#1!
A Condé Nast poll has uncovered what it claims to be the world's least
friendly cities, and five US destinations have made the top ten.
10. Tangier, Morocco
At number 10 was Tangier. Described by Samuel Pepys as "no better than a
brothel" and known as a den of excess until relatively recently, it has
now improved. "It is an enjoyable antidote to chilly northern winters,
the sights are worth seeing, the food is excellent and the shopping
possibilities are endless," said Anthony
Jeffries in 2008.
9. Atlantic City, US
The Las Vegas of the East Coast received a better write-up from Sonia
Juttla, writing for The Telegraph's Stella magazine, than it did from
Condé Nast readers. She recommended securing digs at The Chelsea ("where
young, hip New Yorkers stay"), dinner at Wolfgang's Puck's restaurant
at the Borgata casino, and drinks in the "chintzy but fabulous"
Irish Pub.
8. Detroit, US
Crime is a problem here - in 2012 the city was named the second most dangerous
in the US, in terms of law breaking, ahead of Oakland, California, and
behind only Flint, Michigan. Its airport was named America's most depressing
back in 2007.
7. New Haven, US
Another US destination. Red Ed Ken
Livingstone, the politician, had his worst ever holiday there:
"It was 1978, the start of the cheaper-flight boom, and my first wife and
I decided to do an exchange trip with a teacher in Newhaven, Connecticut, as
we couldn’t afford a hotel. I’d been married for about six years and the
fatal mistake I made was to take my mother. It soon became apparent that my
wife and my mother couldn’t stand the sight of each other and it turned into
three weeks from hell.
Also on that trip, I got out of my depth in a muddy stream. I sank under
the water and couldn’t pull myself up to the surface. I must have been
submerged for about a minute, and just as my lungs were about to burst I
managed to break the surface. I was absolutely terrified and remember
thinking, 'What an idiot. I’m going to die in a stream.' It put me off
swimming for a while."
6. Lome, Togo
"I went to the fetish market and bought a voodoo charm," he wrote. "The
transaction was completed in a small dark shed, accompanied by a convoluted,
bell-ringing, cash-extracting ritual performed by a 'doctor' with a coconut
shell. At the end of it I was the owner of a primitive little clay head with
a fetching lock of blonde cow hair sprouting from its scalp. It represents
the spirit Legba, and is supposed to protect a house against 'the thiefman',
but only if it is supplied with one cigarette a year or a drop or two of
alcohol.
"The fetish market is not there for souvenir collectors. It is a gruesome
pharmacy for traditional medicine. The whole open-air compound is a
scrapyard of animal parts, permeated by the faint smell of dead wildlife."
5. Kuwait City, Kuwait
Kuwait City was named the fifth least friendly city. The lack of booze may
have something to do with it. Alcohol
is only available at certain foreign embassies, and is not for general
purchase.
4. Luanda, Angola
The Angolan capital is often named
the most expensive city in the world. A 27-year civil war destroyed much
of its basic infrastructure, meaning that up to 90 per cent of its food is
imported, along with cars and other manufactured goods. That means visitors
must pay up to £12 for a fast food meal, £2.46 for a litre of milk, £7.99
for a trip to the cinema and £4.99 for 100g of spaghetti. The most basic of
hotels can cost around £250 a night and a 20-minute taxi journey can come in
at £30.
The Foreign Office adds: "There is a high level of crime in Luanda. Don’t
walk around the city after dark."
3. Oakland, US
The Californian city of Oakland was judged by readers to be dirty and
unfriendly, while some suggested parts of it were unsafe.
2. Islamabad, Pakistan
The Pakistani city of Islamabad was deemed even more unwelcoming. The purpose
built capital is one of the most urbanised places in the country, lending it
modernity, but, it would seem, very little charm.
1. Newark, US
The least welcoming city on earth, apparently. Readers suggested they would
only go there to use the airport, even though - in 2007 - that was voted
among the five most depressing in the US. A quick search of our archives
would suggest that Telegraph Travel has not once written about the city as a
tourist destination, but has written frequently about delays and
cancellations at said airport.
Cory! Cory! Cory!
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