Longview, Washington, is one of the prettiest towns in America.
That’s what Forbes magazine said, ranking it 11th in a recent list of attractive communities.
The town's history and old-time lumber mill feeling are cited as some of its better qualities.
Forbes also noted that sprawling Lake Sacajawea Park, in the center of the city, is one of the most beautiful parks in the country.
According to the city’s website, “Longview was dedicated in July, 1923. In February of 1924, it was incorporated and a municipal government was established. Its history began in the roaring ´20s and today Longview continues to grow in size and diversity. It is a fresh, new, healthy town with a promising future and an already rich past.”
Longview?
They didn't take a very long view. Place is a shithole among shitholes. Absolute scary levels of meth use, homeless tweekers pushing shopping carts full of scrap metal around, anything that isn't nailed down is stolen, and the teeth-per-capita average is expressed in scientific notation.
It's right on the Columbia -- a riverfront that's covered with some really ugly shipping ports (it's right where the Columbia turns west again, about 50 miles north of Portland). It's been home to recent violence between unions and scabs.
I suppose Rainier, Oregon has it worse -- they have to look across the river at that piece of shit town.
Of all the cool cities in the U&L, if I was naming off "prettiest," Longview wouldn't even enter the discussion. Nice work, Forbes.
