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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The towns near the KY/TN state line. Some of the geography is nice (rolling hills and lakes) but the towns…honestly, it reminded me of Deliverance.

I never stepped foot in Ashland Kentucky but I saw it from the West Virginia side of the Ohio River and I’ll never forget how depressing it looked. Not like Deliverance, but like an apocalyptic scene out of the Rust Belt. I feel for anyone who has to live there and work those jobs. It can’t be safe (air pollution from industry).

Hahaha—I’m from Ashland!! You should have been there in the 80s before the tanning factory shut down😊

Anyway, if you’re ever in that area again, consider checking out the downtown: Paramount historic theater and arts venue, coffee shops, cute stores, and there’s even a frozen custard shop there now! Im glad at least the town is trying to remake itself.

I am from Ashland, Ky too! They are trying really hard to rebuild, it's not even close to the worst city in Kentucky, but the drug problem isn't good. I would never move back, but they do have decent schools, parks, restaurants, and some museums.

[Anonymous]

Holy Cow, this Gary Indiana slide show is grim. Particularly the notes about the dead bodies.

"We used to be the murder capital of the U.S., but there is hardly anybody left to kill. We used to be the drug capital of the U.S., but for that you need money, and there aren't jobs or things to steal here," one resident told a reporter.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/gary-indiana

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anywhere in Vermont. Awful place.

Really? What's wrong with Vermont? I always picture it with small New England towns.

We just visited family in a suburb of Burlington and it was lovely (in the summer.) Burlington has a fantastic July 4th celebration (held on the 3rd), the downtown area and around the University all seem very cute. We also visited Stowe and Smugglers Notch. I didn't see a single "depressing" thing the entire time I was there! Now the winter would depress me, but that is another topic entirely.

[Anonymous]

It feels like the epitome of privilege for people to say they find a suburb like Leesburg to be more depressing than a poverty-stricken poor area that lacks basic necessities. I am sure than a vast majority of the people living in Gary Indiana would be thrilled to live in a modest, "cookie-cutter" home in Leesburg or Dumfries wit boring, "cookie cutter" restaurants like the Olive Garden and Applebees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Albany, GA
Warner Robins, GA
Ajo, AZ
Huntington, WV
Meridian, MS

well, i can guess what you do for a living. you're not wrong btw, those places are the pits.

I would have picked a different career had I known.

Well now I'm dying to know. Are you a pharmaceutical salesperson who specializes in opioid painkillers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It feels like the epitome of privilege for people to say they find a suburb like Leesburg to be more depressing than a poverty-stricken poor area that lacks basic necessities. I am sure than a vast majority of the people living in Gary Indiana would be thrilled to live in a modest, "cookie-cutter" home in Leesburg or Dumfries wit boring, "cookie cutter" restaurants like the Olive Garden and Applebees.

Just keep in mind that DC is the bigger pit, due to the petty snobbery of its obnoxious residents in their unimpressive residences, even if parts may not be as downtrodden as places like Gary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It feels like the epitome of privilege for people to say they find a suburb like Leesburg to be more depressing than a poverty-stricken poor area that lacks basic necessities. I am sure than a vast majority of the people living in Gary Indiana would be thrilled to live in a modest, "cookie-cutter" home in Leesburg or Dumfries wit boring, "cookie cutter" restaurants like the Olive Garden and Applebees.

Seriously. Or the person who named Vermont!!! What!?!