The Ten Worst American Cities to Live In

Bully Magazine ^ | Ken Wohlrob

[Dan from Michigan]

Which ones?

The only "bad townships" I can think of offhand is Royal Oak Township(not the city) which is for all intents and purposes, Detroit. The other is Buena Vista which is East Saginaw.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

if you're looking for wild nightlife, then SLC isn't where you want to be.

You have the gift of understatement. I once spent 45 minutes in SLC looking for a six-pack of beer (several people actually asked me if I meant "ROOT Beer!)

No wild nightlife immediately presented itself.

[LanPB01]

The problem for me is the specialized nature of my work. Since the Cincinnati area only has two law schools (and it looks like no one ever retires or moves on from U.C.), I have to focus on the larger, private law firms. I'm still dreaming of the day when I find the job opening for a reference librarian at U.C.'s School of Law.

[Types_with_Fist]

Please...save the lecture on the virtues. Save the name-calling. I'm from near there. Up until a few years ago, it was the country's murder capital. Corruption is the lifeblood of the entire state. So, save it. No tourist here.

[Middle Man]

"Let's forget about the gaudiness, trash and gouging. As a "tourist" city, it's one of the most dangerous."

I've vacationed in N.O. for over 30 years and when I visited it again last summer I was really shocked by how it has declined. The food is still great, but the city's run out of steam from all the corruption and thievery by local pols. There's no money left to fix anything and it shows.

[Mr. Mojo]

They were on (or near) the west coast. I'll look at a map and see if I can remember, then get back to you.

[carton253]

Well... I'm a student at UC. I'll keep my ears open.

[Dan from Michigan]

Probably Benton Charter Township then (I-94). I forgot about that one. It's near Benton Harbor...which is most known for rioting when a crook kills himself in a crash fleeing from the cops.

[LanPB01]

I appreciate it.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I have to agree that New Orleans should be on the list-- I have worked offshore Louisiana, and made many trips to NO- always armed. The place is run by gangs, with the NOPD being the biggest among them. A history of corruption that is probably unrivaled in this country, and a bunch of overpriced and over-rated scuzzy bars. Not a lot to recommend it.

[doug from upland]

Divine Providence caused my parents to move to the West Coast from Cleveland when I was 5.

[Types_with_Fist]

A while back, the F.B.I. pulled some undercover drug agents out of a probe in the NOPD because they learned the cops were planning to kill them.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

To be fair, there really aren't any cities I DO like. I grew up in Manhattan, and have been trying to escape from cities ever since. At the core, they are all rotten.

[Pietro]

"..humiliating beating we gave you earlier in the year"

Oh, there is no doubt that the Steelers stink out loud this year, it's just comforting to know that no matter how bad they are they can still beat the skidmarks. I mean, the Steelers had less than 100 yards total offense and STILL won, damn, that gotta hurt. LOL

[Bikers4Bush]

Oddly enough when you expect to lose it doesn't really hurt.

3 times we were on the five or inside of it and two of those times we turned the ball over resulting in no points.

I'm a "one step back to take two steps forward" guy. I'll take a loss like yesterday if it means Butch Davis and the rest wind up being run out of town.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Yeah- I remeber one NOPD Sergeant who ran a big drug operation- he was getting on the police radio and running his deals, as well as ordering witnesses shot. Wonderful place. And what about the officer who robbed a Vietnamese restaurant and killed a coiuple of fellow officers who were working the old protection racket ("guarding" the place")

[bigfootbob]

"There is no such thing as a good city to live in."

DITTO!

[gdani]

Cleveland isn't THAT bad.

Sure, the weather sucks & the economy is constantly spiraling downward but that can be said for a lot of cities.

Also not good if you're a sports fan. Cleveland holds the current record for longest streak among 4 major sports without a championship.

If you're younger, it has a great music scene with tons of clubs/venues & national acts always stopping through. It also has a couple of world class hospitals & a very low cost of living. It's also very cheap to fly in & out of and many destinations (Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Washington DC, etc) are a relatively short drive away.

I'd certainly live in Cleveland before Toledo or even Columbus - which bores me to tears.

[Jonah Hex]

ARRGH!!! Barstow!!! (shudder)

I stayed in Barstow a few nights on business about two years ago. I woke up at one o'clock in the morning to the sound of helicopter rotor beats and police loudspeakers. Turned out the feds were busting a biker club's meth lab next door.

Barstow, where the predominate colors are brown hills and blue sky. Carry me back to old Virginny....

[WKB]

You talking to me?