# Worst Place in America Tournament **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012 "2007-04-06T18:05:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Running\_In\_Place](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e56c9b/32.png) [@Running\_In\_Place](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_In_Place)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/81 "2007-04-08T12:59:14Z")
Battle Mountain isn’t any worse than Winnemucca in terms of crappiness. That article always kind of irritated me. Have you actually been there, or are you just forming your opinion around that article? When you drive through Battle Mountain, its just another boring Nevada town…when you drive through Wells, you’re depressed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/82 "2007-04-08T13:14:54Z")
Ok, the new, semi-revised (I just took out East Orange). **Aunite Pam** , Iowa already had Bettendorf as their nomination. Alabama: Birmingham (in the book) Alaska: Fairbanks (in the book) Arizona: Quartzsite (in the book) Arkansas: Harrison (in the book) California: Compton, Colorado: Pueblo Connecticut: Bridgeport Delaware: Florida: Yulee Georgia: College Park (in the book) Hawaii: Waianae Idaho: Nampa (in the book) Illinois: East St. Louis Indiana: Gary Iowa: Bettendorf Kansas: Garden City Kentucky: Campton (population 424) (in the book) Louisiana: Lake Providence Maine: Maryland: Baltimore Massachusetts: Lawrence Michigan: Flint Minnesota: Mississippi: Greenville (in the book) Missouri: Jefferson City Montana: Butte Nebraska: Kimball Nevada: Wells New Hampshire: Manchester (in the book) New Jersey: Camden, East Orange New Mexico: Las Vegas New York: Buffalo North Carolina: Lumberton North Dakota: Ohio: Youngstown Oklahoma: Okmulgee Oregon: Pennsylvania: Chester Rhode Island: Cranston (in the book) South Carolina:Bennetsville South Dakota: Mitchell (the one with the corn palace) (in the book) Tennessee: Gatlinburg (in the book) Texas: Waco Utah: Tooele Vermont: Rutland Virginia: Virginia Beach Washington: Gray’s Harbor West Virginia: Wisconsin: Wyoming: Rock Springs ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/83 "2007-04-08T13:28:32Z")
Worst place in Delaware, I’ll say Wilmington. I’ve heard there’s drugs and gangs and all that stuff there. And Delaware is small, it won’t last long in the tournament. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/84 "2007-04-08T13:52:54Z")
I’m going to second **Shagnasty** ’s objection over the inclusion of Manchester NH. As he said, it was named one of the best places in America rather recently (if I recall correctly, it was number 2 in 1999, then the number 1 small city in 2000). Since then all they’ve done is add a minor league hockey and baseball team. Of course there are depressed areas, but it’s a city; of course there are. Overall, though, it’s a thriving city that’s doing fine economically, and is kind of pretty to boot. And you already have a nomination for New Hampshire (Berlin). ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/85 "2007-04-08T17:46:47Z")
The problem with E. St. Louis is that its surrounded by equally or even more decrepit cities (Sauget, Centreville, and Lovejoy) it just happens to be the most famous. **Missouri** - Kansas City. Just offering an alternative to Jeff City. There are plenty of cities in the southern part of the state that would be better choices, but most people haven’t heard of them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/86 "2007-04-08T17:52:05Z")
[QUOTE=RetroVertigo] There are plenty of cities in the southern part of the state that would be better choices, but most people haven’t heard of them. [/QUOTE] Size doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/87 "2007-04-08T17:59:05Z")
Gorst, WA Basically a speed trap on the highway from Tacoma to the Olympic Peninsula. Consists of a gun shop, a convenience store, a mobile home dealership, two car dealers (1 new, 1 used) a scrap metal yard and a strip club that doesn’t allow their dancers closer than ten feet from the patrons - they get their tips buy having ‘tokens’ tossed at them while they ‘dance’. No scenery to recommend it - it sits at water level, and is surrounded by hills on three sides. The view to the east is of the West Coast US Navy ship storage facility. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/88 "2007-04-08T20:31:19Z")
[QUOTE=Running\_In\_Place] Battle Mountain isn’t any worse than Winnemucca in terms of crappiness. That article always kind of irritated me. Have you actually been there, or are you just forming your opinion around that article? When you drive through Battle Mountain, its just another boring Nevada town…when you drive through Wells, you’re depressed. [/QUOTE] When I was a kid my family and I drove through Battle Mountain. However, to be fair, I should mention that was back in the 70’s. We also drove through Wells but that town didn’t leave any type of positive or negative impression on me. I’ve stayed in Winnemucca a few times. At least they’ve got some good Basque places there. The casinos there are also better than anything in Battle Mountain (although that’s probably not saying much). Since Spirit of the Radio said size (or incorporation) didn’t matter, may I suggest the hamlet of Biggs Junction, Oregon? Whenever I stop there, I can’t help but notice how grimy everything is. It’s like a small dust storm has permanently settled over the community. Finally, for the sake of future listings, I must emphasize Grays Harbor, Washington is not a city. I’m quite sure \*\*movingfinger \*\* was referring to either Aberdeen or Hoquiam. (Sorry to be a nag about this.) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/89 "2007-04-08T20:37:39Z")
For New Hampshire, there’s NO WAY Manchester is the worst town. Their worst three towns, easily, are: 3rd worst: Claremont 2nd Worst: Berlin Worst: Franklin ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/90 "2007-04-08T20:38:21Z")
OK, so now our new list (sorry for so many lists, I just want to keep everything in order and unmessy and confusing.) Ok, the new, semi-revised (I just took out East Orange). Aunite Pam, Iowa already had Bettendorf as their nomination. Alabama: Birmingham (in the book) Alaska: Fairbanks (in the book) Arizona: Quartzsite (in the book) Arkansas: Harrison (in the book) California: Compton, Colorado: Pueblo Connecticut: Bridgeport Delaware: Wilmington Florida: Yulee Georgia: College Park (in the book) Hawaii: Waianae Idaho: Nampa (in the book) Illinois: East St. Louis Indiana: Gary Iowa: Bettendorf Kansas: Garden City Kentucky: Campton (population 424) (in the book) Louisiana: Lake Providence Maine: Maryland: Baltimore Massachusetts: Lawrence Michigan: Flint Minnesota: Mississippi: Greenville (in the book) Missouri: Jefferson City Montana: Butte Nebraska: Kimball Nevada: Wells New Hampshire: Manchester (in the book) New Jersey: Camden New Mexico: Las Vegas New York: Buffalo North Carolina: Lumberton North Dakota: Ohio: Youngstown Oklahoma: Okmulgee Oregon: Biggs Junction Pennsylvania: Chester Rhode Island: Cranston (in the book) South Carolina:Bennetsville South Dakota: Mitchell (the one with the corn palace) (in the book) Tennessee: Gatlinburg (in the book) Texas: Waco Utah: Tooele Vermont: Rutland Virginia: Virginia Beach Washington: Gray’s Harbor West Virginia: Wisconsin: Wyoming: Rock Springs Now can someone please nominate cities in Wisconsin, West Virginia, Maine, Minnesota, and North Dakota? ---
**Author:** ![mikeargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@mikeargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeargo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/91 "2007-04-08T21:26:45Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] I’ll go ahead and nominate Berlin, New Hampshire because a.) it’s in the north country, which means there’s nothing there (and the natural beauty is disrupted by a crappy city), and b.) it’s gone from stinking because of the paper mills to economic depression because of the decline of the paper industry. With the caveat that I’ve only been there once, and it was in 1993. It was stinky, though. [/QUOTE] Berlin is pretty rough these days, but at least there is hope: a federal prison is being considered, which should help out the job situation. I submit Franklin, another aging mill town left to rot after the textile and shoe industries left. While it is located in the central part of the state, there is nothing remotely scenic about it (but the lovely Lakes region is only a few minutes away). ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/92 "2007-04-08T21:58:37Z")
What about Needles, California, which has the distinction of having the record highest low temperature, 100 degrees. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/93 "2007-04-08T22:06:09Z")
Keep in mind that I actually liked Oxnard (CA) Raton (NM) and Pueblo (CO). I have a high threshold for “worst” towns. My nominations/votes: Lead is North Dakota’s version of Butte, Montana. Grubby little dying mining town, horrible water, drugs, unemployment . . . Most of the residents are praying for the mineshafts to hurry up and collapse so they can sue a couple of long bankrupt mining companies. Calhoun, CO – meth addicts & jesus freaks. Jackson, MI – covered in this thread and others. Butte, MT – more people with bigger versions of the same problems and worse weather than Lead, ND. Anaconda could give Butte a run for it’s money, except the Old Works golf course provides slight redemption. Dugway, UT – Worse than Tooele, which takes some doin’. Worland, WY – just because I hated every freakin’ minute I ever spent there. Shoshone is #2, and Powder River comes in third, simply because if my car is going to break down, it will do it in Powder River, at midnight, 7 hours before a funeral, every freaking time. The guy who owned the bar/cafe/gas station/Trailways stop deserves to be nominated for Sainthood, win Powerball, and have 17 virgins washing his feet twice a day. Barstow, CA beats Bakersfield by hair. Both are filled with deadbeats, nutjobs and tweakers, but Bakersfield is greener. Jackson, MI – Same reasons already mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/94 "2007-04-08T23:42:58Z")
[QUOTE=MadPansy64] Lead is North Dakota’s version of Butte, Montana. Grubby little dying mining town, horrible water, drugs, unemployment . . . Most of the residents are praying for the mineshafts to hurry up and collapse so they can sue a couple of long bankrupt mining companies. [/QUOTE] Aw, shit, nevermind. Lead is in SOUTH Dakota. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/95 "2007-04-08T23:43:36Z")
I will nominate Duluth, MN. As a tourist on the one nice day out of the year, you can fill your day with a nice visit to Lake Superior. As a resident, you have the other 364 days to deal with. I will nominate Superior, WI, Duluth’s “sister city” across the bridge. A shout out to Flint, MI. Likely to go all the way! Fayetteville may be another contender in NC, although Lumberton is also a credible entry. Or Tarheel, home of the Smithfield Farms hog processing plant. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/96 "2007-04-09T00:19:44Z")
[QUOTE=mikeargo] Berlin is pretty rough these days, but at least there is hope: a federal prison is being considered, which should help out the job situation. I submit Franklin, another aging mill town left to rot after the textile and shoe industries left. While it is located in the central part of the state, there is nothing remotely scenic about it (but the lovely Lakes region is only a few minutes away). [/QUOTE] I’ll admit that Franklin is not a terribly compelling town, but mostly I find it boring. Berlin I just wanted to get out of. If I recall correctly, Franklin is on the Winnepesaukee river, which is kind of pretty. I’ll add further that while neither is impressive, Franklin’s median income is about $5,000 more (app. $34,000) than Berlin’s (app. $29,000). [Franklin (Wikipedia)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%2C_NH) [Berlin (Wikipedia)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_NH) That said, Franklin would be fine with me as the nominee, but my vote would go to Berlin. **The Spirit of Radio** , again, please remove Manchester from consideration. I assure you, it is absolutely not the worst city in New Hampshire. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/97 "2007-04-09T00:25:33Z")
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry] A shout out to Flint, MI. Likely to go all the way! [/QUOTE] Remember to text your votes in, America! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/98 "2007-04-09T00:51:33Z")
[QUOTE=mikeargo] I submit Franklin, another aging mill town left to rot after the textile and shoe industries left. While it is located in the central part of the state, there is nothing remotely scenic about it (but the lovely Lakes region is only a few minutes away). [/QUOTE] My in-laws have a farm in Canterbury, NH and I know Franklin well. I even went to a wedding there last summer. It may be moderately crappy by New Hampshire standards but it is still pretty and charming to the casual observer. I never found any of it at all negative. Again, we are dealing with a case of white charming New Englanders gone bad which is only about 1/8th the way down the barrel. I think most outsiders would laugh if they saw what you were nominating for crappy. ---
**Author:** ![Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Secret_Volcano_Lair)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/99 "2007-04-09T00:55:00Z")
[QUOTE=MadPansy64] Worland, WY – just because I hated every freakin’ minute I ever spent there. [/QUOTE] +1 I used to live in Worland. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012/100 "2007-04-09T01:27:39Z")
re: Colorado: I’d like to point out that Aurora has received a higher percentage of negative posts here than Pueblo, and Greeley has had no offsetting good comments either. Why are we sticking with Pueblo? And are we sticking with Rock Springs WY because it was nominated first? I guess we need a process for narrowing down cities within a state as part of this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-place-in-america-tournament/399012.md?page=6)