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While I've been on my quest to find the "perfect" community in America for my black family I've noticed a certain pattern that is common among many other Black people in this country. There's certain things that we generally tend to look for in a city that differs from our White counterparts. That narrows our searches to just a couple of cities in this country. The usual suspects tend to be "Atlanta/D.C./ Houston".
Often times discussing a subject such as this becomes a hot touchy subject even among Black people on City data. Therefore I complied a list of things that makes a city enjoyable for Black Americans and what we tend to look for in moving to a city. Of course we're not monolithic but again I've seen these themes all across the board state to state for years to somewhat gauge what most people consider while choosing a city. I also complied a list of cities that have a significant Black population, culture,economy, and progression for that Black community. Out of the list of CITIES, which one would you say is the best option for a general black family based off the things Black Americans generally look for in a city?
Things Black Americans generally consider when looking for a citynot in any order)
1.Cost of Living
2.Economy
3.Significant Black population
4.Prominent Black culture
5.Favorable Median Household income
6.High home ownership rate
7. Highly rated diverse schools
8.Racial climate
9.Black businesses
10.Dating scene
11.Nightlife
12.Diverse Black social scene
13.Safe diverse or predominately Black communities
List of cities/metros in no particular order:
1.Atlanta
2.Washington D.C.
3.Houston
4.New York City
5.Charlotte
6.Dallas-Ft.Worth
7.Orlando
8.Raleigh-Durham
9.Chicago
10.Richmond,VA
11.Los Angeles
12.Austin
13.Miami
14.Baltimore
15.Memphis
16.Columbus,OH
17.San Antonio
Again i'm not saying that these cities are the best of the best but the ones I often see on list such as these.
If I had to name the 20 best places in America for black people, heading into the new decade, and separate by region, I'd go;
DC, NY, Philly, Boston
Houston, Atlanta, DFW, Charlotte, Triangle NC, Orlando, South Florida, NOLA, Nashville
LA, Vegas, Bay Area
Chicago, Detroit, C'bus, Indy
There is no "black nirvana" in the US, all of these places come with drawbacks. Now going off your criteria:
1. Cost of living is gonna disproportionately favor most southern and midwestern cities over coastal ones...
2. Economically there is variance in all 20 cities, but we know Sun Belt cities are the land of opportunity right now for blacks and other disenfranchised people...
3. Any sizable city on this list is gonna have a significant black community. There are smaller metros with large communities but the overall opportunity isn't gonna be there...
4. The 20 cities I listed all have prominent black culture, with only The Bay really losing black prominence and visibility...
5. So you specifically mean black median household income, or the general MHI that includes all populations? To me it's important to see how the local black community relates to the overall number...
6. Most of these cities have respectable rates of black ownership, a few more than others, but we notoriously lack other groups in ownership rates across the nation...
7. Alot of cities are gonna struggle with this one at both the primary and higher ed levels...
8. A lot of listed cities are gonna struggle with racial climate too, but overall large cities in the South have the best racial tolerance and integration dynamics over large cities anywhere else...
9. This varies widely...
10. Any of these large areas are good-to-great for blacks to date...
11. Man, we know quality of black-oriented nightlife varies wildly...
12. Varies wildly...
13. You can find these to a degree in all listed areas...
There are too many areas to give direct answers to your criteria, and each person values something a little more...
If money was no issue, I'd live in Los Angeles with no hesitation or regrets. One of the most unique, diverse, largest, and most authentic black experiences in the nation...
Because money is an issue and I have to be practical, Charlotte checks most things I desire. Only other top black cities I could envision myself in are Columbus and DC, but again this is based off a variety of things I value...
I live in Triangle NC (Raleigh specifically), it certainly isn't bad for us here. There is something missing though, it is smaller than I prefer, and a tad insular, and not a great level of black diversity (both in background and personalities/interests). One of the 20 best places to be black if strictly just being around alota black people was the only thing that mattered...
Just curious, but why? I'm asking because from looking at some of the factors mentioned in the OP, black people in military areas tend to do relatively well(i.e.-factor #5).
On a side note, I'm somewhat surprised that Austin is on that list.
As for a smaller metro area that I would put an asterisk next to due to formerly being in the NYC metro from 2013-2018 is the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown area of NY. Very integrated metro with a substantial black population, with the lowest black-white per capita income gap among top 100 metros in population with at least a substantial black population and a relatively high black median household income, that train access to NYC via the Metro-North. Would personally suggest school districts like Pine Bush, Spackenkill, Valley Central and Wappingers Falls, among maybe a few others that are good with at least a decent black student population and a good mix of students, in general.
I think it’s insane that black people want to fight for this country. All for stability and benefits/perks. I was raised to never join the military and avoid at all costs. In Boston it’s simply not a ‘thing’- it’s too liberal, too many immigrants, no bases and generally sort of looked down upon .
I also find it creates this sort of quasi class of military folks that feels very artificial and privileged. The whole thing just seems perverse to me.
I also find places like that that have large black military classes to be somewhat socially rigid, conventional and conservative. Overall it just seems like opting out of the struggle and buying fully into assimilation/military economy. Not a fan.
Replace Memphis and Baltimore with Nashville and Boston.
I completely forgot about Nashville, I definitely would put it on the list since it's seen as a city heading in the "right" direction economically and culturally. I probably could have listed Boston since I did include Austin and San Antonio. All 3 have below average Black population percentages but Boston has the biggest out of the 3 and the most diverse Black population out of the 3 as well. I just never hear flattering things about Boston from Black people and don't really see it on too many list of places Black people want to move to or should move to. I've never been to Boston so it's only so much I can say about the city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade
I don't see how Memphis Miami or San Antonio fitting the bill (maybe San Antonio if you're military-personally, i consider it a drawback when a lot of black people are in the military in an area).
Memphis is just really black but it appears on paper and form word of mouth to just be a terrible place to live for a myriad of reasons
Miami's black community doesn't do very well and the schools are horrible. Also a fair degree of racism from Hispanics down there.
San Antonio isn't very black at all and seems conservative and isolated with bad weather.
Best place for a conventional black family would probably be raleigh-durham, atlanta, washington dc or charlotte.
Look i'm not personally saying Memphis is a top tier city for Black people however believe it or not I do hear people mention Memphis as having some positives for Black Americans despite the issues that plague the city.
As far as Miami, I agree there's a significant amount of racism in the city by White Hispanics towards Black people. Also there is a lot of poverty,crime and displacement in the city of Miami with the black community. Hell even when I visited Miami I experienced racism a couple of times outside of Miami Beach which has tainted my view of the city. With that said, Broward County which happens to be apart of Miami's metro does fairly good for Black people in a number of categories in comparison to a lot of different metro areas in this country.
San Antonio has a small black population but it has a low cost of living, a good economy and it's actually more liberal than conservative. Also San Antonio's weather isn't nearly as bad as Houston or even DFW.
Now i'm not vouching for San Antonio, it's a decent city. The biggest complaints I hear from Black people who live in San Antonio is that the social scene for Black people is sorely lacking and that it's a interracial couple haven(Military probably) not so much for Black couples.
Quote:
Originally Posted by berger12345
Yeah I think the city in the West with the largest black population percentage wise is Las Vegas at 12%.
It's actually Oakland. Which happens to be one of my favorite cities in California if not my favorite.
If money was no issue, I'd live in Los Angeles with no hesitation or regrets. One of the most unique, diverse, largest, and most authentic black experiences in the nation...
Because money is an issue and I have to be practical, Charlotte checks most things I desire. Only other top black cities I could envision myself in are Columbus and DC, but again this is based off a variety of things I value...
I live in Triangle NC (Raleigh specifically), it certainly isn't bad for us here. There is something missing though, it is smaller than I prefer, and a tad insular, and not a great level of black diversity (both in background and personalities/interests). One of the 20 best places to be black if strictly just being around alota black people was the only thing that mattered...
Yeah if money was no issue my first choice probably would be NYC or I'd just move back to Atlanta(money would be no issue to live there though)
Never been to Charlotte but I always hear positive things about it from Black people generally. I was also thinking about moving to the Triangle area in NC but opted out because of it's size. Seems real nice though especially for Black families.
Memphis isn't even the best city for blacks in it's own state, nor one of the best cities for blacks in the South. Certainly it isn't close to one of the greatest black cities in the country....
To be honest you did acknowledge a bias against Southern cities and despite actually living in Memphis , it just wasn't your personal fit. I gotcha on that subjective note. Overall, it still a top tier Southern city within the Black community.
I completely forgot about Nashville, I definitely would put it on the list since it's seen as a city heading in the "right" direction economically and culturally. I probably could have listed Boston since I did include Austin and San Antonio. All 3 have below average Black population percentages but Boston has the biggest out of the 3 and the most diverse Black population out of the 3 as well. I just never hear flattering things about Boston from Black people and don't really see it on too many list of places Black people want to move to or should move to. I've never been to Boston so it's only so much I can say about the city.
Look i'm not personally saying Memphis is a top tier city for Black people however believe it or not I do hear people mention Memphis as having some positives for Black Americans despite the issues that plague the city.
As far as Miami, I agree there's a significant amount of racism in the city by White Hispanics towards Black people. Also there is a lot of poverty,crime and displacement in the city of Miami with the black community. Hell even when I visited Miami I experienced racism a couple of times outside of Miami Beach which has tainted my view of the city. With that said, Broward County which happens to be apart of Miami's metro does fairly good for Black people in a number of categories in comparison to a lot of different metro areas in this country.
San Antonio has a small black population but it has a low cost of living, a good economy and it's actually more liberal than conservative. Also San Antonio's weather isn't nearly as bad as Houston or even DFW.
Now i'm not vouching for San Antonio, it's a decent city. The biggest complaints I hear from Black people who live in San Antonio is that the social scene for Black people is sorely lacking and that it's a interracial couple haven(Military probably) not so much for Black couples.
It's actually Oakland. Which happens to be one of my favorite cities in California if not my favorite.
Boston Is pretty decent. No better or worse than Baltimore so it probably belongs on the list somewhere 16-20. The city has an actively growing black culture and growing minority leadership.
The president of UMass Boston, Boston Police Commissioner, the Suffolk County DA, the Suffolk County Sherrif and the MBTA Transit police commissioner are all black.
The BPS superintendent is black.
Hosting this years NAACP convention in June.
The City Council is majority minority and the City Council president is black.
The nations largest black owned bank-One United-is based in Boston.
The museum of National Afro American Artists is in Boston as is Malcolm ax’s original mosque.
The median household income is fairly high and the blacks are very well educated.
The black community is diverse and gets along well with the Latino community.
Good diverse (30-60% minority) suburbs like Milton Stoughton Cambridge Randolph Quincy Malden Everett thats are safe, and have many public transit connections.
Free city beaches, accessible by train.
Access to Martha’s Vineyard and all fo the black excellence that goes with that.
Extremely clean city.
Several large new movi e theaters in the city.
Amazing weather Late April-Early October.
Abundant access to charter schools, private schools and METCO gold-plated suburban schools.
2.0% unemployment. Super easy to find a job, very few cornerboys.
$13 minimum wage
Historical black publications like the Bay State Banner, Say Brother! etc..
Hiking and Ski area 5 minutes outside the balck area of the city so you se POC skiing/hiking in the Blue Hills.
Harvard-they get very very involved in the black community/inner city.
Excellent shopping. And I mean truly excellent.
Kids can sail in the Charles River for $1 all summer after a week of free lessons-I did this as a kid. So many black and brown kids sailing!
A thriving underground black arts scene (see Dorchester Art Project/m, Nubian Square’s Black Market, Boston Arts Music and Soul Festival).
African Americans are prominent in leadership positions and in institutions but you will live amongst black people from Haiti Jamaica Barbados Dominican Republic as well as Cape Verdeans, Vietnamese and Brazilians.
The neighborhoods are so historic and reek of character. They’re not neighborhoods so much as boroughs by the way. No street grid and very good density in the city 14k peoples square mile so it walkable but cleaner and less congested feeling than the rowhome cities.
Boston Police are pretty laid back, very well trained and very well paid. Law enforcement is not a hassle there like I find it to be in NYC and DC. I was almost never stopped by police and they’re not that present in general. New England in general is notoriously lax when it comes to policing
Bostons problem is just that it’s so culturally segregated between blacks and whites it feels like there no black people in parts of the metro and feels like we’re not in the city’s mainstream culture. when you visit Boston it’s like the city has cleared space for white people-this furthers it’s perception problem. But in reality the city been majority minority for 20 years and has the fastest growing black population in the northeast.
This and the cost of living make Boston unwelcoming to many: the rent is as high of not higher than NYC and salaries are the same. Housing is old and not all that spacious. Living middle class in Boston as a black person means living in a 100 year old house in a fairly dense area. A decent house with lots of personal and fine touches but without much of a lawn or privacy and it may look ugly to people from the south. There are NO McMansions here, A few black folks got them in Canton and Stoughton and that’s it. Maybe 1k Black people live in those type of subdivisions statewide...
MOST black people in Boston live in a two family home/apartment or a three family triple decker. Boston has about 33% of its housing units designated as affordable or as public housing. That number rises when you include co-operative housing and section 8. A few years ago it was leading the country with 21% of its housing designated as “affordable units”
I wouldn’t push for Boston on the list because of its perception and the lack of integration into Boston’s core identity. That along with housing prices make Boston a very good city for young black people 20s-early 30s but after that I think it becomes drag. The nightlife for Black people in Boston is there but it’s somewhat cliquey and you have to know where to go. (22, ICON, Bijou, Venu, Naga, Goodlife, Society on High, Slades, Darryls, Savvor, Vincent’s, Middle East, and the Providence clubs) sIt’s live and vibrant for sure. They know how to party, no doubt but it’s veryyy oriented to a younger crowd compared to Bmore DC or Philly, the older black population in Boston is more insular/jaded. We have black radio stations come and go all the time so there no more heritage station or station to really consistently inform the community of what’s going on like NY-DC.
All of that being said I’m 100% confident that in 20-30 years black people will love Boston and view the area favorably. The demographic change in Eastern MA has been swift and the city is so progressive and balck oriented in this politics now. More African Americans than Irish Americans on City Council nowadays and only 1 right leaning person out of 13.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 01-04-2020 at 01:41 AM..
I think it’s insane that black people want to fight for this country. All for stability and benefits/perks. I was raised to never join the military and avoid at all costs. In Boston it’s simply not a ‘thing’- it’s too liberal, too many immigrants, no bases and generally sort of looked down upon .
I also find it creates this sort of quasi class of military folks that feels very artificial and privileged. The whole thing just seems perverse to me.
I also find places like that that have large black military classes to be somewhat socially rigid, conventional and conservative. Overall it just seems like opting out of the struggle and buying fully into assimilation/military economy. Not a fan.
Man, this is 100. I am not a fan of the military either, and your summation echoes my sentiments. I had a closer look, as both of my stepparents are ex-military, so I grew up around that culture and NEVER liked it...
Another wrinkle is people who grow up in cities that house military bases, alot of them do look to the military as the get rich quick train...
I had a friend who was with an Army guy, same as me, he was like an E6, a sergeant, and his salary was only like $1000 more than mine in a civilian service sector management role. The only positive is when he deployed, and he'd deployed multiple times, he got to stash all his checks instead of spending on living expenses regular people have, so he routinely had more money in the bank than I. But he also had to grind 10 years in the service for that salary, all things considered, knowing you can make the same money these GIs make in a shorter period of time, the drawbacks of being in the military are too numerous to even make me consider going unless I was desperate and needed a quick rescuing...
You're completely on point and I completely agree!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharif662
To be honest you did acknowledge a bias against Southern cities and despite actually living in Memphis , it just wasn't your personal fit. I gotcha on that subjective note. Overall, it still a top tier Southern city within the Black community.
Nah I'm being more objective than you're crediting me for. What makes Memphis a top tier southern city within the black community? The 9 southern areas I listed, what does Memphis have that puts it in the class with those places?
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not in any order)
