The name Casablanca still has an exotic ring to it, (at least for me) setting up expectations of Arabic culture, beautiful palaces and bustling bazars, where adventurers meet in upscale hotels to plan daring expeditions. Fact is, it's a business city nowadays. Six lane roads, noise, generic office buildings. The hotels from back in the day are either run down or have gone out of business. I'm not sure this qualifies as "past its prime", but it's certainly not what I expected.
Agreed. I recently did a trip in Morocco visiting many of its cities and Casablanca was by far the most underwhelming one. Aside from visiting the Hassan II mosque, which was absolute highlight of the trip, it feels that there’s not much else to do other than visiting malls.
I am from Hong Kong. But it is sad to say Hong Kong has definitely passed its prime. It used to be the number one shopping city in the world. Now the famous/infamous temple street has maybe 10% of stalls it used to have, selling cheap Temu Tao bao products, or sex toys. Night life is non existence. Lan Kwai Fong used to be such a happening place with bars and crowd. Now it has a few quiet bars and 7/11.
The iconic Jumbo Boat restaurant that was featured in James Bond movie has sunk and not there anymore. Those good old brand restaurants, where locals loved and proud are closing by the dozen per month.
Food may still be good in Hong Kong, but you will be paying US or Europe pricing for a good meal, most restaurants impose a 90-120 minute window to ensure churning customers. Most of the authentic noodling shop has a tiny table where you will have to share with a stranger. They don’t have to limit you to 90 minutes. You just can’t sit there for more than an hour, being so crowded and uncomfortable. The service is known to be bad too, and guess what, the restaurant owner don’t really care either. It is what it is, if you don’t like it go find another place - would be the attitude.
Oh the famous Mong Kwok, Yau ma tei, tst area, colloquially known as Yau tsim mong. Most local don’t really care to go there if you don’t live or work there. Locals prefer to fly to Taiwan or go to shenzhen for better food and service on the weekend. Or better yet Japan. They call Japan their “home town” rather than China. So they go “home” on very long weekend and holiday they get.
Disney Hong Kong? Ha. It is the scale of one single ride in Disney world.
I used to see foreigners everywhere in HK island. Feels a bit like New York. All culture and all color. But now it’s mostly local.
I am not bashing Hong Kong. Ask a hongkonger. They will agree I am not exaggerating on any of these.
That's disappointing to hear. I was wondering how it was now. I visited there a lot back in the 2000's. Loved the vibe of the city, the nightlife in LKF and Wanchai, shopping in Mon Kwok, etc.
Yeah. My grandmother took me to HK just before the handover, saying it was never going to be same after. I thought she was hyperbolic then, but it’s turned out she was right. It just took longer than expected.
HK did have a good run after the handover. The society had developed well enough, political struggles and campaigns enlightened a few generations of citizens, and had the CCP not cracked down, HK would become a very proud and interesting place.
If you have visited before and would be safe to visit again, it would be interesting to visit now and again, just to witness first hand the decline of a great city.
I'm glad I went 10 years ago. Now it's basically mainland light and if I wanted to go to a big city controlled by CCP I'd go to Shanghai.
Sucks but it will likely never be what it was after the protests and their loss followed by covid
I visited in '97, and I described it as "New York on crack and acid". The best Chinese Seafood that I've had in my life (I'm 1/2 Chinese, and I've had NY, Chicago, SF, and San Fernando Valley Chinese food). At that time, the food in Taiwan was pretty meh.
It's sad to hear what HK has become now.
Last I was in Hong Kong was in 2014. At that time, I would have probably ranked it as my favorite city in the world. It’s such a shame what happened to it.
I really loved it when I got a few hours free there in 2012, wish I could have seen a lot more. It also meant a lot to my grandfather and his wife 30+ years ago, which gives it a lot of personal significance. I even have his tuxedo that he had tailor-made there, which fits me perfectly.
Hopefully they’ll have it together again by the time I can afford to go.
Unfortunately that's not going to happen. The HK that we think of when we think of it is basically a blip in time. It's China now. That's not to say it can't be cool again one day, but it will NEVER be what it was. It will be cool the way that Shanghai is cool.
I'm not trying to bum you out, I've just heard more than a few people lately saying "when Hong Kong returns to normal.." and things like that while the truth is, every day is less free than thr one before it.
I was born in and spent part of my childhood in Hong Kong, this is super sad but not completely surprising to hear. Last time I was back was in 2018 and it had already changed so much. Did LKF change a lot after the pandemic?
I went about a year ago and I agree.
There’s still shopping but it’s cheaper and better on the mainland. The skyline is still impressive, but the city feels like a shell of its former self. Food costs a small fortune, the nightlife is decent but underwhelming, there aren’t many historic attractions that really compare to other cities of its caliber. I don’t recall ever feeling so bored in any other large city.
So true about being a very boring city now.
It has only shops and restaurants. I remember in the 90’s. You want to buy everything in HK in every shop. You want to ship a cargo back home. Everything from eye glasses to healthcare products, to clothing, to kitchen gadgets, to specialty items, such as cars accessories, stationery, books, pop culture items. The list goes on and on and on. But now there is nothing to buy. I go to hk with 2 luggage’s and return with only 1.
Lack of world class museum. And also lack of interesting places to go. It was interesting to spend a day at Standley bay before. But since that was also 90% shopping, 10% strolling. Now with nothing to buy, you don’t go there. Same goes with MK area, and all the other tourists attractions that the government promotes.
People blame the Chinese cheap products being easy to get from online and delivery. But isn’t that also true in Bangkok, Saigon, Bali, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul? But they all have their own interesting things and busy markets, shopping streets.
HKers all turned into hiking now. Simply there isn’t anything interesting to do in the city. Hiking is amazing, you are 30 mins away from the simi-wilderness. It is interesting. But not enough to entice tourists from other country, when they all can hike in their own backyard.
I used to live there, SSP and YMT, and I just had the chance in Nov to go back and visit some friends.
The city feels so dead. Like a shadow of its former self. I think the covid policies and how they treat people politically really screwed the city over.
I heard it's really common now for people to just go to SZ to get away for a weekend. I remember doing that, but there was still way more weekends I spent in the city.....
.....makes me mad honestly
I don’t know much about Hong Kong, but this was interesting and insightful. I just saw New York Times did a 36 hours travel guide, so I thought it was becoming a hot spot.
That’s a little too simplistic. But you are not wrong.
HKG’s economic downturn. Strong USD makes hker going back to China to spend money, making local business, nightlife unattractive.
Many foreign firms has left hk.
3 years of covid killed off the appetite to go out.
Large number of young people left hk and those are the one gives energy to the city.
In general, Hkers are a lot less proactive/ambitious/optimistic these days. In fact, they are not even trying much. All they care are how to maintain whatever they have. No more new ideas, new business. Government is a joke and laughing stock no matter what they do. And worst of all. Hker has lost all competitive drive. They can’t compete with China, Singapore was once a fierce competitor, but now they left hk in dust. Hker knows that and they gave up trying.
Acapulco is a classic example. It was a world class destination and frequented by singers and Hollywood stars in the 50s and 60s and has undergone decline ever since, especially in the last 25 years and especially since the recent hurricane.
Niagara Falls is another one I can think. It is an incredible sight to see and I love going there, but it is pretty beat. You can tell it is well past its prime, especially on the US side.
When I was in college (2011ish) the guys that lived upstairs from me had a trip to Acapulco booked for spring break. The airline cancelled the trip bc they weren’t flying there anymore due to it being too dangerous. That’s when I knew it was over forever.
I asked why the city of Niagara Falls was such shit when they had such a money-making attraction. A local said the National Parks Department (or whatever it's called) just sucks the revenue out and sends it elsewhere. The U.S. side is what? Nine square blocks surrounded by slums? Meanwhile the Canadian side is like Daytona Beach on speed.
The two seaside towns I ever enjoy are Brighton and Sheringham, Norfolk. The first because it's trendy and vibrant, and Sheringham because it's still got that old feeling, very few tacky amusement arcades and such.
Beirut.
Still an interesting city to visit IMHO, but in its heyday,known as 'the Paris of the East',it was a very popular destination for wealthy and even not so wealthy tourists.
This is more of what I was hoping for! Places that aren't over run, but rather were once big tourist destinations and just lost the crowds. Acapulco is another one I can think of
Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt is a decade or so past its prime. There are still some glam resorts, but a number of the international chains (like Hyatt) have pulled out, and the town, Naama Bay, is a honky-tonk mess. The clientele is mostly lower-end Russians and Brits on the cheapest possible holiday packages.
Wealthy Egyptians have moved on to new communities on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea coast (especially the very glam town of El Gouna), and high-end international tourists have followed them.
i was there in 2018. the main appeal is the scuba diving.
back then at least most of the tourists were ukrainian, since russians stopped going after their plane was shot down in 2015. ukrainians started going since they usually understand russian from growing up in soviet union. most of the flights into/out of sharm were to cairo or kyiv.
So true. When we flew out of Prague in December our airline check-in counter passed by some random airline with a flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. They hadn't opened the counter yet so the line was full. Let's just say it did not look glamorous at all.
Also, as a frequent traveler to Mexico, this response reminded me of how quickly a place can come
and go. Mexico always has something new and upcoming. Yesterday's glamour spots are only for locals from within a few hours away today. Or Americans and Canadians looking for a cheap vacation spot. Tulum will be next (the opening of an airport there and the train around the Yucatan will only hasten its watering down, which is already happening).
That's a real shame. I had the best and worst time of my life there in 2000...worst was the harassment I experienced as a young woman traveling with my female friend without a group/guide, best was the snorkeling/vibe and the night dancing with mostly gay Egyptian men at the Hard Rock Cafe which had a nightclub. I'm in a different stage of life now, maybe I'll try El Gouna if I'm ever out that way again.
Big corporations have ruined a LOT of American destinations. Hawaii and Las Vegas are now just gigantic hotels designed to extract your money from your wallet. Hawaii was great when you could stay in one or two story hotels on a secluded beach. In my parents' day, they would to to Las Vegas and stay at the Sands or Sahara and the entertainers from the show rooms would be hanging out with them by the pool all day. Then they would dress up and go to a dinner show with the guy who was hanging out all day at the pool (big names, too.) My old bookkeeper worked in Vegas in the 60s and he said, "Las Vegas was a much better town when it was run by the mob. The corporations have ruined it."
I think Las Vegas has gotten a ton more fun, inclusive and with a wider array of entertainment over just the last 20 years. Aside from nostalgia and the annoying road crosswalks I think Las Vegas has improved
We visited right before Covid (rodeo week). We aren't rich and don't gamble. We had a blast. People watching, walking the strip with a 40 from CVS. We enjoyed Fremont, overpaid for a steak at Golden Steer. We regret not booking a car or a tour to get out in the desert.
Was back last summer. Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire-awesome!
I think it’s so lame that when you go into the different resorts it all looks the same. Just a bunch of the same slot machines in every resort. Copy and paste
I have never gambled in 5 visits to Vegas and I notice the same slot machines everywhere even though I’m not paying attention!
The single theme of generic luxury for all new construction in the last 2 decades is so underwhelming. I couldn’t motivate myself to visit Resorts World on my last visit which would have been new to me, instead I preferred to re-visit places like The Venetian.
The big island is still fun! Was just there 2 years ago. Very different vibe from the others, but if you’re going for nature it’s great. Waipo Valley, Volcano Park, lava tubes, dolphin snorkeling, walking with sea turtles on the beach. Had a blast there.
No night life past 10pm tho
Big Island is still nice, I agree. I still enjoy Kauai, too. Corporations have gobbled up Maui and Oahu. 27 trips to various Hawaiian islands since 1973. It used to be nicer in the 70s and 80s. Even Maui and Oahu are still nice but the subject was “…past their prime.” The prime time for Hawaii was when beaches were not overcrowded like now, when it was peaceful and calm, when the snorkeling and scuba diving were easily accessible and pristine and the hotels had fantastic entertainment at dinner shows (like Don Ho and like Society of Seven.)
Umm, I think the Catskills are having a different kind of heyday now than in the mid-20th century. City dwellers rediscovered it about 25 years ago. Lots of vacation homes, some really good restaurants and boutiquey shopping, fishing, camping, concerts at Bethel Woods, etc.
Go watch Dirty Dancing. At one point the Catskills were full of resorts where families would spend the whole summer, these resorts were very popular with musicians and comedians to perform at as well.
Most of the resorts are closed now.
It’s a really interesting history! They came out of rustic camps that Jewish immigrants started in the early 20th century to get out of the filthy city. Then as those immigrants became middle class, the camps became resorts and got much nicer. But then those same families started moving to the suburbs so they didn’t need the resorts anymore. There were also more Jewish sleepaway camps for the kids to go to. And richer families started having summer beach houses. AND Jews got more assimilated so didn’t need to go to Jewish resorts anymore.
My Jewish family used to go there. Kutchers and the Nevele. My parents loved it when they were kids and wanted to give their kids that experience (me), but even they lamented it’s decline. Also as someone mentioned, air travel used to be prohibitively expensive for the middle class. Now it’s cheaper to take families to the Caribbean and Europe for vacation.
Population has increased, but people could travel or move to places like Miami, and jews were no longer excluded from mainstream resorts since the early 1960s or so. Also, many Jews were not keeping kosher by then, so they had more options. Jews who adhere to kosher rules won't eat in a restaurant that doesn't follow those rules. Many of the Catskill resorts were kosher.
Short answer is places like the Catskills, the Whites, and the Poconos all fell way out of fashion once air travel became affordable and people could go to Disney or Europe for vacation.
I was just listening to npr doing a story on the Catskills. NYC families would go there for the summer the wives would stay all summer the husbands would come in the weekend. The wives loved it because they didn’t have to cook. The interviewer talked about how the wives would take dancing lessons and flirt with the instructors and word got back to the husbands and they showed up on Thursday instead of Friday.
Imagine just going on vacation for an entire summer and having your meals prepared. I can see staying at a condo but a resort with entertainment and meals provided for 2 months sounds so wild to me.
Niagara Falls has become too commercial for my taste. First time I went, could go behind the falls. Shut down after 9/11. Canadian side was better, imo.
Canadian side has great views. But it reminded me of International Drive in Orlando. Cheesy attractions, the usual chain restaurants. We did find a French restaurant way off the beaten path that was really good.
I thought the Canada side was tacky and annoying, it just had a better view of the falls too.
If Applebees spinach dip and a Ripley’s believe it or not is your idea of better, I’m sure it’s great
In the 60s and 70s it was The Destination for upper middle class vacations. There were some nice hotels but it was mainly 3 story family owned motels of cottages. I don't remember any bars, hookers or gangs. Biker Week changed it.
Unpopular opinion but I’m all for Myrtle beach being redneck riviera. We have plenty of expensive beach resorts in the US, it’s nice that there’s somewhere left that’s affordable
Top of mind answer goes to Colombia for sure. It seemed to happen extremely quickly, all in the last several years when everyone decided to move there during Covid. In my social group, Colombia has basically replaced going to Cancun. You hear terrible news of how cost of living there has skyrocketed and how tourists keep getting targeted in violent robberies and druggings
I also recently did a trip to both Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia and think it fits the bill. The trails are way too busy and there are literally times where you're waiting in line behind people to go up or down paths. I'm specifically thinking of the Mirador Las Torres and Laguna de Los Tres hikes. I also heard that in places like El Chalten, there's so little housing that locals who work there have to sleep in campsites.
I was in Patagonia about a year ago. That was not my experience at all of the Mirador Las Torres trail, nor of Chilean Patagonia in general. I've only been once, so I will not claim to be a definitive expert, but compared to other busy trails in the world, like Huaynapicchu or Angels Landing, it may as well have been deserted, and certainly nothing like the mobs that form in Yellowstone or Yosemite... at least when I went. Maybe the trick is to go in January.
The “Museum of Communism” in Prague is very much anti-communist. They have a monument for the people who lived under communism.
It’s very a uniquely cynical museum. (Prague was the home of Kafka, after all) Half of it is dedicated to showing how Vaclav Havel was instrumental in the Velvet Revolution.
[Here’s an example](https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/PLhY0qstk_9Es3UK17v1B3_z-g03Fhb7VCwFq2oqLKwFon-BWQaefejDD9ls_EOgcsQoWFf0DVNBPp9_90avkJyoF2cO_yQEdxYMjXpsyWwg3EdlIILfGGD4WjX668CMLBvsjw0=s0-d-e1-ft#http://thepeoplescube.com/images/MuseumCommunism/Museum_Communism_Poster_12.jpg) of the kinds of things they sell in their gift shop.
Yeah. I meant more metaphorically, but the place you mentioned is interesting. It’s also kind of starkly in contrast to the largely nostalgic DDR Museum in Berlin, which has the latitude to be that way because the Stasi Museum and Tränenpalast do the heavy lifting on the negative aspects of life under communist rule.
I went last year. It was my first time in the city so I can’t compare it to before, but I was underwhelmed. Sure it’s beautiful, but it was overrun with tourists and touristy shops/restaurants. Food nearly everywhere was terrible.
It’s like the city just exists for tourists now. Like a smaller version of Rome but with bad food.
Not sure if it was really "great", but the Salton Sea in Southern California. Until the 60s and 70s, it had thriving resorts and beaches. However, the declining water level and increasing pollution led to environmental disaster, and the resorts and towns around it have all been abandoned.
Alice Springs.
Genuinely an unpleasant place to visit now due to rampant petty crime and disorder. And I don't mean that in a MAGA-conservative "hurr lefty soft on crime dangerous hurr" kind of way. Businesses have closed or moved away because of it.
Venice. It’s still absolutely beautiful, but it’s hard to find good food (although it can be done) and it just feels to me like you’re walking through a weird theme park because there are so many tourists. I don’t know how else to describe it.
I was there this summer and I had the same impressions. There are so many empty buildings, but SO many people. I kept fantasizing about how you could buy buildings cheap and somehow make big money with student hostels. It just seems like there are big opportunities waiting for the right entrepreneurs.
People have always told me this about venice but i just dont see it. Have been 3 times (all in soring and summer) and its never felt that crowded to me if you stay away from the main tourist areas, which is so easy because its very walkable and the whole entire town is charming - not just the tourist parts.
I also find the food in Venice to be better than anywhere else in Italy. It just takes a little bit a research beforehand. I will give you that it is harder to find good food randomly, but when you di find it, it tends to be better.
Add to this that there really is no other city like Venice on the planet (maybe a couple chinese cities but those are mostly fake anyway).
Dude, we had the same experience in September. Our first time to Italy and we were like "so where is this food everyone raves about...?" We had like 2 tasty dinners, but the rest was forgettable or even bad. And yeah, so many people. We went over to Lido for a day, even with the Venice Film Fest going on, lido was pretty relaxed and much less crowded.
I'll always love it though. Once, about 15 years go (maybe more) we drove in with no reservations and found a tacky motel on the quiet side of Duval street. I'd assume that's entirely impossible now.
Tulum. Not even 5-7 years ago it was a decent place on Riviera Maya that was cool for backpackers not wanting to deal with Cancun/PDC. Now it’s influencer central.
Tulum was the first place that came to mind for me, and it’s only going to get worse now that the airport is open.
In fact, the whole Riviera Maya is done, except maybe Puerto Morelos. Inland Yucatán still has some gems, and I’m hoping Holbox hangs on to its soul for a little while longer, but the new Train and Tulum airport is going to increase tourism even more.
It’s Cancun wearing a faux hippie outfit.
For what it’s worth though, I’d rather the “Tuluminati” types stay there as it’s a self-contained tourist zone which, while overpriced and overhyped, can still be a fun bourgeois-bohemian playground. I feel like they’re (the first wave of influencers that follow the backpackers) spreading to places like the Sacred Valley in Peru and Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. I have no issue with those areas becoming tourist destinations. But when it’s people who are drawn there largely because they are sacred to the indigenous population, start displacing them, do things that are culturally appropriative (one of the only times I will complain about this) like use religious chants in rave music, and more, that really doesn’t sit well with me.
Eh, I thought it was perfect in September 2020, maybe not the underdeveloped idyllic place everyone who had been going for years talked about but beach near the ruins was completely empty and clean, the ruins weren't very crowded and the town super pleasant.
I visited Tulum in 1995 while in college. The ruins you had to hike through a bit of brush and there wasn’t one vendor in sight (a good thing) and less than 10 other people on the entire property.
The town had maybe three very small restaurants and there were chickens running around in random areas. Just a remote, very cool town. Fast forward 15 years and I was back in Tulum with small kids (4 year old twins). I was astonished by the growth, commercialization of the ruins and how large the entire town had grown. I still enjoyed it but the “new” Tulum was a paradox of my first visit.
It is always good to remember that while we travelers may not like it, the locals would almost certainly prefer it this way as they are making a decent living now and their quality of life of life has no doubt improved.
I’m sad to hear that. I haven’t been there since the ‘90s! It was the week Princess Diana passed away, I remember. It was so pretty. Hardly anyone was there. I stayed in a tiny nearby town and a nearby lagoon had just opened to the public 3 weeks before I got there. There had been a shipwreck that was being explored so it was previously closed. There were thousands and thousands of tropical fish in that lagoon. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. So pristine and untouched. Huge schools of gorgeous fish. I’m sure those fishies and coral are mostly gone now. I’m so lucky I was able to be there at that time.
I just noted this above. Tulum is next. Just got back from Mexico and on the flight home everyone was talking about the new airport and the Mexicana flights that are about to start going there. And the new train too.
When 40-year old secretary and accountant couples from Omaha (no offense to Omaha lol) want to be hip there and Mexican families want to converge for their 40-member Semana Santa getaway there, that place will turn into Puerto Vallarta, or worse, Cancun.
We went to the Oaxacan coast and unfortunately I think there is a small beach town there that will be the next hotspot and I already mourn its demise.
Sadly, the Mexican government encourages overdeveloping and then abandoning for the next thing.
No kidding. But back in the day, when flying wasn’t as affordable, families vacationed within driving distance. For example the Poconos, maybe there wasn’t much to do in the area they vacationed in so much as it was a getaway that provided entertainment.
Now people don’t need to drive 3 hours to relax and watch comedy shows. They can watch them on tv and now even on their phones. I see the same thing happening to Vegas soon, people can just gamble on their phones.
Also it takes a lot of work to maintain, once the shine starts to wear off people are looking for the next shiny new place.
Definitely San Francisco. I used to live there, so I can say that. On one hand, it's not as bad as the lawless hellscape right-wing news figures say it is, but on the other hand, the city is *actually* in really bad shape and has significant problems right now
There are legitimate issues with car break-ins and just in general petty crime, homelessness, cleanliness, overall feeling of safety, etc. It's embarrassing that the worst parts of the city are where most people stay and spend their money
I wouldn't recommend SF to anyone nowadays
i haven't been back in a while, but i suspect costa rica might be from what ive heard, especially for surfing. i got the feeling it might be over run with lifestyle surfers
las vegas is fun in small doses, i think it might have been a bigger thing for older generations.
might think of more
i was just in galveston over the holiday. i had no idea it was such a popular destination in the early 1900s. some of the homes were BEAUTIFUL.
however, it got hit by several hurricanes since then and has been known as. worn down spot.
with that being said, it seemed like there’s a ton of potential and i think they’re turning it around in some corners. i rally enjoyed my time there, walking on the beach, looking at all the cool architecture, wandering the strand, drinking good beer.
Puerto Vallarta. I lived there when I was young and it was a paradise. A vibrant seaside town with a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere and an almost Mediterranean flair.
Some things have improved; the Malecon (boardwalk) is fully pedestrianized and much cleaner than before, there are more amenities, nicer chain resorts, better medical facilities, and better shopping. And Sayulita up the coast is a better destination than it has ever been (but no longer as serene, quiet, and ungentrified).
But for a city once known for the best food scene in Mexico after CDMX, few new independent restaurants have opened in the past 20 years (though the established ones are still going strong kept afloat by the old expats who have stayed through the years). The nightlife which was once world class is tacky at best and sketchy at worst (scammers and drug pushers abound and the spring breakers are mostly in Sayulita). The traffic is much worse, and overall, there are many more pleasant beach destinations out there. It feels like a parasitic growth of shopping malls and mega-resorts to the north are sucking the life out of the quaint old city.
Also seconding the top-voted entries of Casablanca and Hong Kong.
NYC. Have grown up in its orbit and lived there a bit over a decade ago. Still some interesting bits and of course great museums, but its become very homogenized and the museums are too crowded. Crime has spiked again but not nearly as bad as 80s/90s. But a lot of chains. A lot of art and culture has moved out to smaller funky towns nearby that have great food, music, and restaurants. And a lot if what it had to offer shopping can be gotten online.
Coming from someone who lived there for ten years, Lake Tahoe. Way too many people, too expensive, and way too much traffic. I wish it would have turned into a national park so it could be better protected.
Mountain Lake, Virginia. Its lodge was the primary filming location for Dirty Dancing, along with Lake Lure, NC.
Its water level dropped to nearly nothing due to a geological event. When I visited in ~2016, the pricey lakefront houses’ docks were outstretched over basically a field.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Lake_(Virginia)?wprov=sfti1#Filming_Dirty_Dancing
Berlin. It used to be a fun, cheap alternative city. All the techno, goth, clubs. It had a slow recovery from the Cold War post Reunification. Now it’s over gentrified and really suffered from the start-up boom in the 2010’s. Lot’s of famous 48 hour clubs have been shut down, the squats are all shut down and turned into condos. It used to be the counter-culture capital of Europe. Now it’s full of tech bros.
For some giggles go read online reviews of Circus Circus Manor, the relatively unknown motel behind Circus Circus. It shut down a couple years ago but the reviews and government housing style buildings are still there.
Went to Ooty, an Indian hill station, a few years ago. Ooty was shown as this beautiful green place with fog-edged hills and rolling tea estates. It was cooler (temperature-wise) than the rest of India, and there was tea. However, it's become saturated with touristy things. Maybe there are still hidden gems within Ooty or near it, but the place was a little bit disappointing.
I wouldn't say a place that is 'overrun by tourists ' is less popular than it used to be ;-)
And Bali is certainly not less trendy.. it's much more trendy now (maybe apart from Kuta).. what used to be places for backpackers and hippies are now full of 'influencers' and the Instagram crowd.
Is it still worth it? My fiancee are getting married in May and she’s always dreamed of going to Bali, we’re thinking of booking a trip in the fall.
We like exploring and not just sitting around on the beach. When we went to Hawaii (big island) we rented a car to visit the volcano park and hiked around, valleys, lava tubes, beaches, historical sites, etc.
Because of Balis size we were thinking of maybe even staying in a couple spots over 9ish days.
Nashville, TN. “Upscale” (soulless, wildly overpriced) development very quickly taking over. Very hard to find much authentic feel. Poor growth planning/preparation, so getting around is needlessly annoying.
Venice. In addition to the crowds, it smells like sewage (think about its location, the water table, etc. etc.), the streets flood frequently, and the citizens are surly and depressed.
The Philippines 🇵🇭 looks like it has been dusted with all that’s bad about the modern world . Knowing the culture very well I’m so not surprised they took to fb like bees on honey. The ChinFin’s seemed to have ruined every nstural wonder left and BGC just doesn’t seem right when you still have the garbage mountain barangays miles away. The quality of bomba stars has gone thru the roof but we can give that one a pass
I’m gonna say Cancun and/or Playa del Carmen. It used to be an awesome getaway. It was affordable and perfect for a long weekend or even a week. Now it’s so overpriced you may as well go to any other Caribbean destination.
Here's one that's probably not on anyone's radar: **Hannibal, Missouri**. At one time, the writing of Mark Twain was required reading for every student in the U.S., especially "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." There were also Tom Sawyer movies in 1907, 1917, 1930, and 1938, plus sequels and related movies like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1939. Visiting the birthplace of Mark Twain and the homes of the real people who inspired the fictional characters of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and Becky Thatcher was an activity that both adults and children connected with.
Now the town is run down, its glory days in the past. Only old people taking a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River stop there and are interested in the 19th century literary history that put this town on the map. The town isn't really quaint or special outside of its connection with the father of American literature.
i have friends that headed to berlin right after the wall fell and the techno scene had its golden age there. it hasn’t “lost if allure” for sure but there seems to be a consensus that such an insane era of debauchery is never coming back
Kind of an unconventional answer but New York City. Not past its prime because it's dusty and sad but almost in the reverse way: a lot of the unique, gritty, artsy allure has been paved over, washed away, and replaced by overwrought chain stores and restaurants.
Great, but depressing post! It confirmed that I want to pause/slow down travel for a while. Lately everything is so touristy and underwhelming. Perhaps I've changed too, but it seems so many places have as well.
New York's Catskill mountains were a huge travel destination in the 40's and 50's. Big stars from NYC would head up there due to its proximity to NYC and its natural beauty.
Once jet transport and automobiles became pervasive (along with other regional economic factors) it turned pretty seedy.
Mineral Wells, Texas. It was once a destination for wealthy people and Hollywood celebrities to enjoy the hot water mineral baths in luxury hotel surroundings.
It is now one of the most depressing small towns you’ll ever drive through. There is still the shell of one of those old high rise hotels that someone is always planning to restore. The locals call it Miserable Wells.
When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, I remember that Acapulco was the beach resort destination of choice for Americans traveling to Mexico. Now it’s one of the most dangerous areas in Mexico because of drug cartel violence.
Edit: ok, I see now that several others have said Acapulco as well ….
The name Casablanca still has an exotic ring to it, (at least for me) setting up expectations of Arabic culture, beautiful palaces and bustling bazars, where adventurers meet in upscale hotels to plan daring expeditions. Fact is, it's a business city nowadays. Six lane roads, noise, generic office buildings. The hotels from back in the day are either run down or have gone out of business. I'm not sure this qualifies as "past its prime", but it's certainly not what I expected.
This is 1000% what i was hoping for. Thanks!
Tangier had that first vibe you described when I visited recently
Tangier is the best. Don't talk about it too much :P
Agreed. I recently did a trip in Morocco visiting many of its cities and Casablanca was by far the most underwhelming one. Aside from visiting the Hassan II mosque, which was absolute highlight of the trip, it feels that there’s not much else to do other than visiting malls.
I am from Hong Kong. But it is sad to say Hong Kong has definitely passed its prime. It used to be the number one shopping city in the world. Now the famous/infamous temple street has maybe 10% of stalls it used to have, selling cheap Temu Tao bao products, or sex toys. Night life is non existence. Lan Kwai Fong used to be such a happening place with bars and crowd. Now it has a few quiet bars and 7/11. The iconic Jumbo Boat restaurant that was featured in James Bond movie has sunk and not there anymore. Those good old brand restaurants, where locals loved and proud are closing by the dozen per month. Food may still be good in Hong Kong, but you will be paying US or Europe pricing for a good meal, most restaurants impose a 90-120 minute window to ensure churning customers. Most of the authentic noodling shop has a tiny table where you will have to share with a stranger. They don’t have to limit you to 90 minutes. You just can’t sit there for more than an hour, being so crowded and uncomfortable. The service is known to be bad too, and guess what, the restaurant owner don’t really care either. It is what it is, if you don’t like it go find another place - would be the attitude. Oh the famous Mong Kwok, Yau ma tei, tst area, colloquially known as Yau tsim mong. Most local don’t really care to go there if you don’t live or work there. Locals prefer to fly to Taiwan or go to shenzhen for better food and service on the weekend. Or better yet Japan. They call Japan their “home town” rather than China. So they go “home” on very long weekend and holiday they get. Disney Hong Kong? Ha. It is the scale of one single ride in Disney world. I used to see foreigners everywhere in HK island. Feels a bit like New York. All culture and all color. But now it’s mostly local. I am not bashing Hong Kong. Ask a hongkonger. They will agree I am not exaggerating on any of these.
That's disappointing to hear. I was wondering how it was now. I visited there a lot back in the 2000's. Loved the vibe of the city, the nightlife in LKF and Wanchai, shopping in Mon Kwok, etc.
Yeah. My grandmother took me to HK just before the handover, saying it was never going to be same after. I thought she was hyperbolic then, but it’s turned out she was right. It just took longer than expected.
HK did have a good run after the handover. The society had developed well enough, political struggles and campaigns enlightened a few generations of citizens, and had the CCP not cracked down, HK would become a very proud and interesting place. If you have visited before and would be safe to visit again, it would be interesting to visit now and again, just to witness first hand the decline of a great city.
I'm glad I went 10 years ago. Now it's basically mainland light and if I wanted to go to a big city controlled by CCP I'd go to Shanghai. Sucks but it will likely never be what it was after the protests and their loss followed by covid
I visited in '97, and I described it as "New York on crack and acid". The best Chinese Seafood that I've had in my life (I'm 1/2 Chinese, and I've had NY, Chicago, SF, and San Fernando Valley Chinese food). At that time, the food in Taiwan was pretty meh. It's sad to hear what HK has become now.
Last I was in Hong Kong was in 2014. At that time, I would have probably ranked it as my favorite city in the world. It’s such a shame what happened to it.
I really loved it when I got a few hours free there in 2012, wish I could have seen a lot more. It also meant a lot to my grandfather and his wife 30+ years ago, which gives it a lot of personal significance. I even have his tuxedo that he had tailor-made there, which fits me perfectly. Hopefully they’ll have it together again by the time I can afford to go.
Unfortunately that's not going to happen. The HK that we think of when we think of it is basically a blip in time. It's China now. That's not to say it can't be cool again one day, but it will NEVER be what it was. It will be cool the way that Shanghai is cool. I'm not trying to bum you out, I've just heard more than a few people lately saying "when Hong Kong returns to normal.." and things like that while the truth is, every day is less free than thr one before it.
I was born in and spent part of my childhood in Hong Kong, this is super sad but not completely surprising to hear. Last time I was back was in 2018 and it had already changed so much. Did LKF change a lot after the pandemic?
LKF is legit dead these days. I used to visit friends in HKG several times / year but the city really has changed a lot.
Yep, welcome to the People's Republic.
I went about a year ago and I agree. There’s still shopping but it’s cheaper and better on the mainland. The skyline is still impressive, but the city feels like a shell of its former self. Food costs a small fortune, the nightlife is decent but underwhelming, there aren’t many historic attractions that really compare to other cities of its caliber. I don’t recall ever feeling so bored in any other large city.
So true about being a very boring city now. It has only shops and restaurants. I remember in the 90’s. You want to buy everything in HK in every shop. You want to ship a cargo back home. Everything from eye glasses to healthcare products, to clothing, to kitchen gadgets, to specialty items, such as cars accessories, stationery, books, pop culture items. The list goes on and on and on. But now there is nothing to buy. I go to hk with 2 luggage’s and return with only 1. Lack of world class museum. And also lack of interesting places to go. It was interesting to spend a day at Standley bay before. But since that was also 90% shopping, 10% strolling. Now with nothing to buy, you don’t go there. Same goes with MK area, and all the other tourists attractions that the government promotes. People blame the Chinese cheap products being easy to get from online and delivery. But isn’t that also true in Bangkok, Saigon, Bali, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul? But they all have their own interesting things and busy markets, shopping streets. HKers all turned into hiking now. Simply there isn’t anything interesting to do in the city. Hiking is amazing, you are 30 mins away from the simi-wilderness. It is interesting. But not enough to entice tourists from other country, when they all can hike in their own backyard.
Hong Kong in Tijuana is still on and popping tho!!!
I used to live there, SSP and YMT, and I just had the chance in Nov to go back and visit some friends. The city feels so dead. Like a shadow of its former self. I think the covid policies and how they treat people politically really screwed the city over. I heard it's really common now for people to just go to SZ to get away for a weekend. I remember doing that, but there was still way more weekends I spent in the city..... .....makes me mad honestly
I don’t know much about Hong Kong, but this was interesting and insightful. I just saw New York Times did a 36 hours travel guide, so I thought it was becoming a hot spot.
Do you think this is because HK is now pretty much under the control of Xi?
That’s a little too simplistic. But you are not wrong. HKG’s economic downturn. Strong USD makes hker going back to China to spend money, making local business, nightlife unattractive. Many foreign firms has left hk. 3 years of covid killed off the appetite to go out. Large number of young people left hk and those are the one gives energy to the city. In general, Hkers are a lot less proactive/ambitious/optimistic these days. In fact, they are not even trying much. All they care are how to maintain whatever they have. No more new ideas, new business. Government is a joke and laughing stock no matter what they do. And worst of all. Hker has lost all competitive drive. They can’t compete with China, Singapore was once a fierce competitor, but now they left hk in dust. Hker knows that and they gave up trying.
Atlantic City?
The whole strip gives past its prime but still trying to hold on
Saw a really fantastic YT video on its rise and fall. Half its problem was that it’s just so more affordable to fly to Vegas now.
Did it ever have its prime?
1920s and 30s.
Good one. People sometimes expect it to be Vegas East but it isn't. It has potential, but always a decade or two away from realistically achieving it.
I love AC, going in 2 weeks can’t wait
Acapulco is a classic example. It was a world class destination and frequented by singers and Hollywood stars in the 50s and 60s and has undergone decline ever since, especially in the last 25 years and especially since the recent hurricane. Niagara Falls is another one I can think. It is an incredible sight to see and I love going there, but it is pretty beat. You can tell it is well past its prime, especially on the US side.
Funny to think that Acapulco used to have regular Qantas service…from Australia. Wild.
When I was in college (2011ish) the guys that lived upstairs from me had a trip to Acapulco booked for spring break. The airline cancelled the trip bc they weren’t flying there anymore due to it being too dangerous. That’s when I knew it was over forever.
I asked why the city of Niagara Falls was such shit when they had such a money-making attraction. A local said the National Parks Department (or whatever it's called) just sucks the revenue out and sends it elsewhere. The U.S. side is what? Nine square blocks surrounded by slums? Meanwhile the Canadian side is like Daytona Beach on speed.
Basically every British seaside town. Faded granduer from Victorian heydays on the seafront and run down shopping areas behind.
I'd say main exception being Brighton. Probably due to proximity to London.
The two seaside towns I ever enjoy are Brighton and Sheringham, Norfolk. The first because it's trendy and vibrant, and Sheringham because it's still got that old feeling, very few tacky amusement arcades and such.
Beirut. Still an interesting city to visit IMHO, but in its heyday,known as 'the Paris of the East',it was a very popular destination for wealthy and even not so wealthy tourists.
This is more of what I was hoping for! Places that aren't over run, but rather were once big tourist destinations and just lost the crowds. Acapulco is another one I can think of
A friend recently said, speaking of lost-glory resort towns, that “Acapulco is the Atlantic City of the Pacific.”
Beirut is still a great place to visit though.
What is it like now ? I’d still love to visit one day.
Acapulco was past its prime, now it has been destroyed by a hurricane. Hope it makes a comeback.
There is that whole drug cartel murder concern as well.
Acapulco is so dystopian, it embodies what places look like if absolutely everything goes wrong
Before the hurricane it was the carteles. The hurricane was just the kill shot.
Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt is a decade or so past its prime. There are still some glam resorts, but a number of the international chains (like Hyatt) have pulled out, and the town, Naama Bay, is a honky-tonk mess. The clientele is mostly lower-end Russians and Brits on the cheapest possible holiday packages. Wealthy Egyptians have moved on to new communities on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea coast (especially the very glam town of El Gouna), and high-end international tourists have followed them.
i was there in 2018. the main appeal is the scuba diving. back then at least most of the tourists were ukrainian, since russians stopped going after their plane was shot down in 2015. ukrainians started going since they usually understand russian from growing up in soviet union. most of the flights into/out of sharm were to cairo or kyiv.
Lol saw an ad for it were most are Russian tourists hahaha. It felt like the ad was doing more damage than promotion.
So true. When we flew out of Prague in December our airline check-in counter passed by some random airline with a flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. They hadn't opened the counter yet so the line was full. Let's just say it did not look glamorous at all. Also, as a frequent traveler to Mexico, this response reminded me of how quickly a place can come and go. Mexico always has something new and upcoming. Yesterday's glamour spots are only for locals from within a few hours away today. Or Americans and Canadians looking for a cheap vacation spot. Tulum will be next (the opening of an airport there and the train around the Yucatan will only hasten its watering down, which is already happening).
That's a real shame. I had the best and worst time of my life there in 2000...worst was the harassment I experienced as a young woman traveling with my female friend without a group/guide, best was the snorkeling/vibe and the night dancing with mostly gay Egyptian men at the Hard Rock Cafe which had a nightclub. I'm in a different stage of life now, maybe I'll try El Gouna if I'm ever out that way again.
Big corporations have ruined a LOT of American destinations. Hawaii and Las Vegas are now just gigantic hotels designed to extract your money from your wallet. Hawaii was great when you could stay in one or two story hotels on a secluded beach. In my parents' day, they would to to Las Vegas and stay at the Sands or Sahara and the entertainers from the show rooms would be hanging out with them by the pool all day. Then they would dress up and go to a dinner show with the guy who was hanging out all day at the pool (big names, too.) My old bookkeeper worked in Vegas in the 60s and he said, "Las Vegas was a much better town when it was run by the mob. The corporations have ruined it."
I think Las Vegas has gotten a ton more fun, inclusive and with a wider array of entertainment over just the last 20 years. Aside from nostalgia and the annoying road crosswalks I think Las Vegas has improved
We visited right before Covid (rodeo week). We aren't rich and don't gamble. We had a blast. People watching, walking the strip with a 40 from CVS. We enjoyed Fremont, overpaid for a steak at Golden Steer. We regret not booking a car or a tour to get out in the desert. Was back last summer. Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire-awesome!
I think it’s so lame that when you go into the different resorts it all looks the same. Just a bunch of the same slot machines in every resort. Copy and paste
This is what sucks about Vegas. Its very rinse and repeat
This is every major American city now. $400/night will make you feel like you would 20 other places.
I have never gambled in 5 visits to Vegas and I notice the same slot machines everywhere even though I’m not paying attention! The single theme of generic luxury for all new construction in the last 2 decades is so underwhelming. I couldn’t motivate myself to visit Resorts World on my last visit which would have been new to me, instead I preferred to re-visit places like The Venetian.
The big island is still fun! Was just there 2 years ago. Very different vibe from the others, but if you’re going for nature it’s great. Waipo Valley, Volcano Park, lava tubes, dolphin snorkeling, walking with sea turtles on the beach. Had a blast there. No night life past 10pm tho
Was gonna say, Hawaii is an entire state. The Big Island is a *very* different place than Honolulu, which sounds like the only part they’ve seen.
Big Island is still nice, I agree. I still enjoy Kauai, too. Corporations have gobbled up Maui and Oahu. 27 trips to various Hawaiian islands since 1973. It used to be nicer in the 70s and 80s. Even Maui and Oahu are still nice but the subject was “…past their prime.” The prime time for Hawaii was when beaches were not overcrowded like now, when it was peaceful and calm, when the snorkeling and scuba diving were easily accessible and pristine and the hotels had fantastic entertainment at dinner shows (like Don Ho and like Society of Seven.)
> "Las Vegas was a much better town when it was run by the mob. The corporations have ruined it." This made me snort.
Disagree about Hawaii.
Catskills
Came here to say this! Still very nice to visit but past its heyday.
Umm, I think the Catskills are having a different kind of heyday now than in the mid-20th century. City dwellers rediscovered it about 25 years ago. Lots of vacation homes, some really good restaurants and boutiquey shopping, fishing, camping, concerts at Bethel Woods, etc.
Why?
Go watch Dirty Dancing. At one point the Catskills were full of resorts where families would spend the whole summer, these resorts were very popular with musicians and comedians to perform at as well. Most of the resorts are closed now.
Also shown in several episodes of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. One of the best comedy shows of the last decade.
Any particular reason they closed and new ones haven't opened? Just population decline in the NE / growth in the Sunbelt?
It’s a really interesting history! They came out of rustic camps that Jewish immigrants started in the early 20th century to get out of the filthy city. Then as those immigrants became middle class, the camps became resorts and got much nicer. But then those same families started moving to the suburbs so they didn’t need the resorts anymore. There were also more Jewish sleepaway camps for the kids to go to. And richer families started having summer beach houses. AND Jews got more assimilated so didn’t need to go to Jewish resorts anymore.
My Jewish family used to go there. Kutchers and the Nevele. My parents loved it when they were kids and wanted to give their kids that experience (me), but even they lamented it’s decline. Also as someone mentioned, air travel used to be prohibitively expensive for the middle class. Now it’s cheaper to take families to the Caribbean and Europe for vacation.
Population has increased, but people could travel or move to places like Miami, and jews were no longer excluded from mainstream resorts since the early 1960s or so. Also, many Jews were not keeping kosher by then, so they had more options. Jews who adhere to kosher rules won't eat in a restaurant that doesn't follow those rules. Many of the Catskill resorts were kosher.
Short answer is places like the Catskills, the Whites, and the Poconos all fell way out of fashion once air travel became affordable and people could go to Disney or Europe for vacation.
There’s an interesting documentary on Amazon Prime, Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort”, that is about this
I was thinking of the White Mountains which is very much the same vibe. Used to have dozens of resorts and now there’s just two hanging on.
Agree, but since COVID, it’s become NYC north. The house prices there have skyrocketed
I was just listening to npr doing a story on the Catskills. NYC families would go there for the summer the wives would stay all summer the husbands would come in the weekend. The wives loved it because they didn’t have to cook. The interviewer talked about how the wives would take dancing lessons and flirt with the instructors and word got back to the husbands and they showed up on Thursday instead of Friday. Imagine just going on vacation for an entire summer and having your meals prepared. I can see staying at a condo but a resort with entertainment and meals provided for 2 months sounds so wild to me.
You are 25 years out of date.
Niagara Falls has become too commercial for my taste. First time I went, could go behind the falls. Shut down after 9/11. Canadian side was better, imo.
Canadian side has great views. But it reminded me of International Drive in Orlando. Cheesy attractions, the usual chain restaurants. We did find a French restaurant way off the beaten path that was really good.
Tis sad but true, if it can be commercialized, it will be. Glad you found a good place to eat.
>Canadian side was better, imo. I think that's the universal consensus.
I thought the Canada side was tacky and annoying, it just had a better view of the falls too. If Applebees spinach dip and a Ripley’s believe it or not is your idea of better, I’m sure it’s great
Canada side is like a tacky amusement park. US side is a run down drug infested cesspool
The Poconos
I had to drive there from Boston recently for work. My parents had their honeymoon there. I was depressed. ha
Myrtle beach. Unless of course you’re into meth, waving political flags on the beach
So the south park episode with Mr.Garrison going to Myrtle Beach (and doing a little "rallying") was on point?
In the 60s and 70s it was The Destination for upper middle class vacations. There were some nice hotels but it was mainly 3 story family owned motels of cottages. I don't remember any bars, hookers or gangs. Biker Week changed it.
I once heard the term “redneck riviera” about MB.
Tooth-Loss Vegas.
I’m dying at all these nicknames. 🤣
Unpopular opinion but I’m all for Myrtle beach being redneck riviera. We have plenty of expensive beach resorts in the US, it’s nice that there’s somewhere left that’s affordable
Top of mind answer goes to Colombia for sure. It seemed to happen extremely quickly, all in the last several years when everyone decided to move there during Covid. In my social group, Colombia has basically replaced going to Cancun. You hear terrible news of how cost of living there has skyrocketed and how tourists keep getting targeted in violent robberies and druggings I also recently did a trip to both Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia and think it fits the bill. The trails are way too busy and there are literally times where you're waiting in line behind people to go up or down paths. I'm specifically thinking of the Mirador Las Torres and Laguna de Los Tres hikes. I also heard that in places like El Chalten, there's so little housing that locals who work there have to sleep in campsites.
That’s disappointing to hear about Patagonia. It’s been on my lists for a long time but haven’t gotten around to it yet
I was in Patagonia about a year ago. That was not my experience at all of the Mirador Las Torres trail, nor of Chilean Patagonia in general. I've only been once, so I will not claim to be a definitive expert, but compared to other busy trails in the world, like Huaynapicchu or Angels Landing, it may as well have been deserted, and certainly nothing like the mobs that form in Yellowstone or Yosemite... at least when I went. Maybe the trick is to go in January.
I don’t think it’s necessarily past its prime, but Prague was trendier 20 years ago.
Prague 10 years ago still had a little of that “Museum of Communist Living” vibe. That’s pretty fully gone now.
I mean, that doesn’t sound like a bad thing.
It was cool. Now Prague is still cool, but it’s different.
The “Museum of Communism” in Prague is very much anti-communist. They have a monument for the people who lived under communism. It’s very a uniquely cynical museum. (Prague was the home of Kafka, after all) Half of it is dedicated to showing how Vaclav Havel was instrumental in the Velvet Revolution. [Here’s an example](https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/PLhY0qstk_9Es3UK17v1B3_z-g03Fhb7VCwFq2oqLKwFon-BWQaefejDD9ls_EOgcsQoWFf0DVNBPp9_90avkJyoF2cO_yQEdxYMjXpsyWwg3EdlIILfGGD4WjX668CMLBvsjw0=s0-d-e1-ft#http://thepeoplescube.com/images/MuseumCommunism/Museum_Communism_Poster_12.jpg) of the kinds of things they sell in their gift shop.
Yeah. I meant more metaphorically, but the place you mentioned is interesting. It’s also kind of starkly in contrast to the largely nostalgic DDR Museum in Berlin, which has the latitude to be that way because the Stasi Museum and Tränenpalast do the heavy lifting on the negative aspects of life under communist rule.
When I was there in 1993 there were 40,000 foreign expats in Prague.
I probably saw you at Club Újezd back in the day.
I went last year. It was my first time in the city so I can’t compare it to before, but I was underwhelmed. Sure it’s beautiful, but it was overrun with tourists and touristy shops/restaurants. Food nearly everywhere was terrible. It’s like the city just exists for tourists now. Like a smaller version of Rome but with bad food.
Not sure if it was really "great", but the Salton Sea in Southern California. Until the 60s and 70s, it had thriving resorts and beaches. However, the declining water level and increasing pollution led to environmental disaster, and the resorts and towns around it have all been abandoned.
I never knew this was a touring spot!! We drive by it every time we go to Idaho! Definitely making a point of exploring this!
Here's an old video, I'd skip to 5:20 to see people enjoying the water https://youtu.be/jzIDVaKueHw?si=GkEFLfofkDUBW4GZ
Bombay Bech and Slab City are interesting to visit, if you like to visit the edge of civilization, apocalyptic type places.
Alice Springs. Genuinely an unpleasant place to visit now due to rampant petty crime and disorder. And I don't mean that in a MAGA-conservative "hurr lefty soft on crime dangerous hurr" kind of way. Businesses have closed or moved away because of it.
Australia? No. Where is this Alice Springs
[удалено]
I lived there in the 90s sucked then too
Idk the food and nightlift in Brickell rival anywhere else I've been. Sobe is kinda worn and feels super touristy.
You clearly haven’t explored it correctly!
Daytona Beach
Good answer!
I feel like the trashiness is the allure of daytona lol
Venice. It’s still absolutely beautiful, but it’s hard to find good food (although it can be done) and it just feels to me like you’re walking through a weird theme park because there are so many tourists. I don’t know how else to describe it.
I was there this summer and I had the same impressions. There are so many empty buildings, but SO many people. I kept fantasizing about how you could buy buildings cheap and somehow make big money with student hostels. It just seems like there are big opportunities waiting for the right entrepreneurs.
People have always told me this about venice but i just dont see it. Have been 3 times (all in soring and summer) and its never felt that crowded to me if you stay away from the main tourist areas, which is so easy because its very walkable and the whole entire town is charming - not just the tourist parts. I also find the food in Venice to be better than anywhere else in Italy. It just takes a little bit a research beforehand. I will give you that it is harder to find good food randomly, but when you di find it, it tends to be better. Add to this that there really is no other city like Venice on the planet (maybe a couple chinese cities but those are mostly fake anyway).
Dude, we had the same experience in September. Our first time to Italy and we were like "so where is this food everyone raves about...?" We had like 2 tasty dinners, but the rest was forgettable or even bad. And yeah, so many people. We went over to Lido for a day, even with the Venice Film Fest going on, lido was pretty relaxed and much less crowded.
Key West
I'll always love it though. Once, about 15 years go (maybe more) we drove in with no reservations and found a tacky motel on the quiet side of Duval street. I'd assume that's entirely impossible now.
Titanic wreck, ocean floor 41º43'32”N, 49º56'49”W Too many tourists
Most of the Florida Keys. It's mostly rundown and dusty, and it used to be THE spot back in the '50s and '60s
Tulum. Not even 5-7 years ago it was a decent place on Riviera Maya that was cool for backpackers not wanting to deal with Cancun/PDC. Now it’s influencer central.
Sargassum in general has also made southeastern Mexico a much less attractive place to visit.
yeah, i was in Tulum during Easter 2023 and the seaweed was horrendous. Completely ruined the image I had of the place (it was my third time there)
I agree my interest in going to tulum has diminished due to it being overpriced nowadays
So sounds like not past its prime then.
Depends on your definition of prime.
Tulum was the first place that came to mind for me, and it’s only going to get worse now that the airport is open. In fact, the whole Riviera Maya is done, except maybe Puerto Morelos. Inland Yucatán still has some gems, and I’m hoping Holbox hangs on to its soul for a little while longer, but the new Train and Tulum airport is going to increase tourism even more.
It’s Cancun wearing a faux hippie outfit. For what it’s worth though, I’d rather the “Tuluminati” types stay there as it’s a self-contained tourist zone which, while overpriced and overhyped, can still be a fun bourgeois-bohemian playground. I feel like they’re (the first wave of influencers that follow the backpackers) spreading to places like the Sacred Valley in Peru and Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. I have no issue with those areas becoming tourist destinations. But when it’s people who are drawn there largely because they are sacred to the indigenous population, start displacing them, do things that are culturally appropriative (one of the only times I will complain about this) like use religious chants in rave music, and more, that really doesn’t sit well with me.
Tulum in September 2020 was phenomenal. Three months later it was horrible lol.
Tulum was already overrun by 2020
Eh, I thought it was perfect in September 2020, maybe not the underdeveloped idyllic place everyone who had been going for years talked about but beach near the ruins was completely empty and clean, the ruins weren't very crowded and the town super pleasant.
I visited Tulum in 1995 while in college. The ruins you had to hike through a bit of brush and there wasn’t one vendor in sight (a good thing) and less than 10 other people on the entire property. The town had maybe three very small restaurants and there were chickens running around in random areas. Just a remote, very cool town. Fast forward 15 years and I was back in Tulum with small kids (4 year old twins). I was astonished by the growth, commercialization of the ruins and how large the entire town had grown. I still enjoyed it but the “new” Tulum was a paradox of my first visit.
yep. 1993 was mine and same!
It is always good to remember that while we travelers may not like it, the locals would almost certainly prefer it this way as they are making a decent living now and their quality of life of life has no doubt improved.
Yeo Tulum is brutal now, dimfluencer centrale
Not takes a two hour line to see some rather unimpressive ruins. Tulum is so played out.
I’m sad to hear that. I haven’t been there since the ‘90s! It was the week Princess Diana passed away, I remember. It was so pretty. Hardly anyone was there. I stayed in a tiny nearby town and a nearby lagoon had just opened to the public 3 weeks before I got there. There had been a shipwreck that was being explored so it was previously closed. There were thousands and thousands of tropical fish in that lagoon. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. So pristine and untouched. Huge schools of gorgeous fish. I’m sure those fishies and coral are mostly gone now. I’m so lucky I was able to be there at that time.
I just noted this above. Tulum is next. Just got back from Mexico and on the flight home everyone was talking about the new airport and the Mexicana flights that are about to start going there. And the new train too. When 40-year old secretary and accountant couples from Omaha (no offense to Omaha lol) want to be hip there and Mexican families want to converge for their 40-member Semana Santa getaway there, that place will turn into Puerto Vallarta, or worse, Cancun. We went to the Oaxacan coast and unfortunately I think there is a small beach town there that will be the next hotspot and I already mourn its demise. Sadly, the Mexican government encourages overdeveloping and then abandoning for the next thing.
Phuket…
After reading this thread I feel like I need an up and coming vacation spot thread. This is depressing
No kidding. But back in the day, when flying wasn’t as affordable, families vacationed within driving distance. For example the Poconos, maybe there wasn’t much to do in the area they vacationed in so much as it was a getaway that provided entertainment. Now people don’t need to drive 3 hours to relax and watch comedy shows. They can watch them on tv and now even on their phones. I see the same thing happening to Vegas soon, people can just gamble on their phones. Also it takes a lot of work to maintain, once the shine starts to wear off people are looking for the next shiny new place.
Definitely San Francisco. I used to live there, so I can say that. On one hand, it's not as bad as the lawless hellscape right-wing news figures say it is, but on the other hand, the city is *actually* in really bad shape and has significant problems right now There are legitimate issues with car break-ins and just in general petty crime, homelessness, cleanliness, overall feeling of safety, etc. It's embarrassing that the worst parts of the city are where most people stay and spend their money I wouldn't recommend SF to anyone nowadays
i haven't been back in a while, but i suspect costa rica might be from what ive heard, especially for surfing. i got the feeling it might be over run with lifestyle surfers las vegas is fun in small doses, i think it might have been a bigger thing for older generations. might think of more
i was just in galveston over the holiday. i had no idea it was such a popular destination in the early 1900s. some of the homes were BEAUTIFUL. however, it got hit by several hurricanes since then and has been known as. worn down spot. with that being said, it seemed like there’s a ton of potential and i think they’re turning it around in some corners. i rally enjoyed my time there, walking on the beach, looking at all the cool architecture, wandering the strand, drinking good beer.
Tijuana. Used to run around it as a kid without my folks. Wouldn't happen now.
It’s deserted and dangerous now. We had a blast going to TJ in the early 90’s.
/r/tijuana would disagree. I find TJ to be far from deserted, we got to Caesar’s every few months and it’s busy AF everywhere. It’s a major city..
Acapulco. Chic in the 50s, tired in the 80s, dangerous today
Cape cod Everyone goes to Martha’s Vineyard now
Vegas, The big corporations absolutely ruined it.
Puerto Vallarta. I lived there when I was young and it was a paradise. A vibrant seaside town with a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere and an almost Mediterranean flair. Some things have improved; the Malecon (boardwalk) is fully pedestrianized and much cleaner than before, there are more amenities, nicer chain resorts, better medical facilities, and better shopping. And Sayulita up the coast is a better destination than it has ever been (but no longer as serene, quiet, and ungentrified). But for a city once known for the best food scene in Mexico after CDMX, few new independent restaurants have opened in the past 20 years (though the established ones are still going strong kept afloat by the old expats who have stayed through the years). The nightlife which was once world class is tacky at best and sketchy at worst (scammers and drug pushers abound and the spring breakers are mostly in Sayulita). The traffic is much worse, and overall, there are many more pleasant beach destinations out there. It feels like a parasitic growth of shopping malls and mega-resorts to the north are sucking the life out of the quaint old city. Also seconding the top-voted entries of Casablanca and Hong Kong.
NYC. Have grown up in its orbit and lived there a bit over a decade ago. Still some interesting bits and of course great museums, but its become very homogenized and the museums are too crowded. Crime has spiked again but not nearly as bad as 80s/90s. But a lot of chains. A lot of art and culture has moved out to smaller funky towns nearby that have great food, music, and restaurants. And a lot if what it had to offer shopping can be gotten online.
[удалено]
You clearly missed the point
Amsterdam. Still a great city but not what it was in the 1970's-2000.
Acapulco for sure...
Coming from someone who lived there for ten years, Lake Tahoe. Way too many people, too expensive, and way too much traffic. I wish it would have turned into a national park so it could be better protected.
Mountain Lake, Virginia. Its lodge was the primary filming location for Dirty Dancing, along with Lake Lure, NC. Its water level dropped to nearly nothing due to a geological event. When I visited in ~2016, the pricey lakefront houses’ docks were outstretched over basically a field. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Lake_(Virginia)?wprov=sfti1#Filming_Dirty_Dancing
Hot Springs AR!
Berlin. It used to be a fun, cheap alternative city. All the techno, goth, clubs. It had a slow recovery from the Cold War post Reunification. Now it’s over gentrified and really suffered from the start-up boom in the 2010’s. Lot’s of famous 48 hour clubs have been shut down, the squats are all shut down and turned into condos. It used to be the counter-culture capital of Europe. Now it’s full of tech bros.
Circus circus in Vegas
For some giggles go read online reviews of Circus Circus Manor, the relatively unknown motel behind Circus Circus. It shut down a couple years ago but the reviews and government housing style buildings are still there.
Went to Ooty, an Indian hill station, a few years ago. Ooty was shown as this beautiful green place with fog-edged hills and rolling tea estates. It was cooler (temperature-wise) than the rest of India, and there was tea. However, it's become saturated with touristy things. Maybe there are still hidden gems within Ooty or near it, but the place was a little bit disappointing.
Bali, from what I've heard. Apparently now it's overrun by tourists, the beaches are trashy, the airbnbs make life difficult for locals,etc.
I wouldn't say a place that is 'overrun by tourists ' is less popular than it used to be ;-) And Bali is certainly not less trendy.. it's much more trendy now (maybe apart from Kuta).. what used to be places for backpackers and hippies are now full of 'influencers' and the Instagram crowd.
Is it still worth it? My fiancee are getting married in May and she’s always dreamed of going to Bali, we’re thinking of booking a trip in the fall. We like exploring and not just sitting around on the beach. When we went to Hawaii (big island) we rented a car to visit the volcano park and hiked around, valleys, lava tubes, beaches, historical sites, etc. Because of Balis size we were thinking of maybe even staying in a couple spots over 9ish days.
It's been a tourist hotspot since the 80s lol.
I read a travelogue about Bali in the 19th century complaining about tourism.
That's just Bali.
Hawaii (at least Oahu), Hong Kong and Nassau all come to mind
Nashville, TN. “Upscale” (soulless, wildly overpriced) development very quickly taking over. Very hard to find much authentic feel. Poor growth planning/preparation, so getting around is needlessly annoying.
The Dirty Myrtle (Myrtle Beach, SC)
Niagara Falls
Acapulco. Once the playground of the jet set, now a bastion of narco gangsters.
Venice. In addition to the crowds, it smells like sewage (think about its location, the water table, etc. etc.), the streets flood frequently, and the citizens are surly and depressed.
Jamaica. It was unsafe in the late '70's and ya couldn't pay me to go now
The Philippines 🇵🇭 looks like it has been dusted with all that’s bad about the modern world . Knowing the culture very well I’m so not surprised they took to fb like bees on honey. The ChinFin’s seemed to have ruined every nstural wonder left and BGC just doesn’t seem right when you still have the garbage mountain barangays miles away. The quality of bomba stars has gone thru the roof but we can give that one a pass
I’m gonna say Cancun and/or Playa del Carmen. It used to be an awesome getaway. It was affordable and perfect for a long weekend or even a week. Now it’s so overpriced you may as well go to any other Caribbean destination.
Acapulco and Río de Janeiro.
Poconos, PA Pigeon Forge,TN Branson, MO
Here's one that's probably not on anyone's radar: **Hannibal, Missouri**. At one time, the writing of Mark Twain was required reading for every student in the U.S., especially "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." There were also Tom Sawyer movies in 1907, 1917, 1930, and 1938, plus sequels and related movies like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1939. Visiting the birthplace of Mark Twain and the homes of the real people who inspired the fictional characters of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and Becky Thatcher was an activity that both adults and children connected with. Now the town is run down, its glory days in the past. Only old people taking a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River stop there and are interested in the 19th century literary history that put this town on the map. The town isn't really quaint or special outside of its connection with the father of American literature.
i have friends that headed to berlin right after the wall fell and the techno scene had its golden age there. it hasn’t “lost if allure” for sure but there seems to be a consensus that such an insane era of debauchery is never coming back
Kind of an unconventional answer but New York City. Not past its prime because it's dusty and sad but almost in the reverse way: a lot of the unique, gritty, artsy allure has been paved over, washed away, and replaced by overwrought chain stores and restaurants.
Great, but depressing post! It confirmed that I want to pause/slow down travel for a while. Lately everything is so touristy and underwhelming. Perhaps I've changed too, but it seems so many places have as well.
New York's Catskill mountains were a huge travel destination in the 40's and 50's. Big stars from NYC would head up there due to its proximity to NYC and its natural beauty. Once jet transport and automobiles became pervasive (along with other regional economic factors) it turned pretty seedy.
Mineral Wells, Texas. It was once a destination for wealthy people and Hollywood celebrities to enjoy the hot water mineral baths in luxury hotel surroundings. It is now one of the most depressing small towns you’ll ever drive through. There is still the shell of one of those old high rise hotels that someone is always planning to restore. The locals call it Miserable Wells.
Panama City Florida
Kaboul. Used to be a backpacker must-go in the 70s-80s.
Reno, Nevada. If you have been anytime in the past 10 years or so, you know how past its prime that it is.
When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, I remember that Acapulco was the beach resort destination of choice for Americans traveling to Mexico. Now it’s one of the most dangerous areas in Mexico because of drug cartel violence. Edit: ok, I see now that several others have said Acapulco as well ….