Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
For me, RISD and the people associated with it are what put it on the map for me. Providence, partially because of RISD but also because Providence influences people while they are at RISD, just has odd things going on constantly. It's a really weird city. That RISD might be tempered by its insane tuitions these days, though scholarships are pretty good there which seems to be funded by a vast growth of international students paying full tuition.
The rough poverty stricken parts of the city are bad, and I do hope they see improvement, but I'd also be a bit disappointed if Providence boomed commercially and was no longer so offbeat.
This is flawed and old data. While that was true 20 years ago (and especially 30-40 years ago, when I am told Louisville was not doing so hot), Louisville young adults are on the rise:
Providence, on the other hand, has barely gained population in years. Louisville is growing, Providence is not. I mean, have you been to Urban Orlando and Dallas? Do you really believe they are losing urban millennials?
Who do you suppose is living in them? If anything, Louisville has tons of millennials which are usually to a degree, obnoxiously hipster. That part is wearing on me. I certainly cannot explain the above study other than to state either they're using flawed data, the old city limits, or both.
Last edited by Peter1948; 07-01-2017 at 07:27 AM..
According to the US CENSUS, Jefferson County (Louisville), had 142,094 young adults aged 20-34 in Census 2000.
By Census 2010, that number had jumped to 153,170. That's a gain of over 11,000, not a loss. What's more? Many Louisville young professionals live "across the bridge" in urban and walkable Jeffersonville and New Albany, IN. Those communities are also seeing multiple hotels, retail, restaurants, rehabs, and several large apartment complexes under construction in their urban core.
Whats more? I expect 2020 will be even a much greater gain, as pretty much all of Louisville's commercial and apartment developed has occurred in the last 3-5 years, and the Census does not give population subgroup estimates.
Just because Time wrote an article, doesn't make it correctly researched. I know for sure Orlando is gaining too.
Meanwhile, Providence County only gained a bit over 2000 people from 2000 to 2010. Providence County had 137,124 adults aged 20-34 in 2010 compared with 135,021 in 2000. Not bad for a flat population growth area. But...it's no Louisville.
Louisville has tens of thousands more millennials than Providence and by 2020, the gap will widen. One distinct advantage of Providence and any old NE city really is much better colleges. However, UofL has made great strides, and places like Bellarmine are now one of the better liberal arts schools in the southeast and Sullivan is a top culinary university. Still, these are obviously no RISDY or Brown. To me, those schools and the European ethnic enclaves are where Providence can boast, but Louisville bests in in every other category.
Last edited by Peter1948; 07-01-2017 at 07:31 AM..
Providence is actually the home to the main campus of five colleges - Brown, RI School of Design, Johnson & Wales U, Providence College, and RI College. The first three are located right downtown while the latter two are in outer residential neighborhoods. Ivy League member Brown gives the city an academic pedigree and sophistication. RISD gives the city its arts vibe. JWU provides the city its flourishing food scene with its culinary arts program producing chefs.
The city, among the oldest in the USA as it was founded in 1636), has has one of the largest collections of colonial era buildings (mostly residences) in the USA. Its architecture runs the gamut with colonial, federal, beaux arts, victorian, neo classical, and modernist. It has a very compact walkable downtown. Providence has about 180k residents in its just 20 incorporated square miles. In addition to it being the largest city in the state and the anchor of the nation's 38th largest metro area, it is the state capitol. The city is conveniently located on Route 95 and the Amtrak line just one hour SW of Boston and three hours NE of NYC. It is situated at the convergence of several rivers at the head of Narragansett Bay.
Providence is actually the home to the main campus of five colleges - Brown, RI School of Design, Johnson & Wales U, Providence College, and RI College. The first three are located right downtown while the latter two are in outer residential neighborhoods. Ivy League member Brown gives the city an academic pedigree and sophistication. RISD gives the city its arts vibe. JWU provides the city its flourishing food scene with its culinary arts program producing chefs.
The city, among the oldest in the USA as it was founded in 1636), has has one of the largest collections of colonial era buildings (mostly residences) in the USA. Its architecture runs the gamut with colonial, federal, beaux arts, victorian, neo classical, and modernist. It has a very compact walkable downtown. Providence has about 180k residents in its just 20 incorporated square miles. In addition to it being the largest city in the state and the anchor of the nation's 38th largest metro area, it is the state capitol. The city is conveniently located on Route 95 and the Amtrak line just one hour SW of Boston and three hours NE of NYC. It is situated at the convergence of several rivers at the head of Narragansett Bay.
Both cities are really charming. Louisville has the largest collections of shotguns in the US, even more than New Orleans, and has one of the largest and most beautiful Victorian mansion districts in the US. Both cities have a variety of architecture from skyscraper to everything in between.
I also agree Providence doesn't feel anything like a metro of 1.6 million. It actually feels about the size of Louisville, 1.3 million, and downtown Louisville and its urban surroundings feel like a bigger city than Providence, which feels more like a true college town almost.
One thing I like about Providence is they kept most of their midrises and 3-8 story buildings. Louisville tore them down in "urban renewal" and that is why a lot of casual observers of Louisville aren't as impressed as they should be. Luckily, I can thing of at least 10 of these surface lots which were once historic rowhouses and midrises which are now getting nice new developments.
Louisville will always be underrated, which is fine. More for me to enjoy and stay affordable, while hipsters crash all the other cities
Except the Time data is flawed. As you note above, Louisville/Jefferson County gained around 11,000 young adults ages 20-34 from 2000 to 2010 (before Louisville's economic boom the last 3 years) while Providence County gained only around 2000.
One weekend walk around Louisville will show you that, good or bad, the secret on Louisville is out. As I've noted time again, Louisville's biggest challenges are taxes, and even more, the state of Kentucky.
Except the Time data is flawed. As you note above, Louisville/Jefferson County gained around 11,000 young adults ages 20-34 from 2000 to 2010 (before Louisville's economic boom the last 3 years) while Providence County gained only around 2000.
One weekend walk around Louisville will show you that, good or bad, the secret on Louisville is out. As I've noted time again, Louisville's biggest challenges are taxes, and even more, the state of Kentucky.
I don't think Louisville it totally "known" yet.
I flew in for a week around memorial weekend to visit family, and we were in downtown for a bit eating, shopping, etc...and it didn't seem any more busy than what I've always noticed when I lived there
I'm sure now that school is out it could be noticeable, but wasn't for me a month ago!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.