What are the most "white trash" towns around Kansas City, in rough order? (St. Louis: houses, neighborhood)
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Don't you mean the south end of St. Joe? I thought the north end was the nicest part. And, any particular part of Arkansas to look out for?
More blue collar redneck on the south side, and trashy trailer snobs on the north end with plenty of drug problems and poverty all around. East and northeast might be slightly better in a handful of areas but you still have below average schools, and over 45 percent of the district's students eligible for free or reduced lunches -- The students that do survive and go off to college probably don't come back if they're smart, leaving a permanent void in the place. St Joe has many dirty trashy areas, meth heads aplenty, low per capita income, Walmart style culture, high property crime, and overall crime per square mile triple the national avg. Over 58% of the homes in St. Joe were built before 1959 with 77% of them valued under 99k - plenty of low end / low rent apartments all over the place as well. St. Joe's culture kinda reminds me that if Tonya Harding and Eminem got together and had a baby you would get a hybrid blend of ghetto white trash all rolled into one.
Arkansas has some very friendly people and is probably more backward hillbilly than white trash. But stay out of Prescott and West Memphis AR- total brain drain, low on the human development index, a haven for meth heads, petty crooks, and drug pushers. If you travel through those areas you'll probably meet someone who’s fathered a child or two that was revealed to them on one of the various day time talk shows.
With all due respect to the residents of those cities & towns: Defintely Belton, Sugar Creek, parts of KCK, Archie, Excelsior Springs, Parts of North Independence, Harrisonville, Gladstone, and the north end of St. Joseph all come to mind - definitely not as bad as areas I've visited in Southeast Ohio, KY, Arkansas, E. TX, N. Louisiana, and Indiana.
I would agree with this, but add Bonner Springs and remove Gladstone, don't quite get why you think Gladstone is like that. Pretty silly question though as even cities like Belton have far more nice areas than white trash and a city as large as Independence only has small parts like that.
I would agree with this, but add Bonner Springs and remove Gladstone, don't quite get why you think Gladstone is like that. Pretty silly question though as even cities like Belton have far more nice areas than white trash and a city as large as Independence only has small parts like that.
Ditto on Bonner Springs, and I might have agreed with you on Gladstone until I saw this.
^ LOL, that event may have taken place in Gladstone, but I still don't find the city to be very redneck or white trash at all. North Oak Tfwy has parts that have seen better days, but just has a dated 1970's suburban feel to it. Pretty sure all those people are from Bonner Springs, Belton etc.
I don't find it racist or classist at all. Perhaps you're unexposed, but there's certainly an element out there that is accurately described as "white trash". I don't see anything wrong with openly acknowledging that. If anything doing so might provide social prodding and cause some people to look at their behavior or others, learn from it, and choose to not be like that. I know a girl from Excelsior Springs who did just that and left as soon as she could. I don't doubt that's uncommon.
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Originally Posted by zmgriffith
Another ridiculous thread by MOKAN'T.
Click on the OP's profile and you'll see craven and relentless negativity - and in large volume.
I know it's cold outside, but does OP do anything other than peddle low-brow insults in an effort to make themself feel better?
Everytime I click on this forum I see the same divisive nonsense from the same OP. Embarrassing.
Your ideas are wrong and you've basically personally attacked me. There's no reason for that. This thread topic shouldn't be divisive. I'm not sure there would really be any truly "white trash" people on here, for one, and besides that any divisiveness caused by some people not being honest is really not necessary.
This topic may seem silly to those who haven't been exposed to true "white trash" and don't even realize they actually exist, but those who have been and know should better understand. Personally, I'm from KCK and have seen "white trash" first hand, up close and personal. That said, even I had lost touch and largely forgotten that element exists until some recent exposure and insight into various circles in Springfield, MO really opened my eyes. That experience is what generated my curiosity.
I'm not sure I would place Raytown among the most white trash, but I'm probably just lacking insight. Raytown may be getting worse, but I've always thought of it as largely an aging, tired sort of blue-collar place whose better days are in the past.
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Originally Posted by Techwired
More blue collar redneck on the south side, and trashy trailer snobs on the north end with plenty of drug problems and poverty all around. East and northeast might be slightly better in a handful of areas but you still have below average schools, and over 45 percent of the district's students eligible for free or reduced lunches -- The students that do survive and go off to college probably don't come back if they're smart, leaving a permanent void in the place. St Joe has many dirty trashy areas, meth heads aplenty, low per capita income, Walmart style culture, high property crime, and overall crime per square mile triple the national avg. Over 58% of the homes in St. Joe were built before 1959 with 77% of them valued under 99k - plenty of low end / low rent apartments all over the place as well. St. Joe's culture kinda reminds me that if Tonya Harding and Eminem got together and had a baby you would get a hybrid blend of ghetto white trash all rolled into one.
Arkansas has some very friendly people and is probably more backward hillbilly than white trash. But stay out of Prescott and West Memphis AR- total brain drain, low on the human development index, a haven for meth heads, petty crooks, and drug pushers. If you travel through those areas you'll probably meet someone who’s fathered a child or two that was revealed to them on one of the various day time talk shows.
Interesting. I was wondering if you were going to say Harrison, AR.
It's interesting to think of how some places (like much of Springfield, MO or St. Joe, as you say) can be so white trash. I mean, it takes a whole community/circle of people to allow for individuals (kid, teens, especially) to be socialized in such a way. A sort of community that coddles their behavior, enables them, doesn't put them in check, etc. It's amazing how confidently wrong some people from these places can be, for example, because their community reinforces it. What creates this culture, I don't know for sure, but I think a major factor is isolation. I think in isolated, relatively "closed" communities, this "white trash" culture I've spoken of can even work its way to the top. Look at what happened in Maryville as an example of that.
You spoke a lot about income, older housing, etc., and I don't think that stuff has as much to do with it and that it basically boils down to culture. One thing I realize that some others don't, I think, is that one aspect of "good schools" for some parents is what type of kids their kid will be exposed to and therefore influenced and socialized by, so in that sense I could agree with poor schools, poor schools being those that are dominated by a culture such as what I'm calling "white trash".
All that said, I still think St. Joseph is a neat place, and kind of provides a glimpse into the past in a certain way.
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Originally Posted by kcmo
I would agree with this, but add Bonner Springs and remove Gladstone, don't quite get why you think Gladstone is like that. Pretty silly question though as even cities like Belton have far more nice areas than white trash and a city as large as Independence only has small parts like that.
I'm not sure you can always tell where white trash are by looking at places (for example, junk cars, clothes from Walmart, and a dirt yard with all kind of clutter doesn't necessarily mean "white trash". Those people could be very nice, hard working, and legit). I think it takes insight into the actual community, as in the people who live there. And even then, people tend to have insight into others much like themselves, so it takes a person who has a more diverse insight.
What I mean by "white trash" runs deep and it's just not necessarily evident in the superficial. I've been very surprised to meet young women, for example, who might dress nice enough and look decent enough at times, but once you really see their behavior, hear them speak, and gain some insight into them, you're like "wow" and never would have thought they are like they are. That said, since having those experiences I have now better gained the ability to catch subtle, telling cues on the surface.
I didn't watch the video, but this could be a legit, fun event for some people. I don't equate it with white trash. Having different tastes in activities and opinions of fun doesn't make people white trash.
I was born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from college, and have been to 34 states and four different countries in my lifetime, and I've always wanted to participate in a demolition derby.
I'm not sure I would place Raytown among the most white trash, but I'm probably just lacking insight. Raytown may be getting worse, but I've always thought of it as largely an aging, tired sort of blue-collar place whose better days are in the past.
I have a lot of family there and this is dead on. There are a few houses in Raytown like that, but for the most part Raytown is just blue collar and modest neighborhoods. Raytown is also pretty diverse anymore. African American version of white trash exist, but not really in Raytown. I think you will find more of that in places like KCK. Some areas around Raytown (kcmo city limits) have more white trashy areas than Raytown itself. Blue Ridge Blvd between the stadiums and 470 for example is mostly KCMO. Ruskin/Hickman Mills have more trashy areas than Raytown. Raytown is just not that bad of a place.
Independence has a fair share. Not enough to label the entire city as a white trash city though. Most of Independence is also just blue collar and modest, yet rather well maintained homes and good people. Some corridors of Independence look bad like Highway 40, but the neighborhoods are generally stable and solid and not trashy at all. That changes as you go north though. North of 23rd things get pretty weird. The Independence Walmart seems to be the epicenter of the white trash of the area. You can go to the Target across the street and it seems as normal as any target in the metro, but that Walmart is pure culture shock. The other Walmart in Independence (old blue ridge mall) has more urban clientele than white trash. I would rather go there. I find KCK to be much worse than Independence. Maybe it's getting better because of Village West, but KCK never really had a highly developed suburban/affluent area to offset some of the poor areas and KCK seems to have a more rural culture than Independence. The nice parts of Independence are much more connected to the city while KCK's village west is sort of by itself with little residential and Bonner Springs (really most of west wyco) is off the charts when it comes to having a rural/blue collar and even white trash feel to it. Buckner, MO seems pretty bad too.
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Originally Posted by MOKAN
I'm not sure there would really be any truly "white trash" people on here, for one, and besides that any divisiveness caused by some people not being honest is really not necessary.
Good point
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Originally Posted by Gnutella
I was born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from college, and have been to 34 states and four different countries in my lifetime, and I've always wanted to participate in a demolition derby.
Me too! Who wouldn't want to do that? Since moving to the east coast, I find rural areas of PA, NJ etc to be much worse than MO or KS and white trash type areas exist in metro Philly, Baltimore etc just as much as metro KC if not more, especially in urban areas. Just thought I would say that. This is absolutely not just a KC or even midwestern thing. But yea, nothing wrong with having some redneck fun I suppose, that's why they have state fairs haha.
I was born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from college, and have been to 34 states and four different countries in my lifetime, and I've always wanted to participate in a demolition derby.
nearly every county fair in Minnesota features a demolition derby as its main night attraction.
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Since moving to the east coast, I find rural areas of PA, NJ etc to be much worse than MO or KS and white trash type areas exist in metro Philly, Baltimore etc just as much as metro KC if not more, especially in urban areas. Just thought I would say that. This is absolutely not just a KC or even midwestern thing. But yea, nothing wrong with having some redneck fun I suppose, that's why they have state fairs haha.
