Folsom, CA

A conservative, wealthy, mostly Republican town of 45,000 people located 20 miles east of Sacramento. Almost all the nicer cars in the high schools' parking lots belong to the students, some of whom received vehicles like luxury SUVs for their 16th birthdays--no kidding. Folsom's wealthiest neighborhoods have worked hard to maintain their well deserved reputation for snobbery. To many, a "mismatched" outfit means you're wearing a Tommy Hilfiger shirt with Abercrombie&Fitch pants. The Johnny Cash song, "Stuck in Folsom Prison," is based on--you guessed it: the prison in Folsom, which is at the far eastern edge of town. Folsom does have a small low-income area, but most people don't know about it because no major streets go through there.

I used to live in Folsom, CA. It's a clean, well maintained town, but I sure don't miss the snobs.

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Johnstown, PA

A town of about 30,000 residents in southwest Pennsylvania 90 minutes east of Pittsburgh. Its claim to fame is the Johnstown Flood of 1889, in which more than 2,200 died--the deadliest disaster in the U.S. until 9/11. The people are very nice in Johnstown, PA, but the town is extraordinarily religious, maybe because there is not much to do other than go to church, bowling, or to a dive bar. Newcomers may find it difficult to break into the well established social groups, since most of the residents have known each other since childhood. It has quite a number of large cemeteries. The population is mostly white. There are very, very few sidewalks and limited public transportation in this very hilly town. Unemployment is a serious problem here and the average wage is almost unlivably low, but housing costs are low, too. The main sources of employment are health care, defense, telemarketing, and retail.

I'm reluctant to stay in Johnstown, PA, because I will die broke, bored, and lonely.

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