8 Reasons Why L.A. is the Most Overrated City in the World

Every time I go abroad, and talk to Europeans about where in the states they’d like to go…

… the answer is always Los Angeles.

I’ve still got a lot of world to go… but I’ve also seen a great deal of it. I may not know about the world yet, but I do think that L.A. is the most overrated city in the United States.

There are so many other cooler cities that are worth someone abroad visiting when they come to the U.S. for the first time.

Here are a few reasons why I don’t think L.A. is worth the hype:

1. All You Do is Sit in Traffic

When I went to L.A. four summers ago, I remember walking in Hollywood and the Pier… but my most prevalent memory is sitting.

In the car.

For hours at a time.

My mom, a native New Yorker, used to live in L.A. years ago with my dad before I was born… but she had forgotten how bad the traffic really was; and recognized how much worse it had gotten.

As we got out of the car at the Pier after we sat through another episode of being bumper to bumper, she said,

“You know what it is? Is that here in L.A. I feel like I have no control, in the car I don’t have any control… when I’m in New York, if there’s traffic, I can just get out of the car and start walking. I can’t do that here, I need the car.”

It’s true.

Whether you’re a tourist or a native in L.A. – you can bet (honestly, your life) that you’ll be spending a great deal of time playing the license plate game on the highway.

2. There’s Too much of L.A. That’s considered L.A.

Burbank, Thousand Oaks, Long Beach, Pasedena, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica… and that’s just the beginning of the long list of cities that are considered L.A.; even when they can be up to a two-hour drive away from Hollywood or downtown Los Angeles. Which brings me to…

3. It Doesn’t Have a Proper Downtown

When I think of the downtown area of a city: I think where many of the office buildings are, where there’s some liveliness, where there’s some historic significance… it’s often “the heart” of a city.

But that’s not the case with L.A.

Downtown L.A. is underwhelming in comparison to Hollywood; it’s predominantly office buildings.

4. It’s Not the Prettiest Place Around

L.A. is evidently full of smog. I mean, they’re sitting in the traffic all day… it has to come from somewhere.

Now, there’s no denying that their beaches can be pretty… but Hollywood? Downtown?

There are cities that are much more visually enticing and captivating than Los Angeles.

5. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is Smaller than You Think

When I first went to the walk of fame, I was expecting a big street with stars imprinted on the pavement large enough to fill the personalities of the people who got other people to put them there…

… but it was not what I expected.

A sixteen-year-old Stephanie spotting some of her favorite musicians on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; June 2015

It’s a very touristy area. The stars are numerous, but small – it’s the width and length of an ordinary sidewalk, and there are stars on both sides of the street.

An alternative to the walk of fame for when you need a break from the crowds (which will happen), is to go inside the Dolby Theater.

I know what you’re thinking…

Stephanie, why would I want to do that?

Well, ever heard of American Idol?

This is one of the many theaters in Los Angeles that they film at.

Standing where many Idol contestants have stood before at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles; June 2015

It’s pretty cool to be able to say you’ve stood in the same vicinity where Ryan Seacrest has, too.

6. You Can’t Even See the Hollywood Sign Anymore!

Did you know that you can’t get an up close and personal shot with the infamous letters on the hill, anymore?

The closest we were able to get to the Hollywood Sign.

It really bummed me out that I couldn’t get a good picture.

7. Santa Monica Pier is Beautiful…

It’s a carnival on a beach. Pretty sweet, right?

My mom and I at Santa Monica Pier; June 2015

But there are a few setbacks. For starters, the parking is a…

… I’ll let you fill in the blank, there.

Also, it gets so packed with families with small children that it becomes hard to take a stroll on the boardwalk without frantically looking behind you to see if you’ve lost anyone in your group.

I was sixteen turning seventeen when I was last there… and I could not imagine going back as a twenty-one-year-old.

The rides and games aren’t enticing enough for someone who has outgrown the thrill of ice cream and bumper cars. There is a Ferris wheel, and there are some rollercoasters…

… but at the end of the day, from my perspective, it’s very family oriented – and there’s a chance you’re going to get bored after a couple of hours.

8. There isn’t that Much to Do

I mean, besides strolling the Hollywood Walk of Fame, spending a few hours at Santa Monica Pier, and taking a peak at Rodeo Drive to see where Jennifer Anniston is buying her shoes for the Oscar’s… L.A. doesn’t have that many tourist attractions.

Rolling by Rodeo Drive in the car; June 2015

You have to make activities in order to keep yourself occupied; like booking a ticket to the Ellen Show or scoping out all of the beaches.

That all being said, there are some valid reasons why people like L.A. so much and I can see it. The weather really is perfect all of the time, people are prone to be more relaxed, and the nightlife is there…

My mom and I with the beach behind us at Santa Monica Pier; June 2015

… but you’re not going to see massive movie productions in the middle of the street. You’re not going to see famous actors walking the streets of Hollywood. L.A.

You’re going to sit in a car, see some palm trees, sit in a car, walk down the Hollywood walk of fame, envy the actors who can afford to shop on Rodeo drive, sit in a car, squint in attempts to see the Hollywood sign from afar, sit in a car…

… did I mention you’re going to sit in a car?

If you’re looking for other things to do in the U.S., click here.