Spring In Niigata

Not all Japan is buried under high snow! In some majestic places spring has already come with all its beauty and charm.

Unfortunately beauty of sakura never stays for long and the first rain means the end of it...

By the way, in the shade of this big sakura tree, behind the fence, there hides a tree house of an oil kiloton Saito. Yes, in Niigata oil was produced too. Among the interests of the Saito clan were oil, banking business, commerce, politics etc.

The former residence of the Saito clan is preserved in the city too.

Where to Live in United States to Avoid a Natural Disaster

 Weather disasters and quakes: who’s most at risk? The analysis below, by Sperling’s Best Places, a publisher of city rankings, is an attempt to assess a combination of those risks in 379 American metro areas. Risks for twisters and hurricanes (including storms from hurricane remnants) are based on historical data showing where storms occurred. Earthquake risks are based on United States Geological Survey assessments and take into account the relative infrequency of quakes, compared with weather events and floods. Additional hazards included in this analysis: flooding, drought, hail and other extreme weather.

Top 10 Most Walkable Cities in the United States

10. Portland, OR

 Population: 2.14 million
% commute by walking: 2.8%
% commute by mass transit: 5.9%
Average commute: 25.3 minutes
Number of parks: 39.5

09 Cities more after the break...

09. Providence, RI

Population: 1.62 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 2.5%
Average commute: 22.3 minutes
Number of parks: 54.2

08. Chicago, IL

 Population: 7.9 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 12.8%
Average commute: 33.7 minutes
Number of parks: 160

07. Philadelphia, PA

Population: 3.9 million
% commute by walking: 4.5%
% commute by mass transit: 12.1%
Average commute: 30.6 minutes
Number of parks: 36

06. Honolulu, HI

Population: 914,163
% commute by walking: 5.4%
% commute by mass transit: 8.3%
Average commute: 30.5 minutes
Number of parks: 46

05. Washington, DC

Population: 4.2 million
% commute by walking: 3.1%
% commute by mass transit: 11.3%
Average commute: 35.9 minutes
Number of parks: 102

04. Seattle, WA

Population: 2.5 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 7.9%
Average commute: 30.1 minutes
Number of parks: 23

03. New York, NY

Population: 11.5 million
% commute by walking: 8.4%
% commute by mass transit: 42.4%
Average commute: 38 minutes
Number of parks: 242

02. Boston, MA

Population: 3.2 million
% commute by walking: 5%
% commute by mass transit: 12.5%
Average commute: 31 minutes
Number of parks: 29

01. San Francisco, CA

Population: 1.7 million
% commute by walking: 5.7%
% commute by mass transit: 18.2%
Average commute: 34.1 minutes
Number of parks: 71.4

America's Most Polluted Cities

California metros have the country's worst air, followed by Phoenix and Pittsburgh.

In Pictures: America's Most Polluted Cities

Remember the fog that lingered over Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics? It wasn't fog. It was dirty air. Yes, China faces a world-class air quality problem. But before you get too smug about its smog, consider this: 154.5 million Americans, just over half the nation's population, live in areas where air pollution levels are often dangerous to breathe. That's according to the American Lung Association's (ALA) just-released report 2011 State of the Air.
The cities ranked worst in air quality? California metros like Los Angeles, Visalia, Hanford and Fresno. Bakersfield, Calif., ranked the worst in terms of short-term and year-round particle pollution. It also ranked second-worst, behind Los Angeles, for smog levels, known formally as ozone pollution.

California metros "really have made great strides to try to clean up, but they have a lot of sources--a lot of people driving, a lot of ships coming into the port, especially ocean-going vessels," explains Janice Nolen, lead author of the report and an assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy at the ALA. "Plus, California has the warm, sunny climate that encourages pollutants to form and the geography that helps trap them."