1. Times Square, NYC
The saying goes that you haven’t been to New York City unless you’ve visited Times Square, which definitely explains the massive tourist influx. It is estimated that 50,000 people visit Times Square on a daily basis, totaling in a whapping 26 million visitors per year.
Needless to say, this location is nearly always packed with tourists. And while thousands of tourists admire and take pictures of the ever-changing barrage of advertisements and flashing screens each day, locals tend to avoid both the enormous crowds and the abundance of ads altogether.
2. Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA
The so-called "crooked street" in San Francisco is one of its kind, as it consists of several zigzag-like turns, paved with colorful flower beds. The beautiful view is so popular among tourists that it renders the street clogged up with traffic year round, with some tourists being so abrupt that they stop their cars right in the middle of the street just to take the perfect picture.
Several official complaints have been filed by the locals in hopes to fix the situation with the traffic, with some inhabitants suggesting a paid entrance to the street.
3. Cloud Gate, Chicago, IL
“The Bean”, as it is called affectionately, may not spark so much affection among the locals as one would hope. The problem is the central location of the sculpture that attracts countless tourists: it’s right in the middle of Millennial Park, a central hub that joins several strategic locations.
While the visitors feel obliged to take a selfie near the Cloud Gate, locals find it difficult to reach their work.
4. Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA
The famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans is a tourist mecca, where shops, bars and restaurants stand side by side, offering seemingly limitless entertainment.
However, the night life in this area of the city is occupied almost exclusively by tourists, as locals usually relax elsewhere and refuse to set foot in the touristy location, calling Bourbon Street dirty and heavily laden by trash. Whether it is true or not, it remains a fact that New Orleans has more to offer than only one street.
5. Grand Central Terminal, NYC
Grand Central Terminal is a historical landmark and a perfect example of early 20th century American architecture. It is also a major transport hub and a great location for shopping and going out, so it was practically meant to become tourist central, with thousands of visitors hanging out and taking pictures in the area at all times.
Unfortunately, nearly 250,000 New Yorkers and people who work in the city rely on this station to commute on a daily basis, and the indecisive wondering tourist is bound to be irritating to the always busy local.
6. The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, CA
Around 10 million tourists visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame every year, that is almost as much as the entire population of Greece! Needless to say, this creates quite a lot of crowds, especially since the famous street is ever-expanding.
While many tourists lovingly stare at each individual star on the famous walking street, the population of Los Angeles is not so happy with all the people traffic.
7. The Historic District, Savannah, GA
Savannah has experienced a quite sudden influx of visitors lately, and the city didn’t have quite enough time to accommodate to the ever-growing amount of tourists. The historic district of the city that contains the First African Baptist Church, as well as the Old Harbor Light is especially crowded.
Whether or not the tourist district will be redeveloped in the next few years to cater towards tourists is still under question, but more and more locals complain about visitors invading their usually quiet neighborhoods.
8. Mount Rushmore, Keystone, SD
The very construction of Mount Rushmore raised a controversy among the local population. The Lakota Sioux Native American tribe opposed both the creation of the monument and clearing out significant amounts of forest to provide access to the landmark.
Despite the protest, the monument was completed in 1941 and today 2.5 million tourists visit the location every year, which helps the economy of the tiny population in the nearest city of Keystone, South Dakota, quite a lot.
9. Disney World, Orlando, FL
The local population of the city of Orlando rarely visit the famous theme park, as the location is too crowded and too expensive, with very few locals having the opportunity to get discounted passes or other fare reductions to Disney World.
10. The Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, NV
People travel to Las Vegas to gamble and to party, and the never-ending shows, performances and vibrant nightlife at the Las Vegas Strip are all very conducive to that endeavor.
Unfortunately, the image of the city of glamorous parties and 24-hour long entertainment is difficult to swallow for the locals, who just want to live in their home city. This is why many inhabitants don’t even consider the Strip to be part of the city.
11. Brooklyn Bridge, NYC
The last on our list of destinations is the Brooklyn Bridge. New Yorkers try to avoid it at all costs because it can take as long as an hour and a half to cross it on foot. About 10,000 pedestrians and 5,000 cyclists are estimated to cross the bridge from the Manhattan to the Brooklyn city daily.
Certainly, it is an excellent chance for tourists to get a perfect view of the city, but also a great chance to waste a lot of time for a busy local.
