Norfolk-Virginia Beach Area [Mis]Crowned Least Stressed of Nation's 50 Biggest Cities

In yet another example of how statistics do not tell the whole story, according to BizJournals, the online division of a large publisher of business newspapers, living in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area has less stress than 49 other metropolitan areas. But there is more to life than a low murder rate low, currently modest unemployment, lower housing prices than in some regions of the country, and sometimes less arduous communtes. We also lack in many cultural amenities, have a large segment of the population that qualify as backward, religious lunatic Neanderthals that more than offset the moderate weather. Plus, we have the daily embarrassment of having Pat Robertson as one of our more infamous residents. And of course, if one is gay, the majority feel the need to live semi-closeted to keep their jobs and avoid neighborhood disapproval.

Personally, I might rather have a bit more stress in order to have less of the Christian Coalition mindset predominate much of the area. Remenber, Christianist Mike Huckabee won the vote count against John McCain in neighboring Chesapeake, Virginia. It's pretty sad that in an area of over 1.5 million people, I am the only openly gay attorney that I know of. Here are portions of the Virginian Pilot's story (http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/beachnorfolk-area-crowned-least-stressed-nations-50-biggest-cities):

According to bizjournals, the online division of a large publisher of business newspapers, we live in the land of little worries, mon. The Web site has crowned the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area as the least stressed of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas. Compared with places such as Detroit (the absolute abyss of stress, bizjournals says), New York City (the eighth-most stressful) and Richmond (34th), we've got it made in the sun.

Our air is clean, our murder rate low. Unemployment is modest, as is the percentage who write mortgage checks for $3,000 or more. Our commutes aren't arduous. And more often than not, it's a bright, bright sunshiny day. Stats came from the EPA, the FBI and other organizations.

Interestingly enough, Forbes has done a recent story on "America's Most Miserable Cities (http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/01/29/detroit-stockton-flint-biz-cz_kb_0130miserable.html) and many cities that would rank more gay friendly get bad ratings, largely due to cost of living, commute times, tax rates, etc. Thus, it appears misery is partly in the eye of the beholder.