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I think that many Rust Belt cities tend to be under rated/overlooked simply because 1. they are in the Rust Belt and/or 2. people place more emphasis on the negatives of cities like Detroit/Toledo/Cleveland etc. than they do the positives.
I think these cities were underrated even before their de-industrialization. Cities with many factories, steel mills, railyards and other industrial operations were looked down on as having large populations of low educational attainment, smog, polluted rivers, etc. While some of this is undoubtably true, many of these cities also had pleasant middle and upper class neighborhoods and suburbs, beautiful extensive parklands and recreational facilities, good school systems, first rate cultural assets and generally well paid workers at all levels, making for robust economies.
I think these cities were underrated even before their de-industrialization. Cities with many factories, steel mills, railyards and other industrial operations were looked down on as having large populations of low educational attainment, smog, polluted rivers, etc. While some of this is undoubtably true, many of these cities also had pleasant middle and upper class neighborhoods and suburbs, beautiful extensive parklands and recreational facilities, good school systems, first rate cultural assets and generally well paid workers at all levels, making for robust economies.
Just to add to this, many have many good institutions of higher learning that attract people from all over the country, if not world, as well.
Many still have pleasant middle and upper middle class neighborhoods such as Detroit's Sherwood Forest/University District/Palmer Woods concentration, Buffalo's Parkside/Park Meadow/Central Park concentration, much of SE Rochester, much of Syracuse's East Side(Meadowbrook/Scottholm/Bradford Hills/University Area concentration), among others off the top of my head, that are within city limits of Rust Belt cities.
Just to add to this, many have many good institutions of higher learning that attract people from all over the country, if not world, as well.
Many still have pleasant middle and upper middle class neighborhoods such as Detroit's Sherwood Forest/University District/Palmer Woods concentration, Buffalo's Parkside/Park Meadow/Central Park concentration, much of SE Rochester, much of Syracuse's East Side(Meadowbrook/Scottholm/Bradford Hills/University Area concentration), among others off the top of my head, that are within city limits of Rust Belt cities.
This is going to surprise some people, but Pueblo Colorado was (is) one of the largest steel producing cities in the US. and has experienced some of the same issues as traditional Rust Belt cities in the US. like population stagnation, (unlike most of Colorado's large cities which are among the nation's fastest growing), higher than average crime, and is still struggling to diversify it's economy. It also has some of the nation's lowest housing costs, which is really surprising when you consider that most of the rest of Colorado has become astronomically expensive over the past ten years. The city has improved as of late especially in the downtown area, but struggles to keep up with the rest of the state.
Last edited by Bellside High; 10-04-2018 at 02:13 AM..
Reason: Spelling
I liked Cleveland a lot when I visited. Only thing prohibitive for me were the winters, cloud cover, snow and property taxes. Nice area overall. Don' t know why it gets put down so much.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Dayton, OH. I was expecting a depressing, sort of run down, dirty city and while it does have some sketchy parts to it, overall it's very pleasant in my opinion - and so are the other major Ohio cities I've seen. Another thing that surprised me is how diverse Dayton is, and I like that. I think diversity adds a lot of spice to places.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Dayton, OH. I was expecting a depressing, sort of run down, dirty city and while it does have some sketchy parts to it, overall it's very pleasant in my opinion - and so are the other major Ohio cities I've seen. Another thing that surprised me is how diverse Dayton is, and I like that. I think diversity adds a lot of spice to places.
I think your last sentence is a surprise with most Rust Belt cities. They tend to be more diverse than people may realize or give them credit for.
They also have a reputation for being segregated, but you can also find integrated areas within these cities as well. For instance, SW Detroit is actually quite diverse and integrated due to being the center of the city’s Hispanic/Latino community, while still having a substantial white population in parts of that section. So, even that aspect will vary within Rust Belt cities.
I think your last sentence is a surprise with most Rust Belt cities. They tend to be more diverse than people may realize or give them credit for.
They also have a reputation for being segregated, but you can also find integrated areas within these cities as well. For instance, SW Detroit is actually quite diverse and integrated due to being the center of the city’s Hispanic/Latino community, while still having a substantial white population in parts of that section. So, even that aspect will vary within Rust Belt cities.
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