Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX; another vote for Miami, FL; Montgomery, AL; Richmond/Petersburg, VA; Philadelphia, PA; and even though it is not a state, the armpit of the country is Washington, D.C. except the NW part.

And let's add the northern Virginia "suburbs" to that - litter everywhere, traffic gridlock, strip malls, high living costs, lack of green space - I hated every minute of the three years I lived there.

I second Fresno, California. Also, I thought Birmingham, AL was the pits. I like South Beach but Miami proper was a little scurry. As far as English being spoken, there are places in Louisiana and Alabama that have white folk speaking something incoherent. I think they call it redneckese. It took me a while to learn but alas, I am now bi-lingual.

I agree that Worcester, MA is the armpit of Massachusetts, but rivalling it for second place are Haverhill, Lawrence, Clinton and Leominster. Clinton's claim to fame, other than for the fact that Jimmy Carter actually made it a campaign stop, is that there are more bars per capita there than anywhere else in the US.

Colorado: Pueblo.

Let me agree with Sabie. The Virginia suburbs of Washington are unusually uninspired, a concrete jungle of immense dimensions. I'm very conservative yet I am certainly forced to agree that unbridled growth can destroy a landscape. Northern Virginia, site of the estate of the greatest American, George Washington, and the site of several Civil War battles, is now an armpit that only the ugly developer extraordiaire, John "Til"
Hazel, can love.

I am originally from NY BUT the city of Niagara Falls...what a mess. Refineries everywhere and it literally stinks! If they cleaned it up a little,,,it could have some hope! Niagara falls itself the attraction...is very pretty.....but anything outside that area..forget it...........................

I think if more people visited Eureka California, fewer people would mock Fresno. That being said...
As Fresno seems to be a common pick for arm pit of CA, think of how sad it would be to have Fresno as your Mecca for cultural events, shopping, dining, etc. That was my world growing up:( So, my vote is anywhere in the Central San Joaquin Valley: Small towns, small minds. Nothing to do except watch the grass (and the sky) turn brown. It's the only place I've ever been where they have to put billboards on the side of the highway (HWY 99) saying not to beat your wife. At least now the kids there have the Internet and cable TV to keep them from drinking beer out in the orange groves every night.

jenneepoo - I had to smirk (laugh would not really be appropriate since it really is a sad state of affairs) at your comment about the billboards along 99 that tell you not to beat your wife. Those are as bad as the billboards up in Gridley (also on Hwy 99 interestingly enough) that warn men that it is a felony to date underage girls and warn parents that it isn't a good idea to let their underage girls date older men. People have to be told this stuff on a billboard? Very sad.

jason888 - Alviso isn't really that bad. I used to work in Milpitas and we would go out there for lunch at least once a month - there is a great mexican restaurant there. Also, there are some nice trails out along the water - good for riding bikes, bird watching, and that kind of thing. And up until a few years ago when more and more tech companies were moving out that way, it used to actually be an affordable area of SJ. Not anymore though.

I agree with those who feel that English should be the offical language. If one was to move to Germany they would be expected to learn the language to hold a job.

I think that our country is way to lax about people not learning the language. All street signs, resturant menus, etc are in English. This is not Canada where things are done in Engilsh and French. This is America. If one wants to live here so badly, they should learn the language.

Please don't attack what I've said, as this is just my opinion. I realize that not everyone will agree with me.

While learning the language they should heed the distinction between the words "too" and "to".

ANOTHER vote for Fresno CA.
At least Eureka's weather is cooler.yesterday Fresno 106 with a low of 82!!!
Eureka 74 -this is considerd a "heat wave" However you must like fog to live there happily..
Fortunately, I have not been to many of the other places mentioned!!!

what a fun thread!! i just finished reading every single reply! hilarious! oh, and yeah, you hit the nail on the head with fresno. so what am i, vote number 7 or 8 to crown this vapid town as armpit of cali? poor fresnoians....

Isn't Fresno the inspriation for the movie AMERICAN GRAFITTI? What would Richie Cunningham say about the way some posters have busted on his hometown?

Detroit, MI

SteveJudd,

"Message: Isn't Fresno the inspriation for the movie AMERICAN GRAFITTI?"

No. It was Modesto.

As far as I'm concerned, the whole Central Valley qualifies for consideration including these gems; Coalinga (I grew up there, now what a dump), Bakersfield, Taft, etc.

I also agree with Los Angeles. Talk about Urban Sprawl.......worst air in the US......grid locked freeways....bone ugly.

C

Forgot to add, Fresno is second only to Los Angeles in poor air quality in the United States!!

C

Jon Eric: I will be 8 on my next birthday, but thanx for asking!

I've been through a town called Cadiz, Ohio, birthplace to Clark Gable. A real armpit. Also, Cadiz has the cheesiest memorial park I've ever seen- to Gable and Gone With the Wind.

Shut up logandog. I was in a hurry. Everyone makes a typo now and then.