They are smiling for the photo, but they may not be impressed.
European tourists often arrive in the United States with a set of expectations shaped by movies and television. When they are confronted with the reality of American urban life, particularly its vast scale and reliance on the automobile, the experience can be a source of bewilderment and private mockery. While they appreciate the grandeur of the national parks and the energy of a few key cities, others are seen as culturally baffling.
These are the American cities where the urban planning, culture, and lifestyle are often the most alien to a European sensibility, leading to some good-natured (and not-so-good-natured) jokes.
1. Las Vegas, Nevada is seen as the pinnacle of tackiness.
To many Europeans, Las Vegas is a deeply confusing and hilarious place. The entire city is a caricature, a collection of cheap replicas of their own famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the canals of Venice, but surrounded by slot machines and endless buffets. It is seen as the epitome of American excess and a complete lack of genuine culture or history.
The idea of spending a vacation entirely indoors, in air-conditioned casinos, is baffling to a culture that values walkable historic cities. They often mock it as a “theme park for adults” with questionable taste, a place to be seen for the spectacle but not to be taken seriously.
2. Los Angeles, California is a traffic jam pretending to be a city.
The first thing that shocks Europeans about Los Angeles is that it doesn’t seem to be a city at all in their understanding of the term. It lacks a single, central, walkable core. Instead, it is a sprawling, endless collection of suburbs and strip malls connected by a notoriously gridlocked system of freeways. The complete and total reliance on a car is a source of constant mockery.
To a European accustomed to world-class public transportation, the idea of needing to drive for an hour to get a coffee in a different neighborhood seems like a failure of civilization. They see the city’s obsession with celebrity and its often-superficial culture as exhausting.
3. Orlando, Florida is just for children.
While Europeans appreciate a good theme park, the idea of an entire city’s identity and economy being based on them is often seen as deeply strange. Orlando is viewed not as a real city, but as a sprawling, characterless landscape of theme parks, chain restaurants, and outlet malls, all surrounded by endless housing developments. It is a place you take your children to, not a place for serious adult travel.
The lack of public space, historic architecture, or any sense of organic urban life is what they often mock. It represents an artificial, highly commercialized version of fun that feels very different from the European model of culture and leisure.
4. Houston, Texas is an endless expanse of highways.
Houston is often the prime example Europeans use when mocking American urban planning, or the lack thereof. The city’s famous lack of zoning laws has resulted in a chaotic and seemingly endless sprawl of highways, office parks, and residential areas with no discernible center. The reliance on the car is absolute, and the humidity in the summer is legendary.
To a visitor from a compact, historic European city, Houston can feel like a bizarre and somewhat dystopian vision of the future. The sheer scale of the freeways and the lack of pedestrian-friendly spaces are often a source of both awe and ridicule.
5. Phoenix, Arizona is seen as an unsustainable desert experiment.
The existence of a massive, sprawling city in the middle of one of the hottest and driest parts of the Sonoran Desert is a concept that many Europeans find deeply baffling. They often mock Phoenix as an absurd and unsustainable feat of engineering, a place that requires a colossal amount of air conditioning just to be habitable for half the year.
The city’s car-dependent, suburban layout and perceived lack of a vibrant, central core are also common targets of criticism. It is often seen as a place that has defied nature, but not necessarily in a good way, raising questions about its long-term viability in a changing climate.
6. Atlanta, Georgia is mocked for its infamous traffic.
While many American cities have bad traffic, Atlanta’s is legendary, and it’s a key part of how the city is perceived by outsiders. For Europeans, the city’s design, which often requires driving on a massive, multi-lane freeway just to get from one neighborhood to another, is a source of mockery. They are baffled by a city that seems so difficult to navigate without a car.
The term “sprawl” is often used to describe Atlanta, a place where the downtown core feels disconnected from the vast suburbs that surround it. The lack of a cohesive, walkable urban fabric is a common complaint from visitors accustomed to a different style of city.
7. Dallas, Texas is seen as a caricature of Texas itself.
To many Europeans, Dallas embodies all the American stereotypes they’ve seen in movies: big cars, big highways, big shopping malls, and a culture that seems to revolve around consumerism and football. The city’s modern, corporate downtown and its sprawling, affluent suburbs can feel like they lack the kind of history and character found in European cities.
It is often seen as a clean, efficient, and somewhat sterile place that is great for business but less interesting for a cultural vacation. The perceived lack of “soul” and the embrace of a larger-than-life Texas persona can be a source of gentle mockery.
8. Miami, Florida is viewed as beautiful but superficial.
Miami’s beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife are a major draw for tourists from all over the world. However, for many Europeans, the city’s culture can come across as incredibly superficial. The perceived obsession with wealth, physical appearance, and partying can be a bit much for those from more reserved cultures.
The city’s flashy style, from the expensive cars cruising down Ocean Drive to the see-and-be-seen culture at its beach clubs and restaurants, is often mocked as being all style and no substance. They enjoy the beauty but often leave with the impression that the city lacks a deeper cultural layer.
9. Detroit, Michigan’s decay is a shocking sight.
While Detroit is in the midst of a fascinating and inspiring revitalization, the sheer scale of the urban decay that is still visible can be a profound shock to European visitors. In Europe, even poorer cities are typically well-maintained and dense. The sight of entire neighborhoods with abandoned homes and empty, decaying factories is something they have never encountered before.
This visual evidence of a great city’s decline is often what they talk about most after a visit. While they may admire the city’s resilience and its incredible musical history, the “ruin porn” aspect of a visit to Detroit can be a jarring and mock-worthy spectacle for them.
10. Washington, D.C. can feel sterile and formal.
The national monuments of Washington, D.C. are undeniably impressive, and Europeans appreciate the history and grandeur of the National Mall. However, the city itself can often feel sterile and overly formal to them. Outside of a few specific neighborhoods, much of the city’s core is dominated by massive, imposing government buildings and can feel empty after 5 p.m.
Compared to a European capital like London or Rome, which are chaotic, 24/7 living cities, D.C. can feel like a beautiful but somewhat soulless monument to government. The strict building height limits and the formal, planned nature of the city can make it feel less organic and vibrant.