Tough love you more

Maybe it's cause the early 90s was about the peak of crime rates for most cities nation wide? I can't reminder the exact years but around the peak in NYC (probably late 80s to early 90s) there was something like 2000 murders a year in the city. Now they're usually down to around 400-500 a year. Same basic trend in most major cities, though maybe not quite to the same degree. But from what I recall the FBI stats show a pretty steady decline in violent crime and murder in the US from the mid-90s on. There were recently only a few cities who were extreme exceptions, where murder rose notably with in the last decade. Chicago being point of the most extreme with 700+ murders some years.

Quick Google search says ( according to wiki) 1974 was the top year for actual murders with 970 murders. 92 was second place with 943. 92 had the higher murder RATE cause the population had dropped some in the meantime.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....qL._SY445_.jpg
Before Bettendorf, Iowa was included... :cool:

Des Moines, Iowa
https://i.imgur.com/bHRRqKj.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines,_Iowa

Population • Estimate (2018) 216,853
https://www.idcide.com/i/mc2/ia/des-moines.gif
https://www.endurancebusiness.com/wp...to-IRONMAN.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DANlDitqMwc

Sioux City, Iowa

https://skyticket.com/guide/wp-conte...8233894981.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sioux_City,_Iowa

Population • City • Estimate (2018) 82,396
https://locatesiouxcity.com/sites/de...iouxCityED.jpg

I enjoy looking at the photos you post here, Mindfulness. Thanks.

^ This was especially interesting as Davenport has a real dilemma on its hands. I was surprised when the (now ex-) mayor said, "we want to embrace the river, not fight it". That's a catchy slogan, but not much help when you are, as that bar-owner described it, "crotch-deep in water".

For myself, I can't seem to shrug off a morbid fascination with America's Rust Belt, which has brought me, inevitably, to Gary, Indiana. There are two good documentaries on Youtube explaining the town's demise, but I'll limit myself to posting a couple of pics:-

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...QPJtpefNZd8lKW

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/23/0c...c03df77f0f.jpg

New mayor Mike Matson will have to probably decide on what to do in the next coming years about the flooding :beer:

also thanks for liking this thread :love:

York Beach, Maine


https://www.yorkmaine.org/ImageRepos...ocumentID=1320
Population • Estimate (2018) 13,151 (York, Maine)
https://www.southernmainecoast.com/i...shortsands.jpg
Been to this beach many times :) ^ Amazing town.
https://newengland.com/wp-content/up...york-maine.jpg
Took a photo here and go here every time I travel there :beer:

A beach in Maine is like a broken pencil. Pointless.

Cape Neddick Light

Alien looking at Great Wall: Ooooooooo...

Alien looking at Taj Mahal: Aaaahhhhh...

Alien looking at a ****ing lighthouse: Uh... okay.

Thats interesting, its on wiki but a lot of people are always there because its a nice place for photos and really peaceful.

Bet it gets hella moths too.

^ Looks a very nice place - I'd love to walk along the coast there.

^ I was wondering how to convey that idea without offending the patriotism of any MB Americans. thanks for doing it for me!

My choice for a third image would be Stonehenge, because then the Aliens would say, "Hey, remember when we built that on planet earth as a prank?"

I've been there several times over many years. I've been exploring the coast of New England since childhood and there's always something new to discover or something old to revisit. Lots of great hiking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, snorkeling, and natural beauty from Maine to Connecticut.

I also have a collection of antique postcards from various coastal towns in New England. I have several from York Beach in my collection.

Here's one of my favorites from the early 1900's...


The Fairmount Hotel is long gone and The Wahnita Hotel is now The Union Bluff Hotel.

Hotel Fairmount

The Wahnita Hotel

Its a great place bruh, Ive stayed at the Union Bluff hotel also
:beer: https://i.imgur.com/WHDl3qd.png

Psy-Fi, you been to York Beach? https://boxden.com/smilies/nHXEgl8.png

It can get packed during the summer, my cousins go there more than me. I travel to rhode island to get away sometimes. benton state park :beer:

Why exactly are you so interested in small towns anyway? Is it about smaller communities without big city clutter? Is it about historic or picturesque small towns? You're very mysterious about your interest in small towns.

Why exactly are you so interested in small towns anyway?
Mostly population and what their downtown area looks like compared to others. How businesses decided to settle and build in some cities compared to others they chose not to.

Is it about smaller communities without big city clutter? Is it about historic or picturesque small towns?
I enjoy reading about them I suppose


You're very mysterious about your interest in small towns.
No im not.... https://boxden.com/smilies/iZs1Can.png

I've been to York Beach many times over the years.

Haven't been to Benton State Park yet but I've been to Fishermen's Memorial State Park at Point Judith in Narragansett, R.I., many times to hike, hang out, and/or go fishing.

:beer:

Missoula, Montana

https://i.imgur.com/1Mn6Ghw.jpg

Population • Estimate (2018) 74,428

https://www.bestplaces.net/images/city/Missoula_MT.gif

Missoula, Montana looks way bigger and cooler than I thought https://boxden.com/images/icons/nHXEgl8-compressor.png

Trees downtown, clear blue river (not muddy like the mississippi) and more buildings downtown for a city under 100k people.

Nice photos Plankton, im buying a 3 disc set this spring to play. Cedar lake looks like a nice town

Esketit!

lol

Well, that's weird! Plankton is talking about disc golf, but this isn't the Disc Golf thread...

https://www.meme-arsenal.com/memes/f...2ba2d37ed5.jpg

Strategically placed nuances.

lol^

Small towns probably got the bombest disc golf courses tbh.

Spokane, Washington

https://i.imgur.com/10GYJ8M.jpg
Population • Estimate (2018) 219,190
https://www.bestplaces.net/images/city/Spokane_WA.gif

Waterloo, Iowa
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....FAhLL._AC_.jpg
Population • Estimate (2018) 67,798
https://img.bestplaces.net/images/ci...A_Waterloo.png

Columbia, South Carolina
https://www.raycovington.com/wp-cont...olumbia-SC.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_South_Carolina
Population • Estimate (2018) 133,451
https://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps/fr200.png

^ Nice photos as always, Mindfulness. In my book, Waterloo wins as looking more interesting than Columbia.
How do you choose the towns you feature here? Is it by random clicking on the internet, or are you telling us a tale of your travels round the US?

To answer my own question, I saw Marion, N.Carolina, on t.v. and was struck by how attractive it looked:-


...and why was Marion on tv ? According to the "Cold Case" series I was watching, within the space of a year, two members of the same family were murdered in different incidents by different perpetrators. I wonder if, as you drive into town, the sign now reads, "Welcome to Marion - unlucky for some."