America's Most Miserable Cities (anyone see a common theme?)

Forbes ^ | February 18, 2010 | Kurt Badenhausen

[PGR88]

Cleveland leads a slew of Midwestern towns on our annual list, but thanks to high taxes New York and Chicago make it too.

The city of Cleveland has had a colorful history. The Cuyahoga River, which runs through the city, famously caught fire in 1969 thanks to rampant pollution, and it wasn't the first time. In 1978 it became the first U.S. city to default on its debts since the Great Depression. Cleveland sports fans have had to endure more anguish than those in any other city. The city has been dubbed with a less than endearing nickname: the Mistake by the Lake.

This year Cleveland takes the top spot in our third annual ranking of America's Most Miserable Cities. Cleveland secured the position thanks to its high unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather, corruption by public officials and crummy sports teams (Cavaliers of the NBA excepted).

[ssaftler]

Yep, that devotion to family, it’s really a bad trait.

Devotion to family is one thing. I know that well, being that my immediate family is scattered all around the country.

I have friends, though, whose ENTIRE FAMILY moved to another part of the country, then they moved the ENTIRE FAMILY back to Cleveland.

[Notary Sojac]

I bet you were promised a decade of winning teams as soon as the Indians got a carload of taxpayer bux for that new stadium, right?

[brownsfan]

“I have friends, though, whose ENTIRE FAMILY moved to another part of the country, then they moved the ENTIRE FAMILY back to Cleveland.”

Wow, that’s just stupid!

I live 35 miles south of Cleveland in a reasonably nice area. But if my whole family would go, I’d be in North Carolina, or some other suitable place, tomorrow.

[Clemenza]

Speaking as someone who has been to East LA, Oakland, Inglewood and Hunter’s Point (SF), I can tell you that NONE of these cities is anywhere near as scary as Camden, NJ, Newark’s West Ward, Irvington, NJ, most of Baltimore, Gary, IN, or the South Side of Chicago. West coasties are not as spoiled as the upper Midwest/Mid-Atlantic when it comes to scary and dangerous neighborhoods.

[Clemenza]

Outside of the poor weather, Cleveland's suburbs offer some pretty nice places to live.

With dirt cheap housing and not much of a job market.

I always get a kick out of the folks who tell me that "Detroit's suburbs are good, its the city that is a problem." Maybe true, but you still have the regional economy (or lack of it) to deal with, which is reflected in the lower housing prices relative to NY/NJ/MA/DC/MD/NoVA/CO/CA.

[brownsfan]

“I bet you were promised a decade of winning teams as soon as the Indians got a carload of taxpayer bux for that new stadium, right?”

And they produced that. The Indians were pretty good from 1994 to 2004.

Today, owned by that cheap, lying, weaseling Dolan clan, the Indians are indescribably bad. The Indians have zero chance of winning, and it’s a good bet they won’t play .500 ball. But they will have close to the smallest payroll, guaranteeing the Dolans will make money. The Dolans have decided that making a few bucks, is better than taking risks and being rewarded with big bucks.

I’ve had a ban on Browns gear in my house for the past 3 years. I didn’t want to add to the revenue of a hoplessly lost franchise. The Browns now have some hope. They’ve made rational moves. The Browns ban has been lifted, only to be replaced by an Indians gear ban.

I hope that the Dolan’s other businesses perform as well as the Indians do this year. And that their personal bank accounts reflect that performance.

Yeah, that’s a sore spot for me.

[brownsfan]

“With dirt cheap housing and not much of a job market. “

If you have a job, and can live outside of Cuyahoga county, dirt cheap housing is a blessing. I live in a 2000 square foot home that would cost 3-5 times what I paid for it in those other markets.

[Clemenza]

I’ve always thought Texas had the best of both worlds: cheap housing and a good job market (at least since the oil bust of the early 80s). Of course, you have to put up with humidity and traffic.

[Publius6961]

Speaking as someone who has been to East LA, Oakland, Inglewood and Hunter’s Point (SF), I can tell you that NONE of these cities is anywhere near as scary as Camden, NJ, Newark’s West Ward, Irvington, NJ, most of Baltimore, Gary, IN, or the South Side of Chicago.

You forgot Philadelphia.

On my first (and only) drive from New York to DC, I decided on a side trip to Philadelphia and used the wrong exit. In what seemed like hours, I was frantically looking for the first opportunty to make a U turn.
And I never looked back.

Still have never seen Philadelphia.

[Mr Inviso]

“And anyone who thinks Stockton is bad hasn’t been to Camden, NJ.”

It isn’t only about crime. Stockton is in CA, so it gets the additional “fun” of CA laws and taxes,plus illegals being there in droves. Stockton also had the highest foreclosure rate in the US for a while. There’s plenty of crime there, but it’s mostly property crime, like auto theft. most of the people in Stockton that have jobs are commuters from the Bay Area, making it an hour each way if the traffic is GOOD. Locally, there are effectively no jobs. They mentioned an 18% unemployment rate. It’d be even higher if the Bay Area wasn’t providing them jobs they can commute to. Plus, the weather in Stockton isn’t exactly wonderful during the summer (100+ degrees nearly every day for months) and it adds humidity from the rivers and Delta. And mosquitoes from the same source.

Not all of Stockton is bad. It has a ton of potential in a good economy, if they had the wit to manage it properly. Being in California, they don’t. It’s ALWAYS had a crime problem, too.

I can say most of the same for Modesto, also, except they don’t have the river and the bugs.

[SeekAndFind]

If the top 20 most miserable cities is accurate, that makes Ohio the most miserable state in the nation. Youngtown, Cleveland, Toledo, and more... they’ve got lots of big cities on the list.

[tlb]

The 20 “Most Miserable Cities” in America:

1.Cleveland
2.Stockton, Calif.
3.Memphis, Tenn.
4.Detroit
5.Flint, Mich.
6.Miami
7.St. Louis
8.Buffalo, N.Y.
9.Canton, Ohio
10.Chicago
11.Modesto, Calif.
12.Akron, Ohio
13.Kansas City
14.Rockford, Ill.
15.Toledo, Ohio
16.New York City
17.Sacramento, Calif.
18.Youngstown, Ohio
19.Gary, Ind.
20.Philadelphia

And I bet in every one of them, a Chuck-E-Cheesse

[upchuck]

Thanks for the list.

Other than Miami and Memphis, all these towns are above N 35 degrees latitude. Hmmm... wonder how many of these towns are run by a conservative administration?

Closest one to me is 500 miles. Fine by me.