I would have to disagree about Atlanta sucking hard. I was down there a few years ago & only ran into one racist. I consider that pretty good for being in the south. Atlanta does remind me of Schaumburg a bit though, what with the clusters of pseudo skyscrapers here and there.

I do have to say that of all the places I have visited, Detroit & Tampa are far and away tops for the shittiest of the shitty places around.

matthew wrote:Philadelphia is the worst big American city because it could be much better than it is, yet it refuses to be better. It quite simply refuses. Sure, others are dirtier and all, but Philly is willfully refusing as a whole to be better.

I could continue, but I will not.

Funny, because that's precisely how I feel about Houston. I believe that Houston has a lot of unrealized potential, but is content with mediocrity. And that mediocrity is pretty infectious. Our ever-escalating crime figures, however, are quite impressive, as is our continuous road construction. No need to say anything of the heat and humidity.

Some other impressive aspects about Houston:

- Most touring acts play here.
- The Deep Listening Institute attracts artists who are pretty picky about where they'll play. DLI is really an underappreciated asset.
- World class museums, including the Menil gallery. Again, underappreciated.

Can any other Houstonians add to this list?

my votes would be (in no particular order):

Baltimore, MD- pray you don't ever get lost in the wrong part of town.. never seen slums like this in my entire life. Cars on blocks are about the most scenic thing in parts of the city.

Newark, NJ- need I say more?

Out west one of the shittiest cities I've been to is Tacoma, WA. Smells horrible and just miserable.

Oh, and fuck the entire state of Texas.

Detroit is one of the worst shitholes in the United States, but people are actually trying to improve it. But progress is slow.

Another nominee is Gary, Indiana - a true Midwest land dump. About as close to a complete pit as you can find.

Sock OR Muffin? wrote:2) Albany, NY.

Elaborate, please.

i thought of a couple other shitholes I've had the misfortune of visiting at some point:

Charleston, WV: honestly its like getting out of a time machine and being back in 1978. Yes, its that bad.

Binghamton, NY: so old, depressing, and miserable that I wanted to open my wrists after 10 minutes inside the city limits.

MantaRay wrote:my votes would be (in no particular order):

Baltimore, MD- pray you don't ever get lost in the wrong part of town.. never seen slums like this in my entire life. Cars on blocks are about the most scen

Finally, someone said it.

Although, A nice chunk of the slums in Eastern Baltimore is getting bulldozed for a Biotech park by Johns Hopkins.
http://www.baltimorecity.gov/news/biotech/ebbiotech.html

Still, there are parts that look like post WWII Dresden. Unbelievable that it is in America, actually. And the rat/trash problem in Bawldimoor is fucking sick. Even in the gentrified areas, it seems trash can use is nil.

Still, there are much worse cities. In all of Baltimore's squalor, there is culture and activity, and some hope.. and progress.

buump

c'mon there's plenty of vile cities in the US.. lets hear 'em

St. Louis's poor areas are really disgusting. They almost come close to Detroit...

That's one for you.

SecondEdition wrote:St. Louis's poor areas are really disgusting. They almost come close to Detroit...

That's one for you.

you want directions?!? For FREE??


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