Top 5 Most Stressful Cities in America

[NJmaverick]

Top 5 Most Stressful Cities in America
1. Chicago, Ill.
2. Los Angeles, Calif.
3. New York, N.Y.
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Providence, R.I.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-most-stressful-cities-2009.html;_ylc=X3oDMTF0ZzhlYXBwBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDOTc2MjA0NjUEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNzdHJlc3NmdWwtY2l0aWVzLTIwMDk-

[HopeHoops]

1. Providence? Providence? WTF?

Every block is a repeated pattern of churches, bars, strip joints, and adult book stores. How the fuck can you be stressed in THAT environment? If you are, there's the Trinity Brew House on the south side. That should take care of the problem.

[NJmaverick]

2. Here is their explanation

4. Providence, R.I.
Providence, tied for fourth place with Cleveland, Ohio, ranks as the fifth worst city for employment, with the unemployment rate up to 12.1% in June. It ranks tenth for cost of living and thirteenth for population density at 975 people per square mile.

[HopeHoops]

3. Yeah, okay, but if you're drunk and pumped up on porn, how is that stressful?

:shrug:

And there are plenty of churches to sleep in.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. My county has 15% unemployment...

things are pretty stressful around here...however I guess there is a population criteria that is not met. We are not a city, just another small town USA.

[NJmaverick]

7. It looks like they consider things like air quality, popluation density

unemployment and other things to determine the list

[Bertha Venation]

5. Strange that Washington, DC, is not on this list. n/t

[NJmaverick]

6. I believe DC was ranked number 9

there is a link in the article to the full list. However the list is presented as a slide show so it's difficult to go back and confirm the ranking.

[Deep13]

8. Cleveland. Figures. nt

[HughBeaumont]

9. I knew we'd be there.

Every single day, you have the "is this going to be my last day" anvil on your back. No job security combined with no sports championships since 1964 makes for a high-strung city.

[Deep13]

10. I don't really care about the sports.

The city is a cesspool.

[LeftyFingerPop]

14. Economics aside, I thought Cleveland was very clean and visually appealing.

I had heard horror stories before I visited about what a shit hole the city was.

Driving in from the east on the interstate was smooth, despite heavy traffic. The city has a nice skyline, and the area around the stadium and museums was impeccable.

The downtown area that I stayed in was easily maneuverable, with no trash anywhere.

Driving up Euclid Avenue, the traffic flowed very smoothly, and the area around the Cleveland Clinic looked nice and modern.

Driving WAY up Euclid, you get to Little Italy, which had plenty of old charm.

I don't know...I rather liked Cleveland and found it to be the opposite of what I had heard about it.

Talking to a hotel employee in the elevator...he told me that the city has been cleaned up tremendously in the last few years.

[gizmonic]

18. I agree, LFP. I moved to the Cleveland area in 1980

I remember the first time I drove downtown -- it looked and smelled just horrible! :puke:

A lot has changed in the time I've lived here. Some for the better, some not so much.

I've grown to like Cleveland, warts and all. :)

[LeftyFingerPop]

21. Hi gizmonic...

Another thing that I liked was the way they had the bus stops set up in the CENTER of the road, with the bus lane being on the left side. I don't know if I've ever seem them set-up quite this way before, and it seemed to help traffic flow.

I love visiting cities that I have never been to before, and I liked Cleveland.

Also, Baltimore is one of my favorite cities...this is another example of a city that has improved greatly in the last few decades. :hi:

[Deep13]

22. Sure, economics aside.

Economics included, it's a shit hole. Did you notice all the slums and abandoned buildings on your way to the Cleveland Clinic? By the way, Cleveland Clinic, the art museum and the natural history museum are all in University Heights, not Cleveland. Suburban day trip locations aside, the place is dying because most of the area's wealth is in the surrounding suburbs.

[LeftyFingerPop]

23. The area I was referring to is the...

area off 9th street by the stadium, the RR hall of Fame, and the Science Center. Heading South from there, I stayed in a hotel downtown. which was nice.

The downtown looked much better to me than I expected.

And as far as economics, there are not all that many thriving cities right now.

I noticed no serious glut of abandoned buildings driving from my hotel to the clinic, and only a few between the clinic and Little Italy.

I've certainly seen much worse areas within cities. Check out The Bronx sometime.

[Deep13]

24. Next time check out the Art Museum.

That is a world class collection. The rock hall is a tourist trap. The natural history museum is nice too, although it's no Field Museum.

I've lived around here for awhile and my view is not based on superficial appearance. My wife feels differently, but she grew up here. It's a cheap place to live and the traffic is not horrible like it is in LA or something, but then there's hardly anyplace to go around here anyway.

[LeftyFingerPop]

25. I would indeed like to check out those museums the next time I go...

And I would agree with you that the R&R Hall of Fame did have kind of a tourist trap "feel". Nevertheless, there were some cool displays there.

I understand your point of view also. having lived there for awhile. When people visit my area (also very economically depressed) they rave about how pretty it is here, and I'm thinking "Huh"? lol

But then when I step back and look at it as a newcomer would, it is indeed very nice here.

[Franzia]

11. A full list sans slide show is available here:

America's most stressful cities

[NJmaverick]

13. Thanks!

:hi:

[kentauros]

15. Thanks!

:)

I noticed, that for all the Texas-bashing that goes on around DU, Texas cities ranked in the 30's and below. Maybe that's a clue; all the bashers live in the stressful cities ;)

[NJmaverick]

19. Well how would they do if we added a percent republicans?

:hi:

[kentauros]

20. I doubt we'd notice.

Texans are laid-back by nature ;)

[datasuspect]

12. glad i left chicago

between the condo virus/economic cleansing program, 9 month winter pothole season, failing public transit system, and king richie's legalized extortion racket against the citizenry, it's a no-brainer.

plus, live anywhere outside the white safe zones on the north side, and it's escape from new york without snake plissken to save you.

[KamaAina]

16. My adopted home town of San Jose barely cracked the Top Ten

Clearly we need to try harder! :P

[kentauros]

17. Maybe spend some time in Austin, Texas

to figure it out ;)