Businessweek: Jacksonville #6 UNhappiest City in America

[KenFSU]

Again, you can’t overlook the socioeconomic aspect of the study. It seems reasonable to assume that most people frequenting a site such as this one are at least reasonably educated and affluent. Jacksonville has a lot of poverty though. With poverty comes crime. Mix in a large military population that itself is experiencing record depression and suicide rates, and it doesn’t seem that unbelievable. If I’m not mistaken, Portland usually leads the nation in homelessness, and Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Cleveland obviously seem a proper fit in the top five, given the crime, decay, desertion, and (in New Orleans’ case) obliteration of their respective cities.

[stjr]

My guess is that people who are less educated limiting their mobility in our society, brought up with more social issues such as divorce and family violence, and who practice poor health habits (obesity, smoking, liquor, etc.) are more likely to be unhappy with life.   Unfortunately, Jax has an over-abundance of these people.  And the situation is aggravated and magnified by a lack of adequate educational and social service investment which Florida ranks poorly in.

We are a divided society and there are whole groups and classes of people many of us fail to come in contact with or notice when we do.  Their numbers are probably far higher than we realize and articles like this serve as reminders of same regardless of the relative accuracy of the rankings.

I fully expect that things will get worse before they get better.  The cutbacks in the area school systems are heart-wrenching and unreasonable.  Failing to invest in our kids means we will be paying the price of "unahappiness" for decades to come.  Another bit of short sightedness by our civic leaders and the voters.

[David]

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[reednavy]

I'd still love to know where they got their cloudy days. My meteorological background clearly shows 45 days on average, PER YEAR. That is only completely overcast days, the numbers they have represents cloudy and partly cloudy days combined. Which can seriously tank your numbers.

F*cking idiots up there. Hell, St. Louis' are skewed as well.

[Ocklawaha]

My list...

St. Louis
Philadelphia
Detroit
Pittsburgh
Seattle
Washington, DC
Atlanta
The entire state of Alabama
The entire state of Mississippi
The entire state of Louisiana
Little Rock
Minneapolis
Charlotte
etc....
etc...
etc...

Funny Johnny, I'd just use the Mason-Dixon Line - ANYTHING Nawth of it boils my blood, gets me angry and gee that depresses me!

AS FOR JACKSONVILLE?

BULL SHIT!

Some Yankee writer just confuses "holler'in" an "yell'in" with depression and unhappiness.

Y'all know the drill.

2009 - 4Th and Goal at metropolitan stadium, suddenly a Jag bursts into the end zone with the ball... Now you got some REAL holler'in and you got the loudest city on earth.

1864 - You and 600 Florida troops are dug in behind the earth works fronting McGirts Creek at Camp Milton. Suddenly 8,000 Yankees try to push you to Tallahassee, we try to Yell them back to Boston.

2000 - Herbie Mann and Joe Sample just completed at blistering jazz set at Metropolitan Park and the people on the Beach wonder "what the hell is that noise...?"

1943 - A Civil Air Patrol "piper Cub" flying off the coast spots a Nazi U-Boat, rather then call the Navy, they toss their hand held bomb out the door and SINK IT! Yell'in and Holler'in!

1918 - Duval Traction Company completes the first "interurban railroad" in Florida between Ortega and Blacks Point (NAS JAX) Camp Joseph E. Johnston, Whoops and Hollers all day and all night.

1926 - "Miss Jacksonville", the first Airmail plane from Miami lands at the Jacksonville Aerodrome amidst a Holler'in crowd.

I think we're blunt to a fault, as in "The Yankee that wrote this needs Killin..." But does that make me unhappy? "He needed killin is a valid defense in our city," no problem, no depression, no pain.
Hell we ain't unhappy - we're just LOUD! Damn Yankee's are confused. Where's my REBEL YELL?

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

From WOKV's web site, this study may help explain some of the UNhappiness in Jax.  I guess most of us are not too healthy which probably makes us not too happy.

Local News
Study Finds Much Of Jacksonville Is Overweight
By
Sam Jordan
@ March 2, 2009 7:39 PM Permalink | Comments (0)

The Duval County Health Department has unearthed some slacker-facts about our lifestyles in Jacksonville.

The study on behavioral risk factors shows 62% of Jacksonville adults are overweight or obese, and nearly 25% of Duval residents are smokers.

Black men at 30% have the highest sedentary lifestyle rate among all groups in the city.

1,815 Duval County residents were surveyed for the study.

[fatcat]

i will be celebrating when i reached overweight they only mouse that is not too fast for me to chase is tied to a computer

[Jason]

I agree Basstacular.  Hitting the beach for a cold beer and a game of frisbee or volleyball in January all while working on your tan is certainly depressing.  I really hate the cool nights on the balcony at AIA Aleworks in DT St. Augustine to finish off my day at the beach.  Man, what a drag this area is.

[Ocklawaha]

From WOKV's web site, this study may help explain some of the UNhappiness in Jax.  I guess most of us are not too healthy which probably makes us not too happy.

Local News
Study Finds Much Of Jacksonville Is Overweight
By
Sam Jordan
@ March 2, 2009 7:39 PM Permalink | Comments (0)

Hell I ain't over weight, I'm just fat and happy!

OCKLAWAHA

[heights unknown]

I'll agree with this to some extent, but 6th in the nation?  I don't think so.  Jax does have an identity crises and a problem with coming to grips with who it is, or who it thinks it is or should be, but all cities are unhappy to some extent, even New York, Chicago and Los Angeles; so, I think this poll or whatever it is is really bull hockey.

By the way, as a reminder, all cities have the crime, poverty, financial and economic woes (of late), and other problems inherent with being a city, an American city mind you.

Heights Unknown

[fatcat]

i like the "identity crisis" thing. But that is the problem with the city not the problem with the people live in the city. Maybe people get depressed first then move to Jax to get better.

[Shwaz]

These polls are funny.

Here's a poll showing Portland OR in the top 25 of "happiest cities" for men... the original link shows Portland as the #1 depressed city 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511897,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/men

[ProjectMaximus]

must mean the miserable women are bringing that city's happiness way down.

[KennyLovesJAX]

144! Thats a joke! maybe 110 TOPS

[Lunican]