The problems in North Miami Beach largely stem from the city’s corrupt leadership. Two former mayors faced criminal charges for their spending decisions while in office. We know that corruption and dishonest people sitting on the throne of power can be found anywhere; however, when it comes to North Miami Beach, this was so significant it almost destroyed the city completely.
Considering the state of politics in the city, 20% of residents living in poverty and 32% of residents who don’t have healthcare isn’t exactly surprising. However, it does explain why the city is just an unpleasant place to live.
Hallandale, Florida
While Hallandale has the potential to be a beautiful beach town. It has captivating golden sands, and great accommodating hotels, and other states could only dream of having the weather it does. Saying that not all that glitters is gold. The shabby businesses and lack of opportunities make it quite a miserable city.
Hallandale has so many strip clubs that the locals often refer to it as Hound-ale Beach. Beyond those businesses, however, there aren’t many opportunities for the residents. About 20% of the population lives in poverty, and more than 29% don’t have any form of health insurance.
Youngstown, Ohio
At one time, Youngstown was one of the biggest steel producers in the United States. In fact, only two other cities produced more steel than Youngstown. In 1977, however, the industry took a hit, and the work began to see the end of the industrial era and opened its gates to welcome the technology days. The steel factory started downsizing, leading to massive job losses that greatly affected the prosperity of the city.
In 2017, Youngstown was just a ghost of its former glory. It was recorded as having the worst air pollution in Ohio, which was somewhat ironic when reflecting on the considerable decline in the city’s primary industry.
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading in Pennsylvania was once known as the "Pretzel City," and even to this very day, the city has numerous pretzel bakeries scattered all over the city. It was massively impacted by the closure of numerous factories around the city. When these factories shut their doors, many of the residents of Reading lost their jobs. In 2011, Reading was declared the most miserable city in the country by The New York Times.
Today, 36% of Reading’s population lives in poverty. Roughly 44% of all households in the city are on food stamps. It’s hard to make a living when there aren’t many job options available, which is the unfortunate case in Reading.
Danville, Virginia
Like many cities that were influenced by the changes the world went through in the late 1980s, Danville is yet another town affected by the closure of local factories. This time, the tobacco and textile mills in Danville shut their doors, making it difficult for the once-wealthy residents to earn a living.
It seems people aren’t willing to stick around Danville as it continues to decline. In the past eight years, the city’s population has fallen by 5.5%. Although they’re trying to set up solar farms and open new businesses in the abandoned mills, it’s yet to be determined if Danville can make a comeback.