coastieexpat

I live in the 2nd smallest city in California ( POP 480 ) and I love it.

http://www.google.com/images?q=point...ed=0CCQQsAQwBA

3 hours North of San Francisco.

Best of both worlds.

Bob

Boston in the US is definitely a city...but then again so is Belfast, Maine, and that only had 3K people...lovely place though...Boston less so, but there's loads of tourists, especially Brits so must have something going for it

S Folinsky

I wonder why San Francisco has not been mentioned. I lived there for five years from 1972-77 -- and never ever lacked for people wanting to stay with us on their visits.

Bob

Aye, most of my friends would love to go to San Fran and NY, elsewhere less so.

HumphreyC

Do we all agree Detroit tops the infamy table ? I have a friend from there but she says she comes from Troy MI to throw people off the scent.

another bloody yank

I dunno, Newark is a contender. Although I've read several different articles recently that suggest Newark is turning things around, mostly due to the efforts of a new Mayor that apparently, gives a shit.

And then there's my personal favorite (having grown up right next door with only the (Thank God) Mississippi river between us) East St. Louis, IL. Smaller than the others, but puts up some impressive numbers.

HumphreyC

I think we need a photo thread for those who have not visited this delightful place:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=366775

The Onyx club looks like fun.

Crime - East Saint Louis - National Average
Murder - 63.4 - 6.9
Rape - 342.4 - 32.2
Robbery - 954.3 - 195.4
Assault - 6,489.8 - 340.1
Burglary - 2,520.4 - 814.5
Automobile Theft - 2,000.5 - 526.5

Next up, Gary Indiana.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=354942

tamms_1965

I believe that is where my deceased FIL is from.

elfman

bloke in my ofice seems to regard St Joseph MO also as particularly hellish. Any comment?

another bloody yank

St Joe? Are you sure?

It's a smallish town about an hour or so North of Kansas City. I've never heard anything bad about it, and my In-laws all live in Kansas City.

Sally Redux

Calabasas is a city, with about 20,000 people

elfman

I wondered. This bloke always brings the place up whenever people talk about bad areas. I think he went there for work once years ago and didn't have a particularly good time. Did it go through a bad spell in the 80s or something?

another bloody yank

If St. Joe is the worst place he's been, he needs to get out more.

Maybe back in the '80s, If I remember I'll check with the inlaws... But if so, it's really turned around. In 1997 it was named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League.

And the crime stats look positively boring.

http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime....oseph&state=MO

HumphreyC

Isn't the All-America City award kind of like being named the 'European Capital of Culture', it's kinda a sympathy vote for a city that's been through hell and back for the last 30-40 years. I mean Worcester MA has won it 5 times!.

Englishtart

Yep! that is a scary place...I put it right up there with driving through Moss side in the late 80's (not sure what it's like now)