Places that make you feel uncomfortable.

[SingingKettles]

And those that make you feel very comfortable, too!
I mean in the UK, or could possibly be outside it too.
I don't mean tourism exactly, just places where you felt uncomfortable or were eager to return home from. It doesn't have to be a bad area, it could easily be somewhere known to be beautiful and thriving.

For me it was Hebden Bridge, a sort of looming gloominess I couldn't shake off. I know people who live there so visit a few times per year, and that sensation never changes. It isn't easy to explain.

As much as I adore Shrewsbury (it has a cat cafe, so it's a winner!) I have felt a bit off there, too. A sense of manic energy, insanely loud traffic in the town centre, I found that I couldn't seem to rest, even in the suburbs.. A shame because I loved so much about it and it is a very friendly place with gorgeous buildings.

Liverpool didn't work for me either. I find the local people to be so helpful and lovely, but something about the Mersey and especially the docks made me feel unutterably depressed (yes, I know it's history, but it wasn't simply that).

Ambleside made me on edge also, and unlike the rest of the areas amongst the fells I felt drained there. It didn't help having single file sized pavements so everything felt slightly dangerous and overwhelmed.

Now for my favourites:

I do love Ludlow though, I felt so calm and at peace there. The light was mellow and soft. There wasn't all that much to do, apart from the good grub and castle, but I could live in an attic there and paint all day forever. If only..

I also loved Edale in the Peak District. A very tiny village with one shop if I recall and a great pub called the Nag's Head. I used to feel as if my heart was being torn out when I had to go home. I felt as if the landscape there had it's arms around me, softly.

I was happy in Penrith, although this was 10 yrs ago so it may have changed somewhat since. I hadn't wanted to go as it looked miserable and grey but I felt so at home there.

I also adore just throwing myself into the heart of London. I always come alive there. Not sure I'd move in, even if I could afford it (!) but yeh.

Haven't found any where I hate, but I love really wild places, Shetland my most 'yes I'm home place', I don't live or come from there but going there it just feels so 'home' bizarre really.

It's funny, isn't it? Sometimes a place just clicks and it's hard to explain why.

Great Yarmouth - gave me the absolute horrors, I couldn’t wait to leave. It made me feel really anxious and nervous. We had planned to stop and get some lunch on our way home from a holiday but had to leave.

Depressing and made me feel uncomfortable:

Oban
Hay on Wye
Helensburgh
Morecambe
Bridlington

Comforting and make me feel calm:

Haworth
Mevagissey
Delamere Forest
Swallow Falls - betws y coed
Tenby

Yep... Harry Tuffins, where the sun don't shine. As someone who grew up in the area, I fully get what you mean. I moved away a long time ago, and whenever I go back and pop in to Tuffins it's like time has stood still and I see the same people I saw a decade ago. I also have a loyalty card for Tuffins. The most pointless card in my wallet.

Anywhere with people - well, strangers - around, so most towns and cities. I live on the edge of a village and hate the nearest towns and the nearest city (which several others on this thread seem to love). The further I am from people the more relaxed I feel.

Stevenage, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Leicester, Croydon (and all of London, really), Brighton and Portsmouth all have weird vibes.

I love Aberdeen, too! My sister moved there from Wales. Lovely city!

I went to uni in Aberdeen as it's my nearest city and my daughter lives near there. I like it but OH who's from elsewhere hates it and calls it a shithole. It's a shame to see the demise of Union Street as it used to be great in the 80s

What? No way. I was born and grew up there. It's a great city! I think you need to blame the weather for this one. Honestly, I've never felt like that once in my 40 years. Quite then opposite, I've moved from there, but when I get off the train, I feel like I'm home! Go back on a sunny day!

I agree that Brighton’s awful. There are so many nicer seaside places to visit.

Weirdest place I’ve ever been is Townsville Australia. It’s completely deserted, like 28 days later deserted. Despite there being hundreds of cars parked in the car parks and road sides. It made me really uneasy. Such an odd place.

UK wise Swansea was a place I couldn’t wait to leave and stone in Staffordshire had an unpleasant feel and the locals were unwelcoming.

Valle de los Caidos, near Madrid. Not surprising, given the history. And I'm not a woo person at all, I didn't feel any 'presence' there or anything, the place is majestic, imposing and sort of even beautiful, but it gives me the absolute creeps/dread. Even the photos of the place freak me out.

Also Chronicle of Georgia monument near Tbilisi. It's just...too much. Oppressive.

Places I love - lots. In UK: Aberystwyth, probably my favorite in the whole country. Lived there for 5 years and loved it. I just feel so happy there. Also love Bristol, my kind of vibe.

If elsewhere, my favorite city is Barcelona. I'll live there one day. Absolute love and happiness. The city is just gorgeous, atmosphere - fantastic and it has everything. Culture, nature, lovely people, great food, everything.

Not keen on Oxford. There was a very off vibe about the place and I feel absolutely no urge to go again. Nowhere else has felt so weird.

Dundee very recently (like last week 😂)tied with North Berwick as the best place to live in Britain!

Yes, I stayed in Swaffham once and it felt like the world had bypassed it, forlorn and lacking any life.

Canterbury was awful, the locals were suspicious and unfriendly.

Cockermouth was full of downright hostile locals, we were refused a table in a restaurant and pointed and shouted at in the the street. We’re a standard, nondescript, friendly family, never known anything like it.

Agree that Canterbury is bizarre… feels weird and I just don’t “get” it

Feel most alive and happy in Paris and London (and somehow find myself in neither)

I haven't minded Brighton previously - not my favourite place, but pleasant enough - but went back this year and it was noticably grottier. And I don't think I've seen that many smokers since the 1980s. Still some great food places, but the rest has seriously deteriorated.

Sackville, Nova Scotia, gave me an instant 'I could happily live here' feeling. Which was unexpected, give it was -15°C.

Blackpool. I absolutely hate Blackpool. Every time I've been there I've had an inexplicable reaction to the place.

@HeartandSeoul Well done! I couldn't find any of them! See, I said someone better would come along...!

Bridlington, Driffield, anywhere on that stretch of East Yorkshire really. I'm a West Yorkshire lass, but just found it bleak, depressing, unfriendly and shite. Also stupidly expensive for what it was at the beach especially.

Also Yeovil in Somerset and Cherry Hinton near Cambridge.

North Wales (Sorry!)
The gloominess, depression and a sense of something "not right" was palpable!
(I don't have issues with mental health, for what I know).
Machynlleth and around the Brigands' Inn!
Although very picturesque....
🧐

Within UK
I hated:
North Wales
Oban (slight detail but always get accused of stealing things which happens literally nowhere else)
Congleton
Dundee
London, sorry not sorry
Bournemouth
Bath
Bristol
Milton Keynes (fucking hell couldn't leave fast enough but was hindered by all the roundabouts)
York
Leeds

Liked:
Donegal
Edinburgh
Cornwall especially Padstow
Newcastle
Berwick
Glasgow

Edinburgh made me feel uneasy, no idea why, I just didn’t like the vibe

I hate Winchester, for such a supposedly nice city (and our old capital), it’s the dullest place I have ever been.

Also a lot of Cornwall. I hated Padstow, and I have travelled around Cornwall for a while, but it’s not for me. I don’t want to write off the whole county (I hate it when people hate London and they’ve only been to a few places - Angel, Brixton, Clarkenwell, Deptford, Ealing, Finsbury, Goldhawk Rd, etc all completely different!). I should probably try it again!

Edinburgh. Rude people and a bad atmosphere

Agree with this entirely!