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I think an interesting way to go for ABQ would be following the model of Portland and Austin. Portland 15-20 years ago was a much more a gritty blue collar town. Now it is a hipster mecca and really cool place to live. It's a place that creative types want to move. Same with Austin. They have a national reputation for being cool places where smart young creative people want to move (good music scene, walkable, bike paths, nice cafes, etc...). The reason I think this could work for ABQ is this would be exploiting what it already has, the state has a very cool unique culture and mystique about it. These are attributes that other western states like Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming don't have. Richard Florida wrote a book about this a few years ago called the rise of the creative class.
When you are a place that is hip and cool you get educated entrepreneurial type people that want to move there and start businesses. Then you don't have to be a "race to the bottom" type of state trying to attract low wage businesses (like a lot of the Deep South is).
Hard to be too sanguine about it; what would be the engine of economic growth?
I am not from here, but I would ask locals when in the last 20 or 30 years has NM done well, or boomed, or at least been average or better among all states? I know that there was a "land rush" in the early 00's from Californians snapping up real estate, but other than that sort of "one off" economic boost, has NM ever really been anything but an average at best kind of economy?
I think NM is in the same boat as lots of states that aren't blessed with newly discovered oil and gas, for example, and NM is not exactly geographically positioned as any kind of economic linchpin for the region, either.
There are lots of states where this same conversation is taking place, and their prospects are no brighter than what we have here, so NM is not alone in being behind the curve, economically speaking.
In addition to the early 2000's, I think NM had a strong economy in the early to mid 1990's. Idaho is not positioned that well geographically either for example and Boise metro is a western city that feels much more prosperous then ABQ. I'm not sure I agree that NM is "not alone in being behind the curve, economically speaking". It was dead last #50 in job creation the last 12 mos. It has 8% less jobs then it did in 2007. It is way beyond the curve economically speaking right now. Surrounding states like TX, CO, UT, WY, ID, AZ are doing a lot better economically.
I think people being priced out of states like CA and CO drives growth the surrounding states too. Out migration of people priced out of CA to UT, AZ, ID, etc... has driven a lot of the growth in the western states the past 30 years. There is no reason NM can't get some of that. It is a VASTLY more affordable place to live then CA.
I think an interesting way to go for ABQ would be following the model of Portland and Austin.
I think it would not be interesting... Been to Portland, been to Austin over the years...
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctr88
Portland 15-20 years ago was a much more a gritty blue collar town. Now it is a hipster mecca and really cool place to live.
My final visit to the ABQ area was about 15 years ago, when we moved here.
ABQ is what it is. I get tired of hearing how we should be like (pick a city). If you don't like the ABQ area, this is a free country, go where you choose to go.
In addition to the early 2000's, I think NM had a strong economy in the early to mid 1990's. Idaho is not positioned that well geographically either for example and Boise metro is a western city that feels much more prosperous then ABQ. I'm not sure I agree that NM is "not alone in being behind the curve, economically speaking". It was dead last #50 in job creation the last 12 mos. It has 8% less jobs then it did in 2007. It is way beyond the curve economically speaking right now. Surrounding states like TX, CO, UT, WY, ID, AZ are doing a lot better economically.
I think people being priced out of states like CA and CO drives growth the surrounding states too. Out migration of people priced out of CA to UT, AZ, ID, etc... has driven a lot of the growth in the western states the past 30 years. There is no reason NM can't get some of that. It is a VASTLY more affordable place to live then CA.
In addition to a physical isolation problem, NM may have an image problem, at least among average Americans, many of whom still don't realize that NM is part of the US. I just retired here (but the real reason for my move here was to join a family member who just moved here for work), and I have to say I never thought of NM as a retirement mecca, probably because AZ has held that title for at least 50 years. But I also don't think that attracting retirees alone is going to make much difference economically.
AZ has grown due to next door proximity to CA; NM is next door to TX, but not really very close to the power triangle of DFW/Austin-SA/Houston that is the economic engine of that state.
NM is a bit too much "out of sight, out of mind" for most of the US, and that includes decision makers in corporations. I think the culture and climate are wonderful here, but NM has not done a good job selling itself, or that is my best guess.
ABQ is what it is. I get tired of hearing how we should be like (pick a city). If you don't like the ABQ area, this is a free country, go where you choose to go.
Classic response from another person that wants to keep the status quo of a city and state in economic decline (if not economic death spiral).
In addition to a physical isolation problem, NM may have an image problem, at least among average Americans, many of whom still don't realize that NM is part of the US. I just retired here (but the real reason for my move here was to join a family member who just moved here for work), and I have to say I never thought of NM as a retirement mecca, probably because AZ has held that title for at least 50 years. But I also don't think that attracting retirees alone is going to make much difference economically.
AZ has grown due to next door proximity to CA; NM is next door to TX, but not really very close to the power triangle of DFW/Austin-SA/Houston that is the economic engine of that state.
NM is a bit too much "out of sight, out of mind" for most of the US, and that includes decision makers in corporations. I think the culture and climate are wonderful here, but NM has not done a good job selling itself, or that is my best guess.
I think this makes a lot of sense. NM is really off the radar nationally, not many people think of it. When ever I tell people I'm going to New Mexico, they say: "so where are you going? Cancun? Puerto Vallarata". LOL. You are right it is pretty isolated with no major metros very close by. But a lot of the mountain west and SW is isolated... Denver, Boise, Salt Lake are also very isolated cities with no other major metros close by.
Classic response from another person that wants to keep the status quo of a city and state in economic decline (if not economic death spiral).
Classic response of another whiner who has to meddle in a good thing, trying to ruin it into something else.
I agree with Poncho here. New Mexico is a great place to get away from hipster meccas, booming growth and world class cities. There are plenty of other places you can find those things already.
Classic response from another person that wants to keep the status quo of a city and state in economic decline (if not economic death spiral).
Not really, I would say instead that it is simply the response of a person who lives in the Albuquerque area and likes the feel of it as it is, problems included.
I've been to Portland and Austin too, nice to visit but not the be all and end all of places to live. Granted, I don't live in Albuquerque, not much caring for cities in general.
I'll grant you that is would be nice to have a vibrant and prosperous economy here. But not at the expense of all that is unique about NM.
Ironically, when I lived there we weren't exactly happy about that. I also would not say you could chalk the growth in Phoenix up to CA all by itself.
AZ evidently worked harder than NM to attract businesses, population, and jobs over the last 50 years, and Texas still does the same. And all I meant to point out is that AZ benefits economically by being closer to southern CA than NM, and NM doesn't really get much out of being next to west Texas.
I like it here, a lot, but I am retired. And I may make this state my home for a long time. But I don't see the business and political leadership and resources needed to bring in jobs to the state that I see in other states that don't have the geographic isolation and image issues that NM has to overcome to grow.
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