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I think Rochester is what I call an "anchor" city, meaning most people living here are originally from the area and have deep family roots in the region. Hence the reason people hesitate to leave the area. This is in contrast to places like Las Vegas, Florida or Phoenix.
As for me, I have family in upstate going back 200 years to the first settlers. I ended up leaving the area shortly after high school, and with the exception of a few months over 10 years ago have not returned. It's a great place to live, but the economy is the killer. There are some new companies out there like Pictometry, but overall it seems everything is related to the schools, government or Wegmans. Half the kids I grew up with had parents who worked at Kodak, Xerox or Johnson and Johnson, whose presence has diminished significantly. It's nice to visit once a year, and am open to eventually relocating there, but there has to be a real opportunity in the region before I would do that.
I would agree with most of your analysis paleo. Rochester is not a magnet for transplants and hasn't been for decades and to many, including myself, that is part of its appeal. I wouldn't want to be like the Buffalo or Cleveland metros which are completely hemorrhaging their metro populations. However, after having lived in one of those "contrast" places (Raleigh, NC) for a while...where everyone is a transplant and deep family/community roots were pretty much non-existant; the hometown "anchor-city" characterization of Rochester; which is still growing modestly from births and "boomerangs" like my family is really appealing.
I think your characterization of the local job market is a little dated though. Yes, the big three have cut back DRAMATICALLY over the past 20 years and that was a major drain on the local economy, but it was a slow process....slow enough that many of the skilled workers who were laid off from the companies were able to use their skills to form their own high-tech start-ups and other small businesses which are now growing. This region has had one of the highest job-growth rates in the county since the great recession and was one of the first metro areas in the country to replace all jobs lost since 2008 just last month.
I would agree with most of your analysis paleo. Rochester is not a magnet for transplants and hasn't been for decades and to many, including myself, that is part of its appeal. I wouldn't want to be like the Buffalo or Cleveland metros which are completely hemorrhaging their metro populations. However, after having lived in one of those "contrast" places (Raleigh, NC) for a while...where everyone is a transplant and deep family/community roots were pretty much non-existant; the hometown "anchor-city" characterization of Rochester; which is still growing modestly from births and "boomerangs" like my family is really appealing.
You hit the nail right on the head! I live in Transplantville, SC and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what is wrong with the town. The lack of a large number of people who are from here is sorely lacking and definitely explains many things we consider deficiencies. That longevity a town has really does change a town.
I know people who are relocated to Upstate for jobs complain about how old everything is. I don't consider it old. I call it being distinguished. Sure, many towns, cities and villages are 200-400 years old. There's something to be said for a place to be able to survive for 400 years like Albany. There's a great deal of history as well. I grew up 20 minutes away from the turning point in the Revolutionary War and didn't really understand what that meant as a child, but as an adult I am EXTREMELY proud to be from there and knowing that my ancestors helped create this country and were the backbone to it's foundation.
Without them, who knows what life would be like. Would we all have the ability to move around? Would there be 50 states? Would our country be so large? Would we be the melting pot that we are? There's something to knowing that your family helped pave the way for people hundreds of years later.
The data has been extremely clear lately. The Rochester economy is stronger than most areas in the country. Complain as much as you want, people need jobs. Despite Kodak, our unemployment is far lower than national averages and VERY much lower than some hard-hit places.
There was a very interesting article in the D&C today, profiling what they call "boomerang business owners"....people who moved from Rochester for college, spent their 20's and/or 30's to pursue big-times careers or start their own companies...and then bring their skills back to Rochester for family ties and the quality of life. Now this is undeniably a "puff piece " and profiles mostly people who moved to Boston, NYC, or Washington....very big and expensive cities...but it still resonates and IMO shows that Rochester isn't written off as hopeless for the career-minded as some people may believe.
There was a very interesting article in the D&C today, profiling what they call "boomerang business owners"....people who moved from Rochester for college, spent their 20's and/or 30's to pursue big-times careers or start their own companies...and then bring their skills back to Rochester for family ties and the quality of life. Now this is undeniably a "puff piece " and profiles mostly people who moved to Boston, NYC, or Washington....very big and expensive cities...but it still resonates and IMO shows that Rochester isn't written off as hopeless for the career-minded as some people may believe.
Great article. Thanks for sharing. One interesting thing was said in the article by one of the folks who moved back home. The traffic! Many people complain about how terrible traffic is Upstate and I always laugh. Having been in Atlanta in rush hour with 7 other lanes of traffic going the same direction and it being the world's largest parking lot speaks volumes for traffic. Never experienced anything like it outside of NYC and even there I won't drive. No point in making myself stressed out. DC at rush hour could seriously give one a major heart attack. I now know what a ping pong ball feels like.
I love Rochester. I have lived here most of my life (except for 4 years in Boston right out of college)
But, I may be relocating shortly for work. It all depends on what you do and what jobs are open. My company was sold last fall and our group here in Rochester is being phased out. With the Kodak Bankruptcy and there only being a few positions for what I do in the area and none of them are open at the moment, it's looking like I'll have to leave. It is what it is.
I love Rochester. I have lived here most of my life (except for 4 years in Boston right out of college)
But, I may be relocating shortly for work. It all depends on what you do and what jobs are open. My company was sold last fall and our group here in Rochester is being phased out. With the Kodak Bankruptcy and there only being a few positions for what I do in the area and none of them are open at the moment, it's looking like I'll have to leave. It is what it is.
If you have not already, contact Rochesterworks. RochesterWorks!
What is your background? If technical (optics, engineering, biosciences etc.) I may have further suggestions.
I think Rochester is what I call an "anchor" city, meaning most people living here are originally from the area and have deep family roots in the region. Hence the reason people hesitate to leave the area. This is in contrast to places like Las Vegas, Florida or Phoenix.
As for me, I have family in upstate going back 200 years to the first settlers. I ended up leaving the area shortly after high school, and with the exception of a few months over 10 years ago have not returned. It's a great place to live, but the economy is the killer. There are some new companies out there like Pictometry, but overall it seems everything is related to the schools, government or Wegmans. Half the kids I grew up with had parents who worked at Kodak, Xerox or Johnson and Johnson, whose presence has diminished significantly. It's nice to visit once a year, and am open to eventually relocating there, but there has to be a real opportunity in the region before I would do that.
Great article. Thanks for sharing. One interesting thing was said in the article by one of the folks who moved back home. The traffic! Many people complain about how terrible traffic is Upstate and I always laugh. Having been in Atlanta in rush hour with 7 other lanes of traffic going the same direction and it being the world's largest parking lot speaks volumes for traffic. Never experienced anything like it outside of NYC and even there I won't drive. No point in making myself stressed out. DC at rush hour could seriously give one a major heart attack. I now know what a ping pong ball feels like.
There are people that actually complain about traffic up here? Really?
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Rochester Works
