Superior, Wisconsin: The "Other" Port

[cheese plate]

Some nice pics. Last time I was in the area, we drove around Superior a bit to try and find any sort of "downtown" (it doesn't quite seem to exist) and check out lakeshore spots, but were pretty disappointed. Hopefully Duluth's slow semi-resurgence helps out Superior as well.

[waf110879]

Superior WI is considered the armpit of the north. The air stinks due to the refinery polluting it all the time! Duluth and their mills just across the bridge make the air even worse in Superior when the wind is right! Bars, Taverns, Pay Day loan companies and despair line the streets. City leadership promises new jobs but fail to deliver. Nothing worth staying here for once done with high school, nothing worth coming back for once ur gone.

[cheese plate]

Unfortunately, that's been my impression of it. Still hoping that Duluth (which has great bones) has an upswing and brings Superior along with it.

[timberline742]

Bars and taverns? Sign me up!

[MaseMan]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Bars and taverns? Sign me up!

The problem is that's apparently all there is to do in Superior.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by MaseMan

The problem is that's apparently all there is to do in Superior.

Eh, wasn't my experience in Northern WI, but I love outdoor activities.

[NomadStephanie]

I visited Duluth and Superior this past summer and noticed that while both cities have their share of urban decay and signs of despair (the number of signs or ads for drug rehab, including through downtown Duluth, was one), Superior definitely looked and felt more run-down than Duluth. I'm curious why people think this is. The New York Times ran an article in the past year or two about the two cities in which it was argued that the different politics of each state had something to do with it. This was well argued and yet it strikes me as a bit simplistic, especially as I get the impression that Superior has had these issues for quite a while, since before the recent political events referenced by the NYT article.

[cheese plate]

Has nothing to do with politics - Duluth is the bigger city with more industry sitting on a giant scenic hill that still has nice bones and a great (for its size) downtown; Superior has no downtown to speak of, no great bones, no industry, and it sits on flat swampy ground looking up at Duluth.

[Rynldsbr]

Superior is a blue collar industrial town with freight as its centerpiece. The population isn't big enough to draw in significant retail or infrastructure investments outside of the cargo (shipping, rail, trucking) industries and the climate isn't good enough to attract much else.

Lake Superior is a gem, but Superior lacks the topography to appeal to many the way the eastern portions do.

I suggest people live in Superior more of necessity than desire in many cases, and as others have stated, move away when opportunity presents itself. For those who are outdoors types and don't mind a good dose of winter each year, it offers some options. The rest of the population probably isn't as excited to be there.