Lowe's first big stores looked "pitiful, " with narrow aisles and dark floors, says Bridgeford.

FORBES: Merchant Princes

Although the market is not as odoriferous as you might think, you still do not want to wear your nicest clothing (and especially not your best shoes), and watch out for the electric carts zipping around the narrow aisles.

BBC: Tsukiji Market: Tokyo's famous seafood market

Funny how Yankee Stadium was generally thought to be a dump in the early 1990s, when owner George Steinbrenner, threatening a move to New Jersey, constantly whined about narrow aisles, leaky pipes, a shortage of luxury suites and limited parking.

FORBES: Magazine Article