maybe the city in question was a burnt-out husk of its former self As a joke, I'd say that the actual choice is between a less populated burnt-out husk of its

maybe the city in question was a burnt-out husk of its former self As a joke, I'd say that the actual choice is between a less populated burnt-out husk of its former self, a heavily populated burnt-out husk of its former self, or some degree of truly nowhere.