2 Michigan Cities Named Among The Worst in America to Visit
Another day, another slam on Michigan.
MindYourDollars.com just came out with its list of "The 40 Worst Cities to Visit in the United States", and the Mitten State is home to two of the entries.
Detroit
Come on. This one's like picking low-hanging fruit. Lazy.
Every since the once-booming metropolis of Detroit began to suffer from the decline of its auto industry, outsiders (and even some insiders) have loved to hate on it.
While it's true that Detroit has some rough neighborhoods, the city's still got plenty going for it, worthy of an out-of-towner's visit. The Detroit Institute of Arts is world-renowned, as is the Detroit Riverfront. Great venues like Comerica Park, Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena are can't-miss experiences as well. The city is also home to some great architecture.
Flint
All right. As a Flint native, this one hurt.
Like Detroit, Flint also suffered when the auto industry pulled back.
Once a city of nearly 200,000 residents, Flint today is home to only about 80,000 people. As such, it's littered with abandoned homes, storefronts and factories--memories of the thriving city it once was. The city's reputation took a hit with the 1989 Michael Moore film Roger & Me (about then-General Motors chairman Roger Smith), and was further damaged with news of its water crisis in the 2010s.
Even the house I lived in near downtown Flint when I was a kid is in shambles.
Despite the negatives, for those of us who grew up there or spent time there as a child, Flint will always have a special place in our hearts.
Visiting Flint doesn't have to be a bad experience. Michigan.org lists the Flint Institute of Arts, Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium as popular things-to-do if you're in town.
Other Cities Listed Among the 40 to Avoid
MindYourDollars.com called out a number of cities for high rates of poverty, unemployment and crime. It also listed several cities for being "just not all that exciting, despite having a name that’s “known,” or in many cases, a well-known celebrity just happened to grow up there."
It should be noted that among the 40 cities it deemed the worst in America to visit, the website included many of the most iconic tourist destinations the country has to offer, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Orlando, Nashville and Las Vegas.
Check out their full list here, and see if you agree.