Hey I detest that cdt said New York City is an armpit. Maybe because I'm born and raised here, but I would pick here any day over what my pick for an armpit is, Milwaukee, WI. Maybe there is plenty to do there that I didn't actually experience, but it seemed to me that the habitants there mainly relied on just drinking and watching football and nothing else. Ugh.

I also sdecond the vote for Worcester, MA. What a depressing place!

To paraphrase a famous actress.."There are no small 'armpits', there are only small 'armpitted' people".

Having said that, those of you that are picking "Fresburg", ya ever been to Oroville?

Oroville, CA? But of course.

I believe there is a city ordinace that to live in that town, you must be involved in some sort of welfare fraud.

Fresno maybe a pit, but what about the Inland Empire?!!? San Ber-doo, River-tucky, Fontucky? Rancho Cuca-florida.

John, how about Butte, Montana?

Anyone ever been to Morgan City, LA?

And you lived to tell about it?

Jon....did you tuck your tail and run? i was looking forward to a come back.

Thought of another I considered a pit..El Paso, drove back 45 miles to avoid spending the night here.

Armpit of Washington state: Tacoma, corrupt politics, crazy police, and it smells bad.

I'm in PA. I don't agree Phila. is the armpit, alhtough sections of the city would certainly qualify, such as the oil refineries around South Phila. Unfortunately, they are one of the first things a visitor sees (and smells) if they arrive from the airport. And there are sections of North Phila. I don't feel safe driving around, even in the daytime. But Kelly Drive, Valley Green and Rittenhouse Square are very attractive.

I guess I'd nominate central PA, which is said to have the 2nd or 3rd highest concentration of Ku Klux Kans members in the country. A politician once described PA as Phila. to the east, Pittsburgh to the west, and in between is Alabama.

I have to say this is a fun thread to read. As a native Califonian my first thought was Fresno, but Los Banos is pretty nasty too. Another really horrible area is the whole area around highway 5 between Burbank and Disneyland. I

I'm from central PA and can honestly say in 22 years of living there and attending college in another part of central PA I have never met a KKK member. What a terrible and backwards comment. I appreciate the beauty in all of America and don't consider any part of our nation to be an "armpit".

Come now, at least a little part of Detroit is an armpit. Right?

Leslie - You can't have been to Haverhill very often if you think its worth mentioning in this thread. Haverhill has tons of open space, at least 4 golf courses, the Merrimac River, some very nice parks and lakes. You can find some very nice reasonably priced homes, the Bradford section is very attractive. I don't live in Haverhill but live near by and spend lots of time there for shopping, doctors, music lessons for the kids. True there are some working class neighborhoods but its by no means an armpit. Lawrence and Lynn are worse but even they have their redeeming qualities. Brockton maybe or Fall River. But definately not Haverhill.

HarryR Ct no armpit please I was born and brought up here and there are just as many pits as we have great locales.


Torrington, Waterbury (mayor in jail for child molestation) Loki was right with BRidgeport, HArtford , Coventry ( isn't that the heroine capital of the USA ) and I could go own and on.

APRIL
Butte is not quite an armpit but I will admit it is at least an elbow!!!!

John,
I only saw it a few decades ago and then I was sure it was an armpit. Maybe it has improved since? I won't be rushing back to find out though.

Hi, I am concerned that several of you mentioned Baltimore as your favorite armpit. My daughter is thinking about going to Johns Hopkins University which is in Baltimore. More information would be appreciated. Is the area around the school awful? and why. The campus looks nice. Is the city of Baltimore dangerous? Thanks

I wouldn't say that Detroit is the armpit of Michigan, Detroit is just...dead. It's a beautiful big town on the river with a view of Canada, but it just needs a little life coursing through it...maybe someplace to go shopping or a restaurant and entertainment district. Perhaps some humans milling about. They're trying...

No, the distinction of "armpit of Michigan" would probably have to be awarded to one of myriad industrial Detroit suburbs like Taylor or River Rouge or Roseville or Melvindale....