Johnstown will be a hub for hipsters and better bars and clubs in 10 yrs (Pittsburgh: tech jobs, neighborhoods)

[meltinjohn]

Johnstown will take 25-30 yrs before getting to Portlands level but in 10 yrs it can still hold a good standing I think and be a hot new spot to move. The elevation after all is like Asheville and even Johnstown getting to the level of Asheville is a stretch but Johnstown can be A-Ok in 10 yrs anyhow.
Altoona might get something going too. I think theres potential in Altoona also if people play their cards right.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by FightinPhils

Gennessee.....yuck. Gennesee is an old Indian word for "goat pee." Although its shocking that Genesee is made by JW Dundee, which makes some pretty good beers.

Being a connaisseur of cheap beer in my younger days, I would say that the best cheap beer I ever had was Utica Club. I'd actually prefer UC to Miller, Coors, and Bud.

Genesee is still good beer! Just get the cream ale if you dont like the others.
For cheap beer, Id say Rheingold is a top one I had. I like many tho so...
Old German is good I think. Never had UC.

[welder]

25 yo 30 yrs to reach Portland levels? Since you're comparing it to Portland, I assume u've been there before, right? Let's say that over the next yr that Johnstown population would explode and be the same size as Portland's. In no way shape or form, would it resemble Portland. The west coast u might as well say is a different country. Ive been to Johnstown, and Ive been to Portland. In fact I was In Portland early spring. I dont care what elevation Johnstown sits at. I dont want to burst your bubble or try and put Johnstown down. Hopefully it will continue to grow and prosper. A better Johnstown it can defiently be, but Portland? No way. The people from Pa are WAAAAAY different the west coast crowd.

[dugdogmaster]

Who even started comparing Johnstown, PA to Portland, OR anyway? That's utter nonsense

[welder]

hey dog, the OP did. He thinks Johnstown is going to turn into Portland.

[dugdogmaster]

It's still utter nonsense

[mams1559]

Boy, Johnstown is my home town, born and raised and I still live here. Even I think it's out of the question to compare Jtwn to Portland, OR. That is extreme wishful thinking.

Johnstown, as much as I love it and wouldn't leave here, is economically depressed. Yes, there are many good features to our town, but I don't think it will ever rebound to its "glory days". We've lost too many manufacturing jobs that aren't being replaced and too many people.

In the '60s, the population of Jtwn, just in the city limits mind you, was over 65,000 people. That's down to around 23,000. Even including the surrounding boros and townships, you'd get close to 50,000. Only counting the MSA (the entire county) do we hit over 100,000.

There is progress being made, but it's dodging the city itself for the most part and settling in Richland or other outlying areas. No one wants to move into Johnstown proper, on a large-scale anyway. There are some businesses that are expanding and growing in the city, but we need a heck of a lot more. It'll never compare to the height of the steel industry we had. Coal is making a small rebound, but that's in Windber and central Cambria County.

It's the case of which comes first, people or jobs? It's a catch 22... you need jobs for people to come, but jobs won't come if there aren't people able to fill the positions. Same with downtown, which is dead after 5:30. You want restaurants and movies and galleries, but you need the people there to allow those service sector businesses to open and stay open later. It's just not coming together.

We have a wonderful and friendly community, low cost of living, good schools in our area, some tourist draw for our historical significance, but without employment to draw folks, we won't prosper... even if the artist community moved here in its entirety. You can't afford art on service sector wages (minimum wage for the most part).

Oh, before I end this post, there are several windfarms along Allegheny ridge ... the divide between Cambria, Blair and Bedford counties. They're mainly located along that ridge outside of Portage, Cresson and other small towns, but they're only about 30-40 minutes outside Johnstown. Gamesa, a spanish firm, has a manufacturing plant in Ebensburg and they're installing all the wind farms in our area.

[welder]

mams, u know what u are talking about. That's a fantasy to ever think that Johnstown could ever even come close to a small Portland. The people of a place is what makes the city. A higher elevation is not going to turn Johnstown any closer to turning into the next Portland.

[meltinjohn]

Welder so true. The people make a place and people are often too negative. I guess they dont wanna get out of it after all. If only more people imagined Johnstown to be like an Asheville type city, it could you know.
And about the more accepting west coast crowds, thats true also but Oregon still has its share of conversatives even in Portland itself. I was just there. I lived in Johnstown 4 yrs ago. I only say Johnstown can be bigger and better is because as more places get full, more people will look to call some new town their home and it will work their way to the depressed places out in Ohio/PA. People are always looking for cheap places too so its a nice start if some new people just decide to come and make something of it knowing it is already a depressed community.

[EmmausRocks]

People have been saying Jtown is coming back since it's been declining and that's about 30 years of negative population loss. When you lose more people than you gain each year, prepare for a ghost town.