AS a truck driver, I've been to all those cities before. It's worse than that on the ground level. To actually meet people that live in those cities is heart - breaking. Good people just trying to make an honest living. It's always the politicians that sell the city out first.
No, it's large businesses/corporation that sell out. They're the ones that buy the politicians and stiff the average worker. Just look at all the tax break a massive company like Walmart gets and you'll understand.
The reason for low property crimes in Flint MI. is people have stopped reporting them. They have no faith that reporting the property crime will do any good.
The problem is some of these city leaders want to address the major problem- which is poverty. But other politicians want to prevent programs from addressing poverty so they can continue to lean on poverty as their scapegoat for doing nothing and saying “see, it’s the poor people’s fault.”
Well it is the poor peoples fault. They keep voting for republicans who spent 43 years destroying the midwest. We were in the same boat in Seattle. By 1990 most were voted out today not one republican has a seat in government. We fired their ass! As a result we have a great state with job opportunities and high wages. McDonalds pays 20-25 an hour how much they pay in Ohio? Why do you keep voting for that same bullshit yall enjoy poverty? Fucking stupid or what? Oh what happened to Ohio? Yall went riches to rags because of Reagan & its like a woman going back to her husband beating the shit out of her. You just cant fix stupid. I know West Virginia is worse but comeon your poverty is sucking our wealth dry & people out here are fucken pissed because you cant afford what yall need and use our tax dollars we make here to balance your fucking budgets. That’s bullshit. Fix it or were outra here. We got our own problems and tired of supporting bums back east. I mean, lets be honest. Ohio is lime a big bum.
I moved to Shreveport in 1979 when I was 19 and left in 1990. It was a booming oil town and I found a job in three days. It was a slightly tamed down version of NOLA, the Baptists kept things quieter. It had old South poverty and racism, but it was working it's way out - slowly. After I moved away, they were hit by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. It wasn't the storm, it was all the criminals and gang members the government bused out of the wreckage of New Orleans and dumped into cities further north. Shreveport had crime and some neighborhood gangs, but these new, very dangerous gangs took over. Malls closed because of crime inside and outside in the parking lots. Next came the 2008 financial crisis that shut down both industries and local businesses. I had to return for the first time a couple years ago for a funeral and it was hard to take seeing how much the city had decayed. My old home is now in such a high crime area that my friends warned me not to drive by to see it. Half a dozen of my friends have moved away already and several more are planning to after their parents pass away. I will always have fond memories of Shreveport, it would have been sad for me to have stayed and watched it change so much for the worse.
I'm a woman age 65. I've been to major conferences recently in both St. Louis and Cleveland. While in downtown Cleveland, I was walking from my hotel to the conference center when I accidentally tripped and my purse, backpack, and computer went flying through the air. About ten people suddenly rushed towards me and I thought for sure they were planning to steal everything. I was too shaken to spring right up and just knew I had lost everything. But, NO, everyone was coming to help me. A few young people, a biker passing by, a store owner, etc.. They picked up my things, helped me get up and made sure I was okay, and two of them walked with me to the conference center to make sure I got there okay. I don't care what people say about Cleveland, I will always defend their people. St. Louis on the other hand, I never left my hotel not even to walk to the Arch which was right across the street.
You did right staying in your hotel room in St. Louis. The St. Louis region is a very good place to live. However, the city of St. Louis including downtown is way too dangerous. I only venture in and out for a baseball game or hockey game. Actually, it is more in common with other cities than I thought but its percentage of crime stands out since so few now live in the city. Car jacking, stolen cars, knocked out car windows, drive by shootings, are far too common. The ghettos are loaded with guns and they venture out especially at night. Watching the 10:00 News is heart breaking.
I'm about as liberal as it gets, but I hear you. I was born & raised in a rural area a mile from a small village and we were raised to fear any dense areas of people. And it's all for good reason because you never know what they are going to react as you walk past them. Someone can look like a gang banger and yet be so polite and happy to give you directions while the preppy on the next block in a business suit can rob you at gun point. Appearances certainly don't always matter. There are spoiled rich teens who are desperate to get money after their parents cut them off, and there are rough-looking hoods that actually have manners. I've been lucky never to run into bad people through my limited treks into cities. Back in 2004, I went with an aunt to Six Flags St. Louis and we somehow got lost in one of the more questionable areas of St. Louis. So we were driving aimlessly through these urban black neighborhoods. And while they were all older, ran-down houses, the yards were well-kept and people were actually out mowing that morning. Yet the stereotypes made us nervous to dare stop to ask for directions. Eventually, we decided to break down and ask one for directions and they were so polite. They got us heading in the right direction with no problems at whatsoever! When I was younger, I got into argument with my parents and walked 8 miles to Pekin, IL. I felt like I walked back and forth across the city twice before getting a hold of someone I knew. I'm sure I walked 25 miles on foot that night. Though it's a small city, there are still parts that someone shouldn't be stumbling across after midnight. There were a group of teens walking after 10PM that looked a little shady, but I approached them for directions and they were polite and very helpful! Within days, I learned that I did indeed drift aimlessly across some of the more dangerous parts of that city. I took off around 11:00AM and it was after 1:00AM before I found shelter. I've also had to bicycle through Galesburg (another smaller city, but with a not-so-good crime rate) at night several times, even though the rougher areas, and I've remained okay. I've been lucky to remain unscathed, knock on wood! I guess it makes life more interesting.
@@wawawis A lot of the problem right now is teens. Since I made this comment there have been 2 incidents of car jacking downtown. One person only went outside a brewery bar to smoke in the paking lot when a car pulled up with 4 teens at gunpoint on him to lead them to his car car for a car jacking. Another incident was just a group of 7 people leaving a bar talking prior to leaving when a car drove up to a group of seven when guns were pulled out for car jackings. The 7 made a run for it to their cars to leave but one in the group did get shot in the leg. The car jackers are very bold and will not hesitate to shoot. People are being told to just let the car jacker have your car, but for some losing a car might be a devastating impact to them anyway.
Most Americans are friendly and helpful. It’s the minority with big mouths that cause all the trouble. Old white lady here, originally from NE Ohio. On a trip not too long ago, I landed in Cleveland. I was at the car rental, and there was a young black lady who was going overboard to be kind and helped me with a coupon for a car. This was right after the BLM riots. It reminded me that peace and human kindness starts on a one to one level. I try to be good to everyone, because in a sense, I am an ambassador. In a world full of hate, be a beacon of light.
@@sherritreeby3479 Good for you. My Dad was from Warren, Ohio, and we stayed once a year with my grandparents visiting them each summer there for a week until I got married in 1976. When my grandfather passed away my grandmother moved to Mineral Ridge nearby around 1967 when I started high school. It was like home away from home for me. My Dad met my mom when he got stationed at Scott Air Force base close to St. Louis. Actually,, the crime in St. Louis city seems to hit among Black people the hardest. Things start out bad in the ghettos for teens.
I'm originally from Shreveport. It has always sucked. But since the 90s it's gone way down hill. My family is still there for some reason and they likely will never leave. I got out of there in 98 and my income soared by almost 200% since then. Something I would never have experienced living there.
I have in-laws in the Shreveport area and they say pretty much the same thing. It's by all means never been a super nice place, but it used to be ok. It has gone downhill a lot in the past 20 years. They own a lot of land though so they're doing well and will never move, but they rarely visit the city anymore.
Quaker state oil bought out an oil company owned by David Myatt in Shreveport in the late 90s. I worked to transition the workforce from Shreveport over to Irving TX. In the end......we all lost our jobs...lol
The United States, needs to bring jobs back. Clothing manufacturing could be a good start. Sporting goods companies that show labels such as MLB, official merchandise and actually all the jerseys and hats,etc. I found a NBA hat in Dick's sporting goods and it was made in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the poorest country in the entire world. Multi -Billion dollar sports industries and players could insist on being made in America. Imagine all the jobs that could be created here.
@@scottrhodes6923 Most of Clothing merchandise that We all Wear here in the USA Made in Asia COZ Of The CHEAP LABORS ALL THIS BIG COMPANY AND CORPORATIONS CARES IS THE PROPIT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
@@scottrhodes6923 Manufacturing moving out killed small town America. So many lower tier cities could be thriving right now. Flint Michigan will never be the same
I’ve watched several of your videos and just want to say they’re very entertaining. Not only do I get a lot of good info, but I also get a good chuckle because of some of your phrases and voice inflections. Keep up the good work!
I feel sorry for Flint. I was born there in 1964 and both Parents grew up there and went to Flint central. Both Grandfathers worked for GM long enough to retire. Dad's parents finally left after being held at gunpoint in their bedroom one night being robbed. We used to go back for holidays during the 70s and it was still a "nice" little town. Remember Autoworld? Safetyville? Oh well. maybe one day another industry will invest in the city.
Hi, I have to do a comparison/contrast here. I was born in 64 in Saginaw. My dad and my brothers all worked at GM/Saginaw Steering Gear, 2 of them retired from there. My brother, Ronnie, used to take me to Flint General and Saginaw Gear games back in the 70's in his Camaro or Trans-Am or Corvette that he bought as an employee there. Then you have the bratwurst and Zehnder's Chicken dinners and Christmas celebration in Frankenmuth. Dad would drive us through the old downtown area of Saginaw and Mom would point to the boarded up windows and recollect how wonderful it had been a few scant years before. You are a kindred spirit in this way. Dude, when Buick went out, I'm just so sorry.
note that all of the new auto factories built by 'foreign' auto firms are generally located in southern 'right to work' and 'business friendly' states. That's why no=one in their right mind would open a business in Detroit or Cleveland or other places like that. Remember that Toyota builds almost as many cars as GM and more than Ford & Chrysler combined. Ford has moved much of its production to Mexico.
@@joeschmo7957 I'm from Flint as well. Born 1970 and graduated high school in 1988. That's when crack hit the streets and Flint was actually murder capital of the US for a few years. I go back and drive through now and it's far worse now than when I was a kid. All the people that could get out, left long ago. The people that are left are circling down the drain faster and faster. My family all fled to the thumb area. More cows than people. The last of America.
I've been in Rockford, but it was back in the 80's. It was a dump then too. I now live in Toledo, and the fact that both these cities are on the same list is a joke. If you want to work, you can find a decent paying job in Toledo or the suburbs. Companies can't find enough help. If you aren't making at least $50k here in the Toledo area, you're doing something wrong because the jobs are here. Toledo also has one of the best park systems in the country. It is true that many people have moved to the suburbs, but there are still a lot of decent areas in Toledo proper. I just bought a house in a very good neighborhood.
@@richardwaltjen8992 I grew up in Rockford in the 80's. It's gone downhill since then. But hey, we just got a new hotel downtown away from any form of transportation or attractions.
@@escapingmonday2501 sorry which hotel r u talking about? It feels like there have been several new ones added in the last decade, let alone since the 80s if that is your reference.
Cleveland does still have a fabulous symphony orchestra. And I liked what you showed of the city. I have not been there. Hopefully they can turn it around.
I interviewed for a maintenance management job 30 years ago in central Detroit. The plant manager I interviewed with said "no one" lives within 35 miles of the Detroit plant, and that a "nice house" and neighborhood was at least 45 mile commute away. And that was early 1990's. The seven-building plant had twelve-foot cyclone fence around it, with strands of barbed wire on top. I ended up working in north Cincinnati for next two years.
Shouldn't we be looking at Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) instead of cities? This should provide a more accurate statistical picture and takes into consideration the suburbs
For you to wear a shirt "be nice to each other" publicly as a message/reminder for others as if they haven't been taught or have forgotten this should let everyone know that there's a problem.
Have you ever done a video on top 10 states with most UFO sightings? Or, even one with most bigfoot sightings? Or, aside from the major cities, the towns with the most churches? Here is one, do it with a cutoff of 100k, or less, towns with the most car dealerships. Just thought I would throw something random out to you. Enjoy your video's, look forward to the next one.
The cities with the highest UFO sightings or Bigfoot is probably going to be Albuquerque, New Mexico or Roswell, New Mexico. There seems to be nothing to do, hence all the heavy drinkers. Detox hallucinations come when one drinks too much at night and doesn't sleep it off. That causes the part of the brain that dreams to take over for a few seconds trying to get the drunk to fall asleep.
What is sad is that growing up in the 1950s and very interested in US cities, to see all these cities that were the largest and most dynamic in the US being abandoned is heart-breaking.
the failure of GM to the japanese manufacturers and the labor unions..and the flight of manufacturing offshore. influx of labor from south of the boarder
What’s sad is that American capitalism is finding the cheapest (labor) means to make the cheapest products and sell the product as quality…made in the USA does not mean the product is made from quality…it’s called outsource with pride…the bottom line is how much of a dividend will the executive committee gain, not lose…
@@mikemiller659 GM and Ford are absolutely failures of companies, pumping out shitty products at outrageous prices. The unions are hardly the reason they failed. It was just an easy scape goat for the companies actual failures to diversify.
I’m in Jackson, MS and yes to all of it. The water, trash collection, crime, drugs, corruption of city officials. It’s Alarming! Moved out 25 mins away and live in peace. RIP Jackson.
Yep, another once viable & prosperous city destroyed by blue/black Dim-O-Krats.....Sure is funny that the problems you mention are only occurring in the blue sections of the state. Then I enjoy turning the news on every morning and seeing dead Dim-O-Krats face down in the street with another one in back of a police car with shiny chrome bracelets on!!!!!!
@@fattymcfattzz Jackson is a blue city, the rest of Mississippi is relatively nice. The state being republican or democrat has absolutely nothing to do with how terrible the cities are. New Mexico is a blue state, but has some of the highest violent crime in the US?
What was once a nice, safe city is now a hell hole. I grew up there but I can't even visit my old neighborhood b/c of all the crime and gangs there now. This is what happens when the left takes over a city.
My husband and I drove through Baltimore 30 years ago. We could smell the place as we hit the city limits. The smell didn’t go away until finished passing through. In case your wondering, it smelled like a bologna and mayo sandwich left in a lunchbox over the weekend.
All of my relatives from Detroit are now in the suburbs. Amazing seeing all the streets full of boarded up homes. Last time I was there in some places the city had torn all the houses down. Interesting to me that in some. Places people are still moving to the burbs while others like where I live in Seattle, people who can afford it want to live in the city and the ones leaving are those that are forced out due to the cost of living.
We stopped going to Seattle. Pikes Market almost robbed in parking area. Too much filth, and panhandlers in Pioneer Square. Woman tried to panhandle me and she was dressed better than I was. We walked from our hotel to restaurant. Big mistake! On the return it was dark out and the mood on the streets had changed. We had a 5-6 block walk. After getting……inside our room, we barricaded ourselves in for the night. When checking out in the morning…..the hotel tried to charge more than our reservation. I had printed out all paperwork and asked for manger. Our price was honored. Who needs that much hassle? We don’t and will keep our money. I haven’t gone back except to the airport. Pick up and head over the passes out of the city.
@@rosebudadkins6803 Clearly downtown is a problem. When the business community and downtown residents spoke up the city started to listen. I do think the new mayor is actively working on the crime, and homelessness problem down there. Policing strategies have improved. Things still have a ways to go though.
I'm Shreveport born. A restaurant once held a job fair where 600 people including me (at 18) showed up in 20 degree weather. They hired only 6 people. Love my city but had to leave. Been in Texas ever since and couldn't be happier.
I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SHREVEPORT GETS DOWN TO 20 DEGREES, I HAVE LIVED OFF OF INTERSTATE 20 IN A SOUTHERN STATE AND RARELY EVER SAW IT GET DOWN TO 20 OR COLDER. AND SHREVEPORT IS PRETTY FAR SOUTH.
Lived in Toledo for over a decade. The city is auto and auto parts manufacturing heavy. It’s fortunes are tied to Detroit. “When Detroit sneezes, Toledo catches the flu”. Local leaders have done little to leverage an excellent public university and what was a large corporate presence to diversify the economy. Below par career opportunities for young people.
Damn a MASH reference! Either someone is atleast in his 30’s or someone’s family loves it. Regardless is UT still a good school? Used to be back in the 90’s
Thank you for this video. I'm not surprised to see Toledo, OH on the list, because I'm from there and left when I was 17 years-old in 1986. I've been back a few times to see the city's ongoing decline, but there's no way I'd stay. But they do have a nice art museum and zoo, both in high-crime neighborhoods.
It's the same general pattern in Europe. Most of the old industrial cities are slowly declining and new cities with newer industries, with different needs, are growing. There's also a continued move into the suburbs and back to the countryside. Good public transit tends to accelerate this, as commuting from farther away becomes more common. The gradual move towards remote working and working from home, is likely to exacerbate this trend. My home city, of London, was on a downwards trajectory in the 1970s and 80s, stabilised in the 90s and for the last 25 years has been growing quite rapidly once more. :)
I’m from a town about an hour from Jackson MS. It USED to be (and the surrounding areas) a pretty thriving place. That was 20-30 years ago. I’m 41, so as a teen and early 20e it was good. But it just started to really decline and now I just stay away from it, unless I HAVE to go for some reason. Madison and Ridgeland are still good.
I was there in '98 and thought it to be a potential habitat for me. Had one of the best BBQ pork sandwiches of my life there. Southern folk talk like they've known you forever. I like that.
The one thing all of these cities seems to have in common is the huge number of "privileged" people living there. Laws do not seem to apply to them and they feel they can do whatever they want with no judicial backlash.
@@johnson2191cjdo you mean rich or those that think they are owed reparations? Or those who are crossing the border illegally and being taken care of instead of our citizens being helped who live on the streets? I don't know who you mean either.
I grew up in Mount Morris just north of Flint Michigan. It was a great place to grow up, everyone had a pretty good income working for General Motors. It is too bad that it has gone downhill since General Motors left.
I'm one of those people who contributed to exodus from Shreveport, LA. The city was populated with wonderful, very friendly people, but they really had nothing to do there. No good jobs but for the LSUHSC. And I visited Baltimore several years ago. I never seen so ominous streets... We returned to our hotel very fast after trying to have a site seeing downtown walk. It was my worst impression of all places in the US I had a chance to visit.
@@skytrip5273 I did it soon after watching the video. I was not surprised at all to learn that all 10 cities are run by... it is so easy to guess by who :)
Regarding Flint, Mich. residents having "nothing worth stealing": I agree with Thomas Pryor. Relatively low property crime reports may simply be the result of people not bothering to report. Also crime stats, with the possible exception of homicides, can be "tweaked" to look better.
Usually there's only two police officers on duty at night there, so yeah, that probably was the case before. It is like he says now though, nothing worth stealing. Detroit has been at that point too, nothing left to steal so many of the hoodrats moved out west or other places. After all the abandoned buildings had all the copper ripped out, that was all she wrote lol
In terms of Detroit, I think blight is also a huge variable regarding how it can affect these other factors. It's depressing to live in neighborhoods with a lot of abandoned houses and office buildings. It can foster feelings of despair and hopelessness.
They bulldozed much of it, the more recent mayor was on a damn mission the with bulldozers (a good thing obv). They're also doing some pretty huge projects downtown, such as the Gordie Howe bridge, a major expansion into Canada with a pedestrian/cycling path over it. It's turning around but it'll take time, the city is pretty much a clean slate now, I'm pretty sure they're removing some of the roads/highways as well. The cities on the west coast are the new detroits. Philly is also really bad now.
I moved to Toledo 18 years ago and to me it is so much better now. Obviously still things to work on but it's been moving in a positive direction for years
Politicians were told either back in the late 70's or early 80's about the bad shape of municipal water systems. Like all good politicians that are "concerned about the people" they ignored it. More problems will be coming down the pike.
The problem is a lot of the politicians in the cities have been in office for years. I know for a fact in St Louis until recently there was politicians still in office making decisions until 2019. (Reitred from office) These people had been in office since I was a kid growing up there. Ideas that may have worked in the 70s and 80s won't work now, it's a new millennium a whole new generation. It's time for some new people to take office with new ideas to move these failing cities foward and reverse the downward trend their heading. Thankfully I don't live in St Louis or any of these cities.
@@deathscythehell7937 Time to burn those corrupt, old, dinosaurs out of office. Roll up our sleeves and get to work forging the future. The Boomer generation of politicians, educators & social leaders offered nothing but greed & rot to America.
It impressed me that USA politicians didn't developed a good water and filter system for the environment. even developing like China did that to some of their cities and its working fine for them.
@@deathscythehell7937 we just need good politicians in general. Even young ppl can be very dumb and screw up. USA is the most violent developed country, worse living qualities in the developed world, so high population, no affordable Edu, no universal HC, etc... USA needs lots of fixing but I doubt that would happen now.
@@AngelicoCiudad People in the USA don't like to share. It's as simple as that. It's a cultural value that's very deeply-rooted. Some countries (the Netherlands for instance) are more "about" sharing as a cultural value. I don't see why the United States should have to apologize for its basic values. Private property is perceived as an inalienable right in the United States, and that idea extends to the ways people will and will not spend their hard-earned money. (That's the reason for the violence, too. The "have nots" want what they mistakenly believe should be "their share." without having to work for it. Therefore, in their ignorance and stupidity they turn vicious and attempt to steal what isn't rightfully theirs.) Simple.
I grew up about 1 hour south west from flint and Detroit and about 10 minutes south from Grand Rapids and my whole family has grew up in flint and Detroit my entire life, they have got robbed and my dad has gotten poisoned from the water a few years back and was in a store in flint and there was a armed robbery. That’s why my family and I moved. I’m so disappointed of my home flint and Detroit is now a nightmare. I miss my old home towns
Seattle is one of the saddest stories of going from first to worst that I can think of. They get 2.5 Billion annually in salaries for jobs to cure homelessness yet their homeless pop keeps growing out of control. They won't build anything with that money, they just create more jobs for their constituents and then say we don't need welfare here we take care of our people. The separation of the classes is immense and it happened in just about 10 years.
Dude throwing money at a homeless issue is a sinkhole most people are homeless by choice because they are drinking and drugging so it's for the most part a big waste of money. It goes for every city I know because I was once homeless over a habit n I ain't lying when I say if u handed me money I would just get high off it.shelters are well and good but 98 percent of people will literally stay at a shelter and not even try getting out. I did
It doesn't help that other states ship their homeless to Seattle along with the geography of Seattle. The homeless can't survive Idaho winters but they can survive Seattle winters
actually Cleveland is an interesting situation, the Greater Cleveland Area population has grown while the city population has shrunk due to so many people moving to cheaper nicer suburbs like Solon, Parma etc so downtown actually gets pretty packed with people still, just not with people that live downtown
Actually, that trend seems to be changing. Downtown is now one of the fastest growing areas and its various neighborhoods (Ohio City, Tremont, Gordon Square, University Circle, Little Italy)are all seeing a resurgence. Unfortunately, other areas are not in the mix.
@@richardcook4111 yeah that is true those neighborhoods are way up, but youre very correct at least on the east side theyre mixed with places like buckeye shaker, fairfax, slavic village that i wouldnt wanna even walk around during the day
Born and raised in Shreveport. You said absolutely nothing wrong. I left in '05, haven't looked back. I've said time and time again, the earning potential there is - and always has been - atrocious. My brother-in-law makes $25/hr and that is considered wealthy. (All this is exempting the casino jobs, which is really all Shreveport has going for it....kinda...)
My home town Flint, Michigan was a stable 200,000 for as long as I can remember. I was working in the Chevy Metal Fab Plant as a Millwright, a good paying job, but got tired of working 7-10's quit in 73 moved out traveled and wound up in Alaska and now in Texas. I still have family there, but indeed Flint is a sad situation.
A pal of mine emigrated to flint when he finished his apprenticeship as a joiner carpenter from Scotland 🏴 UK that was in the mid 1970s I lost touch with him so don't know if he's still alive or not we are both nearly 70 now
@@thomasshepard6030 The 70's was a good time to be there. When I was in High School in the 60's we got to see C.S. Mott the CEO of G.M. he came to our High School to give a speech. He was originally hired by William Durant to be the Chief Engineer of the Flint Coach Factory that eventually morphed into Buick Motors then G.M. Mott did a lot for Flint and the surrounding areas with his philanthropic support of the school system and local colleges.
Also to explain more specifically about Mobile’s population loss historically: the city boomed from 80k to 140k just from people coming to the city during WW2 to work. Then afterwards there was an annexation in the early 50s that shot it up to 200k. This plays into the population loss today because a significant amount of the city’s housing comes from this era. The houses were small and cheap due to materials being scarce during the war. Houses from the 40s and 50s built cheaply aren’t seen as having historical value and most are 2-3 bedrooms. These houses are falling apart, meaning the entire middle of the city has aging houses that are declining in value. It forces people to move outside of the city limits into unincorporated areas or to a few suburban cities nearby to new houses. The houses from the first suburban expansion in the 60s and 70s are also now beginning to age, leading to the neighborhoods going down in value, pushing the population further west into unincorporated areas. The mayor is pushing hard for the annexation of these areas to push the population back above 200k
Hey you beat to it lol, literally about to type the exact same thing. I will also tack on that the mayor has been working to tear down all these dilapidated houses, the number of housing units did not change between 2010-2020 because for every housing unit created, one was destroyed. So I would say about 1500-2000 of these old homes have been cleared for future development so far and they are still chugging along with the clearing, all that's needed at this point is a catalyst. I also don't believe crime is too much of a factor as Mobile has the 2nd lowest crime rate of the major cities behind Auburn in Alabama (Huntsville actually has a Violent Crime rate twice as high as Mobile). Mobile is also booming with employment opportunities, most of the largest employers are currently going through expansion adding tons of workers Like Austal, AM/NS Calvert, USA Hospital, Airbus, etc. Plus the port has added so many jobs because of the 4-5 expansions that have happened since the pandemic and several companies have opened shop in Mobile since the pandemic. Mobile has a lot of momentum right now and is a completely different city than it was just 5 years ago, I think the last big push the city needs is to force the School System to overhaul itself or form its own school system
I live in the south and have watched towns struggle to recover from building booms from wars during the last century and the desolation those booms have left. I hate the to see the plight of Detroit and remember what a hub it was.
@@arribaficationwineho32 it’s definitely a big factor in many cities. Mobile had people living in tents on the edge of the city because there was nowhere for them to live inside the city. All the old mansions of the Victorian era were turned into boarding houses, many are still apartments even to this day. Downtown Mobile was completely gutted in the 50s because all of the old brick mid 1800s townhouses were turned into slum housing during the war. Most of the wrought iron or cast iron balconies that once lined every downtown street like the French quarter were torn off and melted down for the war effort. There are still buildings to this day where you can see they used to have cast iron balconies overhanging the sidewalk and are gone for forever
I'd like to see the stats on these cities as to which political parties run these cities, Republican or Democrat. BTW my son lives in Portland, OR. I love your channels.
The decline of motor city (Detroit) was awful, car manufacturers went to Mexico or other 3rd world countries where labor costs are pennies compared to the union jobs
Everybody left Detroit because the local government taxed the hell out of everything and threw it away on graft, corruption, and stupid civics projects.
People started leaving Detroit in the 1960s and early 1970s after the riots. Also, GM lost 2/3 of its market share and Ford lost over 1/2. On top of this, auto plants employ 100s of people not the thousands. Yes, production was moved to Mexico but that is only a part of what happened.
My family came from Detroit, my grandparents used to tell me stories how amazing it was and that it was the richest place on earth, my how things changed.
I dunno, I live in the Chicago metro area and the amount of Rockford transplants here is genuinely shocking. It's like everyone that wasn't leaving the state decided to head towards the lake.
I live in a suburb outside of Toledo. Moving out to a suburb is pretty common here if you can afford it. The city is surrounded by four, or five suburbs many moved to.
I'm living in a dying town. There used to be 20,000 people, here in Westwood N. CA. We used to have: "Bowling Alley, 2 Movie Theaters, Railroad and Stagecoach Station, Hospital, Saw Mill, 5 Dairies, 5 Cement Factories, Arcade, several Restaurants, a Bead Store, Roller Skating Rink, Ice Skating Rink, Golf Course, 2 Grocery Stores, Bars, Pharmacy, Mortuary, Winery, Bank, Auto Parts Store, Car Repair, Movie Rental, the list goes on. We have a DG now and a little Grocery Store. One Bar, 4 places to get food, if you include the Mansion. They have lunches and dinners once in a while. This is a nice little town. A Historical town and it's sad to see it, slowly go away. We are doing better than some of these little towns. Fire has wiped out several mountain communities and towns. The fires barely missed us last year. I feel for all of these dying cities. Especially the ones being lost to crime.
One of the main problems in these cities is not really the unemployment rate, it is the underemployment problem. All the good paying jobs have moved, some over seas, some lost to automation, and the jobs that are left just don't pay that much.
@@louiem337 Theres actually a lot of jobs it just can't do, and its weird ones. Though I can't wait for hollywood to completely collapse under soulless AI movies
One thing I’ve noticed about these cities vs cities doing well is that the cities that are on decline don’t have bustling downtowns. There’s no one around walking and stuff. Kinda sad
@@Dhi_Bee actually housing prices are really going up IN THE CITY of Cleveland. There are nice areas within the city, like Westpark where I live. My house was $65k 30 yrs ago. I was offered $280 for it. They sell really quickly too. Don’t wait too long. When the West runs out of water, they’ll all be back. I don’t want to move cim a senior and happy and feel safe where I live.
You know what I notice is common across most of these cities is an abundance of car-oriented infrastructure. I mean just look how many of those images have large amounts of parking. Excessive parking guts a city of its homes and businesses, destroying wealth, and creating a struggle for all.
Parking is common to pretty much 100% of US cities. They were built either for cars or for horses and carriages. As opposed to some places in Europe and Asia that are either really old cities built to be walked on foot or very new post WW2 cities that came with effective public transportation.
Regarding Shreveport... My wife had never been to the South before. We visited my parents in Tyler, TX, and drove to West Monroe LA (passing in through Shreveport). She was shocked at the massive drop in pretty much every aspect of life as soon as we crossed the LA border. I was born in LA, and it will always have a soft spot for it; but it's pretty much an absolute craphole in most regards (food and music being the big exceptions).
We drove thru Shreveport years ago, and I was shocked at how bad the roads were on the interstate. Seems like all of Louisiana has terrible roads though, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
@@johncampbell829 I assume you're referring to the large minority population. That seems to be the major ribbon of influence that affects all of these cities. The minority populations grow and grow and grow and as that population increases so does the crime. I'm sure they're not the only source of crime in these large metropolitan areas but I think when you look at every one of these cities on this list that seems to be one coincidence, they all have in common.
Left a year ago. Don't miss the $400+/month income taxes, crime, people, overcrowding. Thing i hated the most was the horrible traffic. ...Toll roads everywhere. Baltimore SUCKS.
Another great video. My surprise was the city of Erie, PA, not making the list. The local News talks about Erie going from the third largest city in PA to 5th.
I spent a couple of days in Erie last month. Overall, I've seen worse. Downtown had a decent amount of action for a small city, and the lakefront seems to be developing well. The east side of the city looks rougher and more industrial, especially away from Mercyhurst University, but it doesn't look like a mess. The west side looks tidy and seems to have more going on, presumably due to its easy access to I-79 and Presque Isle.
Toledo was a big lake freighter port. Cancel freighters in the Great Lakes. Then the glass city no longer makes glass (car windows). Toledo was major automotive so rust belt is a name founded in reality. I could move to Shreveport but you can’t sell a house for much in Toledo. We still have Tony Packo’s
I've done two road trips across North America, taking 6 long weeks to do each one, so I could really soak up the sites and go off the beaten track. Baltimore and Memphis were the two cities where I was legit scared. El Paso was just super depressing- many people advised I just stay in my motel room, to avoid the potential danger from Mexican cartels. Also- not a specific city- but I had a day (and night) driving through the rural Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, and I seriously felt like I was in a horror movie.
We all know what scary means when in reference to an American urban area. It’s code for something which we are not permitted to discuss but which we are ALL hyper aware. It means don’t stop to fix your flat tire, drive on it and destroy the rim but DO NOT STOP. Because if you do stop, you could die.
I worked in Flint MI ten years ago, and could see that it was a city in trouble. Now I'm working there again, and am alarmed at how much worse it is. Of course, the water crisis started in the meantime, and still hasn't been resolved. I asked a friend how it affected her. She said that her husband got sick and her dog died, so ever since they've taken all drinking and cooking water from their fridge water filter. My workplace both times was downtown: downtown seemed in decline before, but now seems close to deserted. It really has me wondering if the decline will ever let up -- that the water crisis is still unsolved is madness.
WAB, I Loved Your Report and your Commentary, Comments, & Narration regarding Those Ten Cites and Your Honorable Mentions of The Top Three Cities In Decline and Falling Down. Excellent Work.👍👍 RCJLEO 🦁♌
I have a buddy who’s car was stolen in Flint about five years ago. Here’s how his 911 call went: “911 what’s your emergency?” “Somebody stole my car” “Are you in a life threatening situation right now?” “No” *operator hangs up on him*
Cleveland's decline is sad. I grew up on the west side (around the Detroit Avenue-West 65th Street area), and my old neighborhood, once a peaceful, low-crime area, is now the Murder Capital of the city.
I used to live in a small town near Rockford, Il. I recall my wife wanted to go shopping. We went to a Rockford mall only to find out it was closed because of a gang shoot out in the middle of it. We drove to St Charles, Il for shopping from then on.
Hey Toledo finally made a Briggs list! Too bad it's not a better list and I just moved to the burbs earlier this year haha. Tbh, there's plenty of jobs to be had - they just pay next to nothing. Crime and schools were the biggest factors for my family (have a 5 year old beginning school and where I lived in Toledo wasn't the worst for crime but burglaries were climbing increasingly quickly in my neighborhood) BTW, it is kinda funny how Toledo is right in between #6 and #5.
I lived in Shreveport from 1989 to 2018. I seen businesses leave, crime go up, city looking trashier and trashier by the day.... Gambling came to Shreveport and neighboring bossier city and everyone cheered. But these low paying jobs were not what everyone was expecting. They thought they'd get $25-50 jobs like GM offered before they closed down. Service industry doesn't pay like manufacturing.
i had to go to mobile al several times back in the late 90s for work. really liked the area and of course the seafood. to have a coastal town like that lose population has to be mismanagement by the state and local governments. most of the other cities on the list make more sense. been to all of them, mainly for work, and are the type of cities i always left thinking no way i could ever move there.
I lived in Mobile several years ago and it was a clean and lovely town. Visited a few years ago on the way to Florida. Still clean orderly but ominously quiet. Memphis was the city I was happiest to leave and have no desire to even visit
The 1967 Detroit riots were the beginning of the end of the Motor City. The automotive plants were there for another two and some for three decades but the residents fled to the suburbs. Toledo is heavily reliant on the automotive industry with the Jeep plant and the GM hydramatic transmission plant (unless it's closed as it's been 12 years since I was last there delivering a load) Flint was the home of Buick for nearly a century and I remember people when they were once proud to have been from there. Now I think they're down to just one, the Flint Engine south plant now. Most Cleveland residents that are still in the area moved to the west suburbs a long time ago.
@@mikezylstra7514 Those towns it's somewhat true (that I know of) but towns to the east such as East Cleveland and Euclid are former industrial towns that fell into hard times years ago. Used to drive by that area on the interstate and it definitely has seen better days.
I know they do not make Buicks anymore but when I would go to China if I saw a American branded care it was usually a Buick. Never knew what that was about. Apparently not enough to keep the division alive.
1967 also ushered in a democrat administration, Detroit went from the city with the most millionaires to a wasteland, of course there is no connection between the two.
I'm from the St. Louis metro area and I remember even as a kid in the 90s my family *rarely* visited the city because it was already infested with crime. My dad was originally from North STL, and he has fond memories of growing up there, but these days you can pretty well expect to get shot in his old neighborhood. Or have your car stolen.
This is exactly what a person from the county or St. Charles would say. Even every neighborhood in North St. Louis isn’t dangerous. Most of the crime is in certain neighborhoods. And not all North. There are neighborhoods like St. Louis Hills, the hill, Lafayette Square, Princeton Heights, Ellendale, the Dog Town hoods, West End, Lewis Place, The Gate, and Tiffany are low crime areas
I went into a large ghetto in St Louis in the mid seventies. Still the worst place I've ever been to. The little corner store had chicken wire over the shelves to prevent theft. Kids could buy beer from the store. Looking back on the experience, I think I'm lucky to be alive.
@@carlhaldeman420 I would be thankful to be alive too. Did the corner store also lock the door behind you when going in? I was in a bad part of Washington DC many years ago while visiting a friend and the corner store actually locked the door everytime a customer went in or out. I was surprised to be locked in and having to ask to unlock the door to leave after buying things.
I was in Cleveland Ohio from October 27th til Halloween this year for my sisters wedding, Cleveland is a great tourist city especially with the rock and roll hall of fame, which I visited, they have great breweries which my sisters wedding reception was at a brewery.
I'm from Baton Rouge but grew up in Houston, Shreveport is a " weekend city" I know people do live there but I always think of it like everyone goes home on Sunday ,hell maybe they do!! Perceptions are valid
In Russia, it's even crazier. For example, in Severo-Kurilsk, it experienced an almost 50% loss from 1989 to 2010. And they can even lose everyone. Polyarny experienced a loss of 100% in just 13 years from 4,678 in 1989 to 0 in 2002.
I am from Denmark, and I have been to Detroit, Mobile, Jackson and St. Louis and didnt feel scared being there. Loved downtown Detroit and would love to go back there again.
Here in the Ohio Valley our city use to have over 40K people, at one time we were larger than Orlando Florida. Today we have less than 16K people. It will probably only get worse as almost 800 people lost jobs by the closing two major steel plants. Note: Toledo has some really good traditional food places.
"Aside from the increase in homicides, the District of Columbia actually has a low crime rate." -D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, during a 1989 speech to the National Press Club
As someone who pretty much grew up in Mobile & currently resides here. It seems like there's more people than ever. At least since I've lived here (2004-2010, then 2017-present) There's new construction all the time. Of course, I do live in West Mobile. Also, Baldwin County is growing exponentially. It's just a VERY slow growth in Mobile though. It's a slow moving city anyway. I'm not surprised it made this list. The crime is consistently getting worse. There's very few high paying jobs. Houses appreciate in value at a snail's pace, if they don't depreciate. There's a 9% sales tax.. Despite those things, it's a fun, fascinating, beautiful city with a low cost of living. I'm sticking around
Ross: When you say "low cost of living" do you mean, low rents, low utility rates, low gas prices, low transportation rates, low taxes, low food prices? bc these are the things necessary for "living."
@@sunshineandwarmth That is what low cost of living means. Its a combination, though you are talking America, so transportation rates is hardly a factor.
Pittsburgh is really getting bad. It’s no longer the “Most Livable City” and some of the rents here are almost expensive as NYC. Downtown Pittsburgh is also seeing an alarming number of crime and filth.
I had to laugh, no one complains when you bash Toledo or Shreveport. I'm originally from Toledo, I lived in Shreveport for 6 years, i'm back home now. I could go on and on about how similar the two places are. But the reasons for people leaving the two places are for very different reasons.
okay, I heard you ripping on Shreveport Louisiana and I can honestly say that I lived there for a few years off and on from about 2014 to about 2018 and while it has its challenges, it's really not that bad.
I used to be a traffic flagger who lived in Toledo. I once had to go to to the Cleveland area for a job that started at 6am and got there about a half hour early. I get there and meet up with the foreman to see what the plan is. He told me and then asked where I was from and how long of a drive we had. I told him Toledo, so about 2 hours. He laughed and said oh wow I'm sorry - I said eh, it wasn't exactly a short drive but it wasn't too long. He then clarified: "No, not for the drive, just that you live in Toledo."
Toledo is pretty much West Cleveland and South Detroit. Haha, that's rich that someone from Cleveland pitied you, Cleveland is basically the bigger brother of Toledo--both from the same family.
Shreveport, like a lot of failing cities, looked to casinos as a savior. They were going to create great jobs, and lots of tax revenue. So many cities have literally gambled away their futures.
For Baltimore you did not mention education. A recent study disclosed NOT ONE fourth grader in the school system was at the fourth grade level in math.
People love to talk about NYC and cities in CA. But people always underestimate how many want to move into those places and do. Hence the reason they are not listed
It's really weird how Americans are so likely to move. Like in Britain its incredibly rare. Possibly the only two that might happen more commonly (and it's still relatively rare) is moving to the country for peace or to London for opportunities. Possibly some move for love after Uni or something but generally I've found most in UK stick to within roughly 10 miles of where they were born and you'll find whole families in one nieghbourhood. City identities are strong here so that is the likely reason for this.
I have an aunt that moves 3 or 4 times a year every year, she goes to low income housing and pays the first rent then just stays till she gets evicted and goes to the next town over and gets another low income house or apartment and repeat, she gets like a month or 2 months free stay every time
America is essentially 50 countries under one flag. England is tiny in comparison. Take into account America doesn’t have citizens, it has consumers, with 60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck. It makes perfect sense we move in search of a better life
All of England can fit in one of our smaller states. The country is vast with many different climates, scenery and cultures. Some places very expensive.
I'm born and live here in Baltimore. Crime, education, transportation, political guidance, drugs, high household rates... this city is blindspot stuck in their own way. Besides the sport teams and historic preservation, Bmore is not worth a damn. Such a shame cos we don't have to be this way.
Great video, I live in Shreveport LA…we do have high paying jobs. Many Shreveport residents work at Barksdale AF Base. Also we are a healthcare hub for the ark-la-Tex region including a VA hospital.
About Shreveport only beginning to lose population after 2010 - there was a large GM assembly plant that closed down in 2012. The economic impact and demographical impact of a factory closing in a town far outweighs the impact of anything else in that town/city.
GM leaving was the nail in the coffin. It started with the decline of the oil economy. Dallas and Houston being so close, it's almost a no brainer to leave for better opportunity.
@@joirvin47 Most of those that lived in Shreveport have already moved down to Lake Charles.. That being said at the rate Lake Charles is growing it coult out pace New Orleans in size before too long.
Viewers, please remember that these stats might represent the specific city, but not the metro area as a whole. St Louis, for example, that stats are for the city. The city at 300k people, is a very small percent of the metro area (a pretty concentrated area of the bad neighborhoods), and the metro area as a whole has good stats and continues to grow.
@@qwerasdf1782 MO Jeepr speaks the truth. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County. The population for the county has been stable at just under 1 million for the last decade. The counties further out are growing as well. St. Louis City has problems but the area overall is actually doing pretty well.
I disagree. St. Louis city is separate from St. Louis County. St. Louis City is a wreck and not safe. St. Louis County also is overall not on a good trajectory. St. Louis County population has declined slightly. That is partly due to smaller household size, but also due to the dilapidation of areas in northeast St. Louis County. Some of those areas are just as dangerous as some neighborhoods in the city. The County government has been in D hands for the last thirty years and it shows. The corruption is very serious with a former County Executive having done time. Four neighboring counties are growing. That doesn't speak well for St. Louis County or St. Louis City.
@@LEEEEMO Where was I wrong? I stated just like you did that St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County. According the US Census Bureau, the St. Louis County population grew between 2010-2020 from 998,954 to 1,004,125, so actually a slight increase, year to year changes don't show trends. The outer counties are experiencing growth at the expense of St. Louis City and St. Louis County (an inner suburb), which is happening across the country. I also said St. Louis City has problems. What I and I think MO Jeepr were trying to get across is that there is more to the area than the namesake city. The rest of the St. Louis SMSA is growing, albeit slowly. When you hear that whatever city is dying is a simplistic statement.
Agreed. Due to the county and city being separate the data is really skewed. Most cities are part of a county and the county population is included in the overall numbers of whatever unit is being measured. Unfortunately, not the case for St.Louis so our numbers look bad to people outside of the region. Yes, St Louis has its problems (like all cities) but it’s a pretty safe and prosperous metropolitan area to live in. Are there better areas to live? Sure. Are there worse areas to live? Absolutely.
I've moved around the country since the 80's and the cities you mentioned I would never consider moving to. You only confirmed it. I'd guess that anyone defending any of these cities was born and raised there or lived the a long time.
Yet again we ignore the fact that St louis City is not part of St Louis County. As a metro it has grown steadily at 2 percent. So there should be a side note next to the 5 percent "loss".
This is a silly way to look a things for an older city like St. Louis. St. Louis is not Los Angeles where the suburbs and city seamlessly blend into each other. If New York City lost 1 million people but the metro gained 2 million people it would have a dramatic effect on the city itself and would have very negative repercussions on the entire metro area but if the reverse happened it would be extremely economically, culturally, and socially beneficial to the city and metro area. Sometimes the city proper is very small and just a small part of the greater metro area but to say a city like St. Louis that once 3x the population should have disclaimer because the metro area (aka horribly depressing Misery suburbs) has ticked up a bit, is incredibly silly.
LIved in northern Ohio my entire life. Even back in Cleveland's hay days I would never have moved there. The suburbs are where everything is happening in northern Ohio. They have almost completed a new Trader Joe's about a 1/2 mile from where I live. That would never happen if I lived in Cleveland.
I live in St. Louis city, grew up in the county. STL city only represents about 10% of the pop of the metro area. There has been a lot of people leaving from the north city area which who can blame them ducks generally. BUT, there is a lot of great new construction and nice stuff going on downtown and in midtown. Its coming along but will take time. Crime is always an issue, but the area has a lot of beautiful neighborhoods and nice amenities. Schools have been improving.
They can build anything they want downtown. Nobody with a lick of sense even stops for a red light driving through there. McDonald's headquarters with that arch is about that's left I s'pose.
all that new construction is fated to be a waste of money just like previous attempts to beautify St Louis were. Crime is the 800 lb Gorilla in St Louis. Democrats and liberals don't have the common sense or intelligence to fix the problem so eventually the city will die
