Pittsburgh tops this year’s list with a casual dinner and two movie tickets costing $77.80. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the same date in the most expensive city on the list, Los Angeles, comes in at $126.06.

The following list uncovers the most affordable cities for dating in the United States based on research conducted by Match.com:

1. Pittsburgh – Dating is a steal in the Steel City.
2. Detroit – A night at the drive-in in the Motor City won’t break the bank.
3. Sacramento, Calif. – When it comes to cheap dates this place is the capital.
4. Phoenix – The desert heat won’t dry up your bank account.
5. Indianapolis – The Indy 500 isn’t the only thing that gets hearts racing in Indianapolis.
6. St. Louis, Mo. – The Gateway to love doesn’t have to be expensive in St. Louis.
7. Tampa – St. Petersburg, Fla. – With such cheap date prices, residents practically live like buccaneers in this Florida city.
8. Orlando – Daytona Beach, Fla. – Another reason this is the “happiest place on Earth:” romantic dates that won’t deplete your checking account.
9. Houston – Everything is big in this Texas city, except the cost of dating.
10. Charlotte, N.C. – Guys in North Carolina have a lot to smile about — Southern belles and inexpensive dates.

Other cities:

11. Atlanta
12. Denver
13. Cleveland
14. Miami
15. Portland, Ore.
16. Minneapolis – St. Paul
17. Seattle
18. Philadelphia
19. Boston
20. Dallas – Fort Worth
21. Washington, D.C.
22. Chicago
23. New York
24. San Francisco
25. Los Angeles

Source: Match.com

While things are relatively tight in much of the nation, some localities are worse off than others. Indeed.com assessed job markets in the 50 largest American cities to see which had the most unemployed workers per job posting.

Here are the places with the worst ratios:

1. Detroit: 18-1
2. Miami: 10-1
3. Riverside, Calif.: 9-1
4. Los Angeles: 8-1
5. Portland, Ore.: 7-1
6. Chicago: 7-1
7. Rochester, N.Y.: 6-1
8. Sacramento: 6-1
9. Orlando: 6-1
10. Buffalo: 6-1
11. St. Louis: 6-1

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However you go about it, you know one when you see one. Stroll around Wrigleyville before a Cubs game, for instance, and it’s pretty clear you’re someplace special. Same with Fenway Park.

It’s not just a number, it’s a feeling.

Which are America’s best sports cities? It’s a list sure to stir up some debate, but here are 10 that have to be in any discussion:

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Okay, so not every one of the 50 states is a tourist hot spot, but the locals do their best to put a positive spin on points of interest. Hype is part of the package, of course, but you can find plenty of useful links and information, too.

If you want to do a little homework, start here:

* California

* Blue Lake Tahoe

* Discover Los Angeles

* Napa Valley

* Only in San Francisco

* San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau

* Sonoma Country

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Forbes recently examined the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States to figure out which housing markets have yet to reach bottom. Spending power, unemployment, housing and credit availability for the last 27 years were factored into the mix.

Using calculations from Moody’s, it was determined how much each area’s home prices would have to drop to create a state of balance. For some, that means more bad times to come.

Which areas can anticipate the biggest decline?

Here’s the list:

T10. New York City: 23 percent

T10. San Diego: 23 percent

T8. Oakland, Calif.: 25 percent

T8. Las Vegas: 25 percent

6. Phoenix: 27 percent

5. Los Angeles: 29 percent

4. Tampa: 36 percent

3. Jacksonville: 39 percent

2. Miami: 53 percent

1. Orlando: 48 percent

To check out the details on why things are looking so bleak in these communities, visit Forbes.

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Nalgene’s least wasteful city study was produced from a survey of 3,750 Americans in the top 25 largest cities that sought to probe their “mindset.” Respondents were asked about their green habits, such as whether they used public transportation and reusable grocery bags or composted and reused containers. Read more in our story: US cities ranked on wasteful ways. San Francisco took top honors as the most mindfully-least-wastefully green city:

1. San Francisco, CA
2. New York City, NY
3. Portland, OR
4. Seattle, WA
5. Los Angeles, CA
6. Denver, CO
7. Minneapolis, MN
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Boston, MA
10. Philadelphia, PA
11. Chicago, IL
12. Baltimore, MD
13. Detroit, MI
14. Pittsburgh, PA
15. Orlando, FL
16. Cleveland, OH
17. Sacramento, CA
18. Miami, FL
19. Tampa, FL
20. Phoenix, AZ
21. St. Louis, MO
22. Houston, TX
23. Indianapolis, IN
24. Dallas, TX
25. Atlanta, GA

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The U.S. Census Bureau reports that these metro areas added the most population through July 1 of 2008:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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The INRIX National Traffic Scorecard 2008 Annual Report has just been released. The study analyzed congestion across the United States in comparison to 2007.

How do they do it? Tens of billions of GPS data points from vehicles on 47,000 miles of roadways are used to rank the most congested metropolitan areas and worst traffic bottlenecks.

Here are the 10 worst congested cities, and how their ranking has changed over the past year:

For more information, and a list of worst intersections, visit INRIX.

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Unfortunately, the company you keep might be a problem. If you live in any of the metropolitan areas below, it might be time to put a little heat on your friends and neighbors to clean up their act.

Here are two different looks at the Top 10 most polluted U.S. cities:

(By year-round particle pollution)
1. Los Angeles, California
2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Birmingham, Alabama
5. Visalia/Porterville, California
6. Atlanta, Georgia
7. Cincinnati, Ohio
8. Fresno/Madera, California
9. Hanford/Corcoran, California
10. Detroit, Michigan

(By ozone)
1. Los Angeles, California
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Visalia/Porterville, California
4. Houston, Texas
5. Fresno/Madera, California
6. Sacramento, California
7. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
8. New York City/Newark, New Jersey
9. Baltimore, Maryland/Washington, DC
10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Source: American Lung Association

Related Links

• Read about how a solar plan in Los Angeles is sending up political flares in that city.

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The second annual HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey, commissioned by HealthSaver, a national emerging health care discount service, found that the most caffeinated city in the country is Tampa, followed by Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

The HealthSaver 2008 Caffeinated Cities Survey was conducted to determine the caffeine consumption habits and attitudes of consumers across the U.S., and to learn more about cultural views and health benefits of this morning pick-me-up, afternoon alert booster and late-night indulgence.

Most Caffeinated Cities

1. Tampa
2. Seattle
3. Chicago
4. New York
5. Los Angeles

Least Caffeinated Cities

1. Riverside/San Bernardino
2. Atlanta
3. San Diego
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
5. Dallas

Source: HealthSaver

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