Ask the resident of the 14th most miserable city in the US

[Digger1914]

Forbes magazine tells me that I was born in and current reside in the 14th most miserable city in the US. I'm shocked it wasn't higher. Unemployment is 17% and in general, this is a backassward place to live.

Some cities are worse, but just for a sheer lack of culture it's hard to top my hometown. The people are rednecks who are totally afraid of progress, as if taking a risk might make this place even worse. In it's history, this town has said no to a college (NIU was created in DeKalb, about 40 miles south), to a major manufacturer (Chrysler built down the road to Belvidere) and to a freeway through town (instead it was built more or less down the county line, downtown is just about dead while suburban sprawl is alive and well).

Now that Manufacturing has just about officially died in this country, so has the midwest and so has this little town.

Not looking for pity, thought somebody out there might be curious on the day to day life of this hole in the ground.

[Simplicio]

Eh, that list was pretty weak. New York is more miserable then Gary, IN? Miami is more miserable then Buffalo? Cleveland is more miserable then Flint?

[Cat Whisperer]

Are you going to tell us where you are, or do I have to go google your hints?

[Cunctator]

Forbes magazine tells me that I was born in and current reside in the 14th most miserable city in the US.Which city?

[Nametag]

Rockford, IL, is #14 this year. #1 is Cleveland, knocking Stockton, CA, out of the top spot.

Story is here (http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/americas-most-miserable-cities-business-beltway-miserable-cities.html?partner=relatedstoriesbox).

[penultima thule]

Where the city has no name



and beaten by 15 seconds ... doh!

[penultima thule]

If it make you feel any better Rockford makes some of the best kick-arse red wines in Australia e.g. the Basket Press Shiraz

[ShibbOleth]

Is #1 city on that list the most miserable or the best of the 20?

[gonzomax]

Detroit is only# 4. We have 50 % unemployment. There are empty houses all over. No jobs. Schools cost too much. No way out.

[Wendell Wagner]

This list isn't compiled by asking people how miserable they are. First, it only considers the 200 largest cities in the U.S., so it makes no comparison with smaller towns or rural areas. Second, all it does is assume that misery is caused by unemployment, high sales and income taxes, long commutes, violent crime, failure of the local professional sports teams to do well, weather, pollution (in the sense of the number of Superfund clean-up sites), and political corruption. Each of these categories is interesting by itself, but the assumption that you can put them together into a misery index is really dubious. Third, it's not even clear that each of the separate indexes is properly calculated. I don't find any of these sorts of lists that rate states, cities, or areas to be useful. Here's my advice for reducing your own misery index: Ignore lists like this.

[Mosier]

The place with the highest foreclosure rate, the lowest graduation rate, and the lowest school test scores in the country didn't even make the list. I call bullshit.

[BMalion]

Rockford, IL, is #14 this year. #1 is Cleveland, knocking Stockton, CA, out of the top spot.


Yeah! Go Cleveland! We're number 1 baby! Suck it Rockfish!

[An Gadaí]

Yeah! Go Cleveland! We're number 1 baby! Suck it Rockfish!

Cleveland has the best pub quizzes in the Lower 48. :)

[Nightfall1]

Born and raised in Rockford. Old saying about my town. "ROCKFORD, can we do it? Nah let someone else do it" I still love being here. Home is where your friends are. My wife and I both have jobs, we own our house, life is good for us. There is a kick butt Indian restaurant in town that makes life worth living.
Rande...

[Simplicio]

The place with the highest foreclosure rate, the lowest graduation rate, and the lowest school test scores in the country didn't even make the list. I call bullshit.

Yea, I think they way underweighted things that actually make people miserable (unemployment, chronic poverty, poor schools, ) and over-weighted things like sports team failure, isolated political scandals, weather and superfund sites. They also say taxes make people miserable, but don't weigh in the quality of the services those taxes provide (granted, that's sort of what you'd expect from Forbes magazine).

[Angel of the Lord]

I had no idea that there were this many people from Rockford here.

I lived in Rockford for about three and a half years. This was because I married someone from Rockford. Putting Chicago above Rockford on that this is effing ridiculous. Chicago at least has things to do, and has job prospects in the suburbs. Rockford? God. . .trying to find a job there was nearly impossible. Parts of town are nice, but parts of it are absolutely awful. There are a few decent things--the museums, mostly--but the rest of it is overwhelmingly meh.

The jobs, though. . .holy crap, the job market there sucked before everything really blew up at Chrysler, and the salaries are ridiculous. There were a few local interviews I went to where the job sounded great. . .until I realized that it would pay less than what I was making in my decidedly non-glamorous job in Elgin. If you're in manufacturing or health care, the jobs were/are there; anything else, and it's a big old "fuck you."

And the culture. . .or lack thereof. Gah. Most of the clubs/bars/gathering places are kind of skeevy. . .except for the gentrified downtown, and with things the way they are (16% unemployment sounds about right) I doubt they're doing all that great. The roads suck, construction takes forever, and the damn southeast side keeps on flooding. And the entire place seems to exude this almost despair-like quality.

Of course, that last could have been from an unhappy marriage, which really wasn't the town's fault. . .anyway. I moved back to Elgin. My ex-spouse separately moved to Elgin. My former in-laws moved to Roscoe. Wal-Mart at midnight on the first of the month is absolutely insane, which says something about the town's prosperity. I don't miss it at all.

Well. . .I miss Giuseppi's. But that's it.

[StusBlues]

How in the name of all that is sacred did Erie, PA miss this list?

[ZipperJJ]

Jesus....Cleveland, Canton, Akron, Youngstown AND Toledo all on that list? I grew up in and bought a home in the town that is directly between Cleveland and Akron and I'm not particularly miserable. Nor do I feel like we have too much snow. I do, however, really hate Forbes now.

[kayaker]

How in the name of all that is sacred did Erie, PA miss this list?

heh. Dreary Erie, the mistake by the lake. Been there.

[rockfordrunaway]

I am also a (former) Rockfordian, not born, but raised since infancy, and i've known that there is something unusually messed up about Rockford for almost my entire life. It's more than just the unemployment, crime, etc mentioned in the article, it's a general sense of dread, and at times it seems almost supernatural to me. Like, some horrible curse, or disease that seems to emminate from the city itself. When i still lived there, anytime i would meet someone currently living in or visiting Rockford who was not from Winnebago County, i would ask them how they liked Rockford, always being careful to not ask the question in a leading way, either positively or negatively. The honest ones always had the same reply, they always said they didn't like it, but they could not explain why, there was just something <i>weird</i> about it. Even people who carefully chose their answers, not wanting to offend a proud local, never had anything GOOD to say about it, and it was obvious they too felt the unexplained sense of dread. In fact Rockford actually has it's own reputation in other parts of the country! My first attempt to escape Rockford took me to Phoenix, AZ, where i worked in a coffee shop in the airport. I met a woman who worked at the Hertz car rental agency in the airport who also happened to be from Rockford originally. "What a small world!" I thought at first, but perhaps not. Hearing that I was from Rockford didn't seem to surprise her as much as it did me, but that's because she already knew that there are at the very least HUNDREDS of people who have made the migration from Rockford, IL to the Phoenix area. In fact they hold a "Rockford Picnic" every year in Mesa, AZ. It's not coincidence, something is seriously wrong with Rockford, something nobody can explain, and it's can't be summed up in statistics. If you live a happy life in Rockford, I think that's fantastic, most of my family and friends still live there, and i can say that on the occasions i do visit, it's not always horrible. But to me, Rockford is a soul-sucking pit of despair that i am happy to no longer call my home.

Maybe it's "the symbol?" maybe it's cursed? Nobody REALLY knows what the hell it's supposed to be anyways, someone should destroy it and see if things get better, lol.

[panache45]

Jesus....Cleveland, Canton, Akron, Youngstown AND Toledo all on that list? I grew up in and bought a home in the town that is directly between Cleveland and Akron and I'm not particularly miserable. Nor do I feel like we have too much snow. I do, however, really hate Forbes now.

Well yes, the cities themselves are crap, but all the areas between them are nice.

[Angel of the Lord]

Maybe it's "the symbol?" maybe it's cursed? Nobody REALLY knows what the hell it's supposed to be anyways, someone should destroy it and see if things get better, lol.

What the fuck is that thing, anyway? It looks like a pile of red-orange fail.

And, honestly, I think the sense of despair comes from the fact that the job market's awful. You're close enough to Chicago that you can see the good jobs, but far enough that commuting is a serious bitch. And the fucking thing just sprawls on and on, like a cancer. Not many remarkable buildings, though. Lots of low-crawling strip malls.

Either that, or the fact that a lot of the town is just very industrial. I don't know. The only time I ever liked it was Waterfront, and that's 'cause you could've put a street fair on the streets of 1980s Beirut and I'd have a blast.

Anyway; I totally agree with you.

[Digger1914]

I think you summed it up pretty well. I can't imagine anybody choosing to live in Rockford unless there were some overriding circumstances. I think the weird feeling is simply that everybody else dreams of someplace better to live/work/socialize and nobody embraces the city itself. A "general malaise" as it were.

[kapri]

Wow--lots of those cities are in Ohio. Poor Ohio. I went to college there and thought it was the coldest place on earth, but I was coming from Florida, so maybe not. And I went there during the repression of the 70s, which didn't help. But yeah--Ohio, definitely.

So Rockford resident: What do you do for fun up there?

[Rushgeekgirl]

Memphis is number three. And yet I love it here.

[bibliophage]

The people are rednecks who are totally afraid of progress, as if taking a risk might make this place even worse. In it's history, this town has said no to a college (NIU was created in DeKalb, about 40 miles south), to a major manufacturer (Chrysler built down the road to Belvidere) and to a freeway through town Sounds a lot like the small town where I grew up, which is plenty miserable but too small to be considered by Forbes. The townspeople said yes to a halfway house for juvenile offenders but no to a scientific research facility.

[Wendell Wagner]

kapri writes:

> Wow--lots of those cities are in Ohio. Poor Ohio. I went to college there and
> thought it was the coldest place on earth, but I was coming from Florida, so
> maybe not. And I went there during the repression of the 70s, which didn't
> help. But yeah--Ohio, definitely.

I think the problem is the whole Rust Belt, the Chicago to Pittsburgh (or maybe Chicago to Buffalo) urban conglomeration. Too much industry has left that area and the U.S. entirely, which means that the region that specialized in it is in bad shape. That area stretches beyond Ohio and doesn't include most of Ohio. Except for that forty-mile-wide stretch at the top of Ohio which includes Toledo, Cleveland, and some of their suburbs, Ohio hasn't changed much.

I grew up in rural Ohio and went to college in Florida. I like Florida while I was there, but I'm so accustomed to living in big cities now that I would be frustrated by the area in lived in while I was in Florida (Sarasota). The rest of Ohio (outside the Rust Belt) is in reasonably good shape. If you steal the main industry from a place, it will be screwed up. That's just the way it works.

rockfordrunaway writes:

> The honest ones always had the same reply, they always said they didn't like it,
> but they could not explain why, there was just something <i>weird</i> about it.

It's that Hellmouth that Rockford is over.

[Kyla]

What a stupid list. First of all, Cleveland is a pretty nice place. By any rational standard, Detroit is much, much worse off. (I'd rather live in Detroit than Cleveland anyway, but you have to keep in mind I think the worse off a place is, the more interesting it is.) And Chicago doesn't deserve to be anywhere near this list. Chicago is a vibrant, exciting city with plenty to do. St. Louis has never struck me as a particularly thrilling place, but it's not that bad, either. (Although I was shocked to see how dead its downtown is on a Saturday afternoon. Chicago at that time would be crowded and bustling.)

Lame.

[nikonikosuru]

Looking at this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM)video, Cleveland reminds me of Detroit in a lot of ways. Of course, they make a reason to tour Cleveland at the end.

[Digger1914]

Rockford resident here...what is there to do. I was actually social last night and played Volleyball at the rec center. The last cultural thing I did in town was get last second Craigslist tickets to Bob Dylan back in October. There are a couple reasonable (non-chain) restaurants, but no real culture if you are over 25. There are a couple dance clubs, but I wouldn't even think about going there. We get 4 broadway shows a year, but they always pass thru on a Tuesday night, never on a weekend. Same thing w/ concerts, rarely one will come thru that might interest you, but always on a weekday, kinda hard if you need a sitter or just need to go to work in the morning.

We don't even get all the movies available in a big city. We have a 14 and 16 screen multiplex, usually about ten different movies playing at once. The prestige Oscar movies get here about February, if at all. If you are lucky enough to make a good living, the housing is cheap'ish, but the property taxes are high.

Personally we go into Milwaukee or the NW burbs of Chicago for fun and try to take a week vacation every year. I would love to be able to see a play w/o having to pop an additional 2 bills for hotel, kennel, etc.

The highlight of a lot of people's winter was Night Ranger playing after the minor league hockey game. That's just sad.

[heatmiserfl]

I grew up in the Northern Illinois area and did an internship at St. Anthony's hospital in Rockford. I lived there for a year and remember absolutely nothing about that place except for eating tons of free tacos at happy hour. I think that says it all.

[QuercusMax]

Argh, forum ate my post.

I'm a born-and-raised Northeast Ohioan (grew up in Kent, went to Kent State, now live in Twinsburg, work in Beachwood), and can't say I feel especially miserable here. The weather isn't *that* bad, and sure, the Browns and Indians may not win championships, but like panache45 said, the places in between the actual cities are quite nice. We even have a National Park nearby (8th most visited in the nation, although I've been known to drive through there by accident more than once, while trying to find a restaurant, so maybe it's over-counted ;) ).

We've got the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland, lots of good universities, and the medical sector is becoming pretty big (I work for a small medical imaging company). As long as you don't live in Hudson or Shaker Heights or the like, house prices and property taxes are very affordable.

Now, if you worked in the auto industry or in a steel mill, you're probably SOL. Stop whining, figure out a new line of work. That probably contributes a lot to the unemployment, I'd guess. But it's not like that's really going to change any time soon....

[ZipperJJ]

I live in Macedonia, QuercusMax. Howdy neighbor! :)

I agree with everything you said. I also agree that the actual cities of Cleveland and Akron are kind of blah (although the sports facilities in both cities are great) but the article accompanying the slide show does say the "metropolitan area" was counted in the index. Maybe Garfield Hts, Maple Hts, Barberton and Mogadore are sad places but I can't really think of too many other suburbs that are that bad off. Those places haven't been very happy since the 70s anyway.

Those of us who grew up in NE Ohio and stayed here, we're just tough motherfuckers is all :)

[Beware of Doug]

I knew Rockford was a benighted spot when I learned, years ago, that it had a record store that sold nothing but 78s. Believe me, you do not want anything to do with people who listen to music on 78s.

[Chicagojeff]

Home of Cheap trick.. how can Rockfish be too bad?

I'm suspicious of these lists.. I've learned a lot about this kinda crap.. living in the ATL now its really nonsensical that some folks just moved here thinkin the street were paved with gold... whats funny is a lot of people from FLA are moving here now.. I think the gates should be closed.. we need room for the traffic we have and our zebra..

[Sticks and Scones]

and Mogadore are sad places


Hey! I live right next to Mogadore and it's not so bad other than the incessant speed traps. Besides, they've got Duma's Meats which is an awesome full-service, old fashioned butcher shop. :D

[BMalion]

...

We've got the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland, lots of good universities, and the medical sector is becoming pretty big (I work for a small medical imaging company). As long as you don't live in Hudson or Shaker Heights or the like, house prices and property taxes are very affordable.

...

And we have the best darn Dopefests around!

Oh, and we're close to 20% of the world's fresh water, that's going to count for something someday.

[BMalion]

Hey! I live right next to Mogadore and it's not so bad other than the incessant speed traps. Besides, they've got Duma's Meats which is an awesome full-service, old fashioned butcher shop. :D

Amen! I love Mogadore.

[Jackmannii]

I take these lists with some of the same shakers of salt as Best Cities lists. The objectivity strikes me as less than stunning. How is it exactly that Miami and St. Louis are worse places to live than Newark or Paterson, New Jersey, for example?
One of the Columbus, Ohio suburbs (Gahanna, OH) made a Best Cities list a few years back and they're still trumpeting the award on street signs, despite the fact that the place is a sinkhole of speed traps and faux festivals ("Come celebrate Parking Days!").
I knew Rockford was a benighted spot when I learned, years ago, that it had a record store that sold nothing but 78s. Believe me, you do not want anything to do with people who listen to music on 78s.Doesn't sound like a retail growth area. But they'd probably tell you there's lots of great jazz and other popular music on 78s that you can't find anywhere else.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I'm not from Buffalo (#8) and I've never been there, but I'd say the picture they used to represent Buffalo's suckitude is wholly unfair considering the fact that Linens N Things is a New Jersey-based company that closed 571 stores in 47 states (probably including Forbes' nicest place to live). I don't think you can point to the failure of Linens N Things as a brick-and-mortar as indicative of what's wrong with Buffalo.

I left Ohio, but apparently I left one of the only decent places to live in Ohio: Cincinnati. Coulda fooled me. Maybe Skyline Chili redeems them. I could accept that.

ETA: Back to the OP, don't you have any good chili parlors in Rockford? Maybe that's your problem...

[Sigmagirl]

Those of us who grew up in NE Ohio and stayed here, we're just tough motherfuckers is all :)

Fuckin' A.

[Beware of Doug]

Doesn't sound like a retail growth area. But they'd probably tell you there's lots of great jazz and other popular music on 78s that you can't find anywhere else.Oh, I know. I was one of those people for ten years.

That's why I say you don't want anything to do with them.