Kansas City vs. Louisville vs. Omaha vs. Pittsburgh vs. Columbus vs. STL (crime, compared)

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

Pittsburgh has some legacy universities from the days when it was a relevant economic center. That ship has sailed, and activity is going elsewhere in the country. Pittsburgh is now just a place with some universities that people may visit Pittsburgh to attend, though they retreat elsewhere once studies have concluded.

Yeah, that's why the labor force in the Pittsburgh MSA is the largest it's ever been, because everybody's retreating elsewhere after college. Wait a minute...

By the way, the unemployment rate in the Pittsburgh MSA remains comfortably below the national unemployment rate.

[psulions2007]

Omaha >> Des Moines >>> Kansas City

Pittsburgh > Columbus

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

Yeah, that's why the labor force in the Pittsburgh MSA is the largest it's ever been, because everybody's retreating elsewhere after college. Wait a minute...

By the way, the unemployment rate in the Pittsburgh MSA remains comfortably below the national unemployment rate.

Look, my argument is that Pittsburgh is declining in national importance. It used to be in the top 10 metros. Now, it's 22nd.

22 Pittsburgh, PA MSA 2,359,746 2,356,285 +0.15%
23 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA 2,262,605 2,226,009 +1.64%
24 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA 2,194,927 2,142,508 +2.45%
25 Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA MSA 2,176,235 2,149,127 +1.26%
26 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA 2,171,360 2,134,411 +1.73%
27 Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN MSA 2,138,038 2,130,151 +0.37%
28 Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH MSA 2,068,283 2,077,240 −0.43%
29 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA 2,052,676 2,035,334 +0.85%
30 Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA 1,969,975 1,951,269 +0.96%
31 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA 1,865,450 1,836,911 +1.55%
32 Columbus, OH MSA 1,858,464 1,836,536 +1.19%
33 Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSA 1,795,472 1,758,038 +2.13%
34 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA 1,783,519 1,716,289 +3.92%
35 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN MSA 1,778,568 1,756,241 +1.27%
36 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA 1,679,894 1,671,683 +0.49%
37 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN MSA 1,617,142 1,589,934 +1.71%

In 20 years, every one of these metro areas will probably be bigger and more important than Pittsburgh:

22 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA 2,262,605 2,226,009 +1.64%
23 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA 2,194,927 2,142,508 +2.45%
24 Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA MSA 2,176,235 2,149,127 +1.26%
25 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA 2,171,360 2,134,411 +1.73%
26 Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN MSA 2,138,038 2,130,151 +0.37%
27 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA 2,052,676 2,035,334 +0.85%
28 Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA 1,969,975 1,951,269 +0.96%
29 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA 1,865,450 1,836,911 +1.55%
30 Columbus, OH MSA 1,858,464 1,836,536 +1.19%
31 Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSA 1,795,472 1,758,038 +2.13%
32 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA 1,783,519 1,716,289 +3.92%
33 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN MSA 1,778,568 1,756,241 +1.27%
34 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA 1,679,894 1,671,683 +0.49%
35 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN MSA 1,617,142 1,589,934 +1.71%
36 Pittsburgh, PA MSA 2,359,746 2,356,285 +0.15%

Pittsburgh dropping into the 30's is almost a lock.

I simply don't see Pittsburgh being able to compete against these largely newer and more geographically friendly cities.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

I simply don't see Pittsburgh being able to compete against these largely newer and more geographically friendly cities.

Quality matters more than quantity in the 21st Century.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

Quality matters more than quantity in the 21st Century.

In an age of diploma mills, the credential is largely counterfeit. Further, you implicitly posit a non sequitur, as you omit a premiss proving a correlation between an educated population and quality of life in a metro area.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

In an age of diploma mills, the credential is largely counterfeit. Further, you implicitly posit a non sequitur, as you omit a premiss proving a correlation between an educated population and quality of life in a metro area.

Well then, if a bachelor's degree isn't enough for you, then maybe a graduate or professional degree will be satisfactory?

And the proof of correlation between an educated population and a high quality of life can be determined through simple cross-examination of various statistics. All the states that score the lowest on the Human Development Index are among those with the least-educated populations.

[kcmo]

Pittsburgh is an awesome city. I go there often and I just don't see the mass blight and abandonment being described here. Actually the downtown area has really rebounded and it quite vibrant and growing. Needs more residential in the CBD, but I think it will come.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Pittsburgh is an awesome city.

Where? What? I just don't see it, but I'm open to reviewing my position. Give me a Google Street View address that embodies the awesomeness so I can know where the break is between our experiences and expectations.

Originally Posted by Gnutella

And the proof of correlation between an educated population and a high quality of life can be determined through simple cross-examination of various statistics. All the states that score the lowest on the Human Development Index are among those with the least-educated populations.

But your theory has to resolve itself in a high quality of life. You can't simply infer a high quality of life from indicators. There actually has to be a high quality of life for your thesis to hold. That high quality of life is most certainly not present in Pittsburgh, for the various reasons I've detailed in several threads. Despite your inferential argument, every other city over one million, educated or otherwise, offers its inhabitants a much better quality of life, but I respect that this is a subjective call.

I simply do not understand how an objective observer can boast of Pittsburgh. I wish I "got it." I wish Pittsburgh felt like falling into a velvet-sheeted bed of perpetual romantic ecstasy and sensual bliss, but that's not been my experience. In fact, on that topic, apart from biological impulse, I can't see how anyone could have a memorable romantic relationship here. The Pittsburgh-ness of the experience would seem to deaden the mood. A couple would have to run over to Columbus to enjoy the union properly.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by IhavePower

That's because intelligence, architecture, history, and real urban structure is not your thing. You find strip malls more appealing than the Allegheny County Court House or Allegheny Cemetery.

Pittsburgh's a small town to me, kiddo. I'm from a place with far more "intelligence, architecture, history, and real urban structure" than Pittsburgh has ever or will ever know.

And, yes, I find any strip mall to be far more appealing than a court house or a cemetery. I frankly don't know how anyone could reason otherwise.

[SteelCityRising]

GregHenry, I'm a transplant to Pittsburgh. I've lived here with my partner, who is also a transplant, for two years now, and we've really enjoyed our experience thus far. The city has some rust to it; however, you can see promising signs of revitalization in nearly every neighborhood. Our economy has diversified nicely, our population of young educated workers is growing, violent crime remains confined generally to a few predictable bad pockets, and cultural options continue to blossom. The population of the city, county, and metro area are all growing for the first time in many decades. The population in the East End is growing so quickly that there is even a housing shortage in a few neighborhoods, including my own. We already have a gorgeous skyline, and the addition of a few more towers during this decade will only enhance that. We're a large city that functions like a patchwork quilt of distinctive and very close-knit neighborhoods, and I think that's incredible. I'm incredulous that you could harbor so much disdain for this place.