Should Phoenix try to encourage hip young professionals to move here? (Snowflake: to rent, college)

[take57]

Not passing judgement but I do find it interesting that there's a thread on the merits (or not) of welcoming young professionals to the area and in about 6 or 8 weeks there will be a thread on the merits (or not) of welcoming older snowbirds. Sounds like "Come to Phoenix if you're 40, but only for ten years"

[KurtAZ]

Quite frankly...the colloquial definition of "hipster" and "young professional" don't normally walk hand in hand. There are some...but I don't care if they come to Phoenix or not. People can move wherever they like...this is America...but it seems lately we have been getting the off-casts from more affluent cities. People who couldn't make it there (Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, NYC etc.) and think since we have a lower cost of living, they can make it here. There are a TON of other considerations to make before moving out here to the desert...but they keep coming...in droves.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Quite frankly...the colloquial definition of "hipster" and "young professional" don't normally walk hand in hand. There are some...but I don't care if they come to Phoenix or not. People can move wherever they like...this is America...but it seems lately we have been getting the off-casts from more affluent cities. People who couldn't make it there (Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, NYC etc.) and think since we have a lower cost of living, they can make it here. There are a TON of other considerations to make before moving out here to the desert...but they keep coming...in droves.

Yep.

[man4857]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Why is everyone talking about baristas and those too "lazy" to have finished school? The title says, "hip young professionals". No one wants to attract bums to their city, but it sure would be nice if we had more ambitious, young, educated people. It takes a "hip" environment to attract many.

Be careful of what you ask for...attracting real "professionals" to the city means attracting people from STEM backgrounds. Which will only drive up prices for real estate across the valley and make it unaffordable for the rest of you folks (increase income inequality => drive up real estate prices => increased migration into the city => more capital investment => repeat the cycle). Just look at Austin, TX. I'm one of these young professionals this thread is talking about attracting, however, I also increase income inequality. So I'm not completely oblivious to my economic effects. Just don't ask for too much.

Unless of course, if AZ decides to reverse course on it's free market heritage and introduce regulation, progressive taxation to essentially provide grants to lower income people to afford homes.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Unique shops, good restaurants, other bright, ambitious young professionals, nightlife, entertainment.

That's more like Old Town if you ask me. The hipster garbage we're referring to is the Roosevelt Row area. That nonsense over there is repetitive and ho-hum. Like I said in my first post, if you've seen Roosevelt Row, you've seen Austin, etc, etc, etc. Its all the same. That's what Phoenix doesn't need.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Burkmere

Yes, you are correct. There are no bright, ambitious, young professional people in the Valley. Just a bunch of poor, young, idiots I guess. And retired people like me. ����

You are correct. There are absolutely no good restaurants and no unique shops. Let me tell you something. I live in the San Francisco Bay area for nearly 35 years ( mainly because the public sector folks love to pay a lot of money and give great pensions to their workers) and there is no more highly overrated place in America in my opinion. But you know what they say, opinions are like you know what… aeveryone has one.

San Francisco traffic is horrible, you could smell of urine all over the place in the supposedly hip areas if you could happen to find a place to park, which you never can. Anyway, I'm glad so many people like it.

You're speaking in absolutes which is putting words in my mouth. You're arguing against points that were never said.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

That's more like Old Town if you ask me. The hipster garbage we're referring to is the Roosevelt Row area. That nonsense over there is repetitive and ho-hum. Like I said in my first post, if you've seen Roosevelt Row, you've seen Austin, etc, etc, etc. Its all the same. That's what Phoenix doesn't need.

The "hipster garbage" is something you decided to vent about, despite it having nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Old Town Scottsdale is largely elderly people and people seeking bars that live in other cities. There are some really great restaurants but it doesn't at all have the vibe of a city with an ambitious, smart, young demographic.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

The "hipster garbage" is something you decided to vent about, despite it having nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Old Town Scottsdale is largely elderly people and people seeking bars that live in other cities. There are some really great restaurants but it doesn't at all have the vibe of a city with an ambitious, smart, young demographic.

The core of Old Town is not elderly, unless you're talking about tourists. Outside of Mill, it might be the most youth-oriented spot in the Valley.


There are plenty of ambitious professionals living and working there. I don't see the same thing along Roosevelt, though. Does Old Town echo Chicago, Atlanta, etc? Not a chance, but seeing how successful it has been shows there is a lot of drive. It doesn't echo the vibes you get in, say, Boston, but I'm perfectly ok with that. Scottsdale has its own thing going on, and its famous worldwide for it.

[ajonesaz]

Young professionals are here, trust me. The hipster culture is limited and thats a good thing. The only thing we lack is the "startup culture" which is strong in Seattle and the Bay Area.

Hipsters will always move to the newest hip city, but will always end up in the streets once that trust fund dries up.

[Hschlick84]

Keep Phoenix as Phoenix, not a mimic of hipster cities. If you want that, move to those places.