfortable I've been--never made to feel by new yorkers like the southern bumpkin I actually am. Also, the wonderful diversity--among people, areas of the city, sights, food, etc!

John

My biggest disappointment was Boston. I didn't dislike it but wasn't overly impressed by anything there. From the airport onwards, the trip was just one disappointment after another. It seemed that no one smiled, either. Perhaps I just hit it on a bad week!

I was pleasantly surprised by Pittsburgh. I went for a conference and actually changed a flight to stay two more days. It is pretty and clean with nice people!

EdC

OK, I live in Boston, so I have to respond to the earlier posting. People here are tough to crack (we need a month or two in southern charm school) - we're not bubbly, I admit. Blame it on 400 years of Puritan/Irish Catholic sensibilities. However, I moved here from NYC several years ago and found Boston to be a fascinating place. I admit Boston overdoes the "Ye Olde" thing to a degree, but that's its M.O. (it almost can't help itself to preserve everything whereas other places bulldoze them). It's completely unlike those huge office parks masquerading as cities (Houston, Dallas, Atlanta). Fenway Park on a summer evening, old churches and parks, graveyards from 1600 right in the middle of the city, Paul Revere's wooden house still stands where it was erected in the early 1600s. What's not to find interesting?

The trip from the airport is crummy, no doubt and we all need to be a bit more friendly. Your points are taken, but you have to admit, when you come here you cannot expect Disneyland.

sandy

I was also disappointed by South Beach. I was in Miami for work, but my husband was with me (we both late 20's). We decided to take a cab to SB to catch some of the "action". Thank god I was working so I could at least expense the $80 round trip cab ride from our airport hotel. We sat at an outdoor cafe to people watch for about an hour, paying about $20 for 2 drinks. I've taken cabs and gone out eating and drinking in big cities before, but this was the worst as far as fizzle for your buck. We went back to our hotel and danced in the surprisingly lively club to a live Latin band. We should have just stayed there, but at least now I know not to rush out to South Beach again.

ldsant

Disappointed: Kansas City - had to go three times and really would not return on my own.

Pleasantly surprised: Milwaukee. Small town flavor with very down-to-earth people but quite a lot to do.

I live on the west coast and love all of the cities/towns out here!

gina

Worst disappointment: Philly. Definitely willing to give it another try. I think we may have been stuck in a not great area of town. Only 1.5 days.

Best pleasant surprise: Believe it or not, DETROIT!! We stayed at an excellent Omni hotel on the riverfront, ate a a couple of great restaurants, went to a hockey game (excellent hockey town - second only to Toronto), went to a wonderful blues club and some really happening bars. Also visited the Henry Ford Estate and the Motown Museum. Lots more there we wanted to do but just didn't have time. Will definitely be back.

Nearly forgot, nicest people everywhere we went! Every Detroiter we met was extemely pleasant and helpful.

John

Hey, EdC, the funny thing is that I totally agree with you about Boston's charms. It's a nice city with lots of history, yet I was still very disappointed. I think I just expected too much, somewhat like previous posters have said about San Francisco.

The fact that it isn't like Disneyland is a MAJOR plus! I prefer cities like New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, etc...places with charm and a lack of "plastic"! This is why I find my less-than-enthuiastic embrace of Boston puzzling.

ps - you have to admit Logan Airport is the pits. The worst in the US, in my humble opinion!

JAYD

I was also dissappointed with Miami. I think I expected a tropical paradise with some art deco buildings thrown in.

I wouldn't say I hated it but I probably wouldn't return.

EdC

to John:

We're trying. I love Boston (as I said, I am from NYC originally, and cannot see myself living anywhere but good olde Beantown). Some people consider it smallish and claustrophobic, but that is part of its inherent nature and just something you have to live with.

It has certainly evolved in the past few years (much livelier night scene, much better restaurants, etc.). Boston is also a town that is somewhat reluctant to promote itself (unlike other cities with fewer amenities - Atlanta and Dallas, as mentioned before), and thinks its reputation alone should carry it. Anyhow, it is definitely coming along. I would encourage anyone to come here for a visit. I am a total convert.

EdC

To John again:

I forgot about Logan. You are 99% correct. Only LaGuardia in NYC is worse (OK, maybe Newark, too). Logan is super convenient from dowtown (2 miles), but you have to go through the least scenic neighborhood and a leaky FDR-era tunnel to get to downtown, only to be faced with the Big Dig mess. There is a major modernization going on at Logan, plus (hopefully) when the Big Dig is done the Logan experience will be better.