if Rust Belt has been hurting for so long, then why are so many people still there (house, neighborhood)
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That post was as warming as a hallmark card. I almost teared up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ogre
Agreed. ScranBarre, you really captured the sense of solidity and, oh, continuity deeply rooted in such places.
Thank you. This is quite honestly how I feel. America, as an aggregate, is becoming far too homogenized for my tastes. Everyone wants to visit another city and then eat at Applebee's, shop at Wal-Mart, and do everything else that is mundane and "routine" to them. This is why even though the quality-of-life in places like Raleigh, Tulsa, Plano, Cary, Charlotte, etc. may be top-notch, you couldn't pay me enough to live in an area where taupe, beige, and sprawl are preferable to character, charm, and personality. I'm aware that many Southern and Sunbelt cities have their mixed-use, walkable, and historic areas as well, but they PALE in comparison to what you can find in most Rust Belt cities, including my own.
Where can you find scenes like these in the "Best Places" like Cary, Tulsa, Plano, Scottsdale, etc.?
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the "big bad Rust Belt" of Northeastern Pennsylvania! Disgusting and vile, is it not?
Many areas of the rust-belt are decayed, no doubt. But as Matt says, its HOME. And the crazier this world gets, the more proud I am to call the Midwest home. Its relaxing, the people are incredible, and there is too much variety to leave behind. Its home!
For as much as Scranton's economy continues to struggle, I fall more and more enamored with the city each time I see a child learning to ride his or her bicycle along a tree-lined street amidst a blend of historic homes, attend one of various annual festivals, do a downtown pub crawl, or see the "Scranton Welcomes You" sign on the opening credits of "The Office." You can't merely quantify quality-of-life in terms of economics. Even though I'm about to graduate with a B.S. in Accounting and am having difficulty landing a job in my field, I'll gladly stay here and struggle working two jobs outside of my field until the economy finally rebounds because I can't imagine raising my family anywhere else. One block of Scranton has more soul to it than an entire subdivision in Tulsa, Cary, or Plano.
This is how i feel about my corner of the Rust Belt...............keep your soulless shiny new cities! I'd rather live in an area that has character and a little "rust". I can't stand transient cities where people have no ties to the area and destroy the landscape and towns they inhibit. I think in the end the rust belt will have the last laugh. We've got the affordable homes (sometimes more than the new south) and the cultural institutions of much larger cities w/out the traffic and congestion.
I think because they are cities that are recreating themselves. I live in one and it is transitioning from being a city built off of manufacturing to being a city that is growing in terms of helthcare, higher education and new technology.
Actually, the irony is that that's not happening at all. Cities like Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh continue to lose people, businesses, and opportunities to vibrant southern and western cities. Instead of doing exactly what you're suggesting, the leadership in these cities are circling the wagons around the unions, public schools, and traditional black identity politics keeping the rust best from dusting itself off and entering the 21st Century.
Why do people stay? Family, familiarity, lack of education or job prospects, and the unbeatable feeling of being home no matter how crappy home might be.
Steve-o, I don't think anybody considers Chicago a rust belt anymore. Chicago did what Cleveland and Detroit failed to do by diversifying their economy and making the area attractive to upward moving young families and college graduates.
India has 1Bn+ people, most of whom are underachievers....but, for past 40+ yrs, most of the smartest engineering college grads have been coming to US for grad school at places like Stanford/Berkeley....have never left US...and many have built careers in US and are among wealthiest guys in SiliconValley's tech and financial industries and in NYC's financial industry
Similarly, for past 40+yrs, most of smartest kids from RustBelt have gone to leading colleges in CA/Northeast...and built careers in SiliconValley/NYC/LA...and have never returned to RustBelt...closest place some talented people from Midwest decide to settle is Chicago, but, in past 10-15yrs, Chicago has been increasingly eclipsed by NYC and CA in powerful, lucrative industries like hedge funds and tech, which attract a disproportionate no. of smartest kids today....perhaps indicating secular issues w/regions like Bos or Dallas or SD or OC, etc, which can't build (for whatever reason) powerful, lucrative, IQ/innovation-based industries, despite advantages like leading colleges or low taxes or low COL or great weather/topography
Steve-o, I don't think anybody considers Chicago a rust belt anymore. Chicago did what Cleveland and Detroit failed to do by diversifying their economy and making the area attractive to upward moving young families and college graduates.
Great pictures of Chicagoland, though!
In most areas, yes. But there are still areas of Chicagoland that Id consider somewhat "rust-belt", even though theyre surrounded by vibrant communities. And to be honest, youd be surprised to know how many people think Chicagoland is some desolate, deserted place, since its situated somewhat closely to Detroit.
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DDROOOLL!!!! 
