WASHINGTON (AFP) - Gritty Philadelphia, where sports fans once booed Santa Claus, edged out Detroit's urban blight to claim the dubious title of America's most depressed city.
Philly slumped to 101st and last place in a survey by Men's Health magazine, just below the Michigan city, St Petersburg, Florida and St Louis, Missouri, where downtown shops and offices stand empty after a flight to suburbs.
America's least depressed city dwellers, according to the survey, live in Laredo, Texas, and the sun-drenched state, adopted home of President George W. Bush, has two other cities, El Paso and Corpus Christi, in the top four.
The survey, published on the Men's Health website, assessed sales of anti-depressant drugs, suicide rates and the number of days residents reported being depressed in statistics collated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, billed by a tourism campaign as "The Place That Loves You Back," is unlikely to embrace the survey, and is currently drawing visitors with an exhibition devoted to surrealist artist Salvador Dali.
But some citizens in what is also known as "The City of Brotherly Love" are likely to wear the new title as a badge of honor.
Acerbic fans became a sporting cliche after pelting Santa Claus with snowballs and booing during a 1968 football game, and once cheered when an opposing player lay motionless on the ground with a career-ending neck injury.
In the 1970s, the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team earned the nickname "The Broad Street Bullies" for its pugilistic style of play and the abuse poured on opponents from the stands.
Last edited by captainloveboat on Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:43 am Posts: 18418 Location: Anytown, USA Gender: Male
NaiveAndTrue wrote:
punkdavid wrote:
NaiveAndTrue wrote:
They just haven't seen your calandar yet.
And they never will! That's why we're depressed, we've got no modern rock!
I have! Its hanging on my wall.
FYI Jenni, Preston and Steve got the OK to go back on the air on 93.3.
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stip wrote:
In five years, when you get laid and grow up, you should go back and read some of these posts and if you've turned into a decent person you'll realize how much of an asshole you sound like right now
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:32 pm Posts: 766 Location: Grayson County, Virginia
Loredo TX is the least depressed? Man that place is a shithole!
_________________ "I came here as a child when it first opened," said Tarsley. "Now that I have kids, where are they supposed to go for Whoppers or Chicken Tenders? We need to ask ourselves, as a culture, 'Where are our priorities?'"
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:58 am Posts: 2105 Location: Austin
Pledge My Grievance wrote:
Loredo TX is the least depressed? Man that place is a shithole!
Yeah it isn't the most beautiful place on Earth, but they have a great sense of community and are very polite which leads to lots of smiley faces.
A thing a lot of people don't seem to get about small towns, is that their problems are very localized, and they don't put the weight of the world on their shoulders. You can work a dead end retail job at the local country store and be happy with it because the next face that walks through the door is someone you've known your entire life. Laredo isn't exactly a small town but it has that sort of sensibility.
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:43 am Posts: 18418 Location: Anytown, USA Gender: Male
Mitchell wrote:
i'm not surprised philly is the most depressed; their sports teams never win anything.
Technically, thats not true. The MAJOR teams haven't won a title in 22 years, but.....
Philadelphia Wings - 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001 NLL Champions
Philadelphia Barrage - 2004 MLL Champions
Philadelphia Phantoms - 1998 AHL Champions
Philadelphia Kixx - 2002 MISL Champions
_________________
stip wrote:
In five years, when you get laid and grow up, you should go back and read some of these posts and if you've turned into a decent person you'll realize how much of an asshole you sound like right now
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
How, in God's name, do you get more depressed than someone living in Detroit. That place is such a shithole!
I was in Philadelphia last year and loved it. That city would be worth living in just for the White Dog Cafe!
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
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