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DETROIT: The region's nine county area with its population of 5.3 million has a workforce of about 2.6 million with about 247,000 businesses. Metro Detroit has made Michigan's economy a leader in information technology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing; the Detroit area ranks fourth nationally in high tech employment with 568,000 high tech workers, including 70,000 in the automotive industry. The Detroit area typically ranks second or third in overall Research and Development (R&D) expenditures in the United States. Metro Detroit is an important source of engineering and high tech job opportunities. As the home of the "Big Three" American automakers, it is the world's traditional automotive center and a key pillar of the U.S economy. In the 2010s, the domestic auto industry accounts, directly and indirectly, for one of ten jobs in the United States.
So any more questions?? And for all of you who love to hate Detroit, ask if your city has contributed as much to global culture and American popular culture like the Motor City or Motown??
Can't argue with that, I certainly wouldn't mind being part of the 87% of people in the region that live outside of the City of Detroit, some of those suburban communities north of the city look like beautiful, inexpensive places to live with plentiful jobs. This is my ideal kind of neighborhood, classic suburbia in a region that helped create the American car culture that I love. Hell, I would have to build some kind of crazy classic car restoration just so I can join the Woodward Dream Cruise lol.
Can't argue with that, I certainly wouldn't mind being part of the 87% of people in the region that live outside of the City of Detroit, some of those suburban communities north of the city look like beautiful, inexpensive places to live with plentiful jobs. This is my ideal kind of neighborhood, classic suburbia in a region that helped create the American car culture that I love. Hell, I would have to build some kind of crazy classic car restoration just so I can join the Woodward Dream Cruise lol.
Your ideal neighborhood is a typical middle class neighborhood close to downtown Royal Oak and Birmingham. You should check out the Grosse Points, Orchard Lake, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, or West Bloomfield if you want to see my ideal neighborhood. I actually like Waterford as it is cheap and full of lakes. Home prices have risen sharply here in the last year. Traffic along the Ann Arbor-Detroit corridor is heavy, and the economy of Southeastern Michigan seems to be moving along in a postive way.
You are more than welcome to come to Woodward Dream cruise. You should also come to Belle Isle for the Grand Prix races. In addition there is autopalooza. Dont forget the autoshow in January. There are other festivals not related to the auto industry as well.
Oakland county has a population 1.2 million people and it has maintained a triple A bonded rating for the last few decades. It is also one of the wealthiest areas of the country. People don't realize it, but Oakland County is the New Detroit. After 1967, Detroit simply got up and moved north across 8 mile and abandoned the old city limits. Wait 6 more years to visit downtown Detroit, it will be completely transformed. The only problem is what do you do with the hundreds of thousands of people who live in the neighborhoods who have no education and/or skills to function in a post industrial economy. This is not just a Detroit issue.
Do you think Salt Lake City would be at all important if it was in New York? I don't.
Salt Lake City's influence (especially with the whole Mormon thing) extends well out side of Utah into southern Idaho and western Wyoming. Being the largest city in Utah, has little to do with how important it is. If SLC was suddenly transplanted to someplace in New York, it would still be the same cultural center it is now. Would it be overshadowed by NYC? Yeah of course, just because of sheer size. But it would be the second largest city in New York and at least as important as it is now in Utah.
Portland is another one, Seattle is 200 miles north, San Fran 600 miles south, and Boise 435 miles to the east, everything for miles and miles here looks to Portland. There really isn't another major city in the state, Eugene and Salem, but they are not all that big. I think when there is only one major city in a region that is many miles from other big cities, it overwhelms services and medical facilities.
I think if Portland was a few miles farther north into southern Washington it might actually steal some of Seattle's area of influence. At the same time it would still geographically dominate the entire state of Oregon. It might actually be more important if it was located in southern Washington.
Its five metro area in the U.S. that are very important to the United States. NYC, Chicago, DFW and Houston the rest are not as important. What do all these cities have in-common big business.
So the Silicon Valley and Hollywood, are just chopped liver?
How about take out DFW and Houston and put in San Francisco and LA.
Don't hold your breath for a reply. That is a 5 year old post you responded to.
LOL, I don't know. His account is still active. Got to love Texans though. They think the entire world revolves around their state. Personally I don't see anything important in Texas, that the US couldn't do without, just fine.
LOL, I don't know. His account is still active. Got to love Texans though. They think the entire world revolves around their state. Personally I don't see anything important in Texas, that the US couldn't do without, just fine.
Well Houston and Dallas do have significant populations with strong economies, but that is about it. They are not cultural capitals of the USA and people outside of Texas really never think of them. (maybe if you live in a state bourdering Texas) Houston has a huge population and oil and gas is booming. Plus the museums and cultural scene. But I don't know why, it is not an iconic city nor a city that has flavor or energy. It has no more influence or importance than Denver, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Minneaopolis in the American psyche. Thats just my opinion. Now, I'm sure somone living in Oklahoma or El Paso may look at Houston as this alpha major global city. In my opinion, the most important US cities in terms of reputation are:
1)New York
2)DC
3)Los Angeles
4)San Francisco
5)Chicago
6)Miami
Then there is a tie between Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Minneaopolis, and Portland. It appears that Charlotte and Austin are on the rise. I love the Tampa Bay area. And last but not least, Metropolitan Detroit: I didn't include it (although it is an economic powerhouse with research and development) since most Americans revile it and wish nothing but ill will toward the city. Who knows, we may become lucky one day and become part of Canada. I doubt they would want to inherit our problems though. Anyway, everyone has different opinions. And at the end of the day, more and more cities look and feel the same. Go to Europe and you will see vastly different cities.
Seattle feels like a much larger city than it's population would suggest mainly due to it being so isolated and for being the epicenter of the Puget Sound region.
For the sake of comparison, I grew up in the LA region. The Seattle metro feels tiny compared to Soutern California. Seattle is a large city whereas LA in comparison feels like an entire country all on its own.
It's not so much the fact the city is biggest in the state as it is the distance to other major cities. Anchorage is a good example of a remote city taking on the functions of a larger one, but so is Fairbanks, about 360 miles to the north of Anchorage. The Fairbanks area has under 100,000 residents, but since it serves as "the capital" for all of the towns and villages to its north and nearby, it has a fair-sized airport and other services more common in larger cities.
To cite a contrary example, there are several Florida metro areas in the 400,000-800,000 range which don't have anywhere near the "big city" amenities of, say, Des Moines. This is because Miami and Tampa and Orlando are already relatively close.
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