If it weren't for the snow and the economic situation here, we'd be very happy in Detroit!

I'm surprised to see Atlanta on the list. Visiting the city was wonderful, and everyone I know who lives there seems to enjoy it.

I'm not surprised, though, that Texas is not on this list. We're supposedly missing most of the economic heat.

Haha, I live in Portland. And the city I moved here from was on the "twenty happiest cities" list, at least in 2005.

Obviously these polls are unscientific, but this seems even less credible than most. They only take the negative factors into account, not balancing them out with the positive ones. So a city with the best restaurants and entertainment in the entire world would score badly if it was regularly cloudy and the unemployment rate was higher than other comparable cities. And a city in the middle of the desert with nothing in it but concrete boxes for housing would rank pretty highly as long as the concrete house-building trade was steady.

Not to mention, when you look at their stats a little more closely--depression rates, for example, are based on sales of anti-depressants. So Portland doesn't have more depressed people, it has more people taking anti-depressants, which would arguably make them . . . less depressed. Right?

Besides, I kind of like the rain.

I was surprised that Portland was on the list--I've heard nothing but good things about it. A lot of people leave the East Coast for Portland, and they're really happy.

None of the other cities surprise me, though, since they depress me.

The only city that surprised me was Portland, because of all the good things I've heard from people living out there. I was also surprised Hartford didn't make the list.

I love when these lists come out, because then the people from the respective cities start with the "My city can't be on the list." It's like when someone dares criticize the city where a Super Bowl takes place. People get so defensive about their cities, these kinds of lists get some pretty strong reactions.

Oregon has been hit pretty hard by the recession. Portland less so than other parts of Oregon, but still more than similar-sized cities in the rest of the country.

On the plus side, we've had a lot more sun this year than is normal. Yay for global warming!

Seattle is fun, too. The Pacific Northwest is just being unfairly punished by our preponderance of rainy days.

See, that surprises me as well. I figured that if any state was ahead of the curve with "green-collar" jobs, that it'd be Oregon. But, if the state relies a lot on forestry, maybe not so much...?

I've also heard great things about Seattle. The time for me to leave NYC is nigh, and I'm starting to think about cities to which to relocate within the next 3-4 years.

The number of people on anti-depressants may also correlate to how many people have health insurance which pays for those anti-depressants. Many folks aren't going to take meds for a non-life threatening ailment if they don't have insurance. Definitely not scientific, but I fully expected Detroit to be on the top of the list. People are totally freaking out here and the Lions didn't win any games at all last season.

I tend to think that these poll makers go into it with an agenda of sorts. Last year, Pittsburgh was on top of one "happy" poll and near the bottom of another. The variables have to be equalized to have them mean anything truly important.

I love the beauty of the Seattle area, but I've never lived there. Having severe allergy problems, I don't think I could live in a city so dedicated to mold.

What sort of agenda would they have, though? An axe to grind against a certain city?

Every city has a reputation, heck, every area of the country has a reputation. People have notions about Pittsburgh, Detroit, Boston, NYC, Washington DC, and lots of other cities. There are assumptions made about Southerners, Northerners, New Englanders, West Coast people, etc. It's not really a big deal (unless you're part of a city's tourism bureau); some cities are more depressing than others, some are more fun than others, it just is what it is.

I don't care what anyone says - I loved living in Pittsburgh and I would move back in a heartbeat if I got a job there.

Different surveys take different criteria into consideration, what with different people difining quality of life differently. Some feel that the arts (symphony, museums, etc) rank highly, others might rank education, job security highly, a third could rank green living most highly. So, surveys and polls are usually skewed towards the agenda of the poll taker.

Lived in Portland, briefly. I couldn't get used to the bridges, At first. I was always on the wrong bridge. And alot of homeless camping. Some of the homeless were young-ish, kicked out or just left, middle classs homes.

Fresno...It is fine in some areas right near Fresno State, getting the football stadium next to school helped, and next to it, central Clovis, is cute. An area where students used to live, just beyond Greek houses has really gone sown. Downtown, no. Everyone I knew avoided it in college. Donald Trump and his group gave up on the place a year or so ago, problems with demands I think the city put on plans to revamp an area into a golf course. It needs something.

Honolulu, and all of Hawaii, always good times there.

Every time I've driven through El Paso I found it depressing. Rather than take pill, kept going.

Wouldn't it be rare, though, that a city would rank last or close to last on each survey? On the same token, I can't think of any cities that would be at the top or close to the top of all of the surveys, either. I feel like all cities win some and lose some, and most (like where I grew up) end up right in the middle all of the time.

Why? I mean there isn't any green here, but that is what happens when you live in a desert. I don't find it that bad.

ETA:
That poll was from 2005, there wasn't anything like that happening in Juarez back then.

I have to wonder if the survey took into account that Portland (well, Oregon) has physician-assisted suicide, which I imagine would increase the count of suicides if for only some deaths would be reclassified from what they would otherwise be.

People in Portland and Seattle probably take more anti-depressants just due to the number of cloudy days we have. If you grow up in it (like me), it probably doesn't even bother you. But for many people who move to the PacNW (and we have LOTS of those up here in this corner), it's hard to adjust to and they get Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Those people either take Vitamin D supplements, get a special light, or take anti-depressants in the winter. Our summers are beautiful and I definitely notice a positive change in mood!

Portland is a cute city. Very walkable and bikeable. And some great shopping, with no sales tax too! But the driving down there sucks!

From the original list, hooray for San Jose! I <3 my hometown!

True. In other words, many people seem to take surveys more seriously than they should.

Wow....how did they figure this out?

My city is the 3rd most depressing in the country....its not that bad! lol! Maybe all the Hurricanes and home foreclosures?

Yeah there was just not as bad as is it now.

I think the residents of the respective cities tend to take these things too much to heart. If you enjoy where you're living, great...just understand that your city may have a reputation (deserved or not) by those who don't live there.

For example, I love Boston, I really enjoyed living there for 7 years, and I would move back in a heartbeat if I could, but I understand there are some people who can't stand it there.

I don't even know what you are talking about. Juarez in '05 was NOT bad at all, shoot Juarez up to the invasion of the Sonoran drug cartel wasn't bad. It was safe for people to walk around, I used to go to Juarez all the time and I never felt like my life was in danger. As for now, El Paso isn't bad at all (and although Pika2001 might have some more insight, there is not much "spilling over").

Except people in Camden, NJ...that place is terrible.

my city is racist as hell

racist to the point to fuck itself over twice

Richmond, VA was one of the main points on the "slave trade triangle"

Is there a slavery muesuem in Richmond, VA? No, that made people uncomfortable, so they moved to the middle of bumfuck nowhere.

Richmond, VA just happened also to be the Confederate capital during the Civil War (and it was a civil war because Virginian fought against Virginian) but is there a Confederate musem? No , not really. It's headquarted here, but only tax documents, etc. are there. The exhibitions have been split among three sepearate localities.

I really don't a give a s**t about the Civil War or Slavery, but if we had those musems, or how-ever-the-fuck-you spell museum, we could increase our tourist revenue by quite a bit. Enough to buy an up to date sewer system for when half the city floods, wheich is every couple of years or so.

Seriously, Pochohantos, John Henry, Henry Clay, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mr. Bill Bogangles Robinison all lived here, and no one knows where they hung out? I'm calling shennangings on Reverand Mayor, and everyone else in this commonwealth....we were one of the first cities, goddamnit, we shouldn't be one of the last.

/rant about local government corruption bordering on mayor daly/barry style levels of wanting-to-vomitude

Well I can understand why Cleveland is on the list but I really do like it here :) My only complaint is when we get a couple of 60 degree days and then go back to snow. If it was cold the whole winter through I'd be fine lol. But I hear people complain about it all the time.

Not surprised to see Detroit, have an aunt and uncle up there and it just depresses me to go to visit them. Altho maybe that's just a little rivalry that I have with Cavs-Pistons ;p

No, Detroit is just that depressing.

The violence hasn't spilled over YET in El Paso but the fact that the cartels have operatives, money, and weapons within the city makes it probable that it could. If the mexican military actually do choke out the cartels in Juarez they may start operations here, or maybe head to another border town like reynosa or nuevo laredo, who knows. I did read that the Gov was thinking about returning the national guard to the border if any major cartel violence did come north.

When I saw this story today, I thought of you guys and this thread.

Ahh, thanks for the info!

I don't think the Mexican military can do anything to the cartels, especially when so many are involved with the drugs. I laughed when the El Paso Times and the news stations said that the violence in Juarez plummetted when the 3000+ military came in. I just kept thinking, it's plummetting cause the cartel is more concerned about getting the military involved with them, than killing anyone.

The violence is bound to spill over especially since El Paso is allowing people like the mayor of Juarez & all those other "high ranking officials" to live in El Paso b/c they fear for their life.

It's not the best outlook, but i'm glad that El Paso isn't like Laredo or Phoenix or cities close to the border. We've managed to keep out the cartel.

Juarez in '05 was ok. There still was a few things going on but not as bad as now. I'll admit I loved going to Juarez to visit family and going shopping and go to clubs up until a year ago. But now even with the military there, there is less of a chance for me to go. The Mexican military is to be trusted as much as the cartels. I say this from experience by having my cousin murdered by them just in Nov. I will say that I have no problem going to the southern part of Mexico but the northern part of Mexico I will not go to until the military is out and the cartels can be managed but I really doubt that is going to happen anytime soon. As for anything spilling over into EP I agree with epchick as long as the high ranking officials are living there and also the connection with Barrio Azteca and Los Aztecas things are bound to happen.

I don't agree with the new list....Jacksonville is much less depressing than Tampa Bay....

Anchorage is happy? Don't think so!
 

Since I moved to Anchorage - I have not seen more alcoholics or cigarette smokers in my life. People here always seemed pissed off. I never get friendly smiles or hello's from strangers. On the road everyone drives like an asshole. I wanted to laugh when I saw Anchorage on the "happiest" list. I am from Portland, Oregon and I would say Anchorage belongs above Portland on the sad list. There must be a better way to measure this than by the # of anti depressants sold. Lots of people here don't have healthcare, so they are depressed and never treated for it. They just drink beer instead. The smaller towns in AK might be happy, but Anchorage? Are you kidding??

The reason I found this post is because I am searching for a happier place to live. A place where people are warm, friendly, and generous toward strangers. A place where people don't consider getting drunk a hobby. I want to be outdoors a lot, riding horses, hiking, having fun. I don't know where to live!!! But it needs to be a place where I can have a farm & acreage.

In just a few hours, someone will come on with the sole purpose of letting you know about such a magical place with horses and acreage!