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.
If you're moving there for work, I would say the answer depends greatly on whether the new employers replacing the departed ones are similar to the employer you work for. If you're moving to a city to work for the city's only biotechnology employer, for instance, you might have trouble finding like-minded friends outside of work. That might make the experience in the new city less satisfying than it would if there were also a cluster of such companies or a local major university with hundreds of biotech researchers.
Grand old cities, like Cleveland and Pittsburg, have an architectural charm and cultural amenities that newer cities don't have. The Cleveland Orchestra, for example, is one of the top 5 in the country.
It depends on where you go. If you have a good job lined up and move to a place like Cleveland, Pittsburgh , Buffalo, Rochester, etc you will have a low cost of living combined with lots of cultural opportunities that you would normally only find in larger cities.
For less than $600/month, I own two park-front homes in the city.
The house I'm currently living in has Mill Creek Park in the back yard. The neighbors occasionally get together to have a bonfire and cook steaks over the coals; very friendly, middle/working-class type neighborhood.
The other house I just bought has Wick Park in the front yard, and was once one of Youngstown's more prestigious neighborhoods. So there are lots of grand mansions that need some love. Although I didn't buy one of the mansions, the house I did buy has lots of neat architectural detail.
I guess the bottom line is that, as an architect, the built environment I'm living in is important to me. If I were living in a non rust belt city, (generally, shrinking cities also seem be rust belt cities) I'd be stuck living in some bland 1980's apartment complex in the suburbs.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
5,509 posts, read 11,820,974 times
Reputation: 2501
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Buffalo
...in that order, for the "average" American with your living standards. This is the order of which cities I feel could offer the most potential success for a healthy lifestyle at the current time. The top two are pretty close, and I just don't know about Buffalo right now (if I am misinformed, please let me know).
I grew up near Buffalo and left over 40 yrs. ago. Buffalo was decaying city with growing crime and jobs were diminishing. Today, Buffalo is worse. I live now in a suburbs of Denver; it is a much better place.
The question is what are the advantages to move to these diminishing cities or to return. If you are young and looking a job and a career--I would say there is no advantage; unless you have a good job offer.
On the other hand, if you are retired and want to live in a area that has less stress, less competitive people and less cost for real estate then perhaps there is advantage to move or return to a diminishing city. As long as these cities still have the extensive healthcare facilities in place and good public transit, these places could be good locations for retirement.
It depends if the weather is not a problem. For me, Buffalo is too cold for my severe arthritis. I did not leave because of the cold but now I cannot return. Also, It would a concern with some of the property taxes which are extremely high but the property cost is less. If you have money then it is not a problem. Some people also have the desire to live again in the place of their youth.
Diminishing cities talk about less traffic with roads built for higher populations. In retirement, that is not an issue in any area because you no longer commute; you tend to stay in your local neighborhood and you shop and recreate at the times when most people are working.
Some of these diminishing cities do have a problem with severe crime and extreme racial conflicts. In the Denver area, we do not those severe problems. That would be big problem in thinking about relocating to Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit etc.
Many of these diminishing cities are reducing services to municipal services, schools, healthcare, social services, libraries, parks etc. more so than the growing, thriving cities. This affects the quality of life for yourself and your family. That would be another issue that one would have to consider in moving to these cities.
Really? Many posters on the Ohio forum claim Cleveland is now booming and people are moving back there. Who is right?
Cleveland has over $2 billion in construction projects going on right now, so there's certainly a lot of potential over the next decade. As of right now, not at all. The closest thing to economic boom in Ohio right now is Columbus.
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.