Should Phoenix try to encourage hip young professionals to move here? (apartments, renting)

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Burkmere

Yeah, I think with 5 million folks here Detroit isn't the only " youngun" making 100k. Where I lived and worked before I retired 100k was no big deal. Uh oh, now I sound like him!!

Don't know if he's a homeowner but there's a nice little shack near wher I lived in San Fran selling for 1.5 mill that has some neat coffee shops staffed by tight jeaned folks who moved from Butte Montana just following the dream!! Culture galore around them if you can overlook the urine laced sidewalks and bums!!

You can have unique and interesting areas without SF prices. We don't need to be an exclusively contiguous blob of taupe sprawl.

What's wrong with artsy areas? Roosevelt has been nothing but a boon for Central Phoenix. The amount of wealth that area is attracting right now would be unheard of even 10 years ago.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Burkmere

I'm disputing your claim that establishing a "hipster" environment ( whatever that is) would serve to attract
young professionals. A favorable business climate among a whole host of other things might but I doubt a " unique shop" in your words is gonna do it or coffee shops staffed by loser wannabes with elf shoes.

And your comment about San Francisco not being relevant is wrong because you were talking about the same kind of cities that I lived in for 35 years. I don't know where you came up with Nashville but whatever. Doesn't really matter to me. Hopefully Phoenix will become like Nashville and then you will be happy.

You're so unhappy why don't you move to Nashville?

How can one's reading comprehension be so poor? Where did I say that I was unhappy? It seems you have a really bad habit of injecting ideas that aren't present. As a suggestion, perhaps knock that off and your posts will be more useful.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by new2colo

They're out there. They're just may not be out there announcing to the world that they're pulling in six figures.

Few and far between compared to other major markets. And no one I meet announces their income.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Burkmere

Yeah, I think with 5 million folks here Detroit isn't the only " youngun" making 100k. Where I lived and worked before I retired 100k was no big deal. Uh oh, now I sound like him!!

Don't know if he's a homeowner but there's a nice little shack near wher I lived in San Fran selling for 1.5 mill that has some neat coffee shops staffed by tight jeaned folks who moved from Butte Montana just following the dream!! Culture galore around them if you can overlook the urine laced sidewalks and bums!!

Again, reading comprehension. I never said I make $100k. I'm not sure what your obsession is with me; how you 'sound' like me and are concerned with my home ownership status, but it's a bit bizarre.

[outsideliving]

This is an interesting thread- I am constantly working on getting talented software engineers to come to the phx metro. We aren't competing with SF, we are competing with Mountain View, san jose, sunnyvale, Cupertino. Most engineers I am attracting want to live in the suburbs and phoenix competes well with that. Chandler/Gilbert/Scottsdale provide a very good live/work/play/good schools setup that most professionals are looking for. School systems are the big thing that the metro needs to improve on, but we do have pockets of good school districts and Charters. I am not having too many issues attracting the high quality talent that our company/customers demand, Salaries are somewhat high (150k) but the visits to the metro area usually lock in a potential employee. Phx gets a bad rap (esp from Californians) and we work hard to remove the misconceptions.

[Burkmere]

Originally Posted by outsideliving

This is an interesting thread- I am constantly working on getting talented software engineers to come to the phx metro. We aren't competing with SF, we are competing with Mountain View, san jose, sunnyvale, Cupertino. Most engineers I am attracting want to live in the suburbs and phoenix competes well with that. Chandler/Gilbert/Scottsdale provide a very good live/work/play/good schools setup that most professionals are looking for. School systems are the big thing that the metro needs to improve on, but we do have pockets of good school districts and Charters. I am not having too many issues attracting the high quality talent that our company/customers demand, Salaries are somewhat high (150k) but the visits to the metro area usually lock in a potential employee. Phx gets a bad rap (esp from Californians) and we work hard to remove the misconceptions.

Shouldn't be too hard to attract. I mean have you looked at the housing prices in the South Bay? And when I say San Francisco, generally I'm referring to the San Francisco Bay area which includes the South Bay that you referenced. 150k in the South Bay is not that great of a salary. Two incomes earning that and then you're starting to get somewhere. I'm sure in the Valley it is.

[Burkmere]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Again, reading comprehension. I never said I make $100k. I'm not sure what your obsession is with me; how you 'sound' like me and are concerned with my home ownership status, but it's a bit bizarre.

I'm not obsessed with you at all. I think your posts are kind of funny.

[Burkmere]

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.

My God. Your posts are hilarious. You act like there's some Nirvana somewhere where all the smart hip young professionals live a perfect life. Sorry kiddo but that doesn't exist. Why don't you move to one of these so-called Nirvanas and let us know how it goes for you. You say you aren't complaining about the Valley and that appears to be all that you are doing. And I don't need another lecture about my reading comprehension kiddo.

I'm going to cut you a little slack because you're obviously young I don't really have that much of an idea of how the world works yet. Why don't you get in touch with me in 20 years or so and let me know what your ideas are then. It just doesn't do much good to have a meaningful dialogue with people that haven't experienced that much life yet. Sorry if I sound condescending but it is what it is.

[Tall Traveler]

I would hate to see Phoenix turn into another SF or even Seattle....non-rich people need a nice place to live too. I think Phoenix in general is on a good path with affordable housing and crime is decreasing to the point of becoming a more desirable place to live.

I would agree with the sentiment that Phoenix and Arizona in general need to improve their education system. It mostly goes to the basics of good schools, low crime, good jobs to develop any community. About jobs, sure Phoenix has to do everything they can to improve the number of high paying jobs....easier said than done but this can be done by smart, hard working, and creative people wherever they are.

[Hal Roach]

Originally Posted by man4857

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.

And what exactly do you think grants and low down loans do to housing prices? Subsidized housing creates magnets for people seeking subsidized housing...like the five year waiting lists in Portlandia. If you think it is bad to have a well paid work force; give North Korea a try, that is much more in line with their ideology. Progressive taxes...well, as far as income, the bottom half don't pay any...progressive enough for you? As far as other taxes and fees which are basically taxes, yep the liberals are almost always behind this...renters tax, grocery tax, and they hit the lower incomes the hardest.