Pittsburgh is no longer Hell with the lid off and hasn’t been for a looong time. Seriously, I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s and don’t remember it looking like the pictures of the Smoky City.
My cites? How about The Dark Knight Rises, Adventureland or Striking Distance? All filmed here, no smoggy skies. It’s actually a gorgeous place to live and has been voted one of the world’s most liveable cities more than once.
If you come to Charlotte, you WILL get carjacked.
However, it’s not a po-dunk redneck town full of sweaty Republicans. We have an amazing theater scene, opera, symphony, and art galleries and museums everywhere. It’s the opposite of a cultural wasteland.
And around this part of Indiana, most of the corn is popcorn.
Let’s see…
Gary Indiana is not entirely black people, it’s 15% non-black or 1 in 6 is some other ethnicity.
It is not certain death to go into Gary, although there are a few neighborhoods you probably want to avoid.
Even though I’m American I do not own a gun.
Even though I’m an American I am not a Christian, nor am I particularly religious.
I live in Tel Aviv, so you know, where to begin?
First of all, it’s a safe city; as safe as any major Western European city, and safer than most. There hasn’t been a major terrorist attack in years, and the last time a rocket killed anyone was in Gulf War 1. There also aren’t nearly as many guns on the street as you think, and most of those are held by soldiers - who are mostly waiting for a bus, not patrolling.
Conversely, most “Jewish” (actually American Jewish) stereotypes don’t really apply here, either. Nobody under the age of 70 speaks Yiddish, and bagels are hard to come by. The city is far more ethnically diverse than you imagine.
I lived in Flint Michigan, (on the notorious east side) for six years. Despite being perennially on the FBI’s top three “murder capitals” in the country, it’s not a scary place to live or visit. Unless you are epically careless, you won’t get shot at, carjacked, robbed or raped. Flint has an incredible year-round farmers market, a small but energetic arts and music scene, plenty of good restaurants, some beautiful old gracious neighborhoods and lots of lovely bike trails and parks and nature areas, mostly along the Flint River.
I no longer live in Flint, but it’s not as scary as most people assume.
When I lived in Denver, people who’d never been there assumed it was in the mountains and very cold and snowy. Actually metro Denver is as flat as a pancake and has almost 300 mostly clear or sunny days per year.
For real. If you’re one of those people who seriously and stubbornly say that you refuse to visit Australia because of the dangerous wildlife, then you are the silliest creature imaginable and ought to be mocked and ridiculed publicly, you utter, utter moron.
Montana (because outsiders know fuck-all about the different cities and regions of this gigantic state): Bears are rare. Wolves are rare, even with the re-introduction efforts. Most of the animals you see aren’t going to be very dangerous, especially if you aren’t out in the middle of nowhere, and our big cities are just as urban as big cities everywhere else. We just have more land which isn’t in a city, that’s all. Parts of the state are desolate and extremely isolated, but only parts.
Speaking of, we do have more meth than some states, but you can still live here decades and never see it or anyone who is involved with it. Use the same common sense you’d use in any other region and you’ll be fine.
Yes, our winters are cold, but they don’t last all year, and our summers get plenty hot and dry, just like in any temperate climate.
New Mexico, mostly southern near Las Cruces and near Alamogordo: Yes, it’s part of America. No, really, it’s been a state since 1912, and your Monty Burns impression sucks. Most people speak at least some English; even the little hole-in-the-wall taquería will have a daughter or someone who can deal with the anglos.
Yes, hot desert is hot in the summer. And dry. And very often empty. Act like a sane human being and stay hydrated and you’ll be fine. Scorpions rarely invade footwear in my experience, and snakes are, if anything, even more reluctant to get close to human habitation.
The cartels exist, sure, but they’re not looking for trouble. It isn’t profitable to just kill random morons. Again, use some sense and you’ll be fine.
And don’t antagonize the people at the checkpoints. I know you’re not even crossing a border, but you’re close to one, and they still have a job to do.
Kansas is not all flat and boring - just the western 2/3 (and extending into the eastern 1/3 of Colorado, which is not all beautiful mountain scenery). Eastern Kansas is actually quite hilly in places. Check out the Flint Hills this time of year, they’re gorgeous!
Politically though? Yeah, it’s a wasteland.
What about if I refuse to visit Australia because of all the giant spiders?
It depends. Is this your position? Let me know so I know if I need to use small words in my answer.
I’ve lived in Ohio my whole life.
When traveling and people ask where I’m from, it always goes like this:
Them: “So, where are you from?”
Me: “Ohio.”
Them: “Oh. My brother-in-law’s sister is from Ohio. and I once stopped by there on my way to NJ.”
End of conversation. :rolleyes:
Of course, this is what they’re thinking:
Them: “Ohio? Why the *hell *do you live in Ohio? How *fucking *boring. What’s there to do in Ohio??”
But it’s not boring. Living in the Midwest is awesome. Lots of land, no traffic, plenty of jobs, homes are cheap, crime is low, four beautiful seasons, lots of ground water, universities, quaint towns, festivals, nature, woods, streams, etc. etc. etc.
USA (in general): You are not going to die by random gunfire.
This subject comes up from time to time on Walt Disney World message boards that I frequent; seems a lot of Europeans think that living in the USA is basically a never-ending exercise in dodging gunfire. Some have even said that they won’t visit the USA unless and until our gun laws are tightened up.
Most of my family lives in Europe and being a liberal lot, they think that the US is gun-crazy.
I’ve lived here for 35 years, and don’t think I know anybody who has either been shot, or shot at anyone else. Although now that I’m in Michigan, I know lots of people who own firearms, but primarily for hunting, which is a big thing here.
Portlandia is not a documentary. Portland is not full of kooky hippies!
Oh wait, yes it is and yes it is. Nevermind.
I live in San Antonio, TX, home of the Alamo.
Because of the movies, many think the area looks like this. Dry, dusty, little water, tumbleweeds everywhere.
Actually, it looks like this. Lots of trees, bushes, and humidity (but nothing like Georgia humidity.)
In Elbonia is not mud up to waist. Ankles only.
Living in South Florida, I wish I could debunk your fears and rumors. But they’re pretty much true.
The Keys are crazy. North Florida and South Florida are fundamentally different places.
There are large parts of South Florida where Spanish is more dominant than English. True story: I once had trouble ordering a pizza at a Pizza Hut in a Spanish part of town, because they “couldn’t” understand my order of “Pepperoni Pizza”.
We occasionally have cities destroyed by hurricanes. But it’s been a while.
Santorum said a while ago that in the Netherlands we murder all our lovely old ladies and call it euthanasia. He said old people here have bracelets asking not to be euthanised. If anybody still believes that and is hesitant to visit because of a grey hair or two: don’t worry. It is not true. Phew. 
My other country, the UK: the food is fine. Good even. Stop being an arse about the food.
What years were these? Orange County has gone pretty large demographic and cultural shifts in the last few decades.
Maybe people should ask about stuff to be debunked?
California:
New York:
Florida:
Seattle:
