The generic Top 10 and Bottom 10 list

[Dan]

Just copy, paste, and insert into a list of cities with a certain attribute. They're all the same.

Top 10 cities for .... something. Biking, singles, restaurant scene, green careers, raising kids, whatever.

1. Portland, Oregon
2. Austin, Texas
3. Denver, Colorado
4, San Francisco, California
5. New York, New York
6. Chicago, Illinois
7. Minneapolis, Minnesota
8. Washington, DC
9. Boston, Massachusetts
10. Seattle, Washington.

Bottom 10 cities

91. Stockton, California
92. McAllen, Texas
93. Flint, Michigan
94. Laredo, Texas
95. Modesto, California
96. Corpus Christi, Texas
97. Bakersfield, California
98. Detroit, Michigan
99. Yuma, Arizona
100, Fresno, California

[Maister]

Sad.... but a large kernel of truth to this.

[Blide]

There's quite a bit in common with the bottom 10 list as well. The only one that seems somewhat off to me is Corpus Christi.

[beach_bum]

Raleigh-Durham makes many of the top lists too....there are running jokes around here we are on so many

[UrbaneSprawler]

100. Fresno, California

Time to bring out the Anne Heche quote on Fresno:

"Fresno was the culmination of a journey. Of a world that I thought I needed to escape to in order to find love. So in the pain I think what triggered the pain of my breakup with Ellen, was a bottoming out of 'there's no love here, I'm going to go get love.'"

[Dan]

Just Googling around, I see Fresno at a prominent location -- usually at or close to the top -- of lists for:

* Worst-managed city
* Most toxic city
* Most auto thefts
* Worst city for employment
* Americas drunkest city
* Most polluted city
* Worst concentrated poverty in the US
* Worst city for dating/singles
* Worst city for skin
* Worst city for allergies
* Worst park system in the country
* Most unemployed city
* Worst city to do business
* Most dangerous place to raise kids
* Worst speed trap
* Worst city for men
* Least intelligent city

[Maister]

There's quite a bit in common with the bottom 10 list as well. The only one that seems somewhat off to me is Corpus Christi.

Sure, one list for "where the wealthiest Americans live" might have New York in the #1 spot and Portland might be #5, and another list for "where the greatest job growth is occurring" might have them listed as #3 or #7. but the only thing that changes a little is maybe the order in which they place in the top 10 or bottom 10 - depending on the category or the year.

[Suburb Repairman]

There's quite a bit in common with the bottom 10 list as well. The only one that seems somewhat off to me is Corpus Christi.

Have you been to Corpus Christi? It ain't that far off. The running joke around Texas is that there is nothing wrong with Corpus Christi that a Cat 5 hurricane wouldn't fix. There is nothing going on culturally. It is a shining example that even if you have beaches, you can still suck at parks. It's built environment is downright ugly. And I hope you like Chili's, because that is about your best option for food. It is kind of an industrial wasteland, with the refineries at night nicknamed "The Emerald City." All you really have is a naval base and a bunch of refineries. Even Whataburger abandoned their headquarters there and relocated to San Antonio.

I don't know that I would rank Flint ahead of it, but it certainly belongs in that company.

[Rygor]

Looks like a list of "Cites with the Highest %/Lowest % of Yuppies (or Hipsters)".

[hilldweller]

El Paso, TX is the #1 city for rebates. That's gotta count for something

[Blide]

Have you been to Corpus Christi? It ain't that far off. The running joke around Texas is that there is nothing wrong with Corpus Christi that a Cat 5 hurricane wouldn't fix. There is nothing going on culturally. It is a shining example that even if you have beaches, you can still suck at parks. It's built environment is downright ugly. And I hope you like Chili's, because that is about your best option for food. It is kind of an industrial wasteland, with the refineries at night nicknamed "The Emerald City." All you really have is a naval base and a bunch of refineries. Even Whataburger abandoned their headquarters there and relocated to San Antonio.

I've been there and certainly wasn't impressed. But unlike the other cities on that list, its local economy hasn't cratered due to all the oil exports. It may be an ugly city but at least it's economically viable. I'd definitely rank it low but not in the bottom 10. I can think of some other cities that should have that distinction like Gary, Indiana.

[DetroitPlanner]

I've been there and certainly wasn't impressed. But unlike the other cities on that list, its local economy hasn't cratered due to all the oil exports. It may be an ugly city but at least it's economically viable. I'd definitely rank it low but not in the bottom 10. I can think of some other cities that should have that distinction like Gary, Indiana.

Gary was never nor is it now a major city. Realistically Gary is tied to Chicago even more so than Toledo or Flint are tied to Detroit. Both Flint and Toledo are much larger than Gary.

Detroit is usually on top of crappiest list or on the bottom of best lists.
Yahoo Finance however ranks Detroit as #7 of the hottest cities for the future. I think however this is more of an admission that things can't get much worse here.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-15...he-future.html

[terraplnr]

I read a top ten list last week and can’t find it now, but it talked about Charleston, West Virginia seeing potential economic growth because it’s so cheap to buy property there, retirees will move and buy. I grew up there. In all fairness, I haven’t been back in 10 years, and it has some good things going for it (pretty scenery, outdoorsy stuff to do, moderate weather, some cultural events since it’s the state capital, not too far from other places on the East Coast). But that one really made me question the validity of their top ten list. It’s not a “destination” city. WV as a state is always high on the “least happy” and “highest unemployment” and “unhealthy habits” type of lists.

[Whose Yur Planner]

I've been there and certainly wasn't impressed. But unlike the other cities on that list, its local economy hasn't cratered due to all the oil exports. It may be an ugly city but at least it's economically viable. I'd definitely rank it low but not in the bottom 10. I can think of some other cities that should have that distinction like Gary, Indiana.

Gary is part of metro area around Chicago and is hemmed in on all sides, except the lake. That whole area is tied at the hip to Chicago proper and has been for years. While it's another Cyburbs favorite city, it's pretty nasty.

[hilldweller]

Looks like a list of "Cites with the Highest %/Lowest % of Yuppies (or Hipsters)".

True, these lists always seem to cater to yuppie tastes. Also, it seems like housing costs are never a factor. When you're paying Manhattan, Boston, or SF rents it kind of limits the stuff you can do unless you have a lot of disposable income.

[Dan]

I've been there and certainly wasn't impressed. But unlike the other cities on that list, its local economy hasn't cratered due to all the oil exports. It may be an ugly city but at least it's economically viable. I'd definitely rank it low but not in the bottom 10. I can think of some other cities that should have that distinction like Gary, Indiana.

Fresno has also grown through the years, being economically viable, but remaining a terrible city by Top 10 list standards..