The Resume

(circa 979- )
Capital and largest city of Belgium
Population: 1,080,790 (city); 1.8 million (metro area)
Headquarters for the European Union and NATO

Why Brussels, Belgium might be annoying:

Its most famous landmark, Mannekin Pis, is a statue of a child taking a leak.
It is the namesake for icky Brussel sprouts.
A third of the city was destroyed when it was shelled by the forces of King Louis XIV (1695).
It was the site of one of the worst soccer riots, when a wall collapsed at Heysel Stadium, killing 39 people (May 29, 1985).
The French-speaking population of Brussels spilling out into surrounding Flemish-speaking communities has been causing tension between the two linguistic groups.

Why Brussels, Belgium might not be annoying:

The revolution that established Belgian independence started outside the Brussels opera house (August 25, 1830).
It hosted the first major post-WWII world's fair, Expo '58.
It provided a home for numerous political refugees over the years, including Victor Hugo and Karl Marx.
It is home to over 80 museums, ranging from the Rene Magritte Museum to the Belgian Comics Museum.
It is known for its chocolate and its beer.
Its per capita gross domestic product is twice that of the rest of Belgium.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Alpha Cities
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 29]
• Cities
• Cities in Europe
• Eurovision Song Contest Host Cities (Ranked: 1987)
• Mercer’s Quality of Living [2017] (Ranked: 27)
• Mercer's Most Expensive Cities to Live in [March 2007] (Ranked: 44)
• Mercer's Most Expensive Cities to Live in [March 2008] (Ranked: 39)
• Mercer's Quality of Living [2016] (Ranked: 21)
• Profiles 29251-29500 (Ranked: 29258)
• World Capital Cities
• World's Fair Host Cities (Ranked: 1897)
• World's Fair Host Cities (Ranked: 1910)
• World's Fair Host Cities (Ranked: 1935)
• World's Fair Host Cities (Ranked: 1958)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 14 Votes: 35.71% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 31 Votes: 41.94% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 21 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 75 Votes: 52.00% Annoying