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I'd add Madison, WI and Columbus, OH to the list as well. Those two cities have bucked the overall Midwest trend as far as perceptions go and have positioned themselves quite well for growth and attracting young professionals. They also have overwhelmingly positive reputations from everyone I talk to (I live in Virginia so this is mainly coming from an East Coast perception) and the universities there have done quite a lot to make that growth possible. Especially Madison seems to have a very cool reputation among millennials and younger folks, has fantastic lake scenery and outdoor activities, and is one of the most bikeable cities In the US as well.
Personally I have started to travel and explore more of the Midwest the past 5 years or so after exploring both coasts and the interior mountain west extensively for most of my live. After having been to legacy Midwest cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, and Milwaukee in recent years I can honestly say all those places I have visited so far have been severely underrated and amazing places to visit. Especially from someone who appreciates beer, industrial history, and architecture like myself. Cincinnati's OTR and Pendleton districts made such an impression the first time I did a follow-up trip a few years later to check out the progress in the neighborhood and spend a little more time there since my last visit. I will also definitely do a repeat visit to Milwaukee likely next year for either Summerfest or Germanfest.
Most people think of the rust belt when they think of the midwest and assume every city in the Midwest is like Detroit or Gary. But other than Minneapolis, Columbus, and Indianapolis, most Midwestern cities aren't growing much.
Yep.
You've got Chicago, obviously. The second-largest city in the U.S. for most of history, and a city that attracts tourism for the architecture, art museum, Cubs baseball team, etc. I don't see Chicago losing favor anytime soon, most Americans seem to like it.
And then you've got Minneapolis, which is brutally cold but it's large with a strong economy.
And below Minneapolis, you've got cities like Columbus, Indianapolis, and Madison. They might not be tourist destinations but they have healthy economies. They're not "dying cities" by any means.
And finally, you've got cities like Cincinnati and Des Moines. They're not booming but they're not dying. Most of the smaller Midwestern cities are like this.
You've got Chicago, obviously. The second-largest city in the U.S. for most of history, and a city that attracts tourism for the architecture, art museum, Cubs baseball team, etc. I don't see Chicago losing favor anytime soon, most Americans seem to like it.
And then you've got Minneapolis, which is brutally cold but it's large with a strong economy.
And below Minneapolis, you've got cities like Columbus, Indianapolis, and Madison. They might not be tourist destinations but they have healthy economies. They're not "dying cities" by any means.
And finally, you've got cities like Cincinnati and Des Moines. They're not booming but they're not dying. Most of the smaller Midwestern cities are like this.
I would not call Des Moines "not booming" by any means. Ankeny is one of the fastest growing cities in the US, West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Waukee are all thriving, Johnston is growing rapidly, there's more skyscrapers going up right now. Des Moines goes with Madison, Columbus, and Indy.
Grand Rapids bucks the trend of dying cities. It's one of the few bright spots in MI
I'll be going to Grand Rapids for a week for the first time in early September to visit a friend who just moved there earlier this year! Will also be my first time to Michigan. He constantly speaks very highly of GR so I am looking forward to the visit (we will also be checking out Mackinac Island).
Most people think of the rust belt when they think of the midwest and assume every city in the Midwest is like Detroit or Gary. But other than Minneapolis, Columbus, and Indianapolis, most Midwestern cities aren't growing much.
Most east coast cities are not growing. And the original rust belt cities are in the Northeast.
Most people think of the rust belt when they think of the midwest and assume every city in the Midwest is like Detroit or Gary. But other than Minneapolis, Columbus, and Indianapolis, most Midwestern cities aren't growing much.
Omaha is experiencing steady, but robust growth- the last decade 2010-2020, the metropolitan area grew by 12%. The city population is nearing 500,000 and the metro population is 1 million. So you can add Omaha to your list of Minneapolis, Columbus and Indianapolis.
Omaha is experiencing steady, but robust growth- the last decade 2010-2020, the metropolitan area grew by 12%. The city population is nearing 500,000 and the metro population is 1 million. So you can add Omaha to your list of Minneapolis, Columbus and Indianapolis.
I meant to add Omaha originally.
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