# What's the worst city in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 24, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642 "2003-09-24T22:05:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/1 "2003-09-24T22:05:07Z")
What is the worst city in the US? Where uglyness, crime, unemployment, and poverty make it a place you wouldn’t want to be. Plus other factors (tax base being on welfare, poor infrastructure, vacant industries), that make a comeback pretty unlikely. Gary, Indiana has my vote. The downtown area is so empty that trees are growing out of the roofs and even renovation projects (hotel, convention center) stand empty. The residential areas may have only one house to a block because of the vacant lots. Besides being perhaps the ugliest place I’ve seen, statistically, it’s at the wrong end of crime, income, and unemployment numbers. Some other candidates among the places I’ve seen: East St Louis, Illinois Camden, New Jersey Flint, Michigan Butte, Montana Highland Park, Michigan ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/2 "2003-09-24T22:44:12Z")
Gary, Indiana has my vote, too. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/3 "2003-09-25T01:31:33Z")
I understand that Detroit averages 16 gun shot ER Trauma cases every Friday and Saturday night. That’s kinda freaky. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/4 "2003-09-25T01:39:01Z")
True, but there’s a chance that Detroit might rebound. Gary is pretty much sunk. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/5 "2003-09-25T02:47:52Z")
Well, Fargo N. Dakota bored the living shit out of me. But that’s not in your list of criteria, is it?😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/6 "2003-09-25T02:51:28Z")
It probably all started to go to hell with that awful song: _Gary, In-di-AN-a Gary, IN-di-an-a Gary, In-di-an-A_ ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/7 "2003-09-25T02:52:32Z")
Greenville, TX. Highest per-capita murder rate in Texas more often than not. Right on the crossroads of several drug-trafficking routes, 50 miles outside of Dallas. Very segregated, very depressed economy, most people who work do so through temp agencies for a few cents over minimum. I miss the place. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/8 "2003-09-25T02:52:51Z")
GAH-ree Indiana Gary IN-diana Gary Indiana, let me say it once again… And here I was going to go with Compton… ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/9 "2003-09-25T03:20:36Z")
Hey, the Jackson 5 were from Gary 🙂 My vote: Newark, NJ with East Chicago, IN a close second. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/10 "2003-09-25T04:32:52Z")
East Saint Louis no doubt. Never will you find a finer example of mismanagement and lost opportunity. It belongs in a textbook. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/11 "2003-09-25T05:57:35Z")
I vote Newark, NJ, even though I’ve only been in the airport… it’s that bad. Bithlo, FL is pretty bad too although I don’t know if you’d count 11 junkyards, a general store, and a McDonald’s as a “city”. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/12 "2003-09-25T06:12:28Z")
While Alabamans are indeed fine people, the state itself sucks IMHO. There is nothing pretty about it physically and summer in Huntsville will make you wish you were dead. East St. Louis is pretty bad, too. When I was a teenager my church’s youth group went to St. Louis, MO to some kinda conference and our bus **broke down** in ESL. That was a scary 4 or so hours before we got a new bus _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/13 "2003-09-25T06:16:10Z")
according to the FBI and the Justice Dept.[and this site](http://www.bigfoot.com/~baltimore-sux/topten2002.htm) Baltimore is the worst of the top 25 largest cities in the US. Surprising huh? ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/14 "2003-09-25T06:20:26Z")
I used to think my own hometown (El Paso, TX) was the armpit of America, with the armpit of Mexico (Cd. Juarez) squeezed up against it…like some bizarre wrestling move. However East St. Louis makes me glad to be here. At least the murder rate is relatively low - on this side of the border at least. But El Paso is probably the ugliest city in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/15 "2003-09-25T06:25:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by t-keela \* > \*\*according to the FBI and the Justice Dept.[and this site](http://www.bigfoot.com/~baltimore-sux/topten2002.htm) > Baltimore is the worst of the top 25 largest cities in the US. > > Surprising huh? \*\* I’ve never been to B-more, I guess I am lucky. A friend of mine had to go there for business and the guard at the hotel door wouldn’t let him leave the hotel on foot. I had to go to downtown Newark, NJ once for business. They have an elevated covered sidewalk there (I presume so you won’t have to “mix” with the people on the street). When we got to the office, the lady we had to meet with said some people in the office might appear a bit upset today, they found a body in the trunk of a car in the parking garage, AGAIN. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/16 "2003-09-25T06:31:06Z")
Worst city to navigate? I vote for Boston. Although, Beantown is a decent city. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/17 "2003-09-25T09:44:16Z")
I’ve been to El Paso. I’ve been to Baltimore. I’ve been to Newark. I’ve been to Flint. I’ve been to Huntsville. I’ve been to Detroit. **Gary, Indiana takes the prize.** ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/18 "2003-09-25T10:09:56Z")
Naturally, people who visit a city once or twice a year (or perhaps never) will have a different view than those who actually live there. Perhaps one helpful criterion could be that the person nominating the city must have lived (or still be living) in the city. This is because as a rule people tend to see their hometowns as they are, perhaps even leaning toward being proud of their city. So their complaining against it might carry a bit more weight than an observation from a business traveler or tourist. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/19 "2003-09-25T10:10:07Z")
I’ve been to Georgia and California and anywhere I could run Took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun… ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642/20 "2003-09-25T10:24:53Z")
I disagree **Spoke-.** You’ve never been to Huntsville Alabama. If you’d been to Huntsville Alabama, you’d never want to leave. **\_[\>\>\>Los Angeles, California\<\<\<** LA is not a Great Big Freeway. LA is a prison where the world is roped away by an endless series of intrusive rules and laws. An affront to the spirit of freemen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-city-in-the-us/203642.md?page=2)