Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think that's arguable. Oakland cut 1/4 of its police force in the last 2 years, and has to close down American Indian Charter (the best charter schools in the city) because of budget cuts. Not to mention crime spiked by 30% last year.
I think that's arguable. Oakland cut 1/4 of its police force in the last 2 years, and has to close down American Indian Charter (the best charter schools in the city) because of budget cuts. Not to mention crime spiked by 30% last year.
A lot of cities had to make cuts, because of unsustainable pensions negotiated by pubic sector unions and the politicians they helped elect.
Suburbs: Maple Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. It's absolutely astounding/heartbreaking/DEVESTATING the difference the suburb is now compared to 10, 20 years ago. Euclid, Ohio, is also a runner up.
Victorville-Hesperia-Apple Valley, California. Used to be fine untill about 5 years ago. When all the jobs dried up, the people with common sense left. Now it's a crime ridden wasteland in the middle of the desert with no jobs and neighborhoods full of foreclosed tract homes. Arguably one of the fastest declining areas in the entire country.
Charlotte, NC is a top contender for this thread. As somone who was born in Charlotte and came back after college. I've seen the city go downhill from what it use to be....Too many people drank the kool-aid and thought Charlotte was some kind of Utopia. They packed up and moved here sight unseen and without no jobs. Now there are not enough jobs to go around for the influx of people who moved here. Not the best place to relocate to right now, with NC having the fifth highest unemployment rate in the nation.
I think your time frame is too short. Maybe start the clock clicking in 1970 or 1980, vs 20 years. 20 years would be continuation of trends that started earlier.
(I know of a few suburbs of Louisville & Dayton that really took a dive during that time frame)
I think Catonsville and Randallstown, MD, outside of Baltimore have gone downhill VERY bad, and will get even worth in the coming years as a new proposed mass transit line is built using our tax dollars.
The decline was due to the "gentrification" of Baltimore City and how it has pushed the crime, gangs, drugs, and youth mobs out into the closer in suburbs. Now in the Baltimore region, the best places are the places farther and farther away from the city like Westminster, Bel Air, Fallston, Parkton, and Hereford. Even Columbia has seen a decline. Areas like Owings Mills have decliend since the construction of the Baltimore Metro outward from the city. Cockeysville is also seeing more crime, violence, and drugs since the Light Rail was built there. In the Washington DC area some areas like Wheaton and Silver Spring and especially Prince George's County have declined dramatically due to DC's ghetto moving outward as the District yuppifies, and also due to illegal immigrants moving in. And Maryland is VERY friendly to illegal aliens.
I've noticed that when a suburban area declines, it is usually due to these factors.
1. Illegal Immigration
2. Expansion of Public Transportation
3. Construction of Section 8 housing
4. Gentrification in the inner city pushing the ghetto outward.
"Decline" can be interpreted in other ways too. FOr me, a suburban area that has become more high density and crowded, even if crime doesn't go up, is still seeing a decline in the quality of life there. If 10 years ago you could drive everywhere and park for free, not deal with as much crowds or traffic, have cheaper gas prices, have a less cluttered skyline, and today you have to sit in traffic and pay for parking or take mass transit, and your town has more noise and crowds and is cluttered that is a decline isn't it.
Riverdale, Georgia is definitely a top contender. Completely changed from 20 years ago. Now it has high crime, the Clayton County school system is a national joke (only system to have lost accreditation in the last 40+ years), and a bunch of low quality apartment complexes filled with former Atlanta Housing Project residents who were relocated prior to the destruction of a bunch of public housing in Atlanta before the 1996 Olympic Games. The areas close to Riverdale Road, Gardenwalk Boulevard and Flint River Road are particularly bad.
Actually, I would like to nominate a majority of areas in Clayton County, GA for the answer to this question.
I second Clayton County Ga. Homes that a few years ago went for 180,000 with 2000+ sq feet are now going for 15,000 if that. Pretty sad decline.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
