While most will agree that categorizations such as “boring” or “interesting” depend as much on the person making them as the destination, a reputation of being unsafe is particularly hard for a city to shake off.
That inner voice saying, “What if all those people are right and something happens?” may be ingrained in us by evolution to ensure survival but, in many cases, leads to generalizations that snowball based on half-truths and a broken telephone. As a travel writer, I thought I’d reflect on some destinations that I found to not live up to their bad reputations; these cities surprised me in the most positive way.
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Marseille, France:
This beach club in Marseille, France does not look at all unsafe.
Veronika Bondarenko
Whenever I told people in my life I would be traveling to Marseille this summer, the overwhelming response was, “Be very careful.” Friends reminded me that I am a woman (I know!). French people who had been there told me to never let a bag out of my sight, while an Uber driver taking me to the train station asked why I didn’t just want to go to a nearby resort town called Cassis.
The city’s reputation was not helped by a recent ranking identifying it as the “most dangerous city in Europe” due to a spike in shootings and gang violence in its underprivileged suburbs, but none of this will in any way affect or be noticed by someone visiting the places tourists come to see.
Particularly at dawn and sunset, the Old Port becomes bathed in the most beautiful golden light shining onto rows and rows of yachts. Beaches like the Plage des Catalans are lively at all times of day and night while the ferry to the stretch of rocky coves known as the Calanques and the Vallon des Auffes fishing village truly made me feel like I was living my best life.
There are plenty of cuisines not as common in my home base in New York City — I particularly enjoyed trying Tunisian and Senagalese food in the bohemian Panier and Noailles neighborhoods. While the dangers (there’s no denying that you will encounter some while traveling) were no different from what I found in Paris or, for that matter, New York or any other large city: Watch your bag and be aware of your surroundings.
Veronika Bondarenko visiting Chicago in August 2023.
Veronika Bondarenko
Chicago, United States:
While Chicago is nowhere near the Mediterranean Sea, it suffers from many of the same reputational problems as Marseille. Former President Donald Trump once called it “embarrassing to the nation” while the “What about Chicago?” argument is what right-wing commentators often throw at anyone arguing for policies that help poor people.
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There is no denying that the city has problems, the reasons behind which we can spend a lot of time debating but, again, poor neighborhoods on the stretches will in no way prevent you from enjoying an extremely safe downtown core full of things that those who love urban life can enjoy.
Art Deco and other mid-century architecture, city beaches on Lake Michigan, a cuisine defined by immigrant groups specific to the city (this was where I discovered what a Jibarito was, while my Ukrainian grandmothers would balk at perogies being sold per piece at $0.75 each), an iconic music scene in the evenings and the wonder that is the Art Gallery — American Gothic’ and the Chagall windows are my personal favorites.
While my first visit to the city in 2007 with my family as a teenager was marred by the overwhelming July heat (come in the spring or fall for the best experience), I was able to develop a deep interest in it as an adult — I went twice last year for no real reason other than wanting to experience Chicago.
Veronika Bondarenko poses for a photo on a fall visit to Philadelphia.
Veronika Bondarenko
Philadelphia, United States:
On top of similar reputational problems exacerbated by high homelessness numbers, Philadelphia is often not seen as particularly exciting to New Yorkers and most who grew up in the Northeast of the U.S. And for tourists on a schedule, it is often eclipsed by NYC and Boston.
But as someone who grew up on the West Coast of Canada, I immediately liked the American history that seems to run through every street here as well as the mix of working class and fancy vibes. It’s an obvious place for the sports fan, but I prefer sitting on benches at Rittenhouse Park (people-watching there always inspires me to write) or a bike ride through Boathouse Row.
I have a number of friends who ended up there over the years and have been more than 20 times since I moved to New York for graduate school in 2015.
It has become the not-too-far place for me to come to for the vibe shift that travel lovers periodically need. Oh, and so much delicious food! No less diverse but much more concentrated — so many restaurant gems in a small downtown — than NYC. You also cannot not love a city that put Trump’s 2020 quote about how “bad things happen in Philadelphia” on t-shirts that tourists snap up alongside magnets and postcards. Bad things may happen here but many more good things do.
Veronika Bondarenko captured this view of the Southbank promenade along the Yarra River in Melbourne.
Veronika Bondarenko
Melbourne, Australia:
Melbourne isn’t necessarily “maligned” in the way of the other cities on this list — it is regularly ranked as one of the safest in the world — but is regularly missed by visitors to Australia who spend almost all of their time in Sydney.
The fact that very few North Americans make it there is not surprising given the fact that Australia is a 14-hour flight away from the West Coast and that Sydney has more than enough to do to fill more time than most can take off for travels.
But as the sixth-largest country in the world, Australia has endless options for travelers who have already crossed-off the most popular places. Similar limitations around time and money have prevented me from going as far as Uluru, Coral Reef or any of the other natural wonders that Australia is known for, but I have been to Melbourne twice and immediately understood why many locals feel bitterness over the attention that Sydney gets internationally.
The presence of cobblestone streets, art (including great street art) culture, bad weather and coffee shops often lead to it getting called the “most European” city in Australia, but it’s clearly a place that should not be compared to anything else to be recognized for how cool it is.
On my first visit, I felt ambitious and walked nine miles from the downtown Flinders station to the colorful beach houses of Brighton Beach, while on my second visit I took more time to explore all that the city has to offer: stuffing myself on dim sum in Chinatown for lunch and souvlaki with craft cocktails for dinner, wandering through the Royal Botanical Gardens and riding the famed green tram to the equally beloved sea baths in St. Kilda.
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