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I agree regarding Cleveland, as well as Oklahoma City and Omaha. In terms of more "traditional" big cities I think Boston is right up there with DC in terms of jobs and growth, especially given their current similarly low unemployment rates of 5.7%-5.8%.
The Dallas/Fort Worth area seems like a hot spot now. The economy there is supposedly strong and continuing to grow. I visited last year; and saw plenty of stuff along the roads being built. It's affordable with a good mix of families and younger people.
I recently read a blog by an urban studies guru who said that the vibe in Pittsburgh today reminds him of the vibe in Seattle in the 1980's. In other words, Pittsburgh is beginning to accelerate away from the calamities in its past. The general attitude is more youthful, upbeat, innovative and progressive than before, and most of the socioeconomic trends have become highly positive. I don't know that Pittsburgh will produce a company as large or as influential as Microsoft, or put its signature on rock music the way Seattle has, but I do agree that the vibe in Pittsburgh has become markedly more positive in recent years.
Aside from Pittsburgh, I believe that Nashville has a rising star. If Pittsburgh is "the next Seattle," then Nashville is "the next Austin." Baltimore should get better too, although I think the city has some deep-seated socioeconomic problems that need to be corrected. Being located in the megalopolitan Northeast/Mid-Atlantic might help changes come faster, though. I believe that Cleveland's decade is the 2020's. They hit rock bottom just a few years ago, and they've started laying the groundwork this decade just like Pittsburgh did last decade. They still need some more time. In general, I believe the "Rust Belt" will heal from east to west.
I think Nashville is one of the next hot spots. It has a fun vibe and unique identity with all the music (not just country). It has a surprisingly diverse economy (healthcare, automotive manufacturing, and publishing are all big), and it has a lower crime rate than many of the other popular southern cities (like Atlanta and New Orleans).
Southerners like it in part b/c of the country music scene. It isn't quite as popular with Northerners, but I think many of them would be willing to give it a shot b/c it is southern, but not deep south which they sometimes find too intimidating.
If I were going to move, Nashville would be one of my top choices.
Richmond VA, which is the greatest mix of North and South that you will find - a totally organic blend of the best of both, with a very vibrant creative community, and - in parts of the city - architecture to die for. In the early-to-mid 1990s, Richmond was known for blight and very, very high crime rates, and the city has made some phenomenal leaps forward in re-inventing itself, and revitalizing itself. The combo of state government, proximity to Washington, some good universities, and a few significant corporate presences make it a nice, balanced economy, which is far from perfect but does have a diverse lot to offer. As one of the string of East Coast MSAs that stretch from Atlanta to Boston, Richmond is the one with some of the slowest, but most steady growth - it hasn't exploded like Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh or DC, but that gives it a bit of an edge - no real boom-bust cycles at this point, and it's big enough to offer a lot socially and recreationally, while remaining JUST small enough to keep from being overwhelming, or from falling behind in infrastructure.
Keep an eye on some of the larger academic towns: Madison WI, Ann Arbor MI, Athens GA, Charlottesville and Blacksburg VA, Greenville NC. Some of them have very respectable growth rates (Greenville NC has surged to become #10 in North Carolina, and is the fastest growing area after Charlotte and Raleigh), and - due to academics and start-ups spun out of academia into the private sector - are a slight bit more recession-proof than other cities. They also boast an abundance of young professionals, and many of them are close enough to a big city to offer that as an outlet, while remaining distant enough that they also offer some smaller-town charm, lower crime rates, good schools, and a fairly eclectic population.
Richmond VA, which is the greatest mix of North and South that you will find - a totally organic blend of the best of both, with a very vibrant creative community, and - in parts of the city - architecture to die for. In the early-to-mid 1990s, Richmond was known for blight and very, very high crime rates, and the city has made some phenomenal leaps forward in re-inventing itself, and revitalizing itself. The combo of state government, proximity to Washington, some good universities, and a few significant corporate presences make it a nice, balanced economy, which is far from perfect but does have a diverse lot to offer. As one of the string of East Coast MSAs that stretch from Atlanta to Boston, Richmond is the one with some of the slowest, but most steady growth - it hasn't exploded like Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh or DC, but that gives it a bit of an edge - no real boom-bust cycles at this point, and it's big enough to offer a lot socially and recreationally, while remaining JUST small enough to keep from being overwhelming, or from falling behind in infrastructure.
Keep an eye on some of the larger academic towns: Madison WI, Ann Arbor MI, Athens GA, Charlottesville and Blacksburg VA, Greenville NC. Some of them have very respectable growth rates (Greenville NC has surged to become #10 in North Carolina, and is the fastest growing area after Charlotte and Raleigh), and - due to academics and start-ups spun out of academia into the private sector - are a slight bit more recession-proof than other cities. They also boast an abundance of young professionals, and many of them are close enough to a big city to offer that as an outlet, while remaining distant enough that they also offer some smaller-town charm, lower crime rates, good schools, and a fairly eclectic population.
Agree, and would add oft-overlooked Columbia, SC to the mix. As South Carolina's state capital and home to the University of South Carolina along with a heavily invested/redeveloping downtown area it has the infrastructure in place to take off and grow, especially if it's political environment continues to moderate.
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