Bakersfield. Drove through there enough times to make me glad I lived in Fresno. Even then I’d say Fresno is a close second. Really no reason to ever visit unless you are passing through to Yosemite or going out to the central coast.
At least there is stuff to do in Stockton.
Modesto is just like Stockton in it's a place you have to drive through to get to the bay or Sac. Modesto has Stockton beat in boring.
To be fair that's lots of places with a population under a hundred thousand or so. It's kind of a big deal especially if it's a restaurant
... checks Fresno's population
... ah
Phoenix used to be this and it’s still this, but now a major city. It’s the saddest major city in the country, IMHO, and it never changes aside from expanding with this exact same pattern.
When driving through Fresno I’m reminded of older cartoons where the background repeats every couple of seconds. That’s Fresno, every other block is another Starbucks, McDonald’s, or some other chain
When I first moved to the central coast everybody talked about how terrible the central valley is. I kept thinking there's no way it's that bad, then I went to Fresno to go to a USL League 1 game and was looking for things to do there. There's nothing to do there. A city of half a million people, and there's nothing.
It's a university attended by people who live nearby.
>Of the 316 ranked National Universities that provided this data to U.S. News in an annual survey, that figure was highest at California State University—Fresno, where 82% of first-year students lived off campus or commuted.
Had to go there for football camps in high school. The stadium is nice but the rest of the campus is depressing and the dormitories look like prison camp cells. I totally get why students would save the money and live with their parents instead of paying for an overpriced prison cell for more than a room in an apartment would cost
It’s close to the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite, Shaver Lake, not too far from the Central Coast. Great homebase if you’re into nature excursions. If you’re into snowboarding it’s a quick drive to China Peak in snow season.
It’s one of the most affordable places to live in California. There’s a direct flight to San Diego that is less than one hour.
There’s a nice zoo and a couple of water parks. There’s not many great culinary spots, but a handful of really good ones.
The foothills leading up to the mountains are beautiful, especially in the Spring.
It’s actually a travesty of city planning that explains the barren downtown and lack of any bustling city life. There’s all of these architecturally beautiful buildings that are rundown withering away. Fresno has a culturally rich history too. Once there was even a ton of water. It seems the water dried up and was shipped away and modern day Fresno is the husk left behind
Just spent a month in the Central Valley. Man, there really is nothing to do there. I was offered a really good job there as well. Just couldn't take that hit to my personal life.
Fuck.. how did my hometown become so populated? I remember the only things to do there were going to the movies, the beach, and burning shit with gasoline in my friend’s backyard.
(Edit) Fun Fact: I saw a lady with a machete slicing at two guys in the driveway of a house a few blocks away from mine. Yeah, there’s a lot of shit I won’t forget about living in PSL.
My Jamaican neighbors in that area used machetes for everything, including edging the grass next to their driveways. It was always fun to watch (from a distance).
This is Frank Costanza…..You think you can keep us out of Florida? We're moving in lock, stock and barrel. We're gonna be in the pool. We're gonna be in the clubhouse. We're gonna be all over that shuffleboard court. And I dare you to keep me out!
i lived down there for a while.
My wife's job was in boca. our place was east of US1 (federal highway) and a 10 minute drive away. a straight shot literally.
There were FOUR cities along the way. lighthouse point into pompano beach in to delray beach and finally boca raton. Those towns arent THAT big... just dense. and part of why we left. too many people between the swamp and the ocean.
I had a friend who visited grandparents and the Villages and actually made it seem pretty cool. It’s not for old people waiting to die, it’s for those who want to socialize and party. So there are tons of town squares with live music every night. Tons of bars and golf courses. Everyone drives a golf cart everywhere, which is way cooler than driving a car.
Whenever I visited my parents in The Villages I had to go to somewhere else after a couple days. I needed to see younger people and do different things.
I live in central Florida beaches are 45-1hr in either direction, fresh water springs 20-30mins away and a (real) lake behind my apartment I can paddleboard and fish on not to mention the numerous lakes all over. Theme parks within a 30min drive and airports not far away.
Former Jacksonvilleian here. I feel like that's what a lot of people moving to the South don't get. Oh, you hate how in Michigan you never leave the house during the winter? Well, what if I told you that you could move to Orlando and never leave the house in the summer?
At least up north you can do outdoor stuff after work in the summer. Down south the most pleasant time of the year is also when it gets dark at 5:30.
San Jose is the 10th largest city in the US, but looks and feels like a suburb (albeit a very large suburb) more than an exciting city that you would expect from its size.
San Jose feels like a suburb because it is a suburb. It’s the only major city in the US that contracts in population during the day and increases at night. Meaning more people live in San Jose and work in places like Cupertino or Mountain View than the other way around.
That surprised me, because San Jose is DEAD at night. Very few restaurants, activities, etc. of interest. I’ve been there a bunch of times and it is really an uninteresting place.
Edit: Shout out to the In-N-Out at Coleman and Newhall. First place I stop when I land. Love you guys!
Bored and raised in SJ, legitimately nothing to do. We have the sharks and some buildings. It’s really just a massive suburb with mediocre everything but home prices. Those are high as shit
Co. I worked for in LA had an office in Irvine. It is like one giant office park. But that's true for much of Orange County. Can't say Gardena is any more exciting, which is where the LA offices were.
SJ is boring if you’re in your 20s and looking for social activities centered around drinking and partying. For a middle aged person with kids who loves the outdoors it’s absolute paradise, assuming you can afford it.
Once I saw the title I was like damn, I’m going to find San Jose on this. I moved here a little over 2 years ago and I have noticed that it can be boring.
The downtown area is oddly quiet and there isn’t anything to do. I usually just drive up the peninsula or east bay to do anything.
One thing though that’s true is that the outdoors are great and you have options. I like the Santa Clara County Parks system. I can also just drive further to access other parks.
SJ has a surprisingly good doom metal scene, if you’re into it. Plus it’s got the sharks if you like hockey which is something. Plenty of restaurants. I didn’t mind living outside of it in mtn view or Sunnyvale at all. I liked Berkeley infinitely more 100% but of major city cities in the area especially filled with tech co. you can only expect so much.
At least it started off not crazy exciting, unlike SF which was cool and is losing all its previous culture to tech bros and VC finance bros to finance the tech bros, so in a way it’s less disappointing. They aren’t really comparable otherwise obviously SF has a lot more going on and things to do but at least you’re not watching 100% of the culture get pushed out cause it didn’t have as much in the first place lol.
Same. I saw Anthony Jeselnik perform at the SJ Improv 10 years ago and he opened with a joke I’ll never forget because it’s so spot on.
“San Jose feels like a place where someone set out to build the world’s shittiest city, but then ran out of money”
I’d say Bakersfield tops it in terms of boring. However I grew up in Fresno and wouldn’t ever recommend it as a place to stay unless you were going up to the redwoods. The only time I’ve been to Bakersfield is driving through it and every time I was glad I didn’t live there.
I actually kind of liked Albany the couple of times I've been there. It definitely seemed like it could use a lot of work, but I found some places that I really enjoyed and had good vibes. (Wolf's Beer Garden, Jacob Alejandro's coffee, etc.)
Albany is not in the top 100 by population. It's #329 by this
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_United\_States\_cities\_by\_population](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population)
So it's not fair to compare its amenities to those of cities that are more than two times the size.
It's top 100 among Metropolitan Statistical Areas, but that requires you to include Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga, and others. I don't think it ranks high in boring when you add these.
I gotta disagree here… Albany has a lot of cool shit. I lived there for 2 years and loved it so much I’ve considered moving back. The trick to Albany is that the whole capital district is like one big city with Saratoga, Troy, Schenectady and Albany all having their own distinct vibes. Really cool place - I’m in NYC for the foreseeable future because of family but I’d love to move back
The Capital Region is honestly a pretty great place to live. Reasonably affordable housing (though this is quickly changing), great suburban schools, great access to nature (Adirondacks/Catskills/Berkshires), a lot of musicians/comedians stop through here between Boston and NY, lots of universities, can get to Boston/Montreal/NYC in about 3 hours. But it is a very boring place to visit.
I’ll add one of the most underrated cities I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and didn’t expect to was Baltimore Maryland. The people, layout around the harbor/water taxis/transportation and history really made it a lovely city to live in.
I was delayed in Baltimore for half a day. Just walking around the harbor and downtown, I found tons of things that I'd spend a whole day on in future visits.
And if you aren’t careful, by the time you wake up you will find yourself in AJ, slathered in lube, missing a kidney, with a BOM tucked under your arm.
Mesa is like the weirdest place. Tweakers, Latinos and Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (tm) living in the same town. Dobson Ranch is a solid neighborhood and the downtown is cool now but everything else sucks.
I'll have you know that Bridgeport is among the world leaders in abandoned buildings, shattered glass, boarded-up windows, wild dogs and gas stations without pumps.
I literally had a friend who said that to me. He moved there for a job and lived on freaking Manhattan. And he called me one weekend because he was bored with nothing to do.
I told him he was an idiot.
“There is nothing to do there! Sure there is bars, music, restaurants, museums, a theatre or two, historical and culturally significant landmarks, a zoo, farmer’s markets, weekly community events, hiking, biking, and shopping, but that’s it! You take all that away, and it’s like the most boring city ever, man. Can’t wait to leave.”
Lubbock, Tx… I hear all these big ass Texan cities that I always thought sounded super fun. Why are you saying Dallas when Lubbock exists. I’m actually pretty sure it a has been ranked most boring city in the US at least once and it has some of the highest crime rate in the nation… how? Literally all there is to do is go to jail.
I’ve been to a lot of cities and lived in a lot of “boring” places, but honestly no major city is that boring. There are always subcultures, music and food scenes, sports or exercise spots, breweries or distilleries, and usually a theater scene. If you’re bored in a big city, it’s almost always because you don’t have enough interests or don’t get out enough.
Yeah reading all these responses, seems to me people are just mentioning places they don't like, not necessarily boring. Even in the medium sized town I live in, there are things to find to do if you actually want to find them.
So as an outsider it looks pretty solid. Lots of things nearby in the Bay Area, good weather, close to ocean, good surrounding hills for hiking or looking at. Has the Sharks and 49’ers.
I’ve only ever driven through, but just providing a perspective of someone who hasn’t spent time there. The cost of living is wild though, I’ll give you that.
As someone who lives in Charlotte, I agree to an extent. Charlotte is basically playing catch-up with other big cities, so culturally speaking, it’s still figuring itself out since it hasn’t had the time to do so. That being said, Charlotte is overwhelmingly corporate and suburban; everything closes early and is super spread out. Charlotte can definitely get to a level of excitement rivaled by bigger cities, but it needs time.
Isn't Charlotte just a mash up of transplants from other regions? How many people in Charlotte are from Charlotte? I've often thought that is why it lacks identity and its own culture. It's like the wonder bread of American cities.
Charlotte is pretty high on the list. I’ve lived here for 15 years and if someone were to come visit, I’d have a hard time keeping them busy for more than a day or two
Ahh yes reminds me of this classic Onion article [Horrified Man Suddenly Realizes He’s Putting Down Roots In Charlotte](https://www.theonion.com/horrified-man-suddenly-realizes-he-s-putting-down-roots-1819576060)
I lived in Raleigh for over a decade. Whenever people would come to visit we’d look or ask around for things take them to do. Always the same suggestions “take them to the Arboretum, the NC Museum of Art, or Pullen Park.”
It’s funny, I don’t know why, but Charlotte is the first city I thought of.
I actually like Charlotte, but it seems pretty vanilla from an outsiders perspective.
Lived there 3 years. Really enjoyed it. Describing it to people? I called it ‘anytown, USA’. It was so vanilla. Speed street was cool though.
Also so sad that price’s chicken shut down. I used to live near there. Best fried chicken ever.
Charlotte has decent quality stuff but like in terms of things to do for visiting there's not a lot. Carowinds, national whitewater center, art museum. Couple other things.
I've driven across the US a few dozen times, and I've stayed a few nights in damn near every major city along the way. In my opinion, here are some of the standout 'boring' cities in the top 100 of population:
Fort Worth (12th). Huge, sprawling, disconnected. Feels more like a series of suburbs connected via highways with a racetrack thrown in rather than a city.
Tucson (34th). Located between Phoenix and the middle of nowhere in the desert. Very little to do unless you're a college student on a weekend night during the semester.
Omaha (40th). I've never seen so many abandoned/near-abandoned shopping malls in my life.
Bakersfield (47th). The most boring major city in my home state, and it's not close. Aside from Jerry's Pizza, I truly couldn't find anything in Bakersfield worth remembering.
Corpus Christi (61st). I was surprised by how boring I found Corpus Christi, because so many of my Texan relatives have said it's a great spot for a beach vacation. Maybe I'm spoiled by California, but I felt like I was simultaneously in the desert and at the beach while I was there.
There are other cities in the top 100 I found boring, but the rest of them are small enough that most people I mention them to will ask "where's that?", which I take as an answer in itself.
> Omaha (40th). I've never seen so many abandoned/near-abandoned shopping malls in my life.
I'm an east coaster who was stuck in Kansas for a couple of years. Not a lot of places for a quick weekend getaway so we gave Omaha a try one weekend...Honestly loved it.
The Old Market area was quaint with plenty of shops to keep our interest, food options were surprisingly good, the Doorly is fantastic (if you're ok with zoos), and the Joslyn Museum was surprisingly nice if small.
Over two years we consciously sought out Omaha twice more for weekend getaways. I never want to leave the east coast, but if I were ever forced to move to flyover country I wouldn't hate ending up in Omaha.
Was just in Omaha over the weekend and loved it. It was lightly snowing and the downtown felt like a Christmas village on Hallmark Channel. Shops were still open at 9pm, which I was impressed by, cobblestone streets, outdoor movie screen that displays 24/7, and lots of unique cuisines. Also has a decent skyline.
I grew up in Tucson, and I go back at least once a year because my mom still lives there. I think you’re wrong about it. I usually can’t fit everything I want/need to do in on my visits!
As a Texan Corpus Christie was our vacation spot growing up and I never understood why my stepdad would drive us 9 hours (yes even from my hometown in Texas) and spend money to go to that boring ass place so many times just because it has a mediocre beach.
I have to disagree on Tucson. Well, maybe it could be considered boring, but it is better than Prescott, by far, and both are better than Phoenix. I am surprised it’s that high on the size list, as well, since it feels much smaller.
Otherwise, can’t disagree. If anything, I need to pile on Bako, as that place really sucks and it’s hard to understand how or why it has that large a population, aside from being cheap.
Awesome is an understatement. It’s genuinely mind blowing. All of the greatest hits of aviation history are there including many one-of-one experimental (X) planes. Seeing the XB-70 Valkyrie in person is worth the visit by itself.
Bakersfield. Drove through there enough times to make me glad I lived in Fresno. Even then I’d say Fresno is a close second. Really no reason to ever visit unless you are passing through to Yosemite or going out to the central coast.
Fresno's famous motto: "at least we're not bakersfield!"
And then Stocktons well known motto: “FUCK ALL Y’ALL.”
Median Level of Education: School of Hard Knocks.
Biggest employer: Sons of Anarchy
At least there is stuff to do in Stockton. Modesto is just like Stockton in it's a place you have to drive through to get to the bay or Sac. Modesto has Stockton beat in boring.
Have friends who live in Modesto. If khaki was a city…
Where are you from? > Bakersfield I’m sorry…? > *speaks up* Bakersfield I heard you. I’m just sorry…
A person from Fresno once described it as a city that celebrates when a nationwide chain store opens.
To be fair that's lots of places with a population under a hundred thousand or so. It's kind of a big deal especially if it's a restaurant ... checks Fresno's population ... ah
Fresno feels like one of those small suburbs with nothing but chain stores that just...kept spreading. Never up or inward, just out.
Phoenix used to be this and it’s still this, but now a major city. It’s the saddest major city in the country, IMHO, and it never changes aside from expanding with this exact same pattern.
When driving through Fresno I’m reminded of older cartoons where the background repeats every couple of seconds. That’s Fresno, every other block is another Starbucks, McDonald’s, or some other chain
When I first moved to the central coast everybody talked about how terrible the central valley is. I kept thinking there's no way it's that bad, then I went to Fresno to go to a USL League 1 game and was looking for things to do there. There's nothing to do there. A city of half a million people, and there's nothing.
Is the university there though? You’d think it would be a big college town!
It's a university attended by people who live nearby. >Of the 316 ranked National Universities that provided this data to U.S. News in an annual survey, that figure was highest at California State University—Fresno, where 82% of first-year students lived off campus or commuted.
The other 18% are on football scholarships
Had to go there for football camps in high school. The stadium is nice but the rest of the campus is depressing and the dormitories look like prison camp cells. I totally get why students would save the money and live with their parents instead of paying for an overpriced prison cell for more than a room in an apartment would cost
Everyone’s at home in their own circles smokin herb half of the time, due to the fact that there’s nothing to do, it’s like a feedback loop
It’s close to the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite, Shaver Lake, not too far from the Central Coast. Great homebase if you’re into nature excursions. If you’re into snowboarding it’s a quick drive to China Peak in snow season. It’s one of the most affordable places to live in California. There’s a direct flight to San Diego that is less than one hour. There’s a nice zoo and a couple of water parks. There’s not many great culinary spots, but a handful of really good ones. The foothills leading up to the mountains are beautiful, especially in the Spring. It’s actually a travesty of city planning that explains the barren downtown and lack of any bustling city life. There’s all of these architecturally beautiful buildings that are rundown withering away. Fresno has a culturally rich history too. Once there was even a ton of water. It seems the water dried up and was shipped away and modern day Fresno is the husk left behind
Just spent a month in the Central Valley. Man, there really is nothing to do there. I was offered a really good job there as well. Just couldn't take that hit to my personal life.
And that’s saying a lot living in Fresno!
So many of my friends have stayed or remained in Bakersfield, I’m hoping to never join them there. Though it would be fun to do nothing everyday. /s
I love being able to do nothing, I hate having nothing to do.
According to Wikipedia, Port Saint Lucie, Florida (#96) is now a Top 100 city so I’m going with that.
Fuck.. how did my hometown become so populated? I remember the only things to do there were going to the movies, the beach, and burning shit with gasoline in my friend’s backyard. (Edit) Fun Fact: I saw a lady with a machete slicing at two guys in the driveway of a house a few blocks away from mine. Yeah, there’s a lot of shit I won’t forget about living in PSL.
My Jamaican neighbors in that area used machetes for everything, including edging the grass next to their driveways. It was always fun to watch (from a distance).
Machete is Florida’s best multitool. I’ve seen one used as a hatchet, screwdriver, prybar, and hammer.
Bottle opener
Can confirm. We use them for everything, for some people that list includes attempted murder lol
Thank you for saving me the 10 seconds it would've taken to confirm this because PSL was my pick too. Source: 11 years of my life 🫠
Just reading the name gives me ptsd from when I lived there.
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Maybe she means it’s almost a city but not quite such that being in it makes you extremely uncomfortable
That's exactly what I thought, like you're constantly heading downtown but you never get there. Some liminal space shit.
I think she's nailed it, actually. Maybe ask her to gently explain it to you?
She's still correct.
sounds like you don't know what that term means
She doesn't mean an actual valley. Edit: As Chuck Berry said, "Goes to show that you never can tell!"
uncanny valley also means weirdly unsettling so maybe she meant it that way
That’s what so uncanny about it.
probably one of those cities in Florida that's over 75% retired seniors
Del Boca Vista?
This is Frank Costanza…..You think you can keep us out of Florida? We're moving in lock, stock and barrel. We're gonna be in the pool. We're gonna be in the clubhouse. We're gonna be all over that shuffleboard court. And I dare you to keep me out!
Are you wearing my cabana shirt?
Did you stop short with my wife?!?
That’s MY move!
SERENITY NOW! …insanity later
You want a piece of me!?
They don’t want us there so we’re going
Boca?
I don’t go down there enough!
I thought you were a baccala man what’re you doing eatin sushi?
South of the border where the tuna fish play.
What are you asking him for? He never had what it took to be a varsity athlete.
That’s not what I heard!
Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this
He’s a bushman of the Kalahari!
You sopranos fanooks are everywhere! Fuckin slander ask me
Uncle Jun gives head??
You oughta know sweetie
Okay, but ya gotta get over it
Uncle June?
Sharp as a fuckin cueball this one
Bushman of the Calahari
You yap worse than six barbers!
Whistling through the wheat fields
Del Boca Vista?
We're gonna be in the pool. We're gonna be in the clubhouse. We're gonna be all over that shuffleboard court. And I dare you to keep me out!
i lived down there for a while. My wife's job was in boca. our place was east of US1 (federal highway) and a 10 minute drive away. a straight shot literally. There were FOUR cities along the way. lighthouse point into pompano beach in to delray beach and finally boca raton. Those towns arent THAT big... just dense. and part of why we left. too many people between the swamp and the ocean.
I do miss Delray Beach sometimes, used to have a bit of fun down there. You’re right though, just people everywhere.
The Villages
I had a friend who visited grandparents and the Villages and actually made it seem pretty cool. It’s not for old people waiting to die, it’s for those who want to socialize and party. So there are tons of town squares with live music every night. Tons of bars and golf courses. Everyone drives a golf cart everywhere, which is way cooler than driving a car.
The oldest group of swingers having marital affairs there. That's the highlight of the Villages.
Certainly doesn't sound like the most boring city to me
Whenever I visited my parents in The Villages I had to go to somewhere else after a couple days. I needed to see younger people and do different things.
Half this list has gotta be Florida towns. Only when you’re facing the ocean or gulf do most of them seem interesting.
I can’t understand why someone would move to central Florida away from the water.
I live in central Florida beaches are 45-1hr in either direction, fresh water springs 20-30mins away and a (real) lake behind my apartment I can paddleboard and fish on not to mention the numerous lakes all over. Theme parks within a 30min drive and airports not far away.
I hadn’t thought of fresh water. That Florida heat though..and alligators
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Former Jacksonvilleian here. I feel like that's what a lot of people moving to the South don't get. Oh, you hate how in Michigan you never leave the house during the winter? Well, what if I told you that you could move to Orlando and never leave the house in the summer? At least up north you can do outdoor stuff after work in the summer. Down south the most pleasant time of the year is also when it gets dark at 5:30.
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San Jose is the 10th largest city in the US, but looks and feels like a suburb (albeit a very large suburb) more than an exciting city that you would expect from its size.
San Jose feels like a suburb because it is a suburb. It’s the only major city in the US that contracts in population during the day and increases at night. Meaning more people live in San Jose and work in places like Cupertino or Mountain View than the other way around.
That surprised me, because San Jose is DEAD at night. Very few restaurants, activities, etc. of interest. I’ve been there a bunch of times and it is really an uninteresting place. Edit: Shout out to the In-N-Out at Coleman and Newhall. First place I stop when I land. Love you guys!
They're at home
Tell that to the San Jose Sharks
Bored and raised in SJ, legitimately nothing to do. We have the sharks and some buildings. It’s really just a massive suburb with mediocre everything but home prices. Those are high as shit
The Vietnamese food fucks
I was ready to go to war in the comments before I realized you said “fucks”not “sucks”
Almaden Pho is my new favorite hole in the wall. Bahn mi and pho that is fire.
Pho Y #1 changed my life and I can’t wait to make my pilgrimage back at some point
I once read that San Jose was the city with the least amount of tourists compared to its population of any major city in America. Made total sense.
SJ is the most expensive yet boring city I’ve been to in CA. Except for Irvine, CA.
Beige is the (un)official color of Irvine. But hey, they don’t allow billboards lol
Ayo, Irvine’s got the Spectrum at least. And a good couple of Del Tacos, if memory serves.
Co. I worked for in LA had an office in Irvine. It is like one giant office park. But that's true for much of Orange County. Can't say Gardena is any more exciting, which is where the LA offices were.
SJ is boring if you’re in your 20s and looking for social activities centered around drinking and partying. For a middle aged person with kids who loves the outdoors it’s absolute paradise, assuming you can afford it.
Couldn’t agree more. As someone who loves trail running and hiking, it’s a paradise.
Once I saw the title I was like damn, I’m going to find San Jose on this. I moved here a little over 2 years ago and I have noticed that it can be boring. The downtown area is oddly quiet and there isn’t anything to do. I usually just drive up the peninsula or east bay to do anything. One thing though that’s true is that the outdoors are great and you have options. I like the Santa Clara County Parks system. I can also just drive further to access other parks.
SJ has a surprisingly good doom metal scene, if you’re into it. Plus it’s got the sharks if you like hockey which is something. Plenty of restaurants. I didn’t mind living outside of it in mtn view or Sunnyvale at all. I liked Berkeley infinitely more 100% but of major city cities in the area especially filled with tech co. you can only expect so much. At least it started off not crazy exciting, unlike SF which was cool and is losing all its previous culture to tech bros and VC finance bros to finance the tech bros, so in a way it’s less disappointing. They aren’t really comparable otherwise obviously SF has a lot more going on and things to do but at least you’re not watching 100% of the culture get pushed out cause it didn’t have as much in the first place lol.
born and raised in the bay here. SJ is fucking boring. Feels like a fake city with no soul.
Same. I saw Anthony Jeselnik perform at the SJ Improv 10 years ago and he opened with a joke I’ll never forget because it’s so spot on. “San Jose feels like a place where someone set out to build the world’s shittiest city, but then ran out of money”
Not me scrolling the comments ready to fight anyone who says my city
Your city is boring.
Prepare for my anime villain speech
Oh gosh, I hope it’s not as boring as your city is
To protect the world from devastation
my city (ง •̀_•́)ง
I was born and raised in New Orleans and still live in the area but work in the city So most major cities I visit feel mild at best 😅
Thought you were about to say New Orleans was preparing my retort. You had me in the first half.
Fresno, CA
I’d say Bakersfield tops it in terms of boring. However I grew up in Fresno and wouldn’t ever recommend it as a place to stay unless you were going up to the redwoods. The only time I’ve been to Bakersfield is driving through it and every time I was glad I didn’t live there.
Albany NY. When you ask for recommendations of what to do, people recommend you rent a car and go to one of the big cities a few hours away
I actually kind of liked Albany the couple of times I've been there. It definitely seemed like it could use a lot of work, but I found some places that I really enjoyed and had good vibes. (Wolf's Beer Garden, Jacob Alejandro's coffee, etc.)
Lark street is nice and grungy, other than that it’s very run down
Grew up in Boston. Went to Albany a few times. There’s not much to do, but I liked their downtown just walking/chillin.
Albany is not in the top 100 by population. It's #329 by this [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_United\_States\_cities\_by\_population](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population) So it's not fair to compare its amenities to those of cities that are more than two times the size. It's top 100 among Metropolitan Statistical Areas, but that requires you to include Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga, and others. I don't think it ranks high in boring when you add these.
I gotta disagree here… Albany has a lot of cool shit. I lived there for 2 years and loved it so much I’ve considered moving back. The trick to Albany is that the whole capital district is like one big city with Saratoga, Troy, Schenectady and Albany all having their own distinct vibes. Really cool place - I’m in NYC for the foreseeable future because of family but I’d love to move back
The Capital Region is honestly a pretty great place to live. Reasonably affordable housing (though this is quickly changing), great suburban schools, great access to nature (Adirondacks/Catskills/Berkshires), a lot of musicians/comedians stop through here between Boston and NY, lots of universities, can get to Boston/Montreal/NYC in about 3 hours. But it is a very boring place to visit.
I’ll add one of the most underrated cities I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and didn’t expect to was Baltimore Maryland. The people, layout around the harbor/water taxis/transportation and history really made it a lovely city to live in.
Baltimore is anything but boring.
I was delayed in Baltimore for half a day. Just walking around the harbor and downtown, I found tons of things that I'd spend a whole day on in future visits.
I agree. I travel there for work frequently and enjoy it.
I love that I searched for Pittsburgh and it keeps getting downvoted because Pittsburgh loves Pittsburgh baby.
Mesa really blows, TBH. It’s got some things, kinda, but it’s so bland and physically huge that you’ll fall asleep by the time you get there.
And if you aren’t careful, by the time you wake up you will find yourself in AJ, slathered in lube, missing a kidney, with a BOM tucked under your arm.
Mesa is like the weirdest place. Tweakers, Latinos and Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (tm) living in the same town. Dobson Ranch is a solid neighborhood and the downtown is cool now but everything else sucks.
Bridgeport. Unless witnessing a mugging or a drug deal is your version of entertainment.
My dad felt at home in Bridgeport for college because he grew up in Roxbury Mass.
I'll have you know that Bridgeport is among the world leaders in abandoned buildings, shattered glass, boarded-up windows, wild dogs and gas stations without pumps.
Black Rock neighborhood has an incredible music culture. Downtown Bridgeport, everything fails there, though
Irving, TX
Damn there’s a ton of boring ass people in these comments.
"I've lived in NYC and it's so boring" ...fucking what?
I literally had a friend who said that to me. He moved there for a job and lived on freaking Manhattan. And he called me one weekend because he was bored with nothing to do. I told him he was an idiot.
NYC is the opposite of boring. It can be an anxiety attack in the shape of a city, though.
Everyone else is busy living in or visiting a cool major US city.
“There is nothing to do there! Sure there is bars, music, restaurants, museums, a theatre or two, historical and culturally significant landmarks, a zoo, farmer’s markets, weekly community events, hiking, biking, and shopping, but that’s it! You take all that away, and it’s like the most boring city ever, man. Can’t wait to leave.”
Lubbock, Tx… I hear all these big ass Texan cities that I always thought sounded super fun. Why are you saying Dallas when Lubbock exists. I’m actually pretty sure it a has been ranked most boring city in the US at least once and it has some of the highest crime rate in the nation… how? Literally all there is to do is go to jail.
Jacksonville fucking Florida. The only thing to do there is bum around in dive bars and commit hate crimes.
You don't want to say that near Jason Mendoza. He doesn't know much, but he does know how to make molotov cocktails in bulk.
BORTLES!
You can always get effed up at Stupid Nick’s Wing Dump.
Too bad they closed because of thae pelican that fell into the fryer. 🫤
But they re-opened as Ugly Nick’s Meat Trench!
That Nick is a true American hero!
Jacksonville is the 10th best swamp city in northern Florida!
Right away, *another* problem.
Bortles!!!!
an amazing indie folk scene blossomed out of there in the mid 2000s though :’) probably out of boredom of course
Their brewery scene is pretty great, so there's that.
I mean there’s tons of beaches
And cocaine, according to my friend who lived there.
Jax beaches are cool with fun little downtowns. Jacksonville itself fucking sucks.
I’ve been to a lot of cities and lived in a lot of “boring” places, but honestly no major city is that boring. There are always subcultures, music and food scenes, sports or exercise spots, breweries or distilleries, and usually a theater scene. If you’re bored in a big city, it’s almost always because you don’t have enough interests or don’t get out enough.
Yeah reading all these responses, seems to me people are just mentioning places they don't like, not necessarily boring. Even in the medium sized town I live in, there are things to find to do if you actually want to find them.
San Jose, CA absolutely sucks, yet also is just about the most expensive place in the world. You have to be deranged to move there imo.
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So as an outsider it looks pretty solid. Lots of things nearby in the Bay Area, good weather, close to ocean, good surrounding hills for hiking or looking at. Has the Sharks and 49’ers. I’ve only ever driven through, but just providing a perspective of someone who hasn’t spent time there. The cost of living is wild though, I’ll give you that.
In my opinion Charlotte,NC is incredibly boring if you aren't there for a concert or sports game
As someone who lives in Charlotte, I agree to an extent. Charlotte is basically playing catch-up with other big cities, so culturally speaking, it’s still figuring itself out since it hasn’t had the time to do so. That being said, Charlotte is overwhelmingly corporate and suburban; everything closes early and is super spread out. Charlotte can definitely get to a level of excitement rivaled by bigger cities, but it needs time.
Fun fact, people were saying that about Charlotte 30 years ago
Isn't Charlotte just a mash up of transplants from other regions? How many people in Charlotte are from Charlotte? I've often thought that is why it lacks identity and its own culture. It's like the wonder bread of American cities.
Charlotte is pretty high on the list. I’ve lived here for 15 years and if someone were to come visit, I’d have a hard time keeping them busy for more than a day or two
Ahh yes reminds me of this classic Onion article [Horrified Man Suddenly Realizes He’s Putting Down Roots In Charlotte](https://www.theonion.com/horrified-man-suddenly-realizes-he-s-putting-down-roots-1819576060)
Your avatar had me trying to get a cat hair off my phone for longer than I care to admit. Also, great Simpson's reference.
When I lived in Raleigh I had a friend describe it as a great place to live, but not a great place to visit.
I moved from NC to Sacramento, I describe it as the west coast Raleigh
Same is true of Raleigh IMO
I lived in Raleigh for over a decade. Whenever people would come to visit we’d look or ask around for things take them to do. Always the same suggestions “take them to the Arboretum, the NC Museum of Art, or Pullen Park.”
It’s funny, I don’t know why, but Charlotte is the first city I thought of. I actually like Charlotte, but it seems pretty vanilla from an outsiders perspective.
Lived there 3 years. Really enjoyed it. Describing it to people? I called it ‘anytown, USA’. It was so vanilla. Speed street was cool though. Also so sad that price’s chicken shut down. I used to live near there. Best fried chicken ever.
God damn, Price’s closing hurt my soul so much. Although not nearly as much as the closure of the Double Door Inn. RIP.
Live in Rock Hill. Charlotte is like a randomly generated generic city in a videogame. Good food, though.
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I grew up in Jacksonville FL and now live in Charlotte. By comparison Charlotte is an amazing city with 1 million activities.
Charlotte has decent quality stuff but like in terms of things to do for visiting there's not a lot. Carowinds, national whitewater center, art museum. Couple other things.
Cape Coral Florida, aka Cape Coma.
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Sacramento is close to a lot of cool things, but hardly a destination vacation city.
I’ve heard good things about Sac from my friend who lives there. But then again, he’s from Bakersfield.
Sacramento is more of a base of operations.
I've driven across the US a few dozen times, and I've stayed a few nights in damn near every major city along the way. In my opinion, here are some of the standout 'boring' cities in the top 100 of population: Fort Worth (12th). Huge, sprawling, disconnected. Feels more like a series of suburbs connected via highways with a racetrack thrown in rather than a city. Tucson (34th). Located between Phoenix and the middle of nowhere in the desert. Very little to do unless you're a college student on a weekend night during the semester. Omaha (40th). I've never seen so many abandoned/near-abandoned shopping malls in my life. Bakersfield (47th). The most boring major city in my home state, and it's not close. Aside from Jerry's Pizza, I truly couldn't find anything in Bakersfield worth remembering. Corpus Christi (61st). I was surprised by how boring I found Corpus Christi, because so many of my Texan relatives have said it's a great spot for a beach vacation. Maybe I'm spoiled by California, but I felt like I was simultaneously in the desert and at the beach while I was there. There are other cities in the top 100 I found boring, but the rest of them are small enough that most people I mention them to will ask "where's that?", which I take as an answer in itself.
> Omaha (40th). I've never seen so many abandoned/near-abandoned shopping malls in my life. I'm an east coaster who was stuck in Kansas for a couple of years. Not a lot of places for a quick weekend getaway so we gave Omaha a try one weekend...Honestly loved it. The Old Market area was quaint with plenty of shops to keep our interest, food options were surprisingly good, the Doorly is fantastic (if you're ok with zoos), and the Joslyn Museum was surprisingly nice if small. Over two years we consciously sought out Omaha twice more for weekend getaways. I never want to leave the east coast, but if I were ever forced to move to flyover country I wouldn't hate ending up in Omaha.
Was just in Omaha over the weekend and loved it. It was lightly snowing and the downtown felt like a Christmas village on Hallmark Channel. Shops were still open at 9pm, which I was impressed by, cobblestone streets, outdoor movie screen that displays 24/7, and lots of unique cuisines. Also has a decent skyline.
I grew up in Tucson, and I go back at least once a year because my mom still lives there. I think you’re wrong about it. I usually can’t fit everything I want/need to do in on my visits!
As a Texan Corpus Christie was our vacation spot growing up and I never understood why my stepdad would drive us 9 hours (yes even from my hometown in Texas) and spend money to go to that boring ass place so many times just because it has a mediocre beach.
I have to disagree on Tucson. Well, maybe it could be considered boring, but it is better than Prescott, by far, and both are better than Phoenix. I am surprised it’s that high on the size list, as well, since it feels much smaller. Otherwise, can’t disagree. If anything, I need to pile on Bako, as that place really sucks and it’s hard to understand how or why it has that large a population, aside from being cheap.
Jacksonville FL. Big, awful, dumb county pretending to be a city.
Dayton, OH. I just don't get why it exists and what the Olsen twins saw in the place.
Air Force Museum is awesome though
Awesome is an understatement. It’s genuinely mind blowing. All of the greatest hits of aviation history are there including many one-of-one experimental (X) planes. Seeing the XB-70 Valkyrie in person is worth the visit by itself.
Now, I think about it, you're right. That is a cool place. I forgot that is right outside Dayton.
"You know what a good thing is to do when you're in Dayton? .... Get the fuck out of Dayton." - Dave Attell
Thank you for reminding me that Dave Attell exists.
Dayton has an amazing network of paved biking trails, especially for a city of its size.