# Places known for bad reasons **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314 "2006-09-27T03:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![overeasy4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9bd4f/32.png) [@overeasy4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overeasy4)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/81 "2006-09-29T02:09:15Z")
The Spahn Ranch in California. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/82 "2006-09-29T03:10:31Z")
[Laramie, Wyoming](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/83 "2006-09-29T03:22:46Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] Nearby New Bedford, MA is on most of the country’s radar only because almost 25 years ago, a woman was gang-raped on a pool table in a crowded bar while the rest of the clientele cheered the attackers on. [/QUOTE] And right around the same time, a serial killer was murdering prostitutes in New Bedford and dumping the bodies near the highway. Never been caught, to the best of my knowledge. Wonderful little town, eh? ---
**Author:** ![FelixKat930](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@FelixKat930](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FelixKat930)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/84 "2006-09-29T04:51:09Z")
Oh that’s right…there was something on the news about the serial killer a couple of years ago. I was too young to remember it. The rape case was made into that movie with Jody Foster. Also New Bedford is known for that bizare attack where an EXTREMELY troubled kid walked into a gay bar and shot up the place. My mom’s co-worker knew the mom of that kid! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/85 "2006-09-29T05:36:07Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] **Gatopescado** writes: ??? [/QUOTE] Ever tried to get a decent meal there? The Tabasco is bland in SLC. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/86 "2006-09-29T06:34:11Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] But [nothing happened at Amityville](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/amityville.asp). Sailboat [/QUOTE] I do believe that the [DeFeos](http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/amityville/1.html) would disagree with you. Also, as probably George Lutz would have after he cribbed from their tragedy to make it rich. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/87 "2006-09-29T07:25:24Z")
[QUOTE=FelixKat930] Also New Bedford is known for that bizare attack where an EXTREMELY troubled kid walked into a gay bar and shot up the place. My mom’s co-worker knew the mom of that kid! :eek: [/QUOTE] _That’s_ why I’d seen New Bedford in the news again recently! :smack: Of the three Americans at my workplace, two of us are from the Boston area. When we heard that story, we just said, “Yep, New Bedford.” The third guy, who’s from California, asked why it had a reputation so we told him about Big Dan’s Tavern and the New Bedford killer. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/88 "2006-09-29T08:26:57Z")
Belsen Bergen Auschwitz The River Somme Verdun Flanders Gallipoli ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/89 "2006-09-29T09:36:05Z")
[QUOTE=AndLuna] Another from the UK: I was born in Hyde, which, if it’s known for anything at all (it’s still pretty obscure, I guess), it’s for having [three serial killers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde%2C_Greater_Manchester#Shipman) living there at various times. Both the Moors murderers, and Dr. Harold Shipman. It’s not exactly, uh, treated as a tourist attraction, though. [/QUOTE] I was going to say The Moors - I can’t think of them without thinking of Hindley & Brady. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/90 "2006-09-29T10:40:15Z")
You mean Saddleworth Moor, yup its about the only thing for which that place is known. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/91 "2006-09-29T11:59:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Ever tried to get a decent meal there? The Tabasco is bland in SLC. You just don’t know where to go. Plenty of good Mexican restaurants (real Mexican) and good mesquite grilling in SLC, and lotsa Chinese restaurants with spicy offerings. Don’t let the white-bread imagery mislead you. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/92 "2006-09-29T12:09:19Z")
Remember The Alamo ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/93 "2006-09-29T12:20:38Z")
We’ve got this far without mentioning Sodom and Gomorrah? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/94 "2006-09-29T12:55:45Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] Clearwater, Florida- Church of Scientology headquarters [/QUOTE] Yeah, but Los Angeles is unquestionably the capital of prominent Scientologists, so we win. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/95 "2006-09-29T20:01:20Z")
I keep thinking of Sarasota things: It’s where W was reading “The Pet Goat” while planes crashed into the World Trade Center. To balance out all these things, can anyone think of a _good_ thing Sarasota’s known for (besides the best-looking beaches on earth and erstwhile nudie beaches?) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/96 "2006-09-30T15:09:36Z")
[Ayers Rock, Australia](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000922.html) (and was I suprised to see this site come up when I googled “dingo ate my baby”) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/97 "2006-09-30T18:33:44Z")
Wappinger’s Falls, New York is only known for the whole [Tawana Brawley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawana_Brawley) bruhaha, ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/98 "2006-09-30T20:16:26Z")
[Killeen, TX](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luby%27s_massacre) ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/99 "2006-09-30T21:15:00Z")
Many people only know of the South African resort of [Sun City](http://www.southafrica-travel.net/north/a1Suncit.htm) because of the musicians who declared they [weren’t going to play there](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artists_United_Against_Apartheid) during the apartheid era. Another chapter of music history: [Clear Lake, Iowa](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php3?tip_AttractionNo==351) ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314/100 "2006-10-01T00:17:57Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Nobody’s stepped in to explain why **salt Lake City** is known for a bad reason. I’m still legitimately curious. [/QUOTE] I suspect **Gatopescado** was thinking of [Ted Bundy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Bundy), who committed some of his murders and was caught and originally imprisoned there. That’s certainly not the first thing I think of when I hear “Salt Lake City,” though. I think of skiing, Mormons, and the movie _SLC Punk!_. Same with a lot of these; apparently a lot of nasty stuff has gone down in Sarasota, Florida, but it’s all news to me; Sarasota means Gulf beaches, the Ringling Museum, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-known-for-bad-reasons/374314.md?page=6)