"Showcase City" (Richmond, Hampton: home, unemployment rate, income)

[CNI]

Am I the only person who thinks Virginia is in desperate need of a "showcase city" (I'm coining that term)? If I'm not the only person then what metro area is the best candidate for this "showcase city"?
I don't think I should have to explain what I mean by "showcase city" - the term is pretty self-explanatory. Massachusetts has Boston. Maryland has Baltimore. Charlotte is trying to be N.C.'s showcase city. Atlanta is Georgia's. Indianapolis is that for Indiana. Las Vegas for Nevada. So on & so forth. Not Virginia. We don't have one all-out city that strives to address the needs of those Virginians who want pure city life. A place that embraces development, growth, population, more jobs the better, etc. A place that wants to (and is capable of) competing with other major U.S. and world cities. A city that could allow us to have pro sports. Am I the only person in Virginia who feels this way? If not, then where should this "showcase city" be located? Fairfax? Hampton Roads? Richmond? Some other place?

[Patsfan20]

Va. will never have a "showcase city" because of the arcaic law of non-annexation here. What you have now, is what you'll have ten years from now. Now Charlotte on the other hand, has been and will continue to be NC's showcase city. That city is progressive and will keep growing and gobbling up the surrounding counties through annexation(which can suck for some home owners in those counties), but is still cheaper than RIC. One of the many reasons I am moving back there after living in Richmond for almost 2 years, is lower cost of living with a higher quality of life. You just can't compare the two cities, they are going opposite directions. If you have been to downtown Richmond, you know what direction that city is going. It may hit China soon! Va. is Va., and always will be that way. The good 'ol boys that run this place would have it no other way. One can always move.........like me.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by CNI

Am I the only person who thinks Virginia is in desperate need of a "showcase city" (I'm coining that term)? If I'm not the only person then what metro area is the best candidate for this "showcase city"?
I don't think I should have to explain what I mean by "showcase city" - the term is pretty self-explanatory. Massachusetts has Boston. Maryland has Baltimore. Charlotte is trying to be N.C.'s showcase city. Atlanta is Georgia's. Indianapolis is that for Indiana. Las Vegas for Nevada. So on & so forth. Not Virginia. We don't have one all-out city that strives to address the needs of those Virginians who want pure city life. A place that embraces development, growth, population, more jobs the better, etc. A place that wants to (and is capable of) competing with other major U.S. and world cities. A city that could allow us to have pro sports. Am I the only person in Virginia who feels this way? If not, then where should this "showcase city" be located? Fairfax? Hampton Roads? Richmond? Some other place?

Honestly, with Virginia (and though it isn't in Virginia or a part of Virginia), I'd consider D.C. it's "Showcase City".... Maybe residents of the District would be insulted by that, and maybe even Marylanders would take offense, but that's how I've always seen it......

[CNI]

[SIZE=2]VAFury, I understand your logic regarding D.C. The district is definitely a "showcase city" but D.C. is not part of VA. Plus, that same type of logic would have prevented Baltimore from striving for "showcase" status (though it is arguable as to whether they have succeeded...at least they have tried).
I was hoping that people responding to this thread would think outside of the box. Divorce themselves from reality just a little and allow themselves to envision something that is not entirely impossible.
Patsfan20, I agree that VA's non-annexation law is archaic & a MAJOR obstacle. However, if I'm not mistaken, didn't Charlotte just recently take-off in the late 80s/early 90s...in part because Virginia's (& Baltimore's & D.C.'s) banking industries rolled-over & played dead while NC & Atlanta banks kicked their butts & took them over? If you know the answer, what event or person(s) sparked the desire in Charlotte that appears to be absent in Richmond (& VA cities as a whole)?
So...Patsfan20 and VAFury and anybody else...(if possible) divorce yourselves from the present state of things and tell me...
Does VA desperately need a "showcase city"? Patsfan20 seems to indicate that is does whereas VAFury seems to think it is not necessary.
Which existing VA city/county/metro is best suited to be the state's "showcase city"? I think D.C. should be disqualified as an answer.
Also, why is there such a heavy N.C. participation on this website (in terms of total posts & threads)? VA participation is pathetic!
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[Patsfan20]

Hugh McColl is the man who started Charlotte on its revitalization period. The reason there is so much more talk about NC, is there is a low cost of living with a higher quality of life. The Charlotte threads are on fire, with everyone on the East Coast that seems to be moving there. VA is called the "Old Dominion" for a reason, and some like it that way, and some do not. I don't, and thats why I am outta here.

[richmondpics]

Richmond used to be a major banking center. However, Virginia's archaic banking laws prevented banks based in the state from operating outside of the state, severely limiting their ability to grow and change. North Carolina did not put similar restrictions on its banks, and soon the major Richmond banks (Crestar, Signet, and Central Fidelity) were gobbled up. Given that Richmond is home to a federal Reserve HQ, if Virginia wasn't so stupid back then, it is more than likely that Richmond would be home to major bank headquarters like Charlotte.

I think Richmond is probably best suited to be Virginia's showcase city. It is Virginia's capital and has Jefferson's magnificent capitol building. It is home to the 5th Federal Reserve District and the home for the 4th Circuit of the federal court system. It has a huge corporate presence for a city its size (among the top cities for fortune 1000's per capita in the country). It has an historic, well layed-out, gridded urban area which is no where near tapping into its potential. Logistically, it is in a great position on the Eastern seaboard.

The Richmond area has the so many things that help create a great "showcase" city. The biggest problem is that Richmond doesn't believe in itself, nor does it really know what it wants to be. The frustrating thing about Richmond is that its vast potential is no where close to being reached.

Visionary leadership + civic pride + regionalism/consolidation = an aspiring "showcase city" Virginia can be proud of.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by CNI

[SIZE=2]VAFury, I understand your logic regarding D.C. The district is definitely a "showcase city" but D.C. is not part of VA. Plus, that same type of logic would have prevented Baltimore from striving for "showcase" status (though it is arguable as to whether they have succeeded...at least they have tried).
I was hoping that people responding to this thread would think outside of the box. Divorce themselves from reality just a little and allow themselves to envision something that is not entirely impossible.
Patsfan20, I agree that VA's non-annexation law is archaic & a MAJOR obstacle. However, if I'm not mistaken, didn't Charlotte just recently take-off in the late 80s/early 90s...in part because Virginia's (& Baltimore's & D.C.'s) banking industries rolled-over & played dead while NC & Atlanta banks kicked their butts & took them over? If you know the answer, what event or person(s) sparked the desire in Charlotte that appears to be absent in Richmond (& VA cities as a whole)?
So...Patsfan20 and VAFury and anybody else...(if possible) divorce yourselves from the present state of things and tell me...
Does VA desperately need a "showcase city"? Patsfan20 seems to indicate that is does whereas VAFury seems to think it is not necessary.
Which existing VA city/county/metro is best suited to be the state's "showcase city"? I think D.C. should be disqualified as an answer.
Also, why is there such a heavy N.C. participation on this website (in terms of total posts & threads)? VA participation is pathetic!
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Okay then. Didn't realize "reality" was illegal as an answer..

But anyway I don't see a need for one really. Plenty of states are fine without it.

If, however, we are asking which city I'd pick it would be Richmond as previously stated. It has all the potential and a very interesting history as the former captial of the Confederacy and such.

[roanoker 4]

Richmond could be more than it is today. The area has plenty of flat land(like Charlotte). There is plenty of money there and its close proximity to DC makes it an ideal international destination. The problem: Its the good 'ol boys running this state, our medieval annexation laws, the racial segregation that seperates the City of Richmond to its counties, the lack of 21st rail transportation, transportation issues that are a disgrace, etc etc. Need I say more? I don't know what the answer is but I don't plan to move away. I still think our state is a nice place to live.

[seanpecor]

I say the less we resemble the NC growth patterns, the better.

Yes, North Carolina population is growing at 10% while Virginia is growing at 8% (according to the latest census quickfacts data). Yes, North Carolina has Charlotte. But North Carolina also has an unemployment rate of 4.9% while Virginia's is noticeably lower, at 2.9%. Furthermore, Virginia's median household income is 25% higher!

North Carolina has the 2nd fastest growing illegal immigrant population in the USA. The 2nd highest! I mentioned this before, but the Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 2/3rds of the hispanic population in NC are illegal immigrants. Despite this, Virginias % of hispanic owned businesses is nearly TWICE that of North Carolina's. There are also a greater % of women owned businesses in Virginia.

Virginia also enjoys a much higher federal spending rate. While NC gets about 55B, VA enjoys over 90B in annual federal investment. This washes over into our general economic health in so many ways.

I see an economic perfect storm brewing in NC in many industries.

Much of Virginia lies within the growing D.C. Megalopolis, therefore it needs no "showcase city".

Sean

[Cdshiflett]

Sean I couldn't agree with you more and so enjoy reading your post!

As a native Virginian and having lived all over the United States. I don't think we need a singled out showcase city. Virginia in itself is a SHOWCASE.