newbflier

I went to, what appeared to be, the only part of Tampa with any hint of history or culture, Ybor City. I went on a Saturday morning, apparently before they had a chance to sweep the streets of the criminal activities of the previous night. I then left for nearby St Petersburg, which was clearly much nicer and safer (probably because everyone was over 50 at least).

edgewood

well gee- my first statement dealt with the lowest crime rate in the country- and you complain about a d.w.i. stop? maybe that's how we keep the rate so low- vigorous enforcement

and the "dwi stop" is a well-known excuse to scope out the car for drugs, guns, etc.

and- playing with the stereo?? tsk tsk- perhaps you should brush up on local etiquette before complaining: during a Nassau County Police stop, KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND IN PLAIN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES

not to be paranoid, but those officers are putting their life on the line every time- who knows what evil lurks in the minds of.........

but i'm interested about these "clients"- can you share with us an industry or an ethnic group- not to stereotype- but there are some folk that are not the sweetest- so many of us just choose to walk away from the opportunity-

MIKESILV

So you went to Ybor ( a nightclub district frequented by the younger set) and thought that was going to be "cultural and or historical" I do suppose you would have visited Bourbon Street in New Orleans early on a Sat morning and used that to form your opinion regarding that city( though I shudder to think what that might be ) though same would have equally to say Las Vegas Blvd relative to Vegas or South Street in Philadelphia.

Cant help but laugh at your equally distorted view of the dying city of St Petersburg ( whose crime rate is actually higher than Tampa) and the patently absurd statement regarding safety and the lack thereof which you couldnt possibly be able to assess in a few minutes or a few weeks for that matter.

mike

reckless31abandon

I just came across this thread, and it made me think how lucky I am to have grown up in BFE- you may know it as "God's Country" or the midwestern plains. Sheesh- I think I'll just avoid for the most part, ALL of the metropolises you all mention...not just the 3 worst!!

crime, gangs, overcrowding, dirty, depressing- to quote some of the reasons listed. no thanks!! of course, lucky I like farm country and open spaces, I'm sure there are many of you who prefer the bustle of a city.

I was a bit surprised to notice no one mentioned Bismarck ND. Of course, the number of people who have visited there is probably a number less than half of the population, minus the cows.
one major difference between cities in the midwest (minus MSP!) and the largest cities in the US? well, anywhere else, you leave a car door unlocked or a window cracked, or a cd in plain view, and chances are you'll return to an empty parking spot. In SD? leave the keys in, motor running, windows down in an empty lot, and the car will sit untouched.
living in CO, I realize what a different world it is outside the midwest!!

Oxb

How could I have missed Gary, IN on my list?

nako

Not willingly, but Fresno is still worse, IMO. And though I'm not sure I can narrow it down to the three worst, I know that a top ten list would include Toledo, Ohio; Las Vegas; and the aforementioned Fresno.

Mike

UMassCanuck07

VEGAS?!?! Are you serious? Yes, North Las Vegas is a dump, but Vegas is an AMAZING place!

My top (worst) 3 would be:

St. Louis, MO/Metroeast, IL
Elmira/Horseheads/Corning/Binghamton, NY
Flint, MI



My top (best) 3 would be:
Toronto, ON
Las Vegas, NV
Portland/Augusta/Rockland/Freeport, ME

Jakebeth

Like I said...there are different Chicagos - and I suspect an element of timing may be at work in your case. I grew up in the city. And when I was growing up, I hated it, for some of the reasons you cite. But while the commutes still suck, it's an infintely better city than it was 20 years ago.

henryf

Well Mike,

I've lived in Bakersfield during the 70's and I can tell you,

Fresno is no Bakersfield.

Bakersfield is a miserable place to spend time.
Even the people who claim to like it, say the attraction is that it's easy to leave (2 hrs to LA, 2 hrs to the mountains, 2 hrs to the coast).

Most residents view living there as something to be endured, not enjoyed.

Yuck

ILuvParis

[QUOTE=auher]Totally agree with you. I'm from Chicago, born and raised in the S. Suburbs and lived downtown for almost 6 years. While it's better than cities like St. Louis and Detroit (like that's hard) it's remarkably dangerous and you can cut the racial tension with a knife. The suburbs sprawl further and further - DeKalb is being considered a outer ring 'burb these days. Just moved to Henderson, Nevada and I'm not looking back. Everything that sucked about Chicago (the freakin' commute times, racial tension, etc) is better here. I love the well planned communities - I actually WANT to leave my house here!![/auher]

Interesting observations. I wonder when you lived in Chicago. I have lived downtown (West Loop) for three years and feel comfortable walking in the River North, Loop and West Loop areas and taking the L at any time of the day or night. Granted, before the United Center was built, it was downright scary in the area. BTW, I am not from Chicago, but have now lived in the city many years. I've noticed a tremendous improvement in the last ten years, but agree there is racial tension and suburban sprawl.

It is also true that there is little or no racial tension when there is very little diversity. Chicago is very roughly 30% white, 30% black and 30% hispanic. I would bet that is not the case in Henderson, NV.

BlissWorld

I think the worst places in the US are those towns where your friends grew up, but desparately wanted to get out of when they turned 18, and are now telling people they are natives of the city that they currently reside (that would be the best city in the US).......come on, you know you have those friends ..

So, of all of my transplant friends, the top three are:
1. Pocatello, ID
2. Romeo, MI
3. Redding, CA

and now most of them claim they are Los Angeles (and New York) natives

MCI_flyer

It's actually a fact, Chicago has the most local governments of any Metro Area in the United States, More then LA and New York

Also, Gary Indiana wouldn't probably exist if it wasn't for Chicago, so how can Suburbs be called cities, if the City wasn't there, then the Suburb more then likely wouldn't be there

henryf

What's wrong with Redding?

Rejuvenated

Hot! Hot! Hot! in summer are both Fresno and Bakersfield. I would definately avoid both places during summer.

Rejuvenated

That is my #1 choice for the category of this thread. Smog and heat much much worse than L.A.