What's the biggest dump in Ohio? (Cleveland, Cincinnati: home, unemployment, university)

[truemuck]

Mansfield. Its just as run-down as some of the other places mentioned, not to mention its the heroin capital of the Midwest.

[RememberMee]

Looks like most of Ohio turns into history. On the other hand, "turns" implies some kind of direct action/participation/contribution on the part of us Ohioans, but since most of us are just powerless onlookers/puppets/wages slaves, we just watch "captains of industries" & investor class gutting everything in their path that is not willing (immediately) to work for 5 pesos/hr etc.. so appropriate phrase is "Ohio is being turned into history" and there is nothing YOU can do about it.

I would pick Youngstown and vicinities, general decline is being enhanced by the abundance of garbage on streets and roadways starting from PA/OH border.

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by RememberMee

Looks like most of Ohio turns into history. On the other hand, "turns" implies some kind of direct action/participation/contribution on the part of us Ohioans, but since most of us are just powerless onlookers/puppets/wages slaves, we just watch "captains of industries" & investor class gutting everything in their path that is not willing (immediately) to work for 5 pesos/hr etc.. so appropriate phrase is "Ohio is being turned into history" and there is nothing YOU can do about it.

I would pick Youngstown and vicinities, general decline is being enhanced by the abundance of garbage on streets and roadways starting from PA/OH border.

I want to step up on my soapbox for a minute to say: Maybe Youngstown (and the other places in Ohio that have been included in this thread) wouldn't be such a dump if people had more pride in where they lived.

(and, if people had more pride in where they lived, they probably wouldn't litter it with their trash)

Last spring, we organized a litter cleanup in my neighborhood. When a group of kids were asked if they wanted to help, they said: "why, it's only Youngstown?" We did get their help, but only after we told them there would be free pizza after we were done.

I realize that a lot of the work needed to change this attitude must come from within. But, it would certainly help if outsiders didn't refer to the city as a dump, cesspool, a place to escape from.

[ZnGuy]

Originally Posted by truemuck

Mansfield. Its just as run-down as some of the other places mentioned, not to mention its the heroin capital of the Midwest.

Mansfield...I grew up there. Many more areas in worst shape than Mansfield. There are some great areas of town (mainly southside) with beautiful old homes. This area had a big part in the industrial revolution and had it's hay day in the 40s. The town has struggled over the last 10-20 years and, like alot of areas it has lost some of their middle class citizens. There are many wealthy old money people here and the have nots. You can buy a beautiful old home for peanuts.
My pick would be Ashtabula.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by RememberMee

Looks like most of Ohio turns into history.

My point is that every single place in Ohio has something that can be appreciated. No one logically can simply dismiss an entire town or city as a "dump."

Portsmouth? The floodwall murals.
Steubenville? Ditto, along with some lovely old Italian neighborhoods.
Ashtabula? The harbor.

Etc.

[spotch]

For the past few months it's been here.

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by spotch

For the past few months it's been here.

LOL! Good one!

[czb2004]

According to P.J. O'Rourke its the town where he grew up, Toledo. This article has some people in Toledo a little angry, but I thought it was still entertaining.

P. J. O'Rourke Reflects on Toledo, His Hometown - Newsweek

[Tobias C]

Originally Posted by czb2004

According to P.J. O'Rourke its the town where he grew up, Toledo. This article has some people in Toledo a little angry, but I thought it was still entertaining.

P. J. O'Rourke Reflects on Toledo, His Hometown - Newsweek

I thought it was annoying. And the picture of the old bridge, thats supposed to show readers how Toledos falling apart or something, is by Waterville. Not in or by Toledo.


YOULL DO BETTER IN TOLEDO.

[000000]

Originally Posted by JR_C

I want to step up on my soapbox for a minute to say: Maybe Youngstown (and the other places in Ohio that have been included in this thread) wouldn't be such a dump if people had more pride in where they lived.

maybe if mahoning county's politics weren't so corrupt, if the area had jobs for the people to work at, and if there was something to do other than grow large pumpkins or play adult kickball people would have more pride in their dump.

plus, what has the prideful "movement" shown other than how rose-colored glasses and blogs/message boards alone achieve nothing.

Originally Posted by JR_C

I realize that a lot of the work needed to change this attitude must come from within. But, it would certainly help if outsiders didn't refer to the city as a dump, cesspool, a place to escape from.

if prideful insiders can't handle statements of outsiders providing objective statements based upon relative experiences, how do the insiders ever think that larger issues can ever be fixed? just as it is an error to conflate positive words with any progress on the ground, trying to limit outsider conversation to positive words still does not bring a single job to the area nor clean up any part of local government.