What's the deal with Youngstown. (Cleveland, Toledo: 2013, crime, unemployment)

[ARPARP]

A few years ago I was hearing about Youngstown was part of the "future" for the rust belt, a model for how cities can come back. From what I was hearing at the time it is a model for cities like Flint and Saginaw to follow, even Detroit (although Detroit is a much bigger problem to tackle). Looking at the stats it is still pretty bad but it seems the general trajectory is a positive one. Unemployment spiked in the recession but not as much as other places (since it was already fairly hollowed out) and no housing crisis, crime seems on a trajectory downward.

There were tech companies opening and actually manufacturing plants coming in. A recent look at unemployment stats shows the same downward trajectory. The metro is actually below the national average a couple ticks, but a tick above OH average.

So is Youngstown still on a good path?

Or is it all hype at the end of the day?

To me it seems like a bright spot in the rust belt and a model for smaller blighted cities like Flint and Saginaw as well as larger ones like Cleveland and Detroit.

Going through other websites there are actually people praising Youngstown's direction. but I hear an almost universal disgust with places like Toledo. Something must actually be happening there.

[Steelers626]

Trust me its getting better, guess you would have to visit to know the difference. So to answer your question yes Youngstown is still on a good path, just taking alot of time. I was downtown lastnight (havnt been in months) and its was great fun.

[JR_C]

Yes, as Steelers626 said, the progress is slow, but still happening. The problem is that the city is doing a poor job of following through with its 2010 plan. Also, the city planner resigned in 2009, and the position has been vacant since. Only recently has council agreed to contract with a planning firm to take his place.

[No_Recess]

Yes it's getting better

BUT

You have to consider that the city was so low...mind-boggling low...that it's hard to go crazy with praise.

Average income: 15K per year
Bachelors: 10%
Arson Rate: highest in nation
Crime Rate: down but still twice the national average
Unemployment: 9.7% (3rd highest in state)

The schools are still horrible and there is no tax base.

As crazy as it sounds the collapse of the mills is nearly secondary to the length of complete despair that hurt the city. Many kids born at the end of the glory years (1970s) have never known a vibrant Youngstown.

The troubling thing about the uptick in the overall picture is that the residents themselves seem to be last in reaping the progress.

Until poverty and education are rectified I suspect this will continue to be the case.

[T. Damon]

I'll just say as a very recent first time visitor to the area I thought it really was a fine little city- a little down on the ropes but had some great architecture, beautiful park lands and seemed like it still had some potential for a turnaround. I was privileged to tour the new massive steel mill (owned by the French) and the museums in the area were first rate. As for focusing its future as a college town/industrial arts center I wish it all the success.

I've heard all about its reputation for years as the Detroit of Ohio, but I ignored it all and saw a city with an illustrious history and still striving for the future. Our host, my traveling buddy's mother, was a teacher in a catholic school there for 30 years and did say the public schools, or rather the kids and their completely unsupportive parents still sucked there- but I still saw a dynamic little city trying to find itself again.

[000000]

Originally Posted by ARPARP

So is Youngstown still on a good path?

Or is it all hype at the end of the day?

all hype at the end of the day. that plan, youngstown 2010, sputtered. there are still no jobs, plenty of crime in the city, and nothing to do other adult kickball or grow large pumpkins. indicators may be barely pointing up, but from what? a city as broken down as gary, indiana or niagra falls, new york. in the words of author progressive author chris hedges in 2010, "Youngstown, like many postindustrial pockets in America, is a deserted wreck plagued by crime and the attendant psychological and criminal problems that come when communities physically break down."

this place still sucks offline. the difference between the offline reality and online is that there is a group of boosters downtown that are content with having their efforts consist of writing on message boards, writing blogs, or posting facebook status updates about how they went to a bar downtown or bought something at a gift shop.

[SorryIMovedBack]

Always nice to hear from you, 000000. :-) You forgot to mention some recent news:

...as many as 45 percent of Youngstown’s drivers are unlicensed and uninsured

No. 1 crime in city about to cost you more money - The News Outlet and the random gunfire in neighborhoods after dark. And the 3-year-old who fatally shot himself. Youngstown News, UPDATE | Police say 3-year-old fatally shot himself

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by SorryIMovedBack

Always nice to hear from you, 000000. :-) You forgot to mention some recent news: No. 1 crime in city about to cost you more money - The News Outlet and the random gunfire in neighborhoods after dark. And the 3-year-old who fatally shot himself. Youngstown News, UPDATE | Police say 3-year-old fatally shot himself

I spend a lot of time in 2 neighborhoods--one on the lower west side and one on the north side--and this hasn't been an issue for me.

[JR_C]

BTW, this should be a nice weekend in Youngstown.

Is anyone here going to the Youngstown Jazz Fest?

Or, how about the YSU Summer Festival of the Arts?

Maybe Tour of the Valley?

In addition to these special events, there is also the North Side Farmers' Market on Saturday morning, and the usual selection of shows at Cedars, Lemon Grove, etc. on Friday and Saturday nights. (And that's certainly not a comprehensive list of things going on.)

Me? I'm content to work on the continued restoration of my project house.

[000000]

Originally Posted by SorryIMovedBack

Always nice to hear from you, 000000. :-) You forgot to mention some recent news: No. 1 crime in city about to cost you more money - The News Outlet and the random gunfire in neighborhoods after dark. And the 3-year-old who fatally shot himself. Youngstown News, UPDATE | Police say 3-year-old fatally shot himself

back at you, sorryimovedback.

that was really sad about the 3 year old. so to was the 12 year old who was beat to death and the guy made the victim's brother clean it up. some real quality neighbors in the valley.