How would you rate your state capital?

[Zeffy]

So, in my quest to determine which U.S. state capital is the worst (and subsequently, the best), I decided to get some input on the people who've traveled to many capitals, far and wide. How this'll work is I've come up with a rating system, which you can rate your capital city based on some common things people would consider about cities:

Here's the rating system (with code beneath it for easy copy and paste):

• Location (0-10 points) - How well does your capital sit in your state? Is it in a good spot, or one you think could be better?
• Aesthetics (0-10 points) - If you could look down the streets of your city, how would you describe it?
• Opportunities (0-10 points) -  How well does your capital city offer opportunities in form of educating city children? How well do people have to work in your capital? 


• Public School System (0-5 points)
• Employment Opportunities (0-5 points)
• Safety (0-10 points) - How crazy do things tend to get in your capital city?


• Blight¹ (0-5 points) -
• Crime² (0-5 points) -
• Public Perception (0-10 points) - How do others generally feel about your capital city?
• Landmarks (0-10 points) - Does your capital have any famous landmarks that distinguish it from other cities?
• Tourism (0-10 points) - How well does your city do to bring tourists to your capital? What attractions are there for families with kids?
• Transportation Network (0-10 points) - It's a road forum, so this had to be added!  How well is your capital city transportation network? Are there enough options to keep traffic flowing smoothly, or are all the roads bottlenecked during rush hour?
• Environment (0-10 points) - How well does your capital city fare in environmental areas, such as the climate, precipitation amounts, air pollution, air quality, etc? Can your capital keep up with snow removal (if applicable), and does it prepare well for any natural disasters that could affect it?
• Future (0-10 points) - Do you think your capital city will improve in future, or will it get worse as time goes on?

Please use the following to rate your capital! It would help my data tables so much. Simply copy what's in the box below and change to your liking.

Code Select Expand


[list]
[li]Location ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[li]Aesthetics ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[li]Opportunities ([b]0-10 points[/b]) -[/li]
[list]
[li]Public School System ([b]0-5 points[/b])[/li]
[li]Employment Opportunities ([b]0-5 points[/b])[/li]
[/list]
[li]Safety ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[list]
[li]Blight ([b]0-5 points[/b]) - [/li]
[li]Crime ([b]0-5 points[/b]) - [/li]
[/list]
[li]Public Perception ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[li]Landmarks ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[li]Tourism ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[li]Transportation Network ([b]0-10 points[/b]) [/li]
[li]Environment ([b]0-10 points[/b])[/li]
[li]Future ([b]0-10 points[/b]) - [/li]
[/list]




At the end, add up your final points (see note 1 below first) then figure out how your capital rates:

0-50 points - 
51-60 points - There aren't many worse places
61-70 points - Eh, it has it's ups and downs
71-80 points - Not bad, not bad at all
81-90 points - Such a great place!
91-95 points - Absolutely amazing!
96+ - 

NOTES:

1. To get your Safety score, add Vacant Properties + Violent Crime + Property Crime to get your Safety score. When you calculate your final score, ONLY add the Safety score - DO NOT add any of the subcategories of Safety to the final score.

2. At the end, if:

1. If the Safety total rating is 10 or more, add +5 to the final score.
2. If the Safety total rating is 15 or more, add +10 to the final score.
3. If the Safety total rating is 20 or more, add +15 the final score.



My new rating on Trenton coming soon once I get other things done!


The data collected here I want to use for a little mini project of mine to determine if my assumption that New Jersey's capital is the worst, or if there are others. And, to learn a little bit of everything about the other 49 capitals in the US!  So if you could take the time to do this, that would be great!

[Brandon]

SPRINGFIELD

• Location (0-10 points) - 8.  Near the center of Illinois.
• Aesthetics (0-10 points) - 3.  Other than the Lincoln Home Area and the Old State Capitol, it feels like one large ghetto near downtown.  Don't get me started on the neighborhood the IEPA is in.
• Opportunities (0-10 points) - 2.  Other than state government, no.  There are no large industries, no large employers (does WalMart count?), other than state government.
• Significance (0-10 points) - 6.  Not particularly significant outside of the Lincoln attractions and history.  As a side note, it was Lincoln and some other Springfield boosters who moved the capital to Springfield from Vandalia.
• Safety (0-20 points - 10.  Not too bad in the south part of town.  You'll lose your wallet in the state capitol - oh, wait, that's just the politicians.  Did I mention the Lincoln Home and IEPA neighborhoods?


• Vacant Properties (0-10 points) - 5.  Not too many vacant, but it varies by neighborhood.
• Crime (0-10 points) - 5.  Did I mention the IEPA neighborhood?


• Violent Crime - (0-5 points) - 3.  As long as you stay out of the north end of town, it's not too bad.
• Property Crime - (0-5 points) - 2.  Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight at the Lincoln Home.
• Public Perception (0-10 points) - 2.  Springfield does not have a good perception in the most parts of the state.  That may be more due to inside the state capitol than without.
• Landmarks (0-10 points) - 9.  Did I mention the Lincoln Home and the Old State Capitol?
• Family-Friendliness (0-10 points) - 7.  The Lincoln Home is good, and there is an action/water park on the south side of town.
• Future (0-10 points) - 7.  It's assured unless some bozo figures out how to move the state capital.

TOTAL: 54

I'd say Trenton has more going for it.

[agentsteel53]

you forgot "intuitive to memorize by six year olds shackled by brain-dead curricula?" 

Massachusetts, yes. 

Pennsylvania, not so much: overshadowed by at least two other cities in the popular knowledge).

Vermont - the worst; it could be a toss-up between it and precisely one other city.   

[corco]

I'll let Billy F take Montana- I got Boise.

Location - 7

Boise is about as centrally located as a place can be in Idaho without being in the middle of the wilderness. Given the massive mountains and not realistically inhabitiable terrain that divide northern and southern Idaho, it's hard to do too much better than Boise

Aesthetics - 10

Right at the base of the aforementioned mountains. The town itself has a great downtown and several good other neighborhoods (North End, Warm Springs, the Bench), and then your typical McMansion sprawl on the outskirts. No real ghettos.

Opportunities - 8

Hewlett Packard, the JR Simplot Company, Micron, Boise Cascade and U.S. Bank are just a few of the major companies with a presence in Boise. The low cost of living, nice surroundings, and educated workforce continue to draw other large companies to at least have some white-collar presence in Boise.

Significance - 6

Boise has a fairly long history, but not a terribly significant one, and hasn't even been the capital for the entire length of the state. Not much to say here- we've got some Oregon Trail stuff and it is the Basque capital of America which is neat, but that's about it.

Safety - 19

Blight - 10

There's basically no blight in Boise.  It is one of the more fast growing cities in the US and is doing quite well. Property values are on the rise- if anything gentrification is a problem in the older neighborhoods.

Crime - 9

Violent - 5

There's very little violent crime in Boise.

Property - 4

There's very little property crime in Boise. I only give it a four because a chick I went to middle school with nearly pulled off a million dollar heist of some rich people on vacation, not getting caught until much later.

Perception - 9

Boise is still relatively unknown, and it really isn't much of a tourist destination, but I guarantee that anybody who has spent any significant time (more than a week or so) in Boise will have a very high opinion of it, especially if you like the outdoors. The access to the outdoors from Boise makes Denver and Salt Lake look like...I dunno...Indianapolis. I've only met two types of people with anything less than a positive opinion of Boise- 1) people who only drove by on I-84 or only very briefly (<1 day) got off the freeway, 2) folks who have lived in Boise their whole lives and have come to take their hometown for granted. The latter folks usually change their minds after a couple years.

Landmarks - 3

Eh, the capitol is I guess a landmark. Boise is more about the natural environment than the built environment.

Family-Friendliness - 9

Boise is very family friendly- there is a lot to do for kids and the substantial Mormon influence keeps things "clean" without it feeling like you're being indoctrinated like you might in parts of Utah. There is a solid liberal population mainly centered around the North End, and downtown Boise is a fun place to go party on Saturday night though, so it's a good balance.

Future - 10

Boise is thriving. My only concern is that too many people find out about it and move there. Boise...gosh. It's not a tourist destination, nor will it ever necessarily be, but for folks looking to live somewhere where they can be safe, have a good job, live cheaply, and have a decent amount of culture with an absolute bounty of outdoor activities, it's nearly impossible to beat.

---

Which gives an 81 which is:

76-85 points - Not bad, not bad at all


and I protest this rating system, Boise is way better than that- I'd venture it is one of the top five capitols in the country.

Here is a list of the bad parts about Boise: http://www.reddit.com/r/Boise/comments/179jfv/what_are_the_worst_things_about_boise/

[Zeffy]

Thank you for your inputs! Also, if anyone has suggestions on how to improve the rating system, please feel free to leave them as well. I might change it so 76-80 is "Not bad, not bad at all!" while 81-90 will be "Such a great place!". Also, I encourage people to submit multiple ratings about the same capital city - the more data, the better! Data from the same states will most likely be aggregated into a single score based upon the scores of each of the categories by the people submitting them.

Thanks again guys!

[SteveG1988]

Trenton-From a South Jersey Perspective

• Location (0-10 points) 8- Riverfront city, near to major roads and direct access to two major cities via I-95/Turnpike
• Aesthetics (0-10 points) 4 - A blend of historic and Modern that seems to have no rhyme or reason at times. You have the retro ball park right next to modern office buildings
• Opportunities (0-10 points) 2 - City itself is only really there for government jobs, if it isn't government...you might as well live in a better town
• Significance (0-10 points) 10- Crossroads of the revolution. Proximity to various revolutionary war battles.
• Safety (0-20 points 7-Safe as long as you are in the main part of town, but if you are just outside of the capitol area you are taking your life into your hands.


• Vacant Properties (0-10 points) 2- A lot of vacant properties, but many are being redeveloped
• Crime (0-10 points) 2- Better than Camden, but not by much


• Violent Crime - (0-5 points) 1- You cannot feel safe in most places around the city
• Property Crime - (0-5 points) 3- Not as many broken into buildings from what i have seen compared to lets say camden
• Public Perception (0-10 points) 3- "At least it isn't Camden" is generally what I hear
• Landmarks (0-10 points) 5- Around the city not as many as on the outskirts such as the washington's crossing park
• Family-Friendliness (0-10 points)5 - Around the major sights in the city and the train station, fairly safe. Outside of there not safe imho.
• Future (0-10 points) 8- The future for the city is looking better than ever, a lot of redevelopment on the abandoned industrial properties

Gives us a score of 60,  There aren't many worse places

[NWI_Irish96]

Indianapolis

• Location (10) - Where does your capital sit in your state? Does this location provide easy access to other major parts of your state?
• Aesthetics (8) - When you look at your capital city, do you think it looks like a great example of a thriving city, or do you think it looks like a good place to avoid?
• Opportunities (6) - Does your capital offer a good amount of job opportunities that people would want to work in?
• Significance (6) - Is your capital city historically significant?
• Safety (0-20 points - broken down into three sub-categories:)


• Vacant Properties (5) - Does your capital city suffer from the blight caused by vacant properties that would make an area unsafe? (Note, 0 means mass amount of vacant properties whereas 10 equals very little to none)
• Crime (0-10 points, separated into two categories:)


• Violent Crime - (1) - Is there a shooting every day, or is a homicide a very rare occurrence? (Note, 0 means violent crime are very common, whereas 5 means violent crime is very rare)
• Property Crime - (1) - If you live there, are you at risk for getting robbed or other crime relating to your property?
• Public Perception (4) - How does the general public feel about your state capital opinion-wise?
• Landmarks (7) - Does your state capital contain any landmarks that others feel are significant, either historically or for other reasons?
• Family-Friendliness (9) - Is your state capital a great place to visit for family-oriented groups?
• Future (8) - In the future, do you think your state capital will thrive, or will it fall into disrepair?

Total score: 65

[hotdogPi]

Trenton-From a South Jersey Perspective

• Safety (0-20 points 7-Safe as long as you are in the main part of town, but if you are just outside of the capitol area you are taking your life into your hands.


• Vacant Properties (0-10 points) 2- A lot of vacant properties, but many are being redeveloped
• Crime (0-10 points) 2- Better than Camden, but not by much


• Violent Crime - (0-5 points) 1- You cannot feel safe in most places around the city
• Property Crime - (0-5 points) 3- Not as many broken into buildings from what i have seen compared to lets say camden

Those are not separate, and should not be counted separately. They are subcategories.

[Zeffy]

Those are not separate, and should not be counted separately. They are subcategories.

Yes. So you have:

    Location (0-10 points) 8
    Aesthetics (0-10 points) 4
    Opportunities (0-10 points) 2
    Significance (0-10 points) 10
    Safety (0-20 points) 6
        Vacant Properties (0-10 points) 2
            Violent Crime - (0-5 points) 1
            Property Crime - (0-5 points) 3
    Public Perception (0-10 points) 3
    Landmarks (0-10 points) 5
    Family-Friendliness (0-10 points) 5
    Future (0-10 points) 8

FINAL SCORE: 51

I'm going to add how to get your final score result using the Excel formula I'm using to log the data. Also, I updated the ranking system to be a little bit better IMO. Boise should now be "Such a great place!"

[JakeFromNewEngland]

HARTFORD

Location (0-10 points) -  8. I would consider it to be in North Central Connecticut. Hartford is a hub of freeways. Most cities throughout the state are about 30-45 minutes from Hartford. I-91 south provides access to the shoreline and Greater New Haven while I-91 provides access to Bradley Airport and Springfield, Mass. I-84 provides access to Danbury and Waterbury to the west and Worcester and Boston, Mass via I-90.
Aesthetics (0-10 points) - 6. The skyline is decent and makes it look like a large city. Although I haven't experienced it, I have heard it can be quite dead at night.
Opportunities (0-10 points) - 7.  There are a lot of major business headquarters in the area. Hartford is known for it's financial jobs. There are also some world-wide headquarters nearby.
Significance (0-10 points) - 9. Hartford was the first capital of Connecticut I believe. Many important state documents were signed here that are still around today from the 1700s. Hartford also was home to many famous people including Mark Twain.
Safety (0-20 points - broken down into three sub-categories:)
Vacant Properties (0-10 points) - 5. Hartford has some bad neighborhoods. I don't know if it is caused by vacant properties, but I'm sure it's somewhere.
Crime (0-10 points, separated into two categories:)
Violent Crime - (0-5 points) - 0. You usually hear about a shooting every night on the news. This is common in many Connecticut cities (New Haven and Bridgeport notably).
Property Crime - (0-5 points) - 3. It depends. Some neighborhoods you should avoid, but anywhere near Downtown or close to West Hartford would be good areas to live in (just knowledge, I don't know what parts are terrible)
Public Perception (0-10 points) - 6. Lots of people within the state have mixed feelings. My personal opinion is that it's a nice city in the day time. 
Landmarks (0-10 points) - 3. Honestly, there aren't any significant buildings except for the Travelers Tower which is a landmark for the city. One could argue the I-84 and CT-2 bridges, but they aren't anything special.
Family-Friendliness (0-10 points) - 8. There are some nice places within Hartford. For example, the Science Museum which is a big family attraction. Within about 30 minutes of the city are a lot of things family-related such as the Dinosaur Museum in Rocky Hill, or the Essex Steam Train in Essex.
Future (0-10 points) - 9. I think Hartford is slowly rising back to the top. There have been a lot of new projects and reviving projects going on. Now if they add a few high-rises, it would make the city look a lot more appealing. 

Final score is 64. This is a fair score, although I would bump it up to 70.

[briantroutman]

Are we talking about the city itself (within the city's boundaries) or the overall community? As someone who has lived a few years with a Harrisburg address but has never lived within the city limits, I can attest that the results of each question are very different.

HARRISBURG (as a community)

• Location (9 points) - While not at the geographic center of the state, Harrisburg is the hub of its transportation networks, with I-76, I-78, I-81, I-83, US 15, US 22/322, PA 283, and Amtrak's Pennsylvanian and Keystone Corridor lines, plus numerous freight rail lines radiating outward in all directions. And beyond accessing destinations within the state, Harrisburg is within a 3-4 hour drive of New York, Washington, mountain recreation in winter, and the Atlantic in summer.
• Aesthetics (7 points) - The capitol itself is renowned for its Renaissance Revival architecture and is connected to the riverfront by a well-preserved historic district. The riverfront is scenic, not only for Front Street's large historic homes, but also for the numerous bridges that span the Susquehanna. Points taken off for blighted areas within the city.
• Opportunities (7 points) - On the community level, unemployment is relatively low–below the national average, though job growth and innovation are middle-of-the-road. The economy is fairly diversified between government, education, health care, technology, and other industries. Points taken off for PA's somewhat business-hostile policies, high property taxes, and lack of tax-deferred Keystone Opportunity Zones in Harrisburg.
• Significance (7 points) - Harrisburg is certainly quite significant in transportation history, being the main point of departure for either: Pittsburgh and the Ohio Valley via the Allegheny Portage Railroad, or the Shenandoah Valley, Kentucky, and Tennessee via the Great Wagon Road and Wilderness Road. Harrisburg is also important to PA history, not only being the seat of state government, but also as a hub for much of what constitutes Pennsylvania's cultural heritage: Pennsylvania Germans, the Pennsylvania barn, etc. Points taken off for being overshadowed by more significant PA historical sites (Gettysburg, Valley Forge).
• Safety (12 points - If we're considering the entire community, I'll give this something of a split decision. The Capitol Plaza area and the immediately adjoining historic neighborhoods are well-preserved, well-populated in day-to-day business, and reasonably safe. There are other nice neighborhoods within the city (Shipoke, Uptown), but the balance of the city consists of rough areas with property and violent crime rates several times the national average. Neighboring townships have relatively low crime rates.


• Vacant Properties (7 points) -
• Crime (5 points) -


• Violent Crime - (2 points) -
• Property Crime - (3 points) -
• Public Perception (4 points) - The city has grabbed some headlines for its near-bankruptcy and crime stats, and perhaps in the mind of the general public, Harrisburg gets lumped in with the Allentown they know from Billy Joel, the Deer Hunter's Pennsylvania, and the amorphous "Rust Belt"  in general, but I think it doesn't have nearly as much baggage as Chester or Camden.
• Landmarks (7 points) - Of course there's the capitol building, the State Museum, and the Farm Show Complex, all of which are something of a tourist draw for varied reasons, but Harrisburg isn't quite a wealth landmarks.
• Family-Friendliness (7 points) - The area ranks well in livability metrics that are typically important to families: health care, affordable housing, etc. A wealth of parks, trails and museums afford many recreational options. Points taken off for quality of life issues in parts of the city and a dysfunctional city school system.
• Future (7 points) - Again, a split decision. The city itself has numerous problems to address, including rising crime, a weak local tax base, and crushing debts from a botched incinerator project. The larger area, though, has a pretty steady economy with moderate growth and more promising prospects.

TOTAL (larger community): 67 points

Close to "Not Bad" –held back by public perception and crime in parts of the city.

Now if we're looking at this as city limits only:

• Location (9 points) -
• Aesthetics (6 points) -
• Opportunities (3 points) -
• Significance (4 points) -
• Safety (7 points) -


• Vacant Properties (4 points) -
• Crime (3 point) -


• Violent Crime - (1 points) -
• Property Crime - (2 point) -
• Public Perception (4 points) -
• Landmarks (6 points) -
• Family-Friendliness (4 points) -
• Future (5 points) -

TOTAL (city only): 49 points

[Zeffy]

Are we talking about the city itself (within the city's boundaries) or the overall community? As someone who has lived a few years with a Harrisburg address but has never lived within the city limits, I can attest that the results of each question are very different.

I'm mainly talking about the actual city limits - however, nearby suburbs and communities can influence things like opportunity, but shouldn't be used for crime. An example I would use, Ewing is NOT part of Trenton, nor is Hamilton. So, your score would probably be the second (within the city limits). An easy way to explain this is by clicking on the city's name (or typing it in) to Google Maps and looking at the boundary lines. Everything within those is what I would call should be decided on.

[Alps]

You took Trenton, so, BOSTON

• Location: 3 - Nice port, but out of the way of everything else. You have to be going there to be there.
• Aesthetics: 8 - Back Bay, East Boston, other older neighborhoods and all the historic sites. South Boston, not so much, and downtown could be better.
• Opportunities: 10 - Largest metro area and hub of New England.
• Significance: 10 - Second to Philly in Revolutionary era history.
• Safety: 11
• Vacant Properties: 8 - Roxbury is the worst of it, and not too bad.
• Crime: 3


• Violent Crime: 2 - As the center of activity in New England, it's also one of the only cities with large minority populations as well as populations of urban poor (with some overlap), leading to problems in many neighborhoods. With so many universities around, there are also white-collar crimes on up to felony drug use and rape (often date rape/roofies as opposed to violent, but still fitting in this category). On the whole, it's not inherently dangerous to walk around at night, but there's a very seamy underbelly.
• Property Crime: 1 - Not a lot of broken windows on houses, but plenty in cars, and your iPad will disappear if you leave it in sight, whether in a car, on a bench, or at college. It was pretty rampant back in the 2000s.
• Public Perception: 6 - A nice place to live, but full of assholes who can't drive, and you will hate it there if you don't get along with their sports affiliations. That's my best understanding of the general perception of Boston.
• Landmarks: 9 - A ton of history, but a little short on iconic buildings or other easily recognizable places.
• Family-Friendliness: 8 - No theme park nearby, a downtown that's difficult to access, and high prices if you want to stay near the attractions. On the other hand, pretty much everyone brings their kids here, so I can't take away too many points.
• Future: 7 - Boston's not really going anywhere. It's reasonably strong and will stay there. People aren't migrating north, though.

Total: 72

[Zeffy]

You took Trenton, so, BOSTON

You can do as many entries for whichever capitals you want, as long as you know a good deal about them. Plus, I'm always interested in what other New Jerseyans think about Trenton... 

Anyway, thanks to Alps, briantroutman and Jake2000 for your data!

[Alps]

PROVIDENCE

• Location: 5 - Central to RI (but it's hard not to be), and at least it's on the way to Boston, but still out of the way of most traffic.
• Aesthetics: 6 - Downtown is actually pretty nice, with Brown up on the hill and a canal down below. The rest of the city just sorta sits there on the plain or the summit.
• Opportunities: 5 - Its best chance is being near Boston. There's some commuting from RI to MA, much less in return. Still beats Woonsocket, though.
• Significance: 6 - More history here than you'd expect at first blush, and Rhode Island occupies a unique niche in the development of the American colonies, but pales in comparison to other capitals already mentioned.
• Safety: 14
• Vacant Properties: 8 - The most I've seen is that some of the industrial areas (mostly light industrial) have some abandoned factories. Not so bad, considering.
• Crime: 6


• Violent Crime: 3 - Interestingly, I rate this higher than Boston, but I wouldn't walk around Pdence at night alone in most neighborhoods. On the other hand, stories of violent crime are a lot less frequent here than in certain Boston neighborhoods.
• Property Crime: 3 - Not nearly as bad as Boston in this regard, with only two colleges and generally a less white-elitist type attitude.
• Public Perception: 4 - It's somewhat like Boston, but people can't figure out what's not like Boston. Why live in tiny Rhode Island when you can live in a bigger state (any of them) and pay less taxes (almost anywhere)?
• Landmarks: 5 - Most of these are part of Brown and the nearby neighborhoods.
• Family-Friendliness: 6 - Not a bad place to visit on the way to or from Boston. Check out whaling stuff... I haven't really been a tourist here, so I don't know what else kids can do, but I'm sure there are things.
• Future: 6 - Potential to grow is limited by its connectivity to Boston, but it also won't fall too far for the same reason.

Total: 57

[Alps]

MONTPELIER

   
• Location: 8 - Nestled in the Green Mountains, out of the way of Massachusetts, but on the way to Canada. Easy to get to for vacationers in upstate NY, VT, or NH.
• Aesthetics: 10 - Helped greatly by being so small, there's nothing bad here. It's a mini-city in the mountains. Plus there's legal public toplessness!
• Opportunities: 7 - A very stable place to be. If you can find a job within the community, you won't lose it. But at the same time, there aren't a lot of openings for that same reason.
• Significance: 5 - Something something Revolution. Something something Green Mountain Boys.
• Safety: 20

      
• Vacant Properties: 10 - Where?
• Crime: 10 - Where?
   
• Public Perception: 8 - The only reason this doesn't rank 10 is because a lot of people just don't even think about upstate Vermont. But anyone who's been here knows how wonderful it is.
• Landmarks: 4 - A little light, and mostly limited to some older buildings.
• Family-Friendliness: 7 - A cute place to stroll, plenty of shops, but not much to entertain the kids. Then again, they're probably skiing or doing other stuff in the nearby mountains most of the time.
• Future: 8 - Very stable.

Total: 77

[Alps]

HONOLULU

   
• Location: 10 - I don't care how many thousands of miles away it is. You know why this is a 10.
• Aesthetics: 8 - 25 for the scenery, 10 for the downtown, but a lot of the neighborhoods are just jumbled together and aren't particularly attractive.
• Opportunities: 4 - Are you in the tourism industry? If so, aloha! If not, lotsa luck. Considering how poor so many islanders are, this can't be rated very highly.
• Significance: 10 - Anything involving the US in the Pacific comes through here. Pearl Harbor is within the city limits. Then you have hundreds of years of kingdoms prior to all that.
• Safety: 15

      
• Vacant Properties: 10 - Hawaii has the opposite problem, where the islanders get pushed to the sides because they can't afford to live in the nicer parts of the city.
• Crime: 5 - Most tourists don't have a problem, but unless you dig into the city, you won't see the sad state of its other inhabitants.
• Violent Crime: 2 - Mostly falls into the category of domestic abuse, which I consider violent. There are occasional rapes, murders, armed robberies, etc.
• Property Crime: 3 - Again, tourists won't notice this for the most part.
   
   
• Public Perception: 10 - If you don't know the bad, you assume it's all good!
• Landmarks: 9 - Scenery and military dominate, assuming you count spotless beaches as scenery.
• Family-Friendliness: 10 - Enough to keep your kids occupied for a week, easily.
• Future: 7 - Built on tourism, Honolulu is subject to economic fluctuations, and the hope for those not involved in the tourism industry is dim. But like Las Vegas, the bright flashy parts will always be there.

Total: 83

[Zeffy]

Thanks Alps! I'm noticing that the scores are looking a little low for places with virtually no crime, so, to see if this gives places a boost, here's what I propose:

1. If the Safety total rating is 10 or more, add +5 to the final score.
2. If the Safety total rating is 15 or more, add +10 to the final score.
3. If the Safety total rating is 20 or more, add +15 the final score.

NOTE: If you meet more than one category here, you only use the highest point addition.

So, with that being said, here's what gets changed here:

Honolulu, HI - 83 + 10 = 93 final score
Montpelier, VT - 77 + 15 = 92 final score
Boston, MA - 72 + 5 = 77 final score
Providence, RI - 57 + 5 = 62 final score
Boise, ID - 81 + 10 = 91 final score

This should help separate the cities that stand out versus the ones that are crumbling slowly.

[hbelkins]

Even though I worked in Frankfort every day for six years and still go there several times a year for work, I'm not knowledgeable enough about the specific criteria used in this ranking system to give an honest opinion. All I can give are general observations.

It's pretty well-located in the center of the state, although if the capital was going to be the geographical center as well, it would be somewhere near Springfield or Lebanon (about an hour southwest of Frankfort).

In many ways, it's a small town. Lots of the state employees who work there live in adjoining counties, or even Lexington or Louisville. On evenings and weekends it can seem like a ghost town, even though it's one of those regional centers that has stores like Walmart, Kmart, JC Penney, Lowe's, etc. It also has lots of the "fast-casual" dining places like Chili's, Applebee's and the like. It also has a college (Kentucky State University, which is considered to be one of those "historically black" colleges).

To be a state capital, it has a dearth of hotels/motels. (Oddly enough, I've also noticed this about Charleston, WV, which is a much larger city). Frankfort has a Best Western and a Fairfield at the US 60 exit, and a HI Express, Hampton Inn, Days Inn and America's Best Value (former Super 8) on US 127 on the west side of town. There's also the Capital Plaza Tower located on the edge of downtown (was a Holiday Inn for awhile) and a couple of independent motels that I'm not brave enough to try when I'm there overnight.

If not for being the state capital, Frankfort would probably look a lot like Lawrenceburg, Paris or Versailles, which are nearby towns in the Bluegrass area of the state that are not located on an interstate.

I'm not really sure that most Kentuckians have an opinion about Frankfort the town. Their perception is of Frankfort the seat of state government. I'd say that unlike Boston or Providence or Hartford or even Charleston or Albany, nothing is special about the place except that it's the capital city and the State Capitol is located there.

[hbelkins]

Richmond, VA:

• Location (9) - Well centered within the state. Located at the intersection between an important national corridor (I-95) and an important intrastate corridor (I-64). Most important routes tend to radiate outward. Roughly equidistant between Norfolk and DC.

I think many people in Virginia, especially the southwestern portion, would disagree with you.  I certainly do. I was at a press conference with a Virginia state trooper from Wise, and he was complaining about how far it is to Richmond and how long it takes to get there. He was noting how he's closer to Frankfort and Charleston, and maybe even Nashville or Raleigh, than he is Richmond.

I'd give Richmond a 3 at best.

[SP Cook]

CHARLESTON

-Location (0-10 points) - 10.  Considering the odd geography of the state, you really cannot do any better.
-Aesthetics (0-10 points) - 4.  Typical rust belt mill town that peaked in the early 50s.  Main industry, besides government is not coal, but chemicals, which looks scary to the uninformed.
-Opportunities (0-10 points) - 2.  West Virginia, as a whole is the only state to lose population over the last 70 years (when the US population increased nearly 4 fold)  and, but for the geopolitical accident of the 3 eastern counties, would have joined Michigan as the only state to actually lose population between 00 and 10 censuses.  Charleston is a part of that.  Nothing left for the blue collar person.  Down almost 15K since 50s.
-Significance (0-10 points) - 3.  None.
-Safety (0-20 points - broken down into four sub-categories:)  7
◦Vacant Properties (0-10 points) - 4.  Not as bad as Detroit or such, but all those people that used to live here and moved away lived somewhere.  Plenty of vacant properties.
◦Crime (0-10 points, separated into two categories:)
■Violent Crime - (0-5 points) - 1.  Along with nearby Huntington, bombed out by meth and crack addicts.
■Property Crime - (0-5 points) - 2.  Only the core downtown during daylight hours, and the middle class Kanawha City and ultra-rich South Hills sections are safe.  Rest of town is a place you do not go.
-Public Perception (0-10 points) - 2.  Most of state uses "Charleston" to mean "the state government" like you use "the Pentagon" or "the White House" and such.  No one outside the area really cares about the town one way or the other.
-Landmarks (0-10 points) - 1.  Other than government buildings (the capitol itself is nice) nothing of significante.
-Family-Friendliness (0-10 points) - 2.  There is a mall.  And a Chucky Cheese.
-Future (0-10 points) - 1,  War on Coal.  Take out the coal and the three counties, and WV is a mixture of the worn out Rust Belt towns along the Ohio and its tributaries and unpopulated mountain counties with nothing there to support a family.   

34

[agentsteel53]

I think many people in Virginia, especially the southwestern portion, would disagree with you.  I certainly do. I was at a press conference with a Virginia state trooper from Wise, and he was complaining about how far it is to Richmond and how long it takes to get there. He was noting how he's closer to Frankfort and Charleston, and maybe even Nashville or Raleigh, than he is Richmond.

where would you put the capital?  Virginia is oddly shaped, with its spur to the southwest.  further to the south would cause it to move away from the population centers that define its being the south end of the northern megaplex.  further north or east and it would alienate the west of the state even more. 

further west is the only choice that would have some merit, but I happen to disagree.  Lynchburg may be a bit more geographically logical, but then you'd get people from the populated northern and eastern part of Virginia (which would now include Richmond) complaining.

Lynchburg may have made sense geographically if WV had not broken away in 1862.

[oscar]

I don't know enough for a detailed ranking, but "location" for Juneau AK has to be sub-zero if that's even possible.  It was centrally located when the then-territorial capital moved from the even more remote Sitka ca. 1906, but now it's hundreds of miles from the state's main population centers in the "Railbelt" (Seward to Fairbanks along the Alaska Railroad).  And the only "road connection" for most of the state's population is via auto ferry plus a long drive through Canada, except the occasional cross-gulf ferry between Whittier and Juneau via Yakutat.  The state offsets that to some extent by using Anchorage as a de facto second administrative capital, kind of like how some California state agencies have their main offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles rather than Sacramento.

Is there any other state where there is strong sentiment for moving the state capital to a more central or otherwise better location?

[Doctor Whom]

Since I don't live in a place with a state capital, I'll choose the capital of the state where I grew up.

ANNAPOLIS

• Location - 10.  As good as you can get in such an oddly shaped state.  It is near the Bay Bridge and has good road access to DC and Baltimore.
• Aesthetics - 8.  It is beautiful in the sense in which a beetle in amber can be beautiful.
• Opportunities - 8. It is within commuter range of DC, but I deducted points for the commute.  Closer by, forget about it.
• Significance - 5.  It was a big deal during colonial times and in the early days of the United States.  Since then, maybe not.
• Safety - 20


• Vacant Properties - 10.
• Crime - 10.


• Violent Crime - 5
• Property Crime - 5
• Public Perception - 0.  Below most people's radar.
• Landmarks - 5.  The Naval Academy and a historically significant state house.
• Family-Friendliness - 5.  It's not family-hostile, but what would your family do there?
• Future - 10.  We'll always have Paris DC.

71 + 15 bonus points for safety = 86.

[Eth]

My thoughts on Atlanta:

• Location (0-10 points) - From the perspective of America and the world at large, I'd call it a 10 if only because of how trivially easy it is to get here either by land or air. From the perspective of the state, I'd say a 6 - it's a pretty good hike from south Georgia, though maybe not so bad if you're near I-75 or I-16. I'll split the difference here and say it's an overall 8.
• Aesthetics (0-10 points) - Certainly has its warts, but there's a good amount of greenspace and (IMO) a very nice-looking skyline. Overall I'll say about a 7.
• Opportunities (0-10 points) - Great job market. Low cost of living. Not hard to make it here at all. Straight to a 10.
• Significance (0-10 points) - Probably the most significant city in the South. Olympic host. Played a major role in the Civil War, and also during the mid-20th century civil rights movement. Easily a 7.
• Safety (0-20 points -


• Vacant Properties (0-10 points) - There are certainly some, but not really an enormous number or anything. I'll call this a 7.
• Crime (0-10 points) -


• Violent Crime - (0-5 points) - Plenty to talk about on the evening news, but not so bad that I generally fear for my safety. Depends on what part of town, of course. Let's call it 2 points.
• Property Crime - (0-5 points) - About the same. 2 points.
• Public Perception (0-10 points) - Often thought of as a city of transplants, the general idea being that nobody is really "from" Atlanta. Often if anyone not from Atlanta thinks of the city, they think of their experience changing planes here. I'd say 5 points, right down the middle.
• Landmarks (0-10 points) - Pretty decent number, though not really a lot in the way of places instantly recognizable to someone who's never been here. Maybe a 6.
• Family-Friendliness (0-10 points) - The attractions that the city does have, though, can be easily enjoyed by visitors of all ages. Call it an 8.
• Future (0-10 points) - The Atlanta metro area is known for its ever-expanding suburban sprawl (Atlanta itself contains less than 10% of the population), but people are beginning to move back into the city more and more. If everything continues into the near future the way it's been going for the last few years, the sky's the limit. 9 points.

Total: 71 + 5 safety bonus points = 76 points. Not bad, not bad at all.