what part of a state would you least like to live in

[freepcrusher]

I guess the question  is if whether or not it should be from a political/cultural perspective or from an aesthetic perspective. I sort of picked both factors. A place like Forsyth County Georgia is very nice but the North Korean type voting there makes it sound like a major turnoff. On the other hand the Central Valley in California has a lot of dem areas but those areas are often appalling at how poor they are. Then you have areas that are both bad from an aesthetic perspective and from a cultural/political perspective like Southwest Missouri.

But If I had to do it strictly on aesthetics here is how I would do it:

Alabama: some of the counties near the Florida border. I was driving to Destin one year and drove through there and I felt like I was in another century

Alaska - anywhere in the state. Too damn cold

Arizona - I've been to Phoenix before and driving west from downtown Phoenix on Van Buren; once you get past I-17, you feel like you're in Guadalajara.

Arkansas - same as I said above. The river counties are very poor and rural.

California - Delano, Arvin, Coalinga etc

Colorado - the eastern plains counties. Its super remote out there

Connecticut - N/A

Delaware - N/A

Florida - Panhandle

Georgia - parts of Sanford Bishop's district

Hawaii - N/A

Idaho - the John Schmitz counties as mentioned earlier

Illinois - anywhere below the 39th parallel

Indiana - anywhere below the 39th parallel

Iowa - bottom two rows of counties

Kansas - rural western part of state

Kentucky - eastern part

Louisiana - anywhere in the state

Maine - N/A

Maryland - parts of Baltimore

Massachusetts n/a

Michigan - parts of Detroit

Minnesota - Northwest part. Very rural and very cold

Mississippi - river counties

Missouri - Southwest part

Montana - N/A

Nebraska - N/A

Nevada - N/A

New Hampshire - N/A

New Jersey - parts of Newark

New Mexico - counties bordering Texas (especially Clovis)

New York - Buffalo. Even if I lived in the south bronx it doesn't get as frigid and you're close to a lot more cultural attractions

North Carolina - some of the poor rural counties in either in the foothill counties or in the eastern tidewater counties

North Dakota - N/A

Ohio - Jim Jordan's district. Very rural, very conservative, and very dull landscape. Also very religious (a lot of Catholics I think) and I'm agnostic

Oklahoma - anywhere in the state

Oregon - N/A

Pennsylvania - Westmoreland County. Even if I lived in the ghetto areas of Philly, I would be close to a lot of things. Westmoreland County is a lot of bitter old people and Pittsburgh isn't as cool as Philly.

Rhode Island - N/A

South Carolina - It would be tempting to say some of the impoverished counties in Clyburn's district, but at least they are close to the ocean. I would still have to say Greenville. It's further inland, not diverse, and militantly christian

South Dakota - Shannon County. Cold, Flat, and Dirt Poor

Tennessee - some of the foothill counties. From a political perspective, I would have to say that too since those counties have been GOP since the 19th century

Texas - Isn't Starr County supposed to be very poor?

Utah - Provo.

Vermont - N/A

Virginia - on second thought probably Lynchburg (appropriately named). Its in the middle of f'in nowhere, no culture, and strictly christian.

Washington - N/A.

West Virginia - whole state

Wisconsin - the far rural northern area. Its cold as f--- up there

Wyoming - N/A

[Wonkish1]

Vermont

[phk]

More like "What part of the state votes for my party least".

[Filuwaúrdjan]

More like "What part of the state votes for my party least".

Ah, I see that you have been on this forum for some time.

[TJ in Oregon]

Alabama – anywhere rural and hopelessly poor
Alaska – someplace really, really rural
Arizona -. Indian Reservation or Pheonix
Arkansas - some of the poor river counties?
California - some
Colorado - Boulder
Connecticut -
Delaware -
Florida - panhandle
Georgia – poor Black Belt
Hawaii -
Idaho – I don’t know, Blaine County?
Illinois – south side of Chicago
Indiana - Gary
Iowa -
Kansas -
Kentucky – anywhere rural and southernish
Louisiana – some backwater place
Maine -
Maryland – Inner-city Baltimore
Massachusetts – Western Mass uber-liberal zone
Michigan – inner-city Detroit
Minnesota - Indian Reservation
Mississippi - the third world river counties
Missouri – rural southern areas
Montana -
Nebraska -
Nevada – Las Vegas
New Hampshire – maybe some super-liberal Boston suburb
New Jersey - Newark
NM – someplace too hot
NY - Midtown Manhattan
NC - Asheville
ND – Indian Reservation
Ohio - Athens
Oklahoma – someplace too hot
Oregon - Portland
Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh
Rhode Island - ?
South Carolina – poor Black Belt areas
South Dakota – Indian Reservation
Tennessee – maybe some rural areas
Texas – someplace too hot
Utah - Utah County. I’m not a Mormon
Vermont – anywhere in the state
Virginia – N/A
Washington - Seattle
West Virginia - anywhere in the state
Wisconsin - Madison
Wyoming – Yellowstone tourist areas

[memphis]

Poor remote areas, obviously. It matters little whether that's nasty urban ghetto or rural trailer home territory. For all my dislike for the aesthetics and design of sprawly suburbs, at least one has access to all the goodies of our modern economy there.

[dead0man]

Poor remote areas, obviously. It matters little whether that's nasty urban ghetto or rural trailer home territory. For all my dislike for the aesthetics and design of sprawly suburbs, at least one has access to all the goodies of our modern economy there.

Agreed.  Away from the "poors" for me too.

[Alcon]

Seattle?  Portland?  Blaine County, Idaho?  Gilbert/Mesa, Arizona?  Montgomery County, Texas?

I can see why these places may not be at the top of someone's list, but I have no idea by what standard they could be considered to contain the worst parts of any of their states.

[Wonkish1]

More like "What part of the state votes for my party least".

[Wonkish1]

Seattle?  Portland?  Blaine County, Idaho?  Gilbert/Mesa, Arizona?  Montgomery County, Texas?

I can see why these places may not be at the top of someone's list, but I have no idea by what standard they could be considered to contain the worst parts of any of their states.

Add Waukesha county to that one. The OP just posted that because he heard some news about how it was big time GOP territory. Its also in the top 2 wealthiest counties in Wisconsin, its quite pretty, safe, good schools, etc. He's from California, would he put Orange County as his most disliked county because of the amount of Republicans there? Probably not, who from Cali would absolutely hate living in OC?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Of course these threads are also interesting in ways other than the lolness mentioned earlier. You also generally have impressive (and unwitting) displays of unthinking and highly revealing snobbery.

I can see why these places may not be at the top of someone's list, but I have no idea by what standard they could be considered to contain the worst parts of any of their states.

Must admit that Montgomery County, TX is getting quite close to my idea of hell, but that's not really because of the politics (although that doesn't help).

[krazen1211]

Scott Garrett's district is much wealthier than the ones to its South (not Rodney's) with lower unemployment.

[Torie]

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This dude know his stuff. Quiz time. What is the one plus factor, the only one, Buffalo (depressed, provincial, down market, cold, snowy, and over taxed) has going for it?

TJ, have you ever been to Pittsburgh?  I think not!  And the Dutch county in PA is charming, and Lancaster a really neat old town (I love it).  You have to be able to tolerate looking at tons of "fats" though. I think I was the thinnest chap in the county when I was there. 

[Modernity has failed us]

Pennsylvania - Where I live lol

[Torie]

Seattle?  Portland?  Blaine County, Idaho?  Gilbert/Mesa, Arizona?  Montgomery County, Texas?

I can see why these places may not be at the top of someone's list, but I have no idea by what standard they could be considered to contain the worst parts of any of their states.

Spokane depressed the hell out of me. I got up to leave when it was still dark in the morning, so that I would not have to see it again in the daylight.

[krazen1211]

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This dude know his stuff. Quiz time. What is the one plus factor, the only one, Buffalo (depressed, provincial, down market, cold, snowy, and over taxed) has going for it?

TJ, have you ever been to Pittsburgh?  I think not!  And the Dutch county in PA is charming, and Lancaster a really neat old town (I love it).  You have to be able to tolerate looking at tons of "fats" though. I think I was the thinnest chap in the county when I was there. 

The Bills?

[Torie]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

This dude know his stuff. Quiz time. What is the one plus factor, the only one, Buffalo (depressed, provincial, down market, cold, snowy, and over taxed) has going for it?

TJ, have you ever been to Pittsburgh?  I think not!  And the Dutch county in PA is charming, and Lancaster a really neat old town (I love it).  You have to be able to tolerate looking at tons of "fats" though. I think I was the thinnest chap in the county when I was there.  

The Bills?

Football. Never watch it. No, the answer of course is that it is near Toronto, silly boy!

[Free Palestine]

California -- Los Angeles, Bakersfield, in general anywhere in Southern California or the Central Valley.
Washington -- The eastern part.
Oregon -- The eastern part.
Nevada -- Everywhere.
New York -- NYC.
The entire South.

[TJ in Oregon]

TJ, have you ever been to Pittsburgh?  I think not!  And the Dutch county in PA is charming, and Lancaster a really neat old town (I love it).  You have to be able to tolerate looking at tons of "fats" though. I think I was the thinnest chap in the county when I was there. 

Yes, Torie, I have been to Pittsburgh. My roommate is from Pittsburgh and three of my old roommates have been from Pittsburgh. My selection of that place as the part of PA I'd want least to live in was selected based on my observation that mere discussion of it (or their precious sports teams) turns nice people into jerks. I’ve noticed people often have a superiority complex about it such that they pack together and consider each other better in some way than people from other places. I've told many, many times how wonderful it is. For example, I was at a large dinner at Carnegie-Mellon once and while everyone there was very hungrily waiting for the introducing speaker to stop talking so we could eat, she decided to give a complete city history so we had to listen to some lady drone on and on about how perfect the place is. Did you know the first Ice Capades were in Pittsburgh!?

In addition, when I was in my college application phase, Carnegie Mellon really did not seem to want me, as they refused to give me a tour and were rude on the phone. The only track race I ever ran there was one of the worst of my life. I’ve had terrible experiences with the place.

There are some places I chose based off very little knowledge and my decision to put them is quite dubious. However, Pittsburgh is not one of them.

[Torie]

Get Grumps to show you around TJ.  I assume he knows a bit about the place beyond what are the coolest bars that you eschew.

[Orthodox]

I live in a little village town in the South, I probably wouldn't want to live anywhere else by choice. But unfortunately, unless I want to be in the army, there isn't much in terms of career opportunities around here.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Poor remote areas, obviously. It matters little whether that's nasty urban ghetto or rural trailer home territory. For all my dislike for the aesthetics and design of sprawly suburbs, at least one has access to all the goodies of our modern economy there.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Massachusetts – Western Mass uber-liberal zone

This is going to be my new location on my profile. I laughed. Perfect shorthand for Hampshire County.

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The Boston exurbs in New Hampshire are the most conservative part of the state. The liberal parts are the rural north and west.

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You might not mind Essex County politically, but it's way too rural for you.


Alabama: White Birmingham suburbs
Alaska: Ma-Tsu Valley
Arizona: Some of the suburbs
Arkansas: The poorer river counties
California: Orange County or Fresno
Colorado: Colorado Springs
Connecticut: The southwestern coast
Delaware: Maybe inner-city Wilmington?
Florida: Most parts of the state, but Broward County seems particularly awful
Georgia: White Atlanta suburbs or some of the dirt-poor Black Belt parts
Hawaii: Not sure; a really remote island, I guess
Idaho: The southeastern part of the state
Illinois: Chicago exurbs or East St Louis
Indiana: Southern Indiana
Iowa: Western Iowa
Kansas: Any part of the state
Kentucky: Western tip
Louisiana: Lake Charles area
Maine: Waterville
Maryland: Parts of inner-city Baltimore
Massachusetts: The Boston exurbs up around Lowell
Michigan: Downtown Detroit
Minnesota: Northern Twin Cities exurbs
Mississippi: Gulf Coast
Missouri: Ozark Methistan
Montana: Not sure, maybe the really remote eastern parts
Nebraska: Omaha suburbs
Nevada: Vegas
New Hampshire: Most of Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties
New Jersey: Camden
New Mexico: Albuquerque
New York: South Bronx
North Carolina: Winston-Salem
North Dakota: Does it really even matter out there?
Ohio: Northwest Ohio Suburban Columbus
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
Oregon: Eastern Oregon
Pennsylvania: Chester County or maybe some of the post-industrial west
Rhode Island: Downtown Providence
South Carolina: The northeastern Piedmont part
South Dakota: See North Dakota
Tennessee: Nashville suburbs
Texas: Metroplex
Utah: Utah County
Vermont: Rutland, because their peewee baseball team would always destroy my town's.
Virginia: Eric Cantor's district
Washington: None of Washington really bothers me that much
West Virginia: Morgantown
Wisconsin: Waukesha County
Wyoming: See the Dakotas

[they don't love you like i love you]

North Dakota: Does it really even matter out there?

Yes actually, North Dakota is a mix of small cities that are relatively conservative but at least have the urban amenities and feel like civilization, horrible messes of sprawl and emptiness that basically isn't livable. I grew up in the first category, but this is a pretty good example of what ND mostly is now.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

North Dakota: Does it really even matter out there?

Yes actually, North Dakota is a mix of small cities that are relatively conservative but at least have the urban amenities and feel like civilization, horrible messes of sprawl and emptiness that basically isn't livable. I grew up in the first category, but this is a pretty good example of what ND mostly is now.

Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh.

I'd rather live in one of the super-rural areas that's a hundred miles from the nearest drugstore than that.