Yeah, and even if they're not conventionally attractive, neighbourhoods like these (or say, Kensington Market in Toronto, or most of Tokyo, etc) are certainly nothing if not visually stimulating. It's what I might call "ugly beautiful" - beneath the tawdry appearance, there's still plenty of visual interest, things to look at, and a clearly defined aesthetic.
That said, if
this is what qualifies as ugly, I'd hate to think what that makes the other 99% of stuff in our cities:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ffwoodycooks/48102404178/