There’s something about U.S. cities which has always enthralled me. Probably because, like most of us, my childhood was spent gawping at scenes of New York and Los Angeles on the big screen. I knew then that as soon as I could, I had to see these places in person.
And that’s exactly what I did. No matter how many times I visit, the U.S. never disappoints. Current political climate aside, it will always be my favourite country to travel to. Nowhere else can match the diversity, scale and character.
That said, there are a few U.S. cities which left me feeling a little uninspired. I don’t want you to read this and cancel your plans to visit these cities; they’re still amazing and definitely worth visiting. These are simply the U.S. cities I found to be overhyped, and that didn’t quite match what I was expecting of them. That’s the problem with preconception.
1. New Orleans
The evening before I travelled to New Orleans, I found myself propping up a bar in Mobile, Alabama until closing time. Everyone was so friendly, and turning in early soon became a distant fantasy.
New friendships were formed, and every one of my new friends had the same thing to say about New Orleans: it’s overhyped. Naturally, Mobile was far better in their eyes. Of course, they were likely a tad biased. Mobile and New Orleans have an age-old rivalry.
When I did finally reach New Orleans the next evening, the first impressions were great. Crossing the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain was truly impressive, andthe grand Union Passenger Terminal, opened in 1954, was quite the place to arrive.
I checked into what was once a stunning hotel on Lafayette Square. Sadly, time hadn’t been good to it, and it was no longer oozing grandeur; it was crying out for help. Heading for infamous Bourbon Street, I stopped for a decidedly bland Po’ boy before fighting my way through the crowds on a street devoted to overpriced, touristy bars.
At this point, only once in my life had anyone attempted to rob me. By the end of the night, that number had doubled. They weren’t successful, but it certainly put even more of a dampener on my mood and feelings for New Orleans.
The following day, having consumed the obligatory New Orleans breakfast of a café au lait and beignets from Café du Monde (there’s nothing overhyped about them), I took to Lake Pontchartrain aboard Steamboat Natchez.
Never before have I eaten such revolting food, nor been so cramped aboard a boat I wanted to jump off and swim. Deciding I’d had quite enough of New Orleans, I returned to my once grand hotel on Lafayette Square, counting down the minutes until I were to leave for Houston.
2. Chicago
Of all the cities I’ve visited in the U.S, Chicago is the one I was most excited for. For years, I’d longed to visit the Windy City; even if only for the pizza. Deep Dish is something that barely exists in the UK, so I was desperate to sample the real deal. On top of the pizza, I’d always wanted to see the sights from Home Alone, and having spent a couple of nights at the Plaza in NYC, I headed across to Illinois.
It was a cold February evening when I emerged from Chicago Union Station. There was snow on the ground, a chill in the air and the Windy City was living up to its name. Although I should probably dispel the myth, Chicago is by no means the windiest city in the U.S. My favourite of many theories about the city’s name is that the New York press dubbed Chicago “Windy” for the amount of hot air that came from the mouths of Illinois politicians.
Naturally, having dumped by bags at a Hilton just off the Magnificent Mile, my first task was to find a proper Deep Dish pizza. At a Lou Malnati’s beside the Wrigley Building, my aim was fulfilled. But all was not well; my first authentic Chicago Deep Dish was anything but good.
The following morning, after a detour to acquire some gloves (very much essential), I wandered down to Navy Pier before heading to an observation deck. I know I’m telling you, Chicago is overhyped, but it doesn’t disappoint on views. Looking down on frozen Lake Michigan was special indeed.
Walking back down the Magnificent Mile, it struck me that the only thing magnificent about it was the amount of money being spent. Chicago has some stunning architecture, but the Magnificent Mile isn’t the place to find it. Instead, I crossed the river and spent a while exploring the American Writers Museum, which may well win the title of the worst museum I’ve ever visited.
Hoping to find that architecture, I hopped aboard an hour-long river cruise which promised to deliver exactly that. Now, I’m sure we did sail past some stunning buildings, but the problem was that, thanks to the boat’s design, they were invisible.
You may recall I started this article by saying I didn’t want to put you off visiting these cities. Nowhere is this more true than in Chicago. It’s an amazing place that you really should see for yourself, but it just didn’t live up to my overhyped expectations.
3. Los Angeles
If I were writing this list in order of most overhyped, Los Angeles would catch the ome to spot. There are a few places in the world which have left me with absolutely no desire to return, but those are my exact sentiments where Los Angeles is concerned.
I would go as far as to say I actively dislike Los Angeles. It’s dirty and crime-ridden to the point wthat alking around felt unsafe in places.
Wandering down Hollywood Boulevard, supposedly the home of America’s rich and famous, I witnessed an encounter between a police officer and a homeless person that I shall never forget. The homeless man was quite visibly administering an illicit substance whilst sitting opposite TCL Chinese Theatre. The police officer’s reaction was to tell him that, should he wish to do what he was doing, he ought to go to the next street so the tourists wouldn’t see him.
This interaction summed up Los Angeles quite nicely for me. Hollywood Boulevard left me with no great inspiration; touts were flogging tours to go and pry on celebrity’s homes, traders were selling tiny cartons of strawberries masquerading as street food for $10, countless tourists were for some reason entranced by the Walk of Fame, and rubbish was everywhere.
By night, things improved somewhat and I made a great new friendship in a bar on Hollywood and Vine. Said new friend, Luis, often attempts to change my view of Los Angeles and entice me to visit again.
He succeeded once. I returned and stayed Downtown for a change of scenery. Downtown LA certainly has some things going in its favour: Angel’s Flight, Philippe the Original, and some super cool bars, but once again, I was left with the overwhelming feeling that this was not a city I could ever feel safe in, let alone at home in.
