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I don't know if it's an issue of sadness or not, but two particularly unfriendly cities come to mind: Dali, China, and La Plata, Colombia. China and Colombia are just about the two nicest countries Ive ever been in, where the people are generally wonderful, and go out of their way to show enthusiastic hospitality. But in those two cities, we were physically jostled in the streets, and doors were slammed in our faces. Maybe they had some bad experiences with travelers.
I agree, i dont find the sad=poor, or rich=happy to be true. Not at all. In the happy index the happiest country is Costa Rica, certainly not the richest place in the world. And some of those nordic countries that are so well off, have the higher rates of suicide in the world.
-many cities in West Virginia/surrounding Appalachia
-cities in Northeastern Europe
-Russian cities not by the name of Moscow or St. Petersburg
To me also, extreme poverty doesn't necessarily equal sadness. Sadness comes from having life pass you by. The best is behind, and it wasn't that good to begin with. Most other cities in the world, while they may have a great deal of suffering, also have a sense of hope for the future.
I agree, i dont find the sad=poor, or rich=happy to be true. Not at all. In the happy index the happiest country is Costa Rica, certainly not the richest place in the world. And some of those nordic countries that are so well off, have the higher rates of suicide in the world.
Suicide rates have nothing to do with it. If one person out of a thousand commits suicide, it says nothing about the other 999.
I'll go with the usual suspects: (lots of) eastern European cities and cities in North Korea.
Also maybe the cities in the American Rust Belt? In particular then Detroit. Although I've come to understand a process of rejuvenation and gentrification is going on in cities such as Pittsburgh/Cincinatti/Indianapolis...
I'll go with the usual suspects: (lots of) eastern European cities
.
Isn't it interesting that the introduction of Capitalism hasn't made the people any happier.
I understand that the people in the former Soviet republics in central Asia are pretty miffed. Mainly because the ethnic Russians stayed there, and took control of everything that could be used to make a profit.
Would agree, Sydney now having one of the most overpriced/inflated real estate markets in the world...unless amoung those of the property owning class who purchased a decade ago and watched your investment go up to dizzy highs that to us makes the USA housing market look so cheap,in a country with some of the highest interest rates in the developed world,where so many folk work some of the longest hours,possibly to service their debt,in a city that badly needs infrastructure improvements,especially in public transport.
Singapore,so many of their folk,especially the educated young have the desire to leave that authoritarian island and Australia is often cited as a place of preference.
Both Singapore and Hong Kong perhaps have an over reliance on business and the making of money. Could this have something to do with the attitudes of those populations ,i wonder?
Would agree, Sydney is one of the most unfriendly cities around.
It is very common to never know who your immediate neighbours are and/or they won't talk to you anyway.
Real estate values took off in Sydney many years before the rest of Oz, just before 2000, and outpriced the city for the normal person well over a decade ago as Sydney smashed it's way into the Top 10 and then Top 5 in the world for over-priced real estate.
Singapore is a totalitarian society with barbaric laws that has "cleaned up" the city, and put the fear of God into everyone there.
Hong Kong is different, and know plenty of friends that have lived there and enjoyed there time there - mainly mixing with other English speaking ex-pats.
If we are going on depression and suicide (what is sadder than that) one of Scotlands cities has gotta be up there. Suicide rates are 80% higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK, but 2 and a half times greater among Scots aged 15-24, so must be a sad society! Drink and drugs abuse, unemployment and poverty is a fairly sad cocktail for a lot of people all over but seems to be somewhat worse here. I think the gloomy weather plays a part also.
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