America's 20 Most Miserable Cities

[Doug]

Doug,

If you take a trip to Ft. Lauderdale, what's there to do? My friend invited me to go to the Hard Rock Casino once but that's all I've heard. A taxi driver told me Las Olas is nice..

Sungal, Lauderdale is a different vibe than South Beach, so don't go there expecting it to be another Miami! It's a more laidback place, where you can have a house with a yard for what you'd pay to live in a boxy high rise further south. It's less about dressing to the nines and more about the casual life. Yes, stroll Las Olas for a nice selection of restaurants; it's the closest you'll find to Lincoln Road.

Other fun activities: buy a day pass on the water taxi and explore the many canals that meander through the city. Fort Lauderdale is a bit like a sprawly Venice, Italy in that regard.

You might also enjoy dropping by the Bonnet House (and gardens) and Hugh Taylor Birch park. The beaches in Fort Lauderdale are really beautiful, too.

For a night spot, try the Elbow Room. It's been there since the movie "Where the Boys Are" in the early 60s.

It's simply a more suburban, casual life, but my reason for mentioning it wasn't to extoll its virtues so much as to point out that if Miami is so horrible, the cities around it can't be completely out of that loop. In other words, if the study were truly scientific, they would have to include places near Miami on the list.

[ComandanteBanana]

In the middle of all this misery there's hope...

THE GATED COMMUNITIES. :long:

[Doug]

In the middle of all this misery there's hope...

THE GATED COMMUNITIES. :long:

I hope that's sarcasm, CB! You'd have to ride your bike around and around in circles!

[Mario]

So Buffalo, St. Louis and Gary, Indiana (freaking Gary!!) are less miserable than Miami?? While Miami's not the promised land, these lists are so full of crap.

[Mario]

and where the hell is New Orleans?? Did the Saints victory erase all the hardships since (and way before) Katrina? Or did they just include the Garden District?

[Doug]

New Orleans can go from third world to Louis XV in mere seconds, depending on which block you're on! I guess they average it all out. Given its festive overall atmosphere and sense of local culture, I think it hides its violent underpinnings well.

[sunaddicted]

So lets see, I live in Detroit, really high on this stupid list and also live in Miami, almost as high. As a real guage look at the listing for Chicago. How in the world could anyone define Chicago as belonging on the misery index. Chicago is an amazing city and matches any place in the us except for weather. Despite the economy and the weather it still attracts young people from all over and continually continues to transform old neighborhoods into great places full of street life. It is a genuine winner and it amazes me to see it on the list except perhaps the writers didn't like former governor Rob.

Actually Miami Beach is great but gets thrown in to Miami with its problem and I live in the Bloomfield area of Detroit which matches any place in the US for its hills, beautiful homes, and the abundance of lakes. So you are damned if you do or don't. I understand that Holland, MI was ranked really high on the opposite list. Funny because it beat out Chicago and surprisingly Ann Arbor but perhaps the writers like uptight Dutch conservative communities without too much alcohol.

The whole list is BS

[kmrotterdam]

I don't think this Forbes list is a deeply-researched and scientific list as some of the more well-known and reputable annual lifestyle indices, even the name conjures connotations of National Enquirer style headlines.

... but perhaps the writers like uptight Dutch conservative communities without too much alcohol.

The whole list is BS

[Matt Meltzer]

Sacramento isn't sooooo bad. I would say it's less miserable than Orlando, and a similar type of city.

Stockton and Modesto, though, could quite possibly be the worst palces on Earth. Rasie up, SJV!

[Michelle]

Well, I guess when you factor in corrupt politicians (can't be worse than DC, though), major sports teams, crime (has anyone ever noticed Miami is featured on the First 48 almost every time it is aired?), and unemployment.

What about all the positives though - clean air, clean water, palm trees, ocean, great weather. They must count for something. :smirk:

[sunaddicted]

Well, I guess when you factor in corrupt politicians (can't be worse than DC, though), major sports teams, crime (has anyone ever noticed Miami is featured on the First 48 almost every time it is aired?), and unemployment.

What about all the positives though - clean air, clean water, palm trees, ocean, great weather. They must count for something. :smirk:

Unfortunately corrupt politicians are endemic, Miami doesn't have a lock on it and Chicago during the first mayor Daily worked well because of it. Same with crime but I think Miami is featured because its a "glamor" location and photographing crime scenes in sunny weather with palms, etc., is a better, more appealing shot. CSI Miami looks really glamorous, crime is usually glamour not seedy when depicted on that program. Because Miami is a magnet for many of our nations poorly behaved sports stars who like to party down here, it also makes the news because they make the news.

Positives had nothing to do with that list.

[Doug]

There is also the factor that life can change dramatically from neighborhood to neighborhood. For example, parts of inner city Miami are worlds apart from neighborhoods like Coral Gables and Pinecrest! Same with New Orleans. A person living in the Desire projects would have a very different perspective than someone from a ritzy area of Uptown. Whenever they do these studies, they have to tabulate an average for these extremes, which downplays the good aspects of a city, or else, in the interest of sensationalism, simply go with the worst area.

[TheTibetanMonkey]

I hope that's sarcasm, CB! You'd have to ride your bike around and around in circles!

Well, kind of. I prefer to go in circles to being in the cage.

[TheTibetanMonkey]

What about all the positives though - clean air, clean water, palm trees, ocean, great weather. They must count for something.

That counts as a good reason for having so many homeless around the open spaces. A lot of people live in the cage though.

[TheTibetanMonkey]

There is also the factor that life can change dramatically from neighborhood to neighborhood. For example, parts of inner city Miami are worlds apart from neighborhoods like Coral Gables and Pinecrest! Same with New Orleans. A person living in the Desire projects would have a very different perspective than someone from a ritzy area of Uptown. Whenever they do these studies, they have to tabulate an average for these extremes, which downplays the good aspects of a city, or else, in the interest of sensationalism, simply go with the worst area.

Yep, life in the jungle is like that. I think it's safer to live among the big predators.