America's Drunkest Cities

[Nate tha\\\' Great]

My apoligies if this has been posted before, but this is essential reading:

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/2006..._0822intro.html

The Top 10:

1 of 35. Milwaukee, WI
2. Minnapolis, MN
3. Columbus, OH
4. Boston, MA
5. Austin, TX
6. Chicago, IL (yeah bitches!)
7. Cleveland, OH
8. Pittsburgh, PA
9. Philadelphia, PA
9(tie). Providence, RI
...
12. Seattle
14. Las Vegas
20(tie). SFO
20(tie). DC
23. Los Angeles
32. New York
33. Miami
35. Nashville

I can confirm from personal experience that Milwaukee revolves around drinking. Everyone I've ever met from Wisconsin, including my maternal grandmother, is a heavy drinker.

Chicago is very much a work hard, play hard city and its place on this list is no surprise.

Things that seem to be associated with heavy drinking:

1. A high % of colleges (no surprise)
2. A high % of white people
3. A depressing, northerly location
4. A concentrated urban area that deters drinking and driving (Milwaukee, sadly, is an exception.)

I'm surprised that New York is near the bottom, but I suspect this has to do with the large immigrant population; few cultures are as tolerant of drinking as European Americans. Or maybe everyone's just too fricking busy to drink. In any event, you NYC guys have some catching up to do.

[Inchoateposter]

Makes me proud to inhabit the cold miserable alcoholic stretches of our great nation.

[DCWildcat]

If I were from the north I'd probably drink a lot too, to relieve my depression at my lot in life

As it is, I drink a lot to celebrate my lot in life

[dibbs]

Yea Boston makes a lot of sense to me, as does Chicago, Providence actually surprises me, although if I remember correctly I recently read that Rhode Island had like the highest ratio of DUI's in the country.

[Victor]

"2. A high % of white people"

youve never been to cleveland.

also, we got no public transport.

[KOTLP]

I grew up in a small Volga German community where the per capita alchohol consumption was the one of the highest in the US. The amount of liquor stores and bars is still massive for a small town. Every year they closed the college for Oktoberfest. The mayor tapped the keg to begin the festivities. Damn those old Germans loved to drink, polka dance, and throw horseshoes. Sadly, there aren't too many around anymore, though it is still a very heavy drinking area and they still have the fest.

[Nate tha\\\' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
Yea Boston makes a lot of sense to me, as does Chicago, Providence actually surprises me, although if I remember correctly I recently read that Rhode Island had like the highest ratio of DUI's in the country.

[/ QUOTE ]

Providence has a lot of colleges. About 36,000 college kids between Brown, RSDI, Providence College, Johnson & Wales, and Rhode Island College. In a city of 173K.

[mason55]

Hey, I'm from Columbus and have close family in Minneapolis and Winsconsin...

I'm surprised Columbus is so high on the list, although I'm sure it's due to The Ohio State University.

[NT!]

[ QUOTE ]
In any event, you NYC guys have some catching up to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm doing my part. You're one to talk, you turned down that triple Amaretto I tried to order you in Vegas...

NT

[quarkncover]

w00t!

I have lived in Milwaukee for the last 9 years. This thread made me proud!!!

I can't begin to estimate what my annual alcohol spending must be.

It seems as though there are entire families that are alcholic in wisconsin. A couple friends come to mind. Maybe it's just in our blood...