It seems that America isn’t just full of friendly locals, welcoming Texas BBQ’s and charming southerners. Indeed in a recent study by Travel and Leisure, it is evident that America is also full of a slew of unfriendly cities. Avoiding these cities isn’t always possible and many of them boast amazing attractions and things to do, as well as big business centers. Whether it is the locals or tourists, the weather or politics, these 15 cities have been named the most unfriendly in all of America. Discover what makes them so unfriendly and how you can find the friendliest spots in each.
15. Chicago, IL
Chicago is full of museums, great restaurants and a spectacular view, but that doesn’t mean the people are friendly towards outsiders. What visitors here will find are people walking with their heads towards the ground, rushing from one thing to the next and an overall vibe of unfriendliness. Perhaps it is due to the high amount of crime that happens, or maybe people are just too busy to start up a conversation. Whatever the reason is, don’t bank on making any new friends in this city, and make sure you buy a map so you don’t have to ask for directions. For a friendlier Chicago head to the neighborhood of Old Town for a root beer float spiked with Stoli and hang out with the locals or get your laughs on at some stand up comedy at Second City.
14. Providence, RI
These New Englanders are not happy to welcome anyone or anything new in this city. Providence is known for their locals being downright rude and snobby. The weather here is pretty awful, bringing a lot of cloudy days as well as rain, snow and ice in the winter which may contribute to the attitudes of people. This city also happens to be highly unaffordable. The taxes are high, as is the cost of living. Visitors here often have spent enough time here after two days and won’t want to stick around getting to know the locals who often throw them rude glances and downright ignore them when spoken to. The Dean Hotel welcomes visitors and plan on staying here if you want to experience any type of friendliness.
13. Seattle, WA
Seattle has been deemed unfriendly for many years, but in fact it just seems that this city is unsocial. They won’t slam the door on you, or not make eye contact but rather these locals just seem maddeningly impersonal. The weather can’t help matters as it is seriously grey, wet and miserable looking most of the year. Seattle is a very segregated city, meaning that people stick in their cliques and often have a hard time letting anyone knew in. For visitors, you probably won’t notice the unfriendliness that much as people will still tell you to “have a good day” but it’s people who move here that really suffer. Just look up the definition of “Seattle Freeze” and you will understand what we mean when we call this city unfriendly.
12. Baltimore, MD
We aren’t quite sure how Baltimore got the nickname of “Charm City” but visitors to this city certainly don’t agree with it. Along with recent turmoil that has literally caused this city to be on a curfew; people just aren’t friendly to outsiders, or each other. Crime is at an all time high in this city and both locals and visitors walk around being afraid, which means no eye contact and no small talk with strangers. The city is known as being a little quirky and off-beat, but sometimes that rubs visitors the wrong way. If you are looking for a bit of friendliness in this city, head to one of the concerts by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra or grab brunch in the neighborhood of Hampden.
11. Orlando, FL
In a city that boasts “The Happiest Place on Earth”, it seems surprising that Orlando is actually really unfriendly. It is not certain whether it is the locals who are unfriendly, or just the tourists who are snapping at each other. Either way you can expect a lot of horns being honked, a lot of snappy comments and a slew of crying kids. Maybe it is all the tired feet or low blood sugar that comes from visiting the theme parks, but whatever it is, people here can’t wait to return to their hotels. The theme parks tend to be the worst place to deal with unfriendly people, but also tends to be the main draw here.
10. Dallas, TX
Many people have the notion that all people from Texas are friendly and welcoming but that certainly isn’t the case when it comes to the city of Dallas. The people of Dallas certainly seem to be in a rush and are generally stressed out, which leads to a lot of fast walking, plugged in ear pieces and a lack of eye contact. It is interesting here because most people that live in this state don’t actually like people from Dallas, adding to the notion that they are quite rude. Perhaps they are just tired of the cowboy and oil jokes or maybe they just want to keep their city to themselves, either way don’t plan on getting a friendly Texas welcome from this city.
9. San Francisco, CA
If you ask the people here they will probably outright admit that they can be both rude and snobby, especially when it comes to food. Locals in this city seem to put themselves on a pedestal slightly higher than everyone else. Locals here aren’t afraid to laugh at the tourists in their shorts and t-shirts shivering at the piers, nor are they quick to judge visitors who don’t know how to get around. San Francisco does gain a lot of points for being LGBT friendly though and if you want to experience the friendliest of the city, head to the neighborhood who welcomes anyone of any nature. Just don’t start judging what they eat, trust us on that one.
8. Los Angeles, CA
It has long been known as a snobby city and as the years go on it seems that this city just can’t figure how to be charming. Whether you are trying to exchange pleasantries with the locals and getting shut down, or trying to snap a selfie in the crowds at the hall of fame, chances are you will leave this city feeling bruised. Known as having some of the most beautiful people in the country, chances are you will feel a little down about yourself. To immerse yourself into the locals, try some retail therapy to boost your happiness and connect with some of the shop owners who are friendly if you drop enough cash.
7. Las Vegas, NV
It should come as no surprise that this city is actually unfriendly. Think about what happens in Vegas, the wild parties, the rambunctious outsiders who come in droves and crowd up the city with large amounts of drinking and gambling. Therefore we aren’t entirely sure who the ones are that are being rude in Vegas. Is it the locals or the tourists? Either way, this city that sits at the top of the list for tourism certainly doesn’t know how to play nice. Expect business men talking business, women brushing off your smiles and people generally avoiding eye contact. If you want to avoid the overly rude tourists make sure to get off the strip and visit the downtown bars where the locals hang out.
6. Miami, FL
Horn honking, people yelling at each other, rude customer service and stuck up individuals who think they are better than you, all of this and more awaits visitors to Miami. This city is thought to be the capital of “me”, where everyone only cares about themselves and makes sure everyone else knows it. People here love to flash their expensive cars and clothes while looking down on those who aren’t on par with them. Racism is still a problem in this city and contributes to the unfriendliness of their nature. Don’t plan on heading to South Beach if you are looking to chill with the locals and be accepted, instead head somewhere like Virginia Key Beach for a more mellow and laid-back beach scene.
5. Boston, MA
This city has a horrible history of race relations and that can’t help with people thinking that this city will forever remain unfriendly. Things have changed in this busy city, but people are still not warm and fuzzy. The city rates are high when it comes to intelligent people and perhaps they are just too smart to want to make small talk with visitors. The winters are awful, everything closes early including the bars and red sox fans; and all we will say about that is that you better be cheering for them when they are in town. Visitors should expect that locals will be rushing with heads down, cell phones in hand and far too busy to make new friends. On the plus side, the city is very pretty and if you can find some accepting locals, they promise to be both smart and funny.
4. Washington, D.C
Politics are ugly, perhaps getting more ugly as time goes on and therefore it is no surprise that Washington is unfriendly, rude and just too busy to make newcomers feel welcomed. Lobbyists and lawyers make up the majority of people in this city and they tend to be too self-absorbed or busy to throw a smile your way. Many commuters tend to use public transit, as do tourists to get around this city and it seems that the unfriendly vibe is picked up by tourists as they watch the commuters on their way to work and home. This city is also high on security which means that entering something like a children’s museum means getting your bags searched and many of the security guards are not warm and fuzzy. Fighting terrorism is a serious job here and it seems they lack in customer service when they do so.
3. Philadelphia, PA
We suggest you don’t come to this city of “Brotherly Love” wearing anything but a jersey that represents Philly as you will more than likely clash with the locals. Locals here also have some colorful and unusual language, being the one city that likes to drop the “f” word on Twitter on a consistent basis. If you can go to visit and act like a local, wear an Eagles jersey and eat a cheesecake with the best of them, it will be no doubt that you will be welcomed in. But if you show up with a New York accent, wearing a Giants jersey and turn your nose up at one of their beloved food choices; plan on someone telling you where to go. Philadelphia has always known for being a bit rough and if you can’t respect them don’t plan on being welcomed.
2. Detroit, MI
Motor City has been called the armpit of the world by more than one person and does nothing to help its reputation. Unwelcoming, loud and having an incredible amount of lousy drivers makes this a city people love to stay away from. Crime levels have not helped this city as more and more people who visit become afraid of walking after dark or in unknown neighborhoods. Detroit was one of the hardest hit cities by the recession, making it even more unfriendly. The huge numbers of unemployed people tend to be less than happy to see other people visiting that have jobs, houses and cars. If you do want to find some friendlier times here, head to one of the live music venues and chat with other patrons.
1. New York City, NY
Sure, New York offers an insane amount of theatres, shops, restaurants, hotels and other entertainment, but it seems that people just can’t get past the unfriendliness of the city. It starts with the angry cabs that are incessantly honking their horns at other drivers and pedestrians. The unfriendliness continues in the stores and restaurants, who are more concerned with how much money you have to spend rather than to make your experience a good one. Perhaps the extremely high cost of living turns people off from this city or maybe they just don’t love the extreme hustle and bustle that is constant. Whatever the reason is, New York has and continues to be one of the most unfriendly cities in America and chances are it won’t get any friendlier in the future.
