What's the most depressing U.S. town you've ever visited?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sandusky, Ohio
Aberdeen, WA
Cumberland, MD
Bennington VT

Hey, what's wrong with Bennington?

[Anonymous]

South Bend, Indiana!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cumberland, MD - both of my parents grew up there. It was a beautiful little town once, but it became depressed once railroads became less vital to the economy. It is so sad to visit now - I believe it may be ranked the poorest town in MD - lots of drugs and all boarded up. I sometimes wonder if it will ever have a renaissance like Ashevillle - such a pretty location and charming old buildings. I hope it revitalizes one day.

We drove through it on the way to Fallingwater. My teenager looked up from his phone and asked "What IS this place?" It made me sad to drive through it since it seemed like it had been a great place at one time.

[Anonymous]

Frostburg, Cumberland, Lavaile, some west VA towns we drove through that looked like sets of old ghost town westerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Augusta, Maine.

Isn't this the location that inspired a lot of Stephen King's books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Took a trip to go rafting on the New River in West Virginia when I was in my mid-twenties. I felt like I was in a third world country - there were literal tin shacks on the side of the road. It was shocking.

I actually live in Morgantown now (city in WV) and it’s really funny to see people from “north central WV” - where I am - take pains to distinguish themselves from “southern West Virginians.”

(I think WV generally sucks BTW. Husband brought me here and we make so much comparative to the COL it feels stupid to move, but honestly some stereotypes are kind of true and I am so lonely.)

Could you start a book club in Morgantown?

You could state one but no would read the book o show up for the discussion. No one. Not even the person who started it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gary, Indiana

I came to say Gary, Indiana also. The saddest place I’ve seen.

Yup. Agreed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Took a trip to go rafting on the New River in West Virginia when I was in my mid-twenties. I felt like I was in a third world country - there were literal tin shacks on the side of the road. It was shocking.

I actually live in Morgantown now (city in WV) and it’s really funny to see people from “north central WV” - where I am - take pains to distinguish themselves from “southern West Virginians.”

(I think WV generally sucks BTW. Husband brought me here and we make so much comparative to the COL it feels stupid to move, but honestly some stereotypes are kind of true and I am so lonely.)

I've only been to Morgantown once, in 1981, and I found it depressing. I guess it's better now?

PP here. It tries. I am a DC native and have always lived in larger cities (Raleigh, Austin, San Diego) and there’s just not a lot happening here. Very little diversity (nearly all white except for international transplants working at the university or hospital). Its got a very odd layout and is kind of ugly, just not a lot going on. The “who’s who” of Morgantown are very insular and self-important. Told DH I would give it five years (we just bought a house). It’s been one and I’m managing.

I think you need to try harder. The CAC has interesting options, Bridgeport has a great spa/yoga place, Morgantown has good food, and you're so close to Pittsburgh. I'll give you that there isn't much diversity, but if you look around, I think you'll find your people and a lot of DC transplants.

[Anonymous]

Ames, lowa.

It was obvious that the town had seen much better times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, a lot of northern VA really depresses me. Saw Dumfries for the first time the other day. That was rough.

A friend of mine calls it “Damm Fries”

Well I heard that Manassas and Dumfries were merging into one big town. It’ll be called “Dumbasses”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flint, MI and this was before the water crisis. I saw a guy carrying a handgun in his hand, just walking down the street- wtf. My friend called their convenience stores the "stop and rob" instead of "stop and go". Lots of homeless and drug issues.

Poorest would be when I went to Warm Springs, GA to visit Roosevelt's Little White House. Driving through the streets to get there was really enlightening. Dirt roads, tiny shot gun houses, trash everywhere outside the homes and just poverty.

I also worked on several Indian reservations (I am Native), but I hate to point them out specifically. There are a lot of issues there. I see a lot of discussion regarding how they don't have running water or electricity and that's true for a lot of homes there, but a lot of homes also live traditionally by choice.

You mean stop and shop I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean, VA
Vienna, VA
Fairfax, VA
Bethesda, MD
Potomac, MD
Chevy Chase, MD
Loudoun County, VA

Shoot me in the face before I'd live in any of them.

Oooh you're so edgy!

[Anonymous]

New Orleans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cumberland, MD - both of my parents grew up there. It was a beautiful little town once, but it became depressed once railroads became less vital to the economy. It is so sad to visit now - I believe it may be ranked the poorest town in MD - lots of drugs and all boarded up. I sometimes wonder if it will ever have a renaissance like Ashevillle - such a pretty location and charming old buildings. I hope it revitalizes one day.

We drove through it on the way to Fallingwater. My teenager looked up from his phone and asked "What IS this place?" It made me sad to drive through it since it seemed like it had been a great place at one time.

The Fallingwater area of PA is terrifying. Stayed at an air b n b near it and didn’t sleep at night with feeling it was a mix of haunted and someone was about to burst in and kill us.

[Anonymous]

On the drive to Snowshoe after Seneca Rocks there is a bunch of homes on the right side of the road that it is terrifying.