What Makes Cities Home
by Steve Watters on 11/27/2007 at 10:05 AM
Why do you live where you do? What drew you there and what would keep you there?
City leaders ask those questions and then do what they can to keep their cities attractive for growth. One approach city leaders have taken according to an article in today's Wall Street Journal is to woo professional singles -- what the writer calls the "brew-latté-and-they-will-come approach."
For much of the past decade, business recruiters, cities and urban developers have focused on the "young and restless," the "creative class," and the so-called "yuspie" -- the young urban single professional. Cities, they've said, should capture this so-called "dream demographic" if they wish to inhabit the top tiers of the economic food chain and enjoy the fastest and most sustained growth.
The article goes on, however, to report disappointing results:
This focus -- epitomized by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's risible "Cool Cities" initiative -- is less successful than advertised. Cincinnati, Baltimore, Cleveland, Newark, Detroit and Memphis have danced to the tune of the hip and the cool, yet largely remain wallflowers in terms of economic and demographic growth.
The writer goes on to say that cities emphasizing great opportunities for single life shouldn't overlook the fact that most singles eventually marry and have children and will want to live somewhere that supports a family lifestyle.
Indeed, if you talk with recruiters and developers in the nation's fastest growing regions, you find that the critical ability to lure skilled workers, long term, lies not with bright lights and nightclubs, but with ample economic opportunities, affordable housing and family friendly communities not too distant from work.
For cities seeking to grow, the writer makes the case that "the emphasis should be on retaining young people as they grow up, marry, start families and continue to raise them."
Can cities pull that off? Can they be both single-friendly and family-friendly? Is the place you live the kind of place you would stick around as you move into the family years?
1. Carrie said the following at 10:23 AM on Nov 27:
The city I grew up in is not exactly single-friendly, unless you like to go to bars. I find it hilarious that Jennifer Granholm is quoted, as I grew up in Michigan and I have no regrets about leaving that place.
I think that the city I live in now does an excellent job of balancing the single-friendly and family-friendly atmosphere. There is always a free concert to go to, educational opprotunities galore, and a fair amount of city parks.
I think the attraction to moving elsewhere from where you grew up comes from the individualist mindset that permeates Western culture. I find it really funny when I come into contact with people that have been born and raised in the city I currently live in realize so many people are actually attracted to this city. To them, it's everyday, it's the only thing they've ever known and they think the grass in greener somewhere else. To so many others, this is the somewhere else where the grass is greener.
2. Robert J Espe said the following at 10:43 AM on Nov 27:
Carrie's comment is exactly why I'm staying in Duluth where I grew up. We are a vacation top 10 hotspot (cold spot?), but we have a reputation for limited employment options, so all the college students leave. I'm staying because there are people here I grew up with and love. We have a pretty good cost of living, and beautiful scenery (even if it is cold). Really all I care about is cost of living (property taxes), weather, and who else lives there.
3. Esther said the following at 10:49 AM on Nov 27:
I think the balance is difficult. Living in the greater Buffalo NY area, I feel that this is an excellent area to raise kids- safe, good schools, lots of educational and cultural opportunities, low cost of living, etc. However, it isn't attractive to singles because the job opportunities for starting out are limited, and there is an "un-cool" factor- most young adults leave the area looking for bigger brighter cities, so those who remain feel left behind. High taxes and heavy-handed regulations also make NY a difficult place to plan on living long-term.
4. Tami said the following at 11:12 AM on Nov 27:
I'm a local in a grass-is-"greener" area. It's extremely difficult to establish yourself here, so most people leave when they have families.
It's sad when people who spend their lives someplace have to leave only because they're being priced out. It drives stable people out of the area and creates a constant state of flux.
It also creates a mindset where people view stability as weird.
5. Tami said the following at 11:21 AM on Nov 27:
As a side note, you don't really brew lattes. You extract the shot of espresso from the machine and add steamed milk to make the latte.
There goes the credibility of the WSJ! ;)
6. Will said the following at 12:00 PM on Nov 27:
haha! When I saw Newark on there as trying to be "hip and the cool" I just started laughing. No offense to anyone living there but for the most part Newark is, well, a dump. That is probably the one city in the USA I know I do not want to live in...
I am very happy where I live, close to the mountains, close to the coast. I could see myself staying in the area for the rest of my life..Though the curious side of me does sometimes feel like exploring other places.
7. Jan said the following at 12:02 PM on Nov 27:
Ah, this is a challenge for not only cities but also churches. Perhaps the answers for both have similarities?
8. Kristen said the following at 1:36 PM on Nov 27:
I live in a city of about 25,000, about an hour's drive south of Minneapolis. I grew up here and moved back after college, not expecting to find a long-term job. I did, however, end up with a job in the City Planning Department, so this article is right up my alley.
A number of my former classmates have moved back, or never left, as this is a great town to raise a family in. It has a small-town atmosphere, but is close to the Cities.
What has kept me here thus far are my roots. Also, I love the sense of community, of being known. I think I will miss that if I ever end up moving away.
9. Patricia2ndposter said the following at 1:50 PM on Nov 27:
I live in New Jersey primarily because it has both opportunities in my career field and my family lives about an hour from me or so. New Jersey is extremely expensive to live in. However, I don't want to leave because my family lives in the area, plus I'm near the beach, New York, and close to other cities on the east coast. So I pay for the location....I'm willing to pay now but would be happy to live somewhere more affordable eventually.
10. BDB said the following at 2:04 PM on Nov 27:
Jan wrote:
>>Ah, this is a challenge for not only cities but also churches. Perhaps the answers for both have similarities?<<
Yes - both need ample parking. What's an "ample" you say? Ah, there's the rub.
My city actually does have greener grass - there's a "green" ordinance requiring everyone to keep their grass green, drought or not. We pay property taxes for street landscaping. Not only is the grass greener, but the concrete is cleaner, since the city has an anti-graffiti team that paints everything beige again quickly.
Though right after I bought my house one of my friends said, "If I was single I'd have a condo at the beach!" Oh well. It's quieter to have a yard on a cul-de-sac. Except for the neighbors dogs barking...
11. Charles H. said the following at 4:26 PM on Nov 27:
Ah, there's a meaty question.
My unabashedly conservative take on the issue, from having lived in just this sort of city (in my case, Pittsburgh): Forget all the special programs, forget the government incentives, forget anything that might sound "cool" to a politician. What I want, as a young professional, is for the powers-that-be in my state to rein in the taxes, governmental corruption, and crime. Let me keep my money, let me feel safe to spend it, and the rest will come naturally.
Even NYC itself couldn't thrive until they started to deal with the mafia, the panhandlers, and the crooks in City Hall.
12. James said the following at 5:55 PM on Nov 27:
Phoenix isn't the perfect city, but it's a good one, I think. I wouldn't mind raising kids here (I'll have to find a good school for them, though, which may be difficult), but it's also a fun place to be single in. There's ASU, which means that in Tempe there's plenty of young people about my age, and what drew me here was work. Phoenix is booming in the tech industry, and that's what brought me here. It's also what is keeping me here for the most part, though friends and church and the sheer vibrancy of the city is a big plus as well (but if I had a crappy job, I'd be out of here).
I'd say the key is to have multi-generational draws to the city, one that all generations can appreciate by themselves or with those of other generations. And, for drawing the "dream demographic" in particular, professional industry growth is KEY. Gotta have those good jobs in the area to draw the new professionals.
13. Chris said the following at 6:14 PM on Nov 27:
Pittsburgh often laments about losing people, both young and older. Why shouldn't people love it? It has great schools, tons of cultural resources, a relatively low cost of living, world class hospitals and medical research facilities, the best football team in the world, etc.
What makes people leave or not move here? The same thing that makes them leave or not move to other cities: the lack (perceived or real) of economic opportunities. I've seen Pittsburgh companies offer starting engineering salaries that are 20% lower than the national average. It doesn't take a smart graduate to see that moving somewhere else that's 10% costlier but gives you 20% more money makes sense.
Until cities realize that it's economic opportunities that draw people, these marketing attempts to retain or attract people (of any age) are pointless. Yes, there is a chicken/egg argument here, as companies like to locate where good people are available but jobs need to be there to attract good people. But at the end of the day, it's economic opportunities that will attract people, which will lead to increased tax revenues which can be used to build the schools, parks, and museums that will attract more people.
14. Rachael said the following at 7:40 PM on Nov 27:
One thing I love about the place I live is that there are so many beautiful views (lake, ocean, mountains, pretty leaves in the fall) even within walking/running distance of my apartment. It is a major city (with a lot of different sections), so it is quite likely I will not live in this city if I "move into the family years" at least for economic reasons, but it is great for the time being...
One thing I find attractive about some suburb cities, though, is the range of ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Variety is the spice of life, and could be nice especially for the family years.
Probably what really is keeping me in my homestate is just because I've lived here all my life outside my living abroad years and because I have family here...but the scenery and summer weather are definite perks!
15. Bek said the following at 8:13 PM on Nov 27:
I have always lived in a small town in eastern NC, and I wouldn't leave unless I had to. I drive an hour to Raleigh to go to school several days a week, and while I once thought I would eventually move there I have never really had a great desire to do so. You can't beat small town life. I can be at church in 5 minutes, at work in 10 minutes, and on the other side of town where most stores and restaurants are in 15 minutes. This is the perfect location, one hour from a big city and two hours from the beach. I think the important factor in choosing where to live has nothing to do with the size of the location, but the way you will live your life in the location in which you choose to settle.
16. dave said the following at 9:11 PM on Nov 27:
I live in St louis. I grew up here and did not want to live here as an adult. The weather is hot and humid in the summer and cold in the winter. I ended up getting a job here and really like it a lot. There is enough big city things to do without the big city traffic. The funny thing is that people stay here and when they leave they often come back. It is a pretty good place to raise a family. The thing that will keep me here is my awesome church. We are full of people that arent from here but have settled down and put down roots here. When you start working and especially when you have a family (I can imagine) that the conditions (weather, outdoors, flashy stuff to do) matters as much as having good friends and family nearby.
17. Leah said the following at 10:43 PM on Nov 27:
yuspie? never heard of that one. I *have* heard of the yuppie though. (Young Urban progressive professional- I think).
Cities can definitely be both family and single friendly. It also depends what size city you're talking about. The city I live (about 180,000 people) is definitely family-friendly, and also singles-friendly. I guess it does depend on your industry, but my fiance and his best friend are both IT guys, my fiance found work here and his best friend didn't. For many other industries though, Townsville is just fine for singles. Brisbane (1 million) is also another family and singles friendly city. It has more employment options than Townsville, and while it is more expensive to live in (and so perhaps a bit harder for families to live in) it still caters quite adequately for families. Oh, and except for the fact it has very little water at the moment :P
18. Christine said the following at 11:45 PM on Nov 27:
Not knowing where I'll be living in the near future (I'm job hunting), one of the things I'm looking for is actually proximity to my family. I just spent the last three years two states away and honestly, I want to be closer than that. As a single woman, I missed having those close connections more than I ever dreamed I would. I'm glad to be back in my home state and enjoying time with my family as I job hunt.
19. Loris said the following at 7:13 AM on Nov 28:
My husband and I recently moved from Miami to Charleston. Miami was definitely not family-friendly and Charleston has an interesting downtown if we want nightlife, and affordable suburbs when we're ready to buy a house. We were looking for a city that had a large young working population, since we're both in our early 20s and had a terrible time finding married friends in Miami. Our church has many young couples in positions of leadership and service while still providing middle-aged mentorship, which was what drew us to attend there.
20. Kelly said the following at 7:21 PM on Nov 28:
I'm a yupsie and constantly torn in two.
I want to live in a city centre, surrounded by vibrant nightlife and activities at all hours of the day. Instead, I'm drowning in surbubia. Why?
My family lives in suburbia. My sisters all have kids, my parents need help, and I love them dearly. It's not practical for me to live a great distance from them (they are an hour from the city centre). So I stay, to be near them, but I AM SO BORED.
Anyone got a solution? ;)
21. Rebecca said the following at 6:57 PM on Nov 30:
To answer Kelly's question: Move to the city center. 1 hr is not far AT ALL. I live between 6-14 hrs from my immediate family (married sisters with children and parents)with whom I am very close, smack in the middle of Chicago. I feel i belong here for a number of reasons, and I believe that God wants me to make my life here long-term, including raising a family. There are MANY people who raise their families in an urban situation. Unfortunately, most of them have no choice. I believe that I am called to make that choice so that they can see the love of Christ and my children can grow up in a diverse location where they daily come in contact with people who are different from them.
My church believes profoundly that the city is instrumental in the growth of the church. Tim Keller wrote an excellent article on the centrality of the city in Christianity that I highly recommend:
http://www.cityviewchicago.org/corearticles.asp?srcfile=city.pdf
Honestly, I believe that the decision to live in an urban area with a family needs to be seriously considered. Cities are the location of culture-making institutions and hold enormous populations of entirely unchurched people from all stratas of life. A green lawn might be nice, but how long will I have to enjoy it? 60 yrs at best (I am already 29)? Why not invest those years in a place where I can find the high life, or low-lifes, but most importantly, where I can bring life? Isn't that more important?
Oh, and Kelly, the issue is less about how entertained you are right now, and more about what you are doing with your life. Suburbia may be stifling, but the fascinating life of the city will not make you any more fulfilled if you are not passionately pursuing your calling in Christ.
Just my 2 cents.
22. Ben said the following at 11:48 AM on Jan 10:
Here they play the family card. But I just there's cheap housing near my work so I can save money.
It is quite ok for singles as there is lots to be done at the evening, but with kids I would move out to a safer place. Right now it is convenient, but even without kids I prefer to live in suburbia. Think some people just prefer vibrant urban life - others like me prefer to sleep with an open window and have a dark sky and no traffic noise.
I do not move out for another reason. Being single is just a temporary state (I hope) - so why invest time and money into an expensive apartment? Rather I save the money for my (hopefully) future family - being a single and NOT addicted to domestic chores I rather have a small and cheap place for now.
Unfortunately here are no small cheap places further away from downtown. In the suburbs there are only big apartments or houses.