The Miserable Central Valley

[pawpaw]

http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/02/stockton-miami-cleveland-business-washington-miserable-cities.html

Forbes does this list every year (America's Most Miserable Cities), and Stockton took the crown again. While California has some of the most desirable real estate in the world (Santa Barbara, Carmel, Tahoe, etc.), the Great Central Valley, my home, is also home to 6 of the worst 20 cities in the whole damn country. The town I live in is #5! I knew it was bad here, but didn't know it was this bad.  ;D

#1.  Stockton, California
#2.  Miami, Florida
#3.  Merced, California
#4.  Modesto, California
#5.  Sacramento, California
#6.  Memphis, Tennessee
#7.  Chicago, Illinois
#8.  West Palm Beach, Florida
#9.  Vallejo, California
#10.  Cleveland, Ohio
#11.  Flint, Michigan
#12.  Toledo, Ohio
#13.  Fort Lauderdale, Florida
#14.  Youngstown, Ohio
#15.  Detroit, Michigan
#16.  Washington, D.C.
#17.  Fresno, California
#18.  Salinas, California
#19.  Jacksonville, Florida
#20.  Bakersfield, California

Actually, I think that their logic in ranking these cities is pretty good. 'Happiness' would be the best scale to consider that they missed...like Bhutan's Gross National Happiness! I'm not sure how that's quantified though. I would also consider educational and cultural opportunities, healthcare facilities, and maybe homelessness statistics, but Forbes seems to have hit a lot of the big stuff:

We looked at the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S. The minimum population to be eligible is 249,000. We ranked each area on 10 factors, including unemployment over three years, tax rates (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared over the past three years. We added two housing metrics this year: the change in median home prices over three years, and foreclosure rates in 2010, as compiled by RealtyTrac. We also considered corruption based on convictions of public officials in each region, as tracked by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lastly, we factored in an index put together by Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling that rates weather in each metro on factors relating to temperature, precipitation and humidity.

Maybe if the Kings didn't suck so bad we wouldn't have been #5! There's no way that Sacramento is worse than Bakersfield!  ;D

[johnnYYac]

Damn, Bill.  You beat Flint.  :-\

[pawpaw]

Damn, Bill.  You beat Flint.  :-\

;D I know! It's really miserable here!  ;D

Stockton might legitimately be the worst town in the US, so I won't take that honor away from it, but the rest of the CA towns listed are there (or at least listed so high) because of the real estate/unemployment funk that the state has slid so deeply into. That, and the fact that the Kings can't play 4 full quarters of good basketball!  ;D Other than that, those good ol' Central Valley towns are no worse than the shitty towns in your part of the world. ;D

[TheBigChicken]

Can't believe Tampa isn't on THAT list.... ::) ??? :-\ :-X

[johnnYYac]

Damn, Bill.  You beat Flint.  :-\

;D I know! It's really miserable here!  ;D

Stockton might legitimately be the worst town in the US, so I won't take that honor away from it, but the rest of the CA towns listed are there (or at least listed so high) because of the real estate/unemployment funk that the state has slid so deeply into. That, and the fact that the Kings can't play 4 full quarters of good basketball!  ;D Other than that, those good ol' Central Valley towns are no worse than the shitty towns in your part of the world. ;D

So professional basketball performance had a role in these rankings?  Was this list published in Sports Illustrated by any chance? ;)

[danz]

Can't believe Tampa isn't on THAT list.... ::) ??? :-\ :-X

or Camden, NJ or Richmond, VA

actually, I have a few discrepancies with that list (Stockton beating Flint is one.)  and it seems like they aren't including ALL US cities as possibilities or something.

also, Stockton has a nice river, the asparagus festival(!) and is where Stephen Malkmus is from

[lucylew]

I can think of a lot worse places to be than Sac.  I hated it (and left it) when I was younger, now I like it just fine.  Maybe it's because I have a good job, a nice house and I am so over basketball. 

Most places have their up and downsides.  I wouldn't let a magazine article change my opinion.  I lovelovelove Chicago.  It's on the top ten list too.  What the hell.

[Ruckus]

Sounds like your kids have the cards stacked against them bbill.   ;D  It's tough getting out of the "Mento."

[walterfredo]

I concur, the Central Valley is indeed miserable.  I grew up in Visalia, and still have a place there and am there most of the time when I'm not in Oakland.  I like to claim Oakland because it's so much more enjoyable, and I'm there whenever I can be.  The valley flat out sucks!  Whenever I think about Visalia, I immediately get the Wilco song 'Hate it Here' stuck in my head.

Several cities in the Valley, Visalia included, are amongst the most polluted cities (air quality wise) in the U.S. every single year.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/airquality/articles/rt-19

And you gotta love this one, this just happened last week.  Way to go Central Valley!

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/07/rooster-kills-man-attending-cockfight/

[pawpaw]

I can think of a lot worse places to be than Sac.  I hated it (and left it) when I was younger, now I like it just fine.  Maybe it's because I have a good job, a nice house and I am so over basketball. 

Most places have their up and downsides.  I wouldn't let a magazine article change my opinion.  I lovelovelove Chicago.  It's on the top ten list too.  What the hell.

:) I agree. For all the trash I talk about Sac, it's all done playfully, and we're happy to be here...and this poll obviously didn't take the success of the River Cats into account!  ;)

[walterfredo]

Sac is nice (Woodland even better  ;))  With it's close proximity to the Bay and Lake Tahoe, it such a great location in the Valley.  And you get that delta breeze roll through in the summer that you just don't get farther south.  I almost think Sac is the North Valley though. 

[pawpaw]

Sac is nice (Woodland even better  ;))  With it's close proximity to the Bay and Lake Tahoe, it such a great location in the Valley.  And you get that delta breeze roll through in the summer that you just don't get farther south.  I almost think Sac is the North Valley though.

Sac is alright. I know the feeling well, of moving back to the Central Valley after being someplace "better." It's a letdown. And it's funny how the best thing that most people can name about Sacramento is that it's pretty close to some great places. That always cracks me up.

If I look at Sac objectively, I can name a lot of crappy things about it, but the fact is that my family and I have a really great home and that being here allows us more free time to spend together. Our life really is better here then it would be if we still lived in San Francisco, or anywhere in the Bay Area.

For all the trashy people that call this Valley home, the good ones here really are solid, a step above, imo. A lot of the pretentsions are shed once you move inland. And you're right, Woodland is better!  8)

btw, I knew I could count on you to jump into this conversation. ;D As far as I can remember, you, Lucy and I are the only Valley people on here, and I know you have some strong opinions on it! Here's to meeting you two at a show some day soon!

[lucylew]

I've lived in Indianapolis, St. Paul, all over southern California, Sacramento and Portland - and I've found there are pros and cons to pretty much any place.

BBill - hopefully we'll meet up sometime at an MMJ show.  First beer is on me!

[tdb810]

Hey! For once, I am standing proud to be from Jersey...no misery here  :o :o :o

BBill -- congrats on the new little Sacramentonian (?)!!  :D