Worst City

[longshot]

If I forgot one that's important, let me know.

For me, three days in Philadelphia was enough for this lifetime.

[Galleazzo]

None of the above. Elizabeth, NJ is hell on earth.

[ThisOtherKingdom]

Chicago isn't even on the list because it rules that much.

[Edaarin]

Atlanta. There was absolutely jack shit to do there.

DC comes in a close second for me, I hate the traffic, I hate feeling guilty going past all the homeless people, and I hate knowing that half the city lives in poverty.

[DianaBanana]

New York is definately NOT the worst city. Anyone who votes for NY will face my wrath! :rant:

Now go and vote for some other crappy city. I :heart: NYC.

LA is the shitstain on what we call earth.

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by longshot
If I forgot one that's important, let me know.



What you forgot important is that American cities are all awesome.

If you want me to take over this thread and talk about how horrible cities in korea, africa, europe and here in "wonderful" Middle East are, let me know

Please do TOJ, I need to figure out where I should *try* to get stationed.

[DeV]

Los Angeles= dirtiest city I've ever been to, therefore the worst for me.

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by The Edine
Please do TOJ, I need to figure out where I should *try* to get stationed.

Depends on what you want. You may want to look in getting whatever post is near the college or satelite office you want to take lunch and evening classes at.

My personal choice would be Alaska. Tons of intense outdoor activities to do there.

[Czeska]

Elizabeth, NJ does suck.

As far as the list goes, I'll vote for Detroit. Kevlar anyone?

[Makkah]

Forgot Memphis. Talk about a shithole


rht

[Skirmisher]

LA has so many problems....ugh.

Elizabeth NJ is puuuurty.

NYC is THE city. Many others are nice and interesting and all that, but NYC rules.

:loveu:

Originally posted by theotherjohn

Originally posted by The Edine
Please do TOJ, I need to figure out where I should *try* to get stationed.

Depends on what you want. You may want to look in getting whatever post is near the college or satelite office you want to take lunch and evening classes at.

My personal choice would be Alaska. Tons of intense outdoor activities to do there.
Aiming towards overseas

[pennywise]

Cant put Memphis on the list. Nice people, nice atmosphere, plenty of trees and parks, and a ton of stuff to do. Except for the heat and the suburban gangsters running around, its a great place to be.

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by The Edine
[Aiming towards overseas


Alaska is counted as an OCONUS (over seas) tour

[Weedmage Princess]

I voted for Craplanta. I've heard LA is pretty crappy too but I've never been out to the left coast so to be fair, I can't comment..not for another two years atleast.

*Edited to add heard into a sentence otherwise--it wouldn't have made sense!!!

And yeah, I can't believe anyone voted for NYC. The city is AWESOME. Maybe not a place you'd want to live for the rest of your life but you're pretty much guaranteed a good time whenever you're there. Unless you suck. :yes:

[Edited on 7-8-2004 by Weedmage Princess]

[DianaBanana]

I wasnt impressed by LA when I was there but I dont know if I would call it the worst. It certainly doesnt have the personality of some of the other cities on the list.

[Makkah]

<<Cant put Memphis on the list. Nice people, nice atmosphere, plenty of trees and parks, and a ton of stuff to do. Except for the heat and the suburban gangsters running around, its a great place to be.>>

Congratulations, you're a completely uneducated and uninformed idiot. In various studies, Memphis is in the top 5 of the crime rate rankings. Meaning it is "worse" than >80% of the cities you have listed. Of course, you've probably been to Cordova, Germantown, Graceland or a few other of the suburbs of Mempho, so you know that.

rht

[longshot]

Originally posted by theotherjohn


What you forgot important is that American cities are all awesome.

If you want me to take over this thread and talk about how horrible cities in korea, africa, europe and here in "wonderful" Middle East are, let me know

Well, I figured I was going to go with American cities as very few people here would have enough worldly exprience to have an opinion that holds any weight.

Yes, Detroit on Devils night is still better than Kabul any day of the week.

I think that's pretty obvoius.

Edine, I already told you, along with 9 million other reasons throughout my posts why going to Korea is possibly the worst decision you could make in your entire life.

Now, with that out of the way...

let us return to discussing the AMERICAN worst cities... as if it wasn't abundantly clear in the first place.

Yes I know longshot, im looking into other places to try to get stationed aside from korea

[longshot]

Originally posted by Makkah
<<Cant put Memphis on the list. Nice people, nice atmosphere, plenty of trees and parks, and a ton of stuff to do. Except for the heat and the suburban gangsters running around, its a great place to be.>>

Congratulations, you're a completely uneducated and uninformed idiot. In various studies, Memphis is in the top 5 of the crime rate rankings. Meaning it is "worse" than >80% of the cities you have listed. Of course, you've probably been to Cordova, Germantown, Graceland or a few other of the suburbs of Mempho, so you know that.

rht

First off, not reading the study that you did does not make someone uneducated.

Second, the study you are citing uses total crimes per capita. It makes no specific mention of violent crime.

While crime would be a factor in making a city terrible, it is not the only one...

Which is why I started the thread, to see what factors make people think places are bad. Not so you could call them retards because they didn't know some pissant fact that you happen to know.

[Sean]

Any city in Ohio.

[Makkah]

<<First off, not reading the study that you did does not make someone uneducated. >>

After I stated NUMEROUS studies, meaning that practically every study you see about ranking the nation's cities' crime rates lists Memphis, Tennessee in the top 5... I'd say that does constitute grounds for ignorance.

<<Second, the study you are citing uses total crimes per capita. It makes no specific mntion of violent crime.>>

It doesn't? Funny, all the ones I've seen base the numbers upon homicide, assault, rape, robbery, and auto-theft (which includes car jacking).

Those seem fairly violent.

rht

[DeV]

Originally posted by Makkah
It doesn't? Funny, all the ones I've seen base the numbers upon homicide, assault, rape, robbery, and auto-theft (which includes car jacking).

Those seem fairly violent.

rht In that case, Chicago should be on the list. High in crime in <certain> areas puts it in the top 5. However, its a fucking awesome city. The good points far outweigh the bad.

[Valthissa]

From my experience the worst American city changes over time. I have traveled extensively during two separate periods of my life. From 1979 to 1983 I spent a good deal of time playing bridge. This included traveling to every city on your list (plus a lot more). At that time it was very close race to the bottom between Detroit and Philly. They smelled bad, had a lot of traffic, and I never felt safe going out at night in either city.

While we were selling a lot of our divisions in the 2000 to 2003 timeframe, I traveled all over the U.S. and Canada. At that time I was amazed at dull and loud Atlanta had become. The growth of that city in 20 years just really transformed it into a pit, in my opinion. Detroit and Philly seemed to have improved over the same time period.

C/Valth

[Makkah]

<<In that case, Chicago should be on the list. High in crime in <certain> areas puts it in the top 5.>>

Funny you should mention that... Gary, Indiana is on quite few of the lists.

rht

[Latrinsorm]

Boston = suck
NY = 1337

[Weedmage Princess]

The only reason a person could say Boston sucks is if they've been here for the Big Dig (1996 or 97 - God only knows how much longer)

Or now with the friggin DNC coming to town where they're going to shut down the major roadway into the city..and North Station. Idiots.

Other than that though, Boston rocks. Latrinsorm probably doesn't think Shea Stadium is a giant toilet so you have to take his words with a grain of salt.

[Edited on 7-8-2004 by Weedmage Princess]

[Hulkein]

My vote was between Detroit and LA... I chose LA just because it has to cheat to get its high population, it has like three times the area of a lot of cities, and it's almost all residential sprawl.

Not to mention I just dislike the West Coast.

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Weedmage Princess
The only reason a person could say Boston sucks is if they've been here for the Big Dig (1996 or 97 - God only knows how much longer)Boston punched my mom in the eye. Ergo, Boston = suck.

Also, I'd be confused by anyone who doesn't take my words with a grain of salt as a general rule. That being said, the Fleet Center is 9000000 times the toilet Shea Stadium "is".

[Weedmage Princess]

Boston punched your mom in the eye? Do tell.

Boston, b/c baked beans are outta style.

Actually, to be honest, even tho I didn't click it, Detroit still takes the cake.

[Weedmage Princess]

Stanley you suck :rant:

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Weedmage Princess
Boston punched your mom in the eye?Yes.
Do tell. ... I just did. [insert forgetful crack here]

[Weedmage Princess]

I hate you, Latrin. ::glare::

[Sean]

People also say boston sucks because they are associated with the Red Sox. Thats reason enough to make it the #2 worse city behind (pick a random city in Ohio) Cleveland.

[Delirium]

I admit to being one who chose NYC as one of the worst cities. I hate large groups of people and whats larger than that? Plus i dont wanna be anywhere near where the terrorists are likely to blow stuff up so ill just keep hiding out with the cows in MN :) Plus its home of the Yankees! Admittedly ive never been there and i have no want to ever visit even.

Second choice was Boston just because when i moved to MA i hated the people. They drive like shit,almost crash into you and then have the nerve to flick you off. Ive never wanted to kill people more than when i lived there. Ive never met more rude people in my life than there. At the crappy apt we rented there,the neighbor shot his bb gun in the hall and the people downstairs got raided for drugs in the year and a half we lived there. Same crappy type of neighborhood in MN and the biggest annoyance here is the neighbor three houses down who blares his car radio at 2am for 10 seconds every night.

[Faent]

>>If I forgot one that's important, let me know.

San Francisco.

-Scott

[Weedmage Princess]

ROFL Where did you live, Tendarian? Dorchester?? LMAO

[Sean]

Whats so horrible about san fran? Despite its fog and transportation issues for those who don't like praying there car will land on the ground when going over a hill.

[Weedmage Princess]

Originally posted by Tijay
People also say boston sucks because they are associated with the Red Sox. Thats reason enough to make it the #2 worse city behind (pick a random city in Ohio) Cleveland.

Ugh...I'm always up for defending Boston but Tijay has an irrefutable point there. :no:

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Weedmage Princess
I hate you, Latrin. ::glare:: :heart: anywayz!

I thought of one thing bad about NYC. It's kinda smoky, which some people don't like.

[Mistomeer]

Just for the record, Memphis is a nice place.
The crime rate in Memphis is skewed because of the way Memphis reports crime. Most large cities use an older way of reporting crime so that if someone breaks in, kills someone, and steals the TV, the city reports the most serious offense - just the murder. Memphis reports all three, which is the way that the FBI wants everyone to start reporting crime.

Also, people in Memphis are generally nice, the suburbs are nice as well, and there are more parks in the city than most large cities have.

[Betheny]

Originally posted by Edaarin
Atlanta. There was absolutely jack shit to do there.

DC comes in a close second for me, I hate the traffic, I hate feeling guilty going past all the homeless people, and I hate knowing that half the city lives in poverty.

I haven't had this experience here -- I had it in Philadelphia, though. So Philadelphia it is.

[Betheny]

Originally posted by theotherjohn

Originally posted by The Edine
[Aiming towards overseas


Alaska is counted as an OCONUS (over seas) tour

Pirsamens, Germany.

I sell oconus orders there. Very nice. Naples isn't bad, neither is NAMRU/Cairo.

[Blazing247]

I've been to Boston...been to NYC...been to Philly...been to Phoenix...been to Miami...been to Baltimore.

Kensington part of Philly is pretty bad. NYC has a few places that aren't too nice, as well. Same with Boston. Same with Phoenix. And Baltimore...and Miami.

The absolute WORST city I've ever been to is Newark, NJ.

Statistically, the top 15 are:

Detroit
St Louis
Atlanta
Camden NJ
DC
Compton
Dayton
Baltimore
Tampa
Gary IN
Memphis
N. Charleston
New Orleans
Richmond
Trenton NJ

This is all according to six categories- rape, murder, robbery, assault, burglary, car theft, percentage out of population.

[Sean]

<<The absolute WORST city I've ever been to is Newark, NJ. >>

I sort of like Newark. But I guess I'm biased as I spend half my year there.

[pennywise]

Makkah, you consider Graceland a suburb? Don't be ignorant. And I live in Memphis, not Germantown, Cordova, Collierville, Bartlett, or any of the other suburbs of Memphis, so I would have to say I have a fairly informed and personal opinion of Memphis. There are bad sections of the city, of course. Orange Mound, or anything around Metal Street, Democrat, National, or Lamar, and of course the area around Lemoyne Owen College, but they are very much outnumbered by the nice areas of the city.

For some reason you seem to feel as if my post saying Memphis is a nice place was an attack on you, or at least your response has that feel, and I hope you can calm down, feel better, maybe take a nap or something, and get over it.

[Jenisi]

Boston because the roads suck ass there.. and south bend wasn't on the list.

[Makkah]

I lived in BH for a year. I musta seen parts of Memphis you haven't. (figuratively)

And no, I don't consider Graceland a burb. I was simply submitting it as a stupid example of something a visitor would consider "a nice part of town."

Southparkway and OMP are no joke.

rht

4 corners, what.

[Geoff]

Seattle should be on this list.
-Crappy traffic.
-High property ($3100 a year on a $210K house) and sales (8.3%) tax.
-The Mariners and Seahawks suck, despite both getting new taxpayer built stadiums in the last 5 years.
-The weather sucks.
-Expensive housing (That $210K house is 1100 sqf on 1/8th acre.)
-Chock full of of left wing, granola eating, passive aggressive soccer moms who the politicians cater to.
-Ugliest museum anywhere. (Ever seen the "Experience Music Project"? Google it.)

[Izalude]

Charlotte, North Carolina... When I was there for the National Championships in Fencing a few years back, there was absolutely NOTHING to do there! The food was absolutely horrible, and the hotel we ended up having to stay in was even worse! If I have to go there again, it won't be by choice...

[Gan]

Denver, Colorado.... not on the list.

1. Property values are way over inflated ($140+ per sq. ft.)
2. Automobile registration fees are sick.
3. Cost of living (consumable goods) as high as if not higher than other regions with less income per capita.
4. Dirty snow
5. State income tax
6. Sales tax ranging from 4% to 9% depending on what part of town you live in.
7. Denver Nuggets.
8. Drought: so bad they closed down the city parks last year from summer atheletics due to no grass.
9. Con-Agra beef, ugh.
10. I-25 (T-Rex) construction.
11. Native Coloradan syndrome where if you're not native to the square state then you suck in their opinion.
12. Rural Nursing region (state), no competition for nursing jobs like what can be found in the Medical Center in Houston.

I'm glad to have moved back to Houston... where I can blend back into the melting pot of 4 million faces.

Originally posted by Geoff
Seattle should be on this list.
-Crappy traffic.
-High property ($3100 a year on a $210K house) and sales (8.3%) tax.
-The Mariners and Seahawks suck, despite both getting new taxpayer built stadiums in the last 5 years.
-The weather sucks.
-Expensive housing (That $210K house is 1100 sqf on 1/8th acre.)
-Chock full of of left wing, granola eating, passive aggressive soccer moms who the politicians cater to.
-Ugliest museum anywhere. (Ever seen the "Experience Music Project"? Google it.)


Preach on!!!

[Mint]

Originally posted by RangerD1

Originally posted by Geoff
Seattle should be on this list.
-Crappy traffic.
-High property ($3100 a year on a $210K house) and sales (8.3%) tax.
-The Mariners and Seahawks suck, despite both getting new taxpayer built stadiums in the last 5 years.
-The weather sucks.
-Expensive housing (That $210K house is 1100 sqf on 1/8th acre.)
-Chock full of of left wing, granola eating, passive aggressive soccer moms who the politicians cater to.
-Ugliest museum anywhere. (Ever seen the "Experience Music Project"? Google it.)


Preach on!!!

Unfortunately, everything he listed is true. ESPECIALLY the godawful traffic.

Still love it here and wouldn't live any where else.

Well, its already been established that you are insane.

[Mint]

Originally posted by RangerD1
Well, its already been established that you are insane.

Country music will do that to you.

[Snapp]

I'm kinda coming to this thread late since I was gone for a bit, but I wanted to put my 2 cents in. The worst city to me is Baltimore. Crime is insane there (I don't really know statistics, I just know it's bad). Ever see the "Wire" on HBO? It's true, and the city is a piece of shit (aside from the Aquarium).

I don't mind Philly at all.. not sure why so many seem to hate it.

Gotta throw a :heart: in for Delaware, since we don't have any real cities.

[Makkah]

I love visiting Philly. Got some buddies that live up there, so I go every now and then. Boston is lame... simply because it's ugly and mad traffic because of all the construction.

Memphis is still my pick.

rht

Forever I love Atlanta!

[Weedmage Princess]

Originally posted by Makkah
Forever I love Atlanta!

Why, Makkah? I absolutely hated it. Very hot and humid for one..and it just seemed like too much was condensed into a tiny little area. I know that's weird coming from an NYC area but...God..that's how it seemed to me. And the people just seemed...slow. Traffic isn't fun there, either (not as bad as Boston traffic yes but...still.)

Maybe I was just in a shitty area??? :?:

[Marl]

Originally posted by Weedmage Princess


And the people just seemed...slow. Traffic isn't fun there, either (not as bad as Boston traffic yes but...still.)

Maybe I was just in a shitty area??? :?:

i love Atl. traffic, they did a report on the average speed on all the major highways here, 85/75/400/285/675
0-55 =12%
55-65=22%
65-75=27%
75-85=35%
85+=4%
this was taken on a midday afternoon right before rush hour,(speed limit 55) after rush hour the 85+ speeds rose up to 30+%
and during rush hour the 0-55 speeds rose to 80+%
you just have to know how to drive down here, super fast, now as for the downtown living/partying, well if you have "spinners" on your ride or have your "bling bling" on then you will love it. If not you will probably be too scared to go away from the main tourist spots downtown. Living prices are way too high, taxes are decent, crime is huge (we will take over #1 again in violent crimes) and most of the politics are corrupt. It sucks, but, its home. :D

[Amberlei]

I came back this weekend from a week in Philadelphia. I thought it was a great place. People were just incredibly friendly and helpful, very unlike how they are here in Boston. (Not that there aren't some nice folks in Boston, but as a general rule, people just aren't very gracious.) For an example of the contrast between the two, in Philadelphia, my aunt bought a dehumidifier for her apartment while I was there. As I was leaving the store (Target) with it in my cart, a guy who worked there came and offered to carry it to my car for me. In coontrast, I bought a desk (which weighed substantially more than the dehumidifier) at the Target here and asked for help getting it to the truck and was told that they didn't do that; once I bought it, it was my responsibility to take care of getting it in the car on my own.

[Snapp]

Originally posted by Amberlei
I bought a desk (which weighed substantially more than the dehumidifier) at the Target here and asked for help getting it to the truck and was told that they didn't do that; once I bought it, it was my responsibility to take care of getting it in the car on my own.

Ouch, that's harsh. -535288 points to that Target for customer service. There's no way they couldn't grab a stockboy or whatever and help bring it to your cah (couldn't resist the accent).

[Weedmage Princess]

Heh I found people in Mass. to be very friendly. To the point that I was shocked when I first moved up here.

Then again...I came from NYC, where the city symbol is an extended middle finger.

[Blazing247]

I don't think a shopping experience at Target is a good analogy on why one city is more/less friendly than another city.

I've met really nice people in Philly, and I've met really shitty people in Philly. Mostly, if you want to meet the dickheads of Philly united, go to Lincoln Financial Field or Citizens Bank Park.

As far as Newark, sorry Tijay, it sucks. You spend half the year there? My guess is as a student at Rutgers? Last time I was up there, I was following signs into the bad parts of Newark for the Turnpike when all of a sudden the signs stopped. I was lost, the streets made no sense, and as every house was boarded up, I really couldn't find anyone to ask directions from.

[Amberlei]

Oh, I know one shopping experience in each city isn't enough to base a comparison on, but if I were to list all the examples of the rudeness in Boston I've encountered, it'd take hours. I guess the biggest thing that's struck me is that everybody just seems to be in such a hurry here. I've been stuck on the T (subway) trying to get off while folks are getting on, and wound up having to go several stops past mine before I could manage to fight my way through the crowds to get off, been honked at (more than once) while stopped at a crosswalk to let pedestrians pass when I really couldn't move my car without running over someone, and encountered more rude sales people and waiters than I'd ever have imagined possible.

Boston does have it's good aspects of course. It's a beautiful city, very walkable, and has great public transportation. There are incredible museums and it's a cultural mecca.

I imagine coming from New York, Boston might seem friendly, but coming from the west coast (Spokane and San Francisco) Boston is like a whole different world.

I have to agree about Newark too. I had much the same experience when the signs just disappeared. Fortunately, I was able to stop at a garage and get directions from some folks there. It seems really odd that the way to the pike isn't better marked.

[Numbers]

Heh I found people in Mass. to be very friendly. To the point that I was shocked when I first moved up here.

Then again...I came from NYC, where the city symbol is an extended middle finger.

I feel exactly the same way. I was born and raised in the middle of Manhattan, and just recently moved to Mass (about 45 minutes outside of Boston,) and found the people to be much more friendly... as long as you're outside of a car.

Get them in a car and they're vicious bastards. I had a less stressful time driving around NYC during rush hour than I do driving on the Massachusetts highways. It's probably because they're laid out so stupidly. People doing 80 in the breakdown lane... exits about fifty feet after an entrance... it's just dangerous.

[Weedmage Princess]

Oh I agree. Mass drivers (or the "f---ing maniacs" as I like to refer to them as) are hands down the WORST drivers I've ever seen. I've found myself being tailgated in the RIGHT lane while doing 80 on an open stretch of road...and the two lanes left of me clear. They're maniacs.

It's also "legal" to drive in the break down lanes on certain roadways here during rush hour traffic--like 128. This is a law that they need to do away with because people don't do it safely at all. Like you said, they'll speed in the breakdown lane and not even get off at the next exit, they'll go for as long as they can there, a lot of times getting into accidents with people trying to merge onto the highway from an on ramp.

[Makkah]

I just love ATL's atmosphere. Always have. I grew up in Chattanooga which is 1.5 hours from ATL. ATL is kinda a nice little party spot for a weekend. Love Underground, Peachtree, Six Flags, White Water... hell I even love some of the gutter areas... Campbellton, Collegepark, SWATs.

rht

[Apathy]

Worst city is easily, easily East Saint Louis. I don't scare easily but I'll admit to rolling up the windows and locking the doors when I was there.

Saint Louis tho is fucking great. If you've never been to the city I would suggest visiting, tons of things to do and some really pretty architecture. Living there is not all that expensive either. And I drove all the way through the heart of the city on Martin Luther King and lived to talk about it :)

[Shari]

Since I haven't been to most of those cities, I really shouldn't have voted. I hate and loathe LA. Its filthy, loud, the traffic is fucking rediculous, everyone who lives there thinks they're the next big movie star and is horribly rude. Every time I'm there I want to kill the people running around there. Having to spend time in their airport is even more of a nightmare that I'll spare everyone from getting into a discussion about.