Area or Region of your state that gets a bad rap.

[krazeeboi]

Judging NC based on I-85 is much better than judging it based on I-95 (same goes for SC). Be grateful in that regard.

[dimebag1980]

Shreveport used to get a bad rap for being one of the most depressing cities in the state. That was from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. Thankfully I very seldom ever hear that anymore. Things are 100x better around here now. As far as crime goes, though, Shreveport still gets a bad rap in my metro. But to be quite honest, it's crime rate has dropped significantly in recent years and it's got a lower crime rate than many southern cities its size. It's a beautiful city, but people in the suburbs and rurals are still afraid because of how it used to be. Not to mention, when there's a shooting, robbery, mugging, or carjacking in this area, it's almost always in Shreveport. People get a sense of security in their small towns and avoid the city unless they're going out to eat or shop.

[codyg1985]

Most of the state of Alabama, unfortunately, and especially Birmingham. It's sad that right now Birmingham sort of deserves its bad rap with its 47 homicides this year. Birmingham is a beautiful city if it were not for the violence.

Huntsville seems to have a good aura with it, but you tell outsiders that a city in Alabama is helping us to get back to the moon, and you will always get comments about how the people don't have any teeth and how amazed that Alabama actually has electricity.

[krazeeboi]

^Yet the average Huntsvillian would probably be more educated than the person who would make such an ignorant comment.

[bluff2085]

Most of the state of Alabama, unfortunately, and especially Birmingham. It's sad that right now Birmingham sort of deserves its bad rap with its 47 homicides this year. Birmingham is a beautiful city if it were not for the violence.

No offense, but my opinion is that homicide stats--like the ones for this year in Birmingham--should be considered anecdotal unless the crime has clearly interfered with the average citizen's quality of life. They are more representative of the city's worst neighborhoods (the places where people know not to go) than they are of the city as a whole.

Birmingham just doesn't "deserve" a bad rap because it has 47 murders this year. And for that matter neither does Memphis, which has 72 murders this year, and is probaby the Southern city most comparable to Birmingham. Unfortunately, many people associate crime stats like these with the overall quality of life in both cities. I'm not suggesting that these figures are the norm because that would be a lie. But keep in mind, great cities like New Orleans and DC typically have 100-150 murders around this time of year.

[sonofaque86]

I would say everything east of I-95 in NC. First of all since 95 is the most heavily traveled and the main north south interstae on the eastern seabord most people will develop opinions of places based on travel expriences. It does not help that 95 cuts through the one of the most rural portions of NC. Not only that but the largest city it goes through(Fayettville) doesn't really goes through. It misses it by about 2 miles and all that you see is gas stations and exit signs telling you the nearsest developments are miles away. I hate the drive on 95 through my home state. I will never forgive the person who decided on the path of I-95. All of my family from NJ would always think that all of NC is like what they see on 95. However if you like slow pace rural living and dense pine forest and close proximity to a merto then anything east of 95 will do. The Outer Banks and Wilmington are not included in this assesment.

Same EXACT way through SC.....Plain BORINGNESS...It's the most traVeled and rural part of the states...That's probably what everyone that travels through it thinks of the rest of SC

[nashvol85]

Certain counties have some bad raps here...especially rural ones with lots of hills, hollers, moonshine and meth.

[codyg1985]

No offense, but my opinion is that homicide stats--like the ones for this year in Birmingham--should be considered anecdotal unless the crime has clearly interfered with the average citizen's quality of life. They are more representative of the city's worst neighborhoods (the places where people know not to go) than they are of the city as a whole.

Birmingham just doesn't "deserve" a bad rap because it has 47 murders this year. And for that matter neither does Memphis, which has 72 murders this year, and is probaby the Southern city most comparable to Birmingham. Unfortunately, many people associate crime stats like these with the overall quality of life in both cities. I'm not suggesting that these figures are the norm because that would be a lie. But keep in mind, great cities like New Orleans and DC typically have 100-150 murders around this time of year.

Those figures for Birmingham make for the sharpest increase in crime for any city except for Detroit over the previous year. I don't mean to be a pessimist or anything, but that increase has to be attributed to something. Birmingham does deserve some sort of slap on the wrist for not addressing that issue.

With that said, there are many bright spots about Birmingham, but you don't hear about them outside of this forum perhaps. Beautiful scenery, the number one tourist destination in Alabama in the Birmingham Zoo, home of two American Idols, regional banking center, downtown condos, five points, and so on. Most of us know that each city has the potential to become something great, and that each city has a good side as well as a bad side. It is really hard to convey a message of hope in Birmingham when the local news media dwells on the negative aspects of Birmingham instead of sending out a message that Birmingham is a desirable place to live. If everyone knew the life of those that are not contributing to violence in the Magic City, then the bad rap that Birmingham has will begin to turn around.

[Durhamite]

Durham! A lot of people think it's a crime infested poverty stricken eye sore other than around Duke. People who work in the RTP would be geograhically closer to Durham as the Research Triangle Park borders Durham, if they chose to live here. I worked for a fortune 500 company in the RTP whose relocation team always recommended Raleigh, Cary or Chapel Hill.

Now, I work in North Raleigh and some of my colleagues have never been to Durham and have no intentions of visiting.

The Duke lacrosse chaos didn't help matters.....

[Charlotteman]

When I lived in Florida, Jacksonville was always the odd guy out..........some people called it "the armpit of Florida" or "South Georgia".

It really is the low man on the Florida totem pole.

And Jacksonville's worst neighborhood is probably Oceanway. The worst neighborhood in the worst city. A cross burning episode occurred there as recently as the 1990s. Driving on Hecksher Drive at night feels terrifying. You can literally smell danger in the air:(

[NcSc74]

Judging NC based on I-85 is much better than judging it based on I-95 (same goes for SC). Be grateful in that regard.

You got that right krazee. I mean think about it. It is hard enough to compete with a view of Richmond on 95 as it is. But then to leave the Richmond metro and see nothing but pine trees and tacky billboard and some old motels. It is a shame that a travelers impression of the state is represented by the largest city 95 goes through, Lumberton. Nothing against Lumberton but if anyone has traveled 95 north pretty much from Richmond all the way to NYC is some good urban viewing. Aside from Delaware but still you feel that there is something big right around the corner. I love the view of Wilmington DE from the Memorial Bridge. You can also make out the Philly skyline from there to.

At least SC has Florence. I mean I know its not all that big but its still better than what someone sees on 95 in NC. At the very least 95 could have been routed a little closer to Fayetteville. Granted most of the Villes development doesn't really begin until you get on the other side of the Cape Fear but still. Sorry for the rant this is one subject that has bothered me for as long as I can remember.

[krazeeboi]

Roanoke Rapids isn't too bad. Not exactly urban, but not entirely "country," either.

And how could we forget South of the Border!

[lammius]

Virginia's bad rep areas are probably Southwest and the Eastern Shore. Both are extremely rural, largely poorer, and considered backward.

[NcSc74]

Virginia's bad rep areas are probably Southwest and the Eastern Shore. Both are extremely rural, largely poorer, and considered backward.

I remember driving up 13 and I would always remark that this doesn't remind me of Virginia. I guess I only stuck around Hampton and Newport News area. I also would drive down 258 through Suffolk and it was pretty rural and in many ways you cuould not tell if you were in NE NC of SE VA. A lot of the same feel to the place. Nice country side though on the Eastern shore.

Roanoke Rapids isn't too bad. Not exactly urban, but not entirely "country," either.

And how could we forget South of the Border!

SOB. I would beg my father to stop there on our way to GA.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Fayetteville NC certainly gets a bad rap, I'm not really sure if it's deserved or not as I've never made my way out there.

[Cadeho]

I'd say Appalachia in Va... probably all up and down the range. It's a completely different world from the eastern part of the state.

[NcSc74]

Fayetteville NC certainly gets a bad rap, I'm not really sure if it's deserved or not as I've never made my way out there.

A lot has changed since those days of drunken GI roaming Bragg BLVD and Hay street downtown. The Army is more prfessional these days and takes community relations very serious. Also the city has began to crack down on the crime and has really cleaned up many areas that have given the city its less than stellar rep. Now if the city gov could stop the sprawl and strip malls it wouldn't be that bad.

[Blazer85]

Those figures for Birmingham make for the sharpest increase in crime for any city except for Detroit over the previous year. I don't mean to be a pessimist or anything, but that increase has to be attributed to something. Birmingham does deserve some sort of slap on the wrist for not addressing that issue.

With that said, there are many bright spots about Birmingham, but you don't hear about them outside of this forum perhaps. Beautiful scenery, the number one tourist destination in Alabama in the Birmingham Zoo, home of two American Idols, regional banking center, downtown condos, five points, and so on. Most of us know that each city has the potential to become something great, and that each city has a good side as well as a bad side. It is really hard to convey a message of hope in Birmingham when the local news media dwells on the negative aspects of Birmingham instead of sending out a message that Birmingham is a desirable place to live. If everyone knew the life of those that are not contributing to violence in the Magic City, then the bad rap that Birmingham has will begin to turn around.

It's all relative... just goes to show how manipulative statistics can be. This year's murder rate for Birmingham IS much higher than the previous year, BUT that's also because that previous year (to which it's being compared) had one of the lowest murder rates in history. The media keeps pointing to this "out of control" murder rate, but, as I've said, this is in part because last year was basically abnormally low in murders. Having said all of that, the murders are still certainly not acceptable... I really think Birmingham needs to increase funding (and numbers) of our police force.

[Bob Wiley]

Franklin, Tennessee gets a bad rap, from people like Ben Folds and 20/20, nicknames like "Jesusland" or "Bibletown". They make it seem like a bad thing that people believe in God here. 20/20 made it look like we are follow the conservatives blindly, and have the churches think for us.

[Tennesseestorm]

I would say that the mountainous area of extreme Tennessee has the image of crazy hillbillies and rednecks, but as someone else mentioned all states have that.

I would say in Georgia, South Georgia gets a bad rep. However, being from S. GA, I think it is all false. We are categorized as dumb rednecks/hillbillies. S. Georgians, don't talk the same as N. Georgians (to me they are more "proper"). Personally I would rather live in S.GA than N.GA (nothing against N. GA of course), but everyone has there own opinions. We (S. Georgians) are smarter than the average bear!

~S. GA Rulez B)

Did you know that southwestern Georgians speak with the same basic accent as folks of east/northeast Tennessee? I know a lady that was born and raised in southern Georgia (from Thomasville) and she has only lived here for a couple of years. She talks just like us and said everyone down there speaks like folks here. It must be the southeastern Georgians that speak with the "drawl". Now I have an uncle that is also from here that speaks very slow and with a drawl.

[satalac]

Franklin, Tennessee gets a bad rap, from people like Ben Folds and 20/20, nicknames like "Jesusland" or "Bibletown". They make it seem like a bad thing that people believe in God here. 20/20 made it look like we are follow the conservatives blindly, and have the churches think for us.

i've never really heard of this.

[OutlawSteph]

In south Florida, it's the Glades areas including the towns of Belle Glade, Pahokee, Clewiston, Okeechobee which surround Lake Okeechobee. This is one of the prettiest areas of the state, but there are a lot of poor people there and racial tension is rather bad. But I've met the most down to earth people out there, and I wish someone would invest in it. Also, this area is in a lot of trouble environmentally if the Lake's dikes aren't fixed.

[NcSc74]

In south Florida, it's the Glades areas including the towns of Belle Glade, Pahokee, Clewiston, Okeechobee which surround Lake Okeechobee. This is one of the prettiest areas of the state, but there are a lot of poor people there and racial tension is rather bad. But I've met the most down to earth people out there, and I wish someone would invest in it. Also, this area is in a lot of trouble environmentally if the Lake's dikes aren't fixed.

I have to got to Panama City of business every year and the locals always talk about the folk just west and north of the the area. It sounds as though there is a lot of tension up that way also.

[Enique]

South Georgia. Everything I heard was always negative. I went to college w/ a girl who said that her high school had seperate proms.

[kayman]

South Georgia. Everything I heard was always negative. I went to college w/ a girl who said that her high school had seperate proms.

It's true. That mess is embarrassing for the State of Georgia to allow that to occur to this very day.