Worst Place in America Tournament

[Running_In_Place]

@tashabot

Dude, Winnemucca’s got nothing on Wells. There’s nothing in Wells except for a liquor store and cow shit.

Oh, and a Motel 6. I was stranded there for two days.

~Tasha

I made my post before I saw yours, and wasn’t even thinking about Wells.

I lived in Winnemucca for 5 years, but I’ve only driven through Wells when going back and forth from The mucc and Salt Lake City. I think I may have to agree with you for a few reasons:

• Mom refused to stop in Wells, we always made our major stop at the Red Lion in Elko.

• I’d hear horror stories from my grandmother about the restaurants in Wells. If you find yourself in Winnemucca for whatever reason, you can at least take calm in knowing that you won’t die from your meals.

• Just driving through, it looks like a bomb fell on it.

Winnemucca still sucks, though.

---

I would also like to retrack Tooele for Utah, and nominate Wendover instead. Wendover is cut in two - the Nevada side, and the Utah side. While the Nevada end thrives on the casinos, the Utah end’s economy is depressing. Its a hole - the houses are falling apart, its dirty…there is nothing good to say about it. Nevada doesn’t care because its Utah’s problem, and Utah forgets its there. Wendover, UT has been trying to get the two states to change the border ever-so-slightly so it can join Nevada, but they’re not having any luck.

[fachverwirrt]

@Shagnasty

New Hampshire and Vermont are problematic for these purposes because I can’t think of any nominees (at least not any that would stand up to a gust of wind from crappy places from other states).

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.

[Spoke]

I’ve been to Flint, Michigan, Gary, Indiana, and East St. Louis, Illinois, and having seen them, I honestly can’t think of any town or city in Georgia that can hold a candle to them.

[Kilvert_s_Pagan]

@NoClueBoy

Speaking of the mountains, when I lived in Lakewood, I used to drive up into the mountains for day hikes and pic trips. Is it 85 that takes you past Morrison? 285? I can’t remember. Anyways, going on west-ish past Morrison a few miles, there’s this large, very gradual curve in the road. On the south-ish side of the curve is a small little community. Locals told me it was an old hippie commune. Well, now it’s a rancid looking eyesore with an open landfill and a couple of dozen shacks and trailors. I think I remember a sign there naming it as an actual town, but it might have been a non-official sign. I took pics of the extreme ugliness surrounded by breathtaking scenery simply for the juxtaposition. (Chromes, not scanned.) Anyone know what place I’m thinking of?

Since you’re describing what was. for many years, my daily commute, I ought to be able to come up with this. (It’s 285, by the way.) How far past Morrison was it? The places I’m thinking of would have required another turn or two off 285 - Foxton, South Platte, or maybe even Pine proper. Shaffer’s Crossing didn’t have any trailers, and I’m assuming Bailey is too far? Aspen Park isn’t that ugly, even when it had the giant hot dog (which is in Bailey now…)

Any of these ring a bell?

Some other nominations, to stir things up:
Rutland, VT
Yuma, AZ
Bettendorf, IA
Kimball, NE
Bennettsville, SC
Hazard, KY
Sevierville, TN
Hoquiam, WA

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

[QUOTE=Kilvert’s Pagan]

is there a minimum population requirement, or at least a “it’s gotta be generally known” requirement? I know a lot of places in Kentucky to nominate, but they’re mostly really little.

No.

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

I’ll just decide based on a book I have on the subject and my humble opinion. Just because we have to get it down to one a state and byes are kind of messy.

@Sternvogel

Here are the cities now being considered by the committee:

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:
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:
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:
South Dakota: Mitchell (the one with the corn palace) (in the book)
Tennessee: Gatlinburg (in the book)
Texas: Waco
Utah: Tooele
Vermont:
Virginia: Virginia Beach
Washington: Gray’s Harbor
West Virginia:
Wisconsin:
Wyoming: Rock Springs

So now all we need is people to nominate places in Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

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

So now all we need is people to nominate places in Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

@The Spirit of Radio

I’ll just decide based on a book I have on the subject and my humble opinion. Just because we have to get it down to one a state and byes are kind of messy.

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:
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:
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:
South Dakota: Mitchell (the one with the corn palace) (in the book)
Tennessee: Gatlinburg (in the book)
Texas: Waco
Utah: Tooele
Vermont:
Virginia: Virginia Beach
Washington: Gray’s Harbor
West Virginia:
Wisconsin:
Wyoming: Rock Springs

So now all we need is people to nominate places in Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Sorry about this post. I didn’t read all the way through.

[Spoke]

@The Spirit of Radio

Georgia: College Park (in the book)

College Park? Seriously? How old is this book?

If College Park is the worst Georgia has to offer, we’re out in the first round. Check the slide shows.

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

@spoke-

College Park? Seriously? How old is this book?

If College Park is the worst Georgia has to offer, we’re out in the first round. Check the slide shows.

Copyright 2006. It said that College Park is pretty much pure nightmarish southern ghetto on the south side and Hartsfield-Jackson runways on the north side.

[Spoke]

Laughable. I suspect the author has never set foot in the place. He heard a third-hand report that was 20 years out of date.

Check the links.

[Shagnasty]

@spoke-

College Park? Seriously? How old is this book?

If College Park is the worst Georgia has to offer, we’re out in the first round. Check the slide shows.

Manchester, NH was apparently listed in the book as well. It has a great airport, access to the Boston area and the rest of New England in a moderately urbanized package, for less cost than the Boston area itself. Money magazine has listed the general area including Nassua as the best place to live in the U.S. overall at least once in recent memory. It may not be perfect but it probably above average for all U.S. places. Rutland, VT is a little crappy for Vermont, but again it is Vermont and it just doesn’t get that bad.

This comment may seem a little distasteful but it is just meant for context. Vermont and New Hampshire (respectively) are the two whitest states in the nation with more than 98% of their population made up on non-Hispanic whites. Many of the things that make a place crappy are urbanized decay, visibility oppressed poor populations and ghettos. “I see white people” may be among your first thoughts as you drive through New Hampshire and Vermont and realize that things have gotten very odd on the demographic front. There are definitely some trashy people in New Hampshire but they don’t tend to live in concentrations high enough to catch the notice of casual observers.

[Siam_Sam]

Geez, I can see not many have been to Plains, Texas. Plains makes Waco and the Midland-Odessa area seem like Paris.

[Shagnasty]

@Siam Sam

Geez, I can see not many have been to Plains, Texas. Plains makes Waco and the Midland-Odessa area seem like Paris.

Paris, Texas isn’t a very bad place but I wouldn’t hold it as the standard by which all other places in Texas are measured.

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

@spoke-

Laughable. I suspect the author has never set foot in the place. He heard a third-hand report that was 20 years out of date.

Check the links.

Oh, no, no, no, the author had people give him their opinions of the place. I think most of them were actually from those places.

[AuntiePam]

Iowa needs a nomination?

I’ll nominate Des Moines, because IMHO the city planners let the interstate and interstate access determine growth. If it ever had any charm, it’s gone, or it’s in dispersed in pockets, none of which I’ve found.

[The_Spirit_of_Radio]

Oh, wait, I made another mistake in my list post :smack:. Under New Jersey, there should only be Camden, not East Orange, as East Orange seems like a Shangri-La compared to Camden.

[AncientHumanoid]

@Kilvert's Pagan

Since you’re describing what was. for many years, my daily commute, I ought to be able to come up with this. (It’s 285, by the way.) How far past Morrison was it? The places I’m thinking of would have required another turn or two off 285 - Foxton, South Platte, or maybe even Pine proper. Shaffer’s Crossing didn’t have any trailers, and I’m assuming Bailey is too far? Aspen Park isn’t that ugly, even when it had the giant hot dog (which is in Bailey now…)

Any of these ring a bell?

Those all sounded familiar, so I’m sure I’ve been to them in my hiking or pic taking trips. But, getting out a map, I think it was actually Grant. Time appears to be playing havoc with my fifteen year old distance memories.

I would go all over that 285 corridor, Guenella Pass and Mt. Bierstadt being some of my favorite spots. But, the map location plus the Wiki entry for Grant seems to jive with my memory.

Unless someone points out that Grant is actually picturesque and not an eyesore, in which case I’ll have to wonder if I’m remembering the right area at all. (I think I am, but memories can be tricky at times.)

[Siam_Sam]

@Shagnasty

Paris, Texas isn’t a very bad place but I wouldn’t hold it as the standard by which all other places in Texas are measured.

Silly! Naturally, I meant Paris, Arkansas.

[NDP]

@Sternvogel

Here are the cities now being considered by the committee:

Washington: Burien, Kent, Gray’s Harbor

I know it’s not polite but something needs to be corrected. Grays Harbor is not a city but the name of a county and a body of water in Washington. There is a city in Grays Harbor County named Aberdeen, Washington which does fit movingfinger’s description (along with the neighboring city of Hoquiam which has already been mentioned). While I will grant that both Aberdeen and Hoquiam are both rather depressing lumber towns in decline, I don’t necessarily think they’re the worst in Washington. I’d pick Moses Lake or any one of the Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland) for the list ahead of Aberdeen or Hoquiam. At least you won’t notice the color green being conspicuously absent if you go there.

As for bad cities in Nevada, I don’t think Winnemucca or Wells has anything on Battle Mountain. As this passage from the linked Washington Post article proclaims:

@Washington Post

God may indeed work in mysterious ways. But one thing, surely, is no mystery: He uses available material. When He visits destruction upon the tropics, He doesn’t send a blizzard, He summons the power of the warm seas and the tropical winds.

In Battle Mountain, He writes in flickering neon.

Above us looms the highest structure in town, the giant sign on stilts 40 feet above the gas station, an enormous red and yellow SHELL.

The S is burned out.

So here it is, for better or worse.

Having objectively examined the evidence, which is clear and convincing, and having reached its conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt, The Washington Post Magazine hereby confers upon the town of Battle Mountain, Nev., the title of Armpit of America, with all the privileges and responsibilities therein.