Rumors and gossip don’t equal the truth. What you’ve heard about some of the best holiday destinations in the world might not actually be what going there is really like.

And pretty much each and every place that’s worth going to has some stereotypes about it. From the romantic and culture-infused Paris to the party beaches of dozens of different towns and countries. But the locals are here to set the record straight.

A group of redditors dispelled the myths about their home cities and countries in a viral r/AskReddit thread, and we’re bringing their insights to you, dear Pandas. Read on and when you’re done, drop on by the comment section to tell us all about the myths about your home town.

Bored Panda got in touch with former art gallery director Shelby Bercume to have a chat about some of the myths about her home state, Florida, a place that got over 122 million visitors in 2021 alone.

"The sun shines all the time. I know we are called the Sunshine State but do recall this is also the land of hurricanes and floods. Also for whatever reason, our ads are always at these solitary beaches and stuff. We are so crowded! I don’t know where people got the idea we’re this laid-back remote beach place. If you know about Florida, so do all your friends. And they are all here to visit." she quipped. Scroll down to read the rest of Shelby's great insights, how to easily recognize tourists, as well as her warning about alligators in freshwater sources.

#1

Australia is big, varied, and safe. There are dangers here, but your biggest risk is yourself. Just read the signs (not a metaphor - there's signs about every danger everywhere) and use common sense.

Honestly, I've seen Americans and Canadians, who have been near f*cking grizzlies, freak out over a lizard. Just relax man, it's nice here.

Image credits: JackofScarlets

Shelby told us a bit about what's popular in sunny Florida. "Key West is super popular. It has the typical Florida experience with the beaches and the huts and the drinks and the cute beach houses," she shared with Bored Panda.

"Orlando is also a fun one for the theme parks. If you are a little more adventurous you may also enjoy an airboat ride in the swamps of Everglades National Park," she gave some awesome suggestions.

#2

I live in Las Vegas. Listen. What happens in Vegas stays on the internet and also in the stories of every local who saw you do it. Don't do stupid [things].

Image credits: kyothinks

#3

I only lived there for a little while, but it’s a common misconception that Hawaii is a great place to live. Don’t get me wrong - it might be the most beautiful place on earth and there are many, many exceptional things about living there. But it’s terribly expensive just to grocery shop, let alone try to buy a house. Many people just live with their parents and grandparents because no one can afford to move out. So many houses and apartments/condos are bought as vacation properties, which drives up the price. Then, houses/apartments in residential neighborhoods have a revolving door of vacationers coming in and out, which is disruptive to normal life. (People on vacation care very little about how much noise they’re making, etc.) It’s a catch-22 because so much of Hawaii’s money comes from tourism, but tourism is making it impossible for locals to buy homes.

Image credits: Reamund

According to Florida-based Shelby, it's always easy to spot someone who isn't a local. "You can literally tell how long a tourist has been here by how bad their sunburn is. That aside, it is really easy to spot a tourist though. Lots of pictures, walking slow, driving slow, stuff like that. As far as I am concerned, as long as you stay off the road during rush hour and are respectful of others, you are all good in my book," she subtly noted that tourists have to be considerate of the actual locals, too.

"If you are visiting Florida, assume that there are gators in every source of freshwater. DO NOT go swimming or let your kid or your pet swim in unfamiliar waters. Even if you think, 'This is a manmade pond. There can’t be gators,' trust me, there can and there are. Stay out," she warned everyone to be extremely wary of freshwater sources that they are unfamiliar with.

#4

Tokyo here. I could name a few, but the one that always gets me is the misconception that people are going to accept (or even respond politely to) outrageous weebishness. If you roll up in Shibuya with a Naruto headband and a Hello Kitty backpack, trying to communicate through a handful of anime catchphrases while creepily leering at schoolgirls, people are rightly going to give you a wide berth.

Image credits: csulasiris

#5

Los Angeles, specifically Hollywood. Literally everything about it is underwhelming. The Walk of Fame is cool for 2 seconds, Grauman's Chinese Theatre is smaller than you'd think, the Hollywood sign is just a big a** sign, and no, you're not going to run into a celebrities walking around. All the while it's incredibly crowded, smells terrible, and you have to dodge costumed street performers in droves.

Image credits: scottman586

#6

Florida here.

It's called the 'Sunshine State' but it rains every single day in the spring and summer. Tourists always seem surprised by that.

No there is no dome over Disney to control the weather or the bugs - though Disney does have a great mosquito control program.

Also, Miami is nowhere near as sexy as they make it seem on TV. That's like 2 streets by the beach and that's it, not that you want to be in that area because everything is more expensive and also sinking into the ocean so things keep collapsing.

The wealth disparity is disgustingly clear.

The REST of Miami is full of poverty, construction that gets abandoned, and tons of homelessness because of the batsh*t housing prices. Florida is only fun for the rich-rich. Don't come here if you're not, you WILL struggle.

Image credits: [deleted]

Professor Christine Vogt, the Director of the Center for Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University, went into detail about traveling and respecting other cultures with us.

She said that learning a bit of the local language and about the local customs is a must when you’re going abroad. "More than likely that is what draws a person to visit a certain place. The more local knowledge a traveler has, the more a traveler can feel like a local and fit in," she told Bored Panda during an earlier interview.

"Local customs can include how a traveler dresses, eats, uses a cell phone, etc. When a traveler is out in a community such as walking in a downtown area or eating in a restaurant, these local customs can come into play,” Professor Vogt said.

#7

I lived in Amsterdam for five years. I realized pretty quick for the rest of my life saying you lived in Amsterdam means people assume you’re really into weed, illicit drugs, crazy parties, hookers, or a combination of all that. In actuality, most of my going out was for drinks with colleagues, I don’t like pot, and only ever went to the red light district when someone visiting me was curious enough to see it.

Image credits: Andromeda321

#8

Not all of New York City is as crowded as the touristy areas. The vast majority of us aren't navigating through Times Square as part of our daily commutes (but mad sympathy to those who actually have to).

Image credits: gambalore

#9

I live in the Caribbean and a lot of people (foreigners) seem to think in my island we live by the sea sipping coconuts all day.

In reality my country is struggling.

We had a hurricane like 3 yrs ago and people still live in sh*t (the government has helped a lot of people with housing to be fair) The man in power may or may not have stole like 1.5 billion dollars, this led to a major protest the other day and election is coming soon so yay more drama.

In other words the Caribbean is not a heavenly get away where nothing bad happens.

"Speaking of bad things, as a random side note" if you take a trip to any Caribbean island rape, robbery especially of white tourists (not really a race thing but a lot of people falsely think they are rich cus white skin) and human trafficking are a very real problem stay safe guys.

Image credits: [deleted]

“For example, in Buddhist countries, a woman who has not covered her shoulders or legs may not be allowed into temples or even a restaurant. Learn as many local customs as you can and a few key words to enhance your experience," she urged.

Unfortunately, some tourists are so disrespectful, they even take ‘souvenirs’ from historic sites. According to Professor Vogt, the locals can post the penalties for stealing, set up signs that would discourage this sort of behavior, and set up cameras to catch any rule-breakers.

Even something as setting up a display of items that have been returned by tourists can help motivate people to respect the local culture and history.

#10

London. People think it's really quaint and idyllic and we all fart around drinking tea and twirling canes. A huge majority of it is a sh*thole. The buses look very nice on a postcard but they generally stink of piss. The Thames could probably kill you if you dip a toe in. The London Eye is boring as sh*t.

Pubs are good though.

Image credits: [deleted]

#11

I live in Munich. We just had Oktoberfest. The most aromatic of all events. Vomit. Urine. Mostly vomit.

Image credits: MsAndie1

#12

(Bahamas) What's funny is when people come to the main island, and are surprised to find out that the entire place isn't a clean, beautiful, sandy tropical island no matter where you go. It's also funny when they find out the murder rate (which is high in comparison to the size and population).

Other popular misconceptions by people who know nothing about us are that we are (and I have seriously heard every last one of these) loin cloth wearing savages that fish all day, drink out of coconuts, and live straw houses, and sleep in hammocks. That does however perfectly describe the native people who were killed off by the Spanish hundreds of years ago soon after the western world was discovered. Someone once seriously asked me, "Do you guys ride dolphins or are they just friends." My response, "They are our main form of transportation as decreed by King Aquaman."

Image credits: Sleeping_Virus

#13

Australian here.

Sydney and stuff are expensive. But the one thing that people underestimate about our country is the sheer size of it, people go to the hotspots like Uluru, GBR, Sydney and Melbourne but they forget that it is a country nearly the size of USA. It's not small and you will meet people who have never left their state before.

Image credits: peepeetrain

#14

Living in Bali. Yes there are some beautiful places but its really dirty here. There is literally garbage everywhere as the local government doesn't have a trash collection program. People burn their trash everywhere. Also tons of corruption by police that try to supplement their income. Lots of poverty and poor people from whole of Indonesiz trying their luck here. There is a reason why the Indonesian government is trying to steer tourist to the "new Bali's" : it is overcrowded.

Image credits: xbabykingx

#15

Scotland is seen as a wild and untamed land. In reality our hills have been burned for grouse or grazed into oblivion by sheep and deer after all of our large native predators were hunted to extinction. A lot of those iconic barren hills used to have actual scrub and plant life on them. Livestock farming and hunting have ruined our countryside. A report came out the other day that also states that wildlife is declining faster in Scotland than anywhere else in the uk. The people want change - particularly doing away with the big estates causing a lot of the destruction - but money talks like anywhere else. I still love my country with all my heart which is why it is incredibly difficult to watch it being destroyed.

Image credits: rafraska

#16

I don’t live there, but a lot of my family does and I’ve been there (Jamaica)

It’s a paradise

No, it isn’t. A lot of people can’t afford food, water, and electricity at the same time (apparently electricity used to be cheaper but since the government is a total assh*le they sold it to some company and now it’s expensive)

Probably not a misconception because it’s sadly one of the things we are known for (especially if you live in the uk) crime. Our crimes are pretty bad. Not as bad as Latin America, but it’s still bad, and our job market isn’t exactly helping its case (it’s pretty bad, and the mlms also are not helping) (do keep in mind that some places are saferthan others, like port Antonio)

The people here are nice

Well yes, but actually no. We tend to be vain and general assh*les to other Jamaicans . We will treat tourists nicely if your a tourist because your basically one of the few things that fuel our economy

And don’t come if your gay, they won’t mind killing you and your spouse for being bad to the Bible or some sh*t.

The country is nice, but we could really use a do over..

Image credits: hulloiliketrucks

#17

New Zealand here. It's sold as a clean green eco country where there are views out every window and you can romp along the empty tracks and beaches to your heart's delight... The realty is a lot different. The country is going through an eco crisis, water quality in most rivers has dropped to the point where they are not swimmable, old school sewerage overflows are contaminating the beaches and every track of international note is shuffling room only. While there is still stunning scenery, the rest of the country is struggling to keep up with an influx of people alongside a housing crisis that's made home ownership a pipe dream for many.

Tourists often think that, being such a small country, they can drive from A-B in X hours as that's what it would take back home for that distance. The realty is that the majority of our roads/highways are single lanes on winding roads with one way bridges and few chances to overtake. The drivers suck and you will cop a gesture or two if you dare look at another driver.

For the most part people are nice and friendly but it's like every other developed country. Leave something of value in your car and it'll get nicked. Walk down a dark Street at night and some P head will try one over on you. Flash a bit of coin and someone will figure out a way to part you with it.

New Zealand's a great country but it is a heavily developed country which comes with all the associated problems. It's a long time since it's been 100% Pure.

Image credits: theloveableidiot

#18

I live in Las Vegas. People are occasionally shocked when they hear I work at a school. I've been told several times, "I didn't even think Vegas had schools."

Image credits: glimblade

#19

Alaska. Where to begin?? It’s not always dark. In fact, in the summer it’s quite light. Hence some difficulty viewing northern lights in summer months. Ditto cold — we do have summer. In Fairbanks we regularly hit 80° in the summer, sometimes hotter. But also our state is HUGE. So what’s true of Fairbanks isn’t necessarily true of Anchorage. Or Juneau. In fact southeast (Juneau, Ketchikan, etc - the cruise ship circuit) is almost like a separate state. They’re more like Seattle than the rest of AK.

People don’t ride around all day on dog sleds. We don’t live in igloos. We are Americans. Our Indigenous cultures are diverse and are not all Eskimo. Oh, and most of us can’t see Russia from our back yards.

Image credits: inchworm907

#20

We lived on the beach in San Diego for years and apparently everyone who comes to visit thinks we like to party 24/7. Especially the AirBnB next door to us.

We would ask nicely the day before to please knock off at 3am but often they would party til 5 and there's no reasoning with drunk young people.

Since we woke up and left by 7:30am, we would put on a YouTube video titled "12 hours of a crying baby" and turn up the stereo and let it play the 5 or so hours we'd be away.

It certainly opened the channels of dialogue and respect from there on out.

#21

I live in California. Non-Californians be like "ohhh wow I love all the palm trees and the beaches, you are so lucky!".

I live in the middle of a desert. Nothing but dirt, joshua trees, 70 mph winds, and sagebrush.

Image credits: grand_tiremaster

#22

I live in Paris and all the tourists go to eiffel tower or the louvre museum. Sorry but noooo, there are so much other superb place in Paris.

Also I hate how everybody says Paris is city of love. Sorry but noooo, you walk out of your appartment and you have 1 000 cigarets/meter on the street. It's just disgusting.

PS: To all tourists, please go to other cities in France, there are many better places in France, Paris is the worst.

#23

Appalachian tourist destinations.

Unless stuff in the giftshops is advertised as locally made, you can get it in bulk for cheaper off the Internet, because that's totally where the boss did. And the locally made stuff is sometimes nice, sometimes makes you miss Regretsy.

The food stuff, check the labels.

No, the locals do not like to be called hillbillies, except Hillbilly who owns Hillbilly's Junkyard, and he is a character, let me tell you.

Yes, we genuinely are this friendly and really do like to talk with strangers this much, but it comes from either the terrifying isolation of deeply insular small towns where everyone knows everyone else's business or being a transplant who has to drive three solid hours to so much as a decent-sized Costco.

Some of the kids get backpacks full of food every Friday from volunteers at the schools because even if their folks had the money for groceries, they might not also have the hour and back's worth of gas to get them that week from the nearest store.

No, we are not paid a living wage at this tourist site. Incidentally; management is a family and doesn't understand why $8/hr isn't enough to live on.

When I lived there, I had four jobs and the two that were tourism-related were purely to stave off the boredom and have an excuse to see people."

But if you go about four, maybe five hours that way, depending on the traffic, it's our nation's capital, so...yeah.

#24

Tokyo. It's not the perfect paradise people imagine it to be. It's a major city, just like London, New York, Toronto, etc, and has major city problems.

The trains run at 130% capacity; garbage & graffiti almost everywhere; rats, cockroaches, feral cats, & attack crows (no robots just yet) roam the city; the homeless population just gets shunted around or thrown in jail (little support for them)...

Image credits: oikorapunk

#25

Banff, Canada

The bears aren't friendly, if you feed them, they will come back.

All deer are not Bambi, they will hurt you.

Cougars are not kitty cats, you look like a nice steak dinner to them.

Don't go hiking or skiing in the back country if you aren't prepared. You make my job as a search & rescuer hard when you make stupid decisions like that.

Yes snow may be fun for 2 or 3 days of your trip, but from September to July, it gets dull fast.

Am I salty about tourists? You bet

Image credits: masterroadtripper

#26

I'm from Spain, we don't drink Sangría and we don't have Paella (not PAELA, PLEASE) every day.

And there's more than football, every time I meet someone and they ask me where I'm from, the one and only question appears... Madrid or Barcelona? F*off

#27

That New Yorkers are rude.

We can be totally. But it’s because you mess up the flow of the rest of us who need to get somewhere.

If you get lost a New Yorker will jump at the chance to help. Need a photo taken for your vacation someone will take the snapshot.

Image credits: Chickenbrik

#28

"Paris Syndrome
is a condition exhibited by some individuals when visiting or going on vacation to Paris, as a result of extreme shock at discovering that Paris is different from their expectations. The syndrome is characterized by a number of psychiatric symptoms such as acute delusional states, hallucinations, feelings of persecution (perceptions of being a victim of prejudice, aggression, or hostility from others), derealization, depersonalization, anxiety, and also psychosomatic manifestations such as dizziness, tachycardia, sweating, and others, such as vomiting.[1] Similar syndromes include Jerusalem syndrome and Stendhal syndrome. The condition is commonly viewed as a severe form of culture shock. It is particularly noted among Japanese travellers"

Image credits: KanataCitizen

#29

I’m from Hawaii. People live here, full time- and not in grass huts. The poverty back home is terrible, drugs are rampant, and our beaches are being destroyed by foreigners (including mainlanders) that don’t respect our land. Yet, I moonlight working in an industry that is pretty tourist-centered, because that’s what brings in money. It’s a vicious cycle.

Image credits: bananabugs

#30

I live in a touristy part of Wales and would like this cleared up.

We don’t all suddenly switch to speaking Welsh when an English tourist arrives.

There are genuinely people that believe as soon as an English person enters a pub, say, that all the Welsh people who were previously speaking English suddenly switch.

Image credits: [deleted]

#31

I used to live in Bangkok, Thailand.

Not all Thai women are prostitutes and easy. In fact, they're pretty conservative and preserved.

Most of female millennials are educated white collar workers. And we're more into Korean or Japanese culture/people than the western. Everyday BKK women won't approach men first because it's a big NO NO unless they're from certain areas.

Those who work in sex industry come from the poor parts of Thailand or near by countries where there're not many job opportunities.

#32

Cape Town, South Africa. Firstly, the moment people see AFRICA, they think we all own baby lion cubs and ride on elephants from A-B.

They also expect great things due to our rich culture and history. Table Mountain, penguins at Boulders beach, you name it.

Sadly, They don't think we have Internet or any other form of modern technology.

Big surprise when they get here.

I think the biggest surprise is the way our poverty will hit them when they land in Cape Town. We have a "settlement" filled with clusters of shacks right next to the airport. So the scenic drive from the airport to the main city is filled with shacks. It can be very... Underwhelming.

Image credits: Anthead3w

#33

I live in Miami.

Everyone thinks all of Miami is like in the movies: beaches, parties, clubs, tropics. Yes, we are part of a tropical climate. But the party lifestyle is only a small fraction of Miami (Brickell, SoBe, Miami Beach, Wynwood)....everywhere else is basically...tropical suburbs.

Lots of immigrant/latino & hatian working class neighborhoods.

Yet there’s an influx of gentrification because people from other states/other countries are buying cheap/urban areas and making them hip. People from other states fall in love with 'X hip new neighborhood' and buy a condo/luxury apartment.

That neighborhood slowly gets eroded and becomes 'hipster hood #3' or so and now those working class families can't afford to live there anymore.

It sucks. Everyone is hating how expensive it is, more people are forced into homelessness daily, but it doesn’t seem like it’s gonna get better anytime soon.

#34

I live in Seoul but moved here from the UK, so I'd probably say it's how everyone expects it to be super high-tech, convenient, and modern because South Korea managed to get that reputation due to having (at the time) crazy fast internet. The super high-tech/convenient stuff (in my opinion) would be:

Constant wifi, even in the subways.
Almost every PC Bang (essentially gaming cafes) I've been to allows you to order food and drink FROM your computer and people will bring it over for you. I thought it was really interesting that they had their system for ordering food and drink without leaving your chair.
In the 5 or so years I've lived here, I've never lived in or been in apartment that still uses physical keys. Usually it's an electronic number lock and you will usually get a card that unlocks it as well.
The less than modern / inconvenient things would be:

Doing almost anything online requires you to have a phone contract that's bound to the ID card you're legally required to carry at all times.
Banks charge fees for EVERYTHING. Even my own bank charge me like 50c to withdraw cash.
Online banking usually requires you to use third party security software, which is starting to get better but still an issue. I literally just use my phone to do all my banking because it's soo much easier.
Korea websites usually look like a 2005 forum, like the whole website is made using tables.
If you live in an older part of Seoul or in a less modern city in general, you'll probably have terrible sewage systems that require you to put used tissue in a bin, rather than flushing it down the toilet.

#35

I used to live in Madrid, Spain.

I usually avoided tourists in the city because of how loud they are.

The most irritating thing I find is how they think that taking high school Spanish is equivalent to the Spanish we speak in Spain. (Just of everyone to know we speak Castilian Spanish).

Another thing, we don't eat tacos and burritos; that's Mexican food. Sorry to disappoint but Mexico and Spain are two different countries with two different dialects and cultures.

#36

I live in Orlando, so basically we only exist as a tourist destination. It’s actually a fun city away from the Disney and tourist area. Downtown and Winter Park, one of the suburbs, have great local restaurants. Also a short drive away are a few springs which really give you a really wonderful nature experience.

#37

Idk if Ireland necessarily counts as a vacation destination but something that gets really old really fast is that tourists expect us to be drunk and roudy all the time? We are pretty proud of how friendly and welcoming we are, even in our biggest cities there's always someone willing to help a lost tourist close by. We are not always drunk or always looking for fights.

#38

I grew up on the seacoast of Maine. You've definitely seen a picture of my hometown at some point in your life.

Lots of people spend their summers here. Which is cool! But they mostly don't interact with the locals, so their ideas about what real Mainers are like is largely influenced by stereotypes and internet inside jokes. One thing in particular that stands out is tourists ordering coffee brandy with milk at the bar because they think that's what locals do. While it's true that Allen's Coffee Brandy is the #1 selling liquor in Maine, that's because locals put it in our coffee in the morning. It gets wicked cold up here, bub!

#39

I lived Liverpool for a long time, American tourists in particular used to be amazed that not everyone was obsessed with the Beatles.

#40

A little late, but I grew up and live in Hawaii and the most common misconception is that it's paradise.

The scenery is amazing with the unique mountains and actual beaches, but the cost of living is extremely bad. In my house hold getting a month or 2 worth of groceries cost easily a minimum of $600 for 3 people.

A small 3 bedroom house goes for half a mil.

Being a local the food, family, and friends are really the only reasons why I would keep living here... that's if I can afford it

#41

On some occasions, here in Italy, when visiting medieval towns tourists ask where people go at night when the city closes thinking of it is an amusement park

#42

Florida here.

The best beaches are on the gulf coast, not South Florida and definitely not the Keys.

Alligators are mostly big shy scaredy-cats . Attacks are very rare. They’re not out there eating everybody.

We love the Florida Man meme more than anybody. But most of the people and events here are just as disappointingly normal and boring as they are where you live.

Florida is not a very homogeneous state culturally. The panhandle and most of north Florida is “the South”, but the rest is this mix of Midwest, Northeast and Cuba.

Image credits: RedSnapperVeryTasty

#43

I used to live in Puerto Rico. No, not everything is just life on the beach and having a good time. And contrary to what many people, the beautiful and picturesque sights that you often see in photos are specifically taken to attract tourists, so not everything in the island looks like that.

#44

NO IN HAWAII WE DO NOT COMMUNICATE PURELY BY ALOHA AND MAHALO

Image credits: Llamastorm422

#45

I live in Florida between Disney and Universal.

Everyone things we live and breathe theme parks and that neon signs are everywhere. We have regular neighborhoods just like everyone else and we have working days just like everyone else.

And we know better than to go to the parks on weekends, holidays, etc

#46

Phoenix

People plan a desert resort vacation then complain the entire time that they’re in a desert.

It’s mostly brown if you come from a place with lush vegetation, the air is as dry as it gets so if your skin likes humidity, you probably won’t like this city & it’s quite possibly one of the most sprawling cities in the US with a heavy emphasis on suburbia so it’s not like it’s poppin’ all over like Scottsdale/downtown Phoenix. Seen people book an Airbnb in Gilbert & bitch the whole time that it was just surburbia. Yes. Yes it is. Do your damn research.

Also it is NOT warm in the winter. It may be warmer than the Midwest/northeast (thank god for that) but it’s pretty much not warm enough to swim from October to May & the warmest it gets between December and March is maybe 75-80 if we’re having a warm winter. Don’t expect 90+F in January my dudes. It doesn’t happen regularly, if at all.

#47

New Orleans.

Seriously, just visit us outside of Mardi Gras.

It's a crowded cesspool during Mardi Gras season. We know how to entertain you all year, but the city isn't a nonstop drunk party all year long.

The cajuns don't really live in New Orleans...many of the accents in the city sound closer to a Jersey/Brooklyn accent.

Also, the people working in tourism use 'Nawlins' because you're expecting it. None of us refer to the city that way...a thick accent pulls off maybe a 'Nu'ahlehns' at the worst.

#48

Napa Valley Wine country is really just that ...country. Lots of cows and their ...smells

#49

They're always like" hey u got like 30 bottles of maple syrup right" and they end up somewhere else because of my response that goes Canadians don't only eat maple syrup.

#50

I used to think that Floridians were the worst drivers in the world. But since living here I've discovered that it's actually New Englanders who live in Florida half time and get Florida tags on their 5th car for tax reasons who are the sh*tty drivers.

#51

Boston.

If you're expecting everyone to talk like a Ben Affleck movie you'll be sorely disappointed.

Also, all caps for those in the back, HARVARD YARD IS A PEDESTRIAN ONLY AREA. SHUT THE F*CK UP ABOUT LEAVING MOTOR VEHICLES THERE!!

No a single person calls this place Beantown. None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

Now the Beanpot....that's some good local sh*t and you should totally go if you're in town in February.

#52

I lived in Hawaii for many years. You wouldn't believe how many people legitimately think everyone in Hawaii lives in grass huts or who are shocked to find out everyone there speaks English or don't know Hawaii is part of the United States, including quite a lot of Americans.

Image credits: schnit123

#53

I grew up on the jersey shore near seaside heights. I hate that people think we are like the dingbats who come to visit. They are all from NY and North Jersey. Locals are not tanning bed fried rageaholics.

#54

Dubai. That just because people have expensive cars doesn't mean they can drive them well. At all...

#55

When I tell people I live in New York, they think I live in a penthouse overlooking Central Park. Let me be clear there’s much more this state has to offer.

#56

I'm in Chicago.

Despite its reputation for gang violence tourism is surprisingly strong. All the places tourists go are mostly safe.

#57

New Orleans here for tourist the city always seems to stop and start in the French Quater there really is so so much more to see and do.

#58

Grew up in SoCal (LA area), Norcal(SF area), and spent 5 years+ on Oahu.

LA and SF is crowded af (obviously). The tourist traps of downtown LA isn't all that great. The walk of fame is good for a second, and that's about it. the Graumans Chinese theatre (TCL) isn't all that big. The Hollywood sign is a pain in the ass to get to and isn't worth the drive/traffic.

SF, Fisherman's wharf is highly priced sea food you can literally buy if you travel 5 miles away. The Golden Gate Bridge is just a bridge. Lombard Street is just a Street. Dolores park is filled with hippies and homeless people (including mission district). Downtown is filled with traffic, homeless, and smells of uniqueness.

Oahu, the "you're so lucky you live in Hawaii" from friends and family gets tiresome. When they visit, you HAVE to play tour guide. It gets rather expensive. Driving down to Honolulu/Waikiki area is a pain due to traffic and the amount of overly priced parking spots (unless you're military...wooo for the halekoa)

A lot of tourist that visit have limited English and don't follow rules about littering in the ocean / staying off the coral reefs. The amount of people that try to do the stair way to heaven hike is stupid as most get injured. Same goes with a VERY touristy hike of diamond head. A lot of tourist get heat stroke due to the elevation and humidity. Yes living on Oahu was great, but the thing they don't tell you, flying cockroaches and centipede. Those f*cking centipedes!

#59

Austin, TX - People who arent from Austin tend to think of it like a cool hipster town. Lots of good craft beer, quirky and fun stuff to do, nice bars, live music, good food.

While all that is true, at least for parts of the city, it wasn't always the case. Somehow we got really popular, drew in a lot of tech talent and tourists, and anything that was a local hangout or some kind of Austin legend got pushed out or bulldozed. Yeah some of the new eateries are cool, but anything over 15 years old probably isnt around any more, and a lot of it was better and cheaper. Now we have expensive condos where our pubs, clubs, and burger joints once stood.

It's like Austin was known for being a college town where you could live off street tacos and cheap beer, and then everybody figured that out and it all just vanished.

It's a well known fact that Austinites hate tourists. I'd say we dont really hate tourists (unless they're on those stupid scooters and then yeah, definitely), we hate what their traffic did to our city.

Another misconception about Austin is that I can afford to live here and enjoy all the city has to offer. Cost of living is a joke, and so is the job market. Can't enjoy SXSW or ACL if i have to work through it to pay rent, you know?

#60

Time Square is garabage.

If I even have to go into the 42nd street train station my day is just ruined. Also on new years or any holiday I can't even go into the city because the trains are so backed up.

Speaking of the trains, unless you live in Manhattan or a really gentrified part of BK or Queens the trains dont even work half the time.

They claim that they are fixing the mta but the trains from the 6 line are the same as they where I'm the 90s. But yeah screw Time Square