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Scenic regions likely have many businesses whose main customers are tourists. Those businesses are apt to suffer in an economic downturn when fewer people have money to take vacations.
Here in San Antonio, we've seen a drop in tourists from other states and an increase in tourists from Texas. The Texans aren't eliminating vacations, they're just taking vacations closer to home than they might have in the past. Tourist destinations that don't have sizable populations close by may not have those alternative sources of tourists.
For starters, I grew up in East Texas and Omaha, NE. Recently (2 years ago) headed west to Oregon and now reside in Tucson, AZ. Basically, I always disliked living in the middle part of the country. The coasts always seemed more attractive (to me). Turns out (aesthetically, to me) they are, but the economies suck... i.e. high unemployment rates in OR. All these lame "Best places..." lists seem to point to really bland, cookie cutter, and generally uninteresting places to live. Any thoughts on this? Any places that are beautiful and have strong economies? ** More specifically... good places to raise a family? **
BTW I'm aware this is highly subjective, but I would love some opinions on this...
Many scenic places are boom/bust type of places for starters. They're wildly popular, like the pretty cheerleader, but then people realize that looks aren't everything.
Politics often ruin such places.
Out on the plains, the politics are more of the moderate, steady-as-she-goes variety, and they're also very pro-business.
It depends on what exactly you mean by pro-business? The Plains states only have growth in the urban centers while nearly every rural county declines and decays. Pro-business could also mean the attracting certain types of jobs to an area like healthcare, knowledge-based, tech, industry etc.
On the Discovery channel some years ago, an archeologist using biblical clues, archeological evidence and satellite imagery went looking for the garden of Eden. He found it.
It was a rather dusty and smog-filled overpopulated Iranian city.
Upstate NY is extremely scenic. And until the mid 20th century, was extremely prosperous.
What's killed the Upstate economy is the burgeoning cost of union concessions and high taxes that the population can no longer support after manufacturing jobs went South (and then to the Third World). Note: I am not anti-union nor anti-tax. It's just that the business climate is now so terrible because of these obligations, that the region cannot land the green-collar industries it desperately needs.
New York State's prosperity has basically shrunk down to NYC and the immediate surrounding areas. The rest of the state is as gorgeous as ever, but economically devastated.
SF is perhaps one of the most scenic cities in the world. The City and its surrounding metro area also happen to be very affluent, well educated, cosmopolitan with a half-trillion dollar economy that is a standard bearer of innovation for the world today.
You're right. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and it's also the most beautiful state in the Union. I see your point.
You know I'm tempted to find this a bit too boosterish, but there must be something about Michigan. Despite the poor economy Michigan was listed as one of the "sticky states", meaning people born in Michigan tend to stay there or at least return there. It sounds miserable on TV, but it must have some appeal.
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