Underrated US Cities

[Hoophound]

My buddy lives in Greenville, SC. He keeps trying to get me to move there(ain't gonna happen) but I had a great time there and definitely underestimated how nice it its. Cool little downtown with the Liberty suspension bridge crossing the Reedy River. Good beer and food scene with Tetrad Brewing and Iron Hill Brewery being standouts for me. Some nice museums too, for folks interested in local history and art.

I was going to say Greenville but decided it wasn’t underrated since I know lots of people that like it. Nice little city.

 

[EROCK CONN]

Surprised there’s not as much love for New Haven on this list. Great restaurant scene and we all know about it’s pizza. Stamford as well.

 

[storrsroars]

Surprised there’s not as much love for New Haven on this list. Great restaurant scene and we all know about it’s pizza. Stamford as well.

I love Stamford. Grew up there and still miss it. Almost moved back 8 years ago but couldn't make it work. But I think I'd be unimpressed if I were just a visitor.

 

[djct1999]

Traverse City, Mi has a good vibe in the summer. Matter of opinion but the west-northwest coast of Michigan's mitten is rather fun.

Torch Lake is a blast as well.

 

[NYC_HUSKY22]

Overrated IMO. Sierra Nevada and New Belgium don’t move my “best craft brewery scene” needle too much. Anyone I’ve met from there is completely smug and full of themselves.

Sierra Nevada and New Belgium are the big ones (and by that I juts mean large).. there are 32 other breweries in town, all small little start up joints. Have to agree with OP, Asheville is like Disney land for beer / food loving adults .

 

[Deepster]

Agreed on Milwaukee. Salt of the earth people and good bars and restaurants. The ballpark is also well done.

Not yet mentioned? Cleveland. Major sports all in walking distance. Rock and Roll
HOF. Good eats and nightlife scene.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

North to Acadia is certainly nice, as is south to KPort and Portsmouth. I'd add drive northwest, through Sebago Lake into NH toward North Conway, then over to Bartlett to Bear Notch Rd, then down the Kancamagus to Lincoln. It's a beautiful drive. Might be my favorite part of the country, especially in fall, but summer is nice too.

We vacation in the Lakes Region every year and have made an overnight stop in Portsmouth the last several years to break up the trip. Young kids make it a bit challenging to really explore but the downtown scene seemed to have a lot going on. Agreed, it's a great part of the country.

 

[CTBasketball]

Huntsville AL is also a very underrated place, especially if you’re in your 20s.

I’ll also add Park City UT to the list. Place is just awesome, and provides me a with a breath of fresh air after skiing in the Cottonwood Canyons and staying in Salt Lake City. If you haven’t been
to Park City you should go, great food and bars, plus lots of history.

 

[NJHusky]

Been on my must go list for years. What do you like about it? Seems like the perfect western/mountain village.

Whitefish is a very cool place. Bierstube is a must for apres ski! Nice little downtown near the mtn. It’s been getting good press so maybe getting bigger since I was there. If you are skiing find a local as lots of hidden pow stashes

 

[87Xfer]

Having multiple breweries to choose from is a must in my opinion. And don't forget, not every region does it well. You can't get a NEIPA in North Carolina or Arizona. I don't go to breweries outside of New England...they just are not the same. Call me a regional beer snob. And people have been predicting the bubble pop for awhile now...perhaps that's just what beer and consuming it has become. More people I know are into it every year it seems.

How would you know if you don't go to breweries outside of new england? You can get "NEIPA' at just about every brewery and liquor store you walk into at this point.

 

[TIP-IN]

My buddy lives in Greenville, SC. He keeps trying to get me to move there(ain't gonna happen) but I had a great time there and definitely underestimated how nice it its. Cool little downtown with the Liberty suspension bridge crossing the Reedy River. Good beer and food scene with Tetrad Brewing and Iron Hill Brewery being standouts for me. Some nice museums too, for folks interested in local history and art.

I lived in Landrum SC, actually at a place called The Cliffs at Glassy. Landrum is north of the Greenville / Greer / Spartanburg area. Greenville is a truly great city with very friendly people. The Greenville / Spartanburg area is on economic fire, when I was there BMW was investing 1 Billion with a "B" in a plant that was already massive. The treed Downtown is one of the prettiest in the nation. Take your friends advice move out of the northeast and enjoy your life !
Oh, but you still have to root for Uconn !!

 

[XLCenterFan]

How would you know if you don't go to breweries outside of new england? You can get "NEIPA' at just about every brewery and liquor store you walk into at this point.

I should have specified with the adjectives "quality" or "legit." Just like you shouldn't trust New England clam chowder in Minnesota or New York style pizza in Myrtle Beach, don't trust NEIPA in the far reaches of The States.

 

[uconnfan68]

I would suggest Beaufort, SC over Savannah or Charleston.

IMO both Savannah and Charleston are pretty well rated or known for what they offer.

Beaufort splits the difference between the two and has some small town charm.
Savannah is about 45 min and Charleston is a bit over an hour.

Beaufort is also close to Hilton Head without all the old retiree trappings of Hilton Head.

You're getting close to being one of those retirees...

 

[ET7774]

Surprised no one mentioned San Antonio. Great memories from 2004.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

Agree with the Burlington, VT comments. I would add Saratoga, NY; Lancaster, PA and Berkeley Springs, WV. Maybe these don't qualify as 'city' size...but all are great, accessible weekend spots in the northeast.

 

[Lefty2one]

TIL for many people breweries are a key determining factor in how good a city is.

I would consider relocating to somewhere far less expensive than CT--we're comfortable financially but it still stings looking at our taxes--but the healthcare in so many of these places worries me, not to mention the education.

 

[superjohn]

Agree with the Burlington, VT comments. I would add Saratoga, NY; Lancaster, PA and Berkeley Springs, WV. Maybe these don't qualify as 'city' size...but all are great, accessible weekend spots in the northeast.

Berkeley Springs, WV. has 800 residents, it's pretty safe to say they don't qualify as a city. One of their newer residents is the white supremacist who has lived in my hometown for years...

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, Freaks Out After VDARE Founder Buys Its Castle

When VDARE’s founder bought the 132-year-old Berkeley Springs Castle, it fueled a delicate split in the artsy mountain town.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Cedar City, UT. I have often used it as a base for Bryce, Zion, The Breaks, Escalante Staircase, Dixie National Forest etc. It is a college town and has museums, festivals of the arts, a historic downtown with good restaurants. I had considered moving there.

 

[Mr. French]

I love my city of Buffalo as "underrated."

It's great for what it is, but people on the outside don't know enough about it so they make the easy jokes and rash judgments.

Anyone who spends more than 2 days here falls in love and despite plenty of crap still holding it back, it's changed drastically in the last 20 years.

I don't know about how it's rated in the general public, but Toronto is one of my favorite cities.

 

[Mr. French]

Agree with the Burlington, VT comments. I would add Saratoga, NY; Lancaster, PA and Berkeley Springs, WV. Maybe these don't qualify as 'city' size...but all are great, accessible weekend spots in the northeast.

Saratoga and Lake Placid are both great "upstate" towns.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I love Stamford. Grew up there and still miss it. Almost moved back 8 years ago but couldn't make it work. But I think I'd be unimpressed if I were just a visitor.

It’s gotten worse. My parents grew up there and my sisters were born there.

I loved it in my early 20s, but it it’s become a commercialized, soulless downtown.

Bedford street used to be awesome, and it’s still the best part of downtown, but it’s boring. Stale, upper-class growth.

There are some nice neighborhoods though (shoutout to Hope Street) and the northern part is gorgeous.

However, as a Norwalk resident, I’m biased.

 

[Chin Diesel]

You're getting close to being one of those retirees...

I still have close to 15 years of working life left. And I'll never live in Hilton Head.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I'd also be curious how many of these underrated places you'd like to visit

1. For an extended weekend
2. Week long vacation
3. Second home
4. Place to move while young with or without kids
5. Retire

I'm somewhere north of 40+ states visited. Probably about 25 or so foreign countries.

I've found it very difficult to not have a good time almost anywhere if you have 3-4 days. Almost any place should allow you to find some local dining, do a bit of history of the area, visit some points of interest and get a general feel for the people. For someone like myself, that's a high enough floor.

 

[8893]

It’s gotten worse. My parents grew up there and my sisters were born there.

I loved it in my early 20s, but it it’s become a commercialized, soulless downtown.

Bedford street used to be awesome, and it’s still the best part of downtown, but it’s boring. Stale, upper-class growth.

There are some nice neighborhoods though (shoutout to Hope Street) and the northern part is gorgeous.

However, as a Norwalk resident, I’m biased.

Is there any noticeable presence from the UConn students residing there?

A good college population is usually essential to a good city imo.

 

[Waquoit]

I think Portland OR hits all 5 on Chin's list.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

What happened with Bobby Valentine's sports bar is a good representation of what Stamford has become.

I have a buddy out in SLC who I've gone to visit a few times to go skiing. I like the Utah ski scene more than Colorado. Think it's more laid back and more accessible than everyone fighting to drive on i-70. Park City though def has the vibe of what Stratton feels like in the northeast. Very built up, expensive, a lot of wealthy rich people who cant be bothered with Utah's weird alcohol laws.

 

[8893]

What happened with Bobby Valentine's sports bar is a good representation of what Stamford has become.

I have a buddy out in SLC who I've gone to visit a few times to go skiing. I like the Utah ski scene more than Colorado. Think it's more laid back and more accessible than everyone fighting to drive on i-70. Park City though def has the vibe of what Stratton feels like in the northeast. Very built up, expensive, a lot of wealthy rich people who cant be bothered with Utah's weird alcohol laws.

Have you been to Steamboat? Much more laid back than the rest of the CO ski scene imo, and probably the best snow in the state (closer to Utah conditions with champagne powder).

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Agree with Milwaukee. I travel there for work pretty regularly and was impressed the first time visiting 10 years ago. Summer is a better time, which I am sure goes without saying. Tons of bars and food all within walking distance of downtown. The walk to the lake was not that bad either.

Bringing the family up to Saratoga after Memorial day. Any recommendations as we have never been?

 

[hank970]

Agree with the Burlington, VT comments. I would add Saratoga, NY; Lancaster, PA and Berkeley Springs, WV. Maybe these don't qualify as 'city' size...but all are great, accessible weekend spots in the northeast.

A stop at Good 'N Plenty Restaurant in Smoketown, just of east of Lancaster, is a must stop. Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, family style dining. The food just keeps coming.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Have you been to Steamboat? Much more laid back than the rest of the CO ski scene imo, and probably the best snow in the state (closer to Utah conditions with champagne powder).

Yes ironically i flew out pre pandemic March last year to Utah to drive out to Steamboat with my friend from Salt Lake to do a ski week meeting some other friends. Unfortunately we didnt get that great of snow the time we were there and it was pretty crowed. My friend from SLC complained that the terrain is too easy but he literally skis 50+ days a year, so we just ignored him. The town though is cool and so is being able to soak in the springs after skiing. There is still that CO beer bro culture there downtown but i dont think there is really any escaping that anymore as Colorado just gets more and more people moving in.