Author Richard Florida has this really clever idea about creative cities. He predicts that the economic growth will go to those cities which are openly tolerant of gays, because all the young creative people will want to be in a rockin' environment like that.
According to the US Census bureau, guess not.
Interesting. I would posit that Mr Florida has missed the central issue of all economic growth for cities, taxes. If it is too expensive to live or do business in a place, sooner or later, everybody starts to leave. My wife and I have discussed pulling up stakes here, just north of Boston, and moving to some quiet place in Maine. I'm living in the house I've always wanted, which my Great-grandfather built in 1904.
ReplyDeleteI don't care how many artists live around here (and I'm an artist), the shine wears off real quick when you get that property tax bill.
Warmth is big, too.
ReplyDeleteHey, NH has low taxes. Property taxes are higher than average, but there's not much else. Give it a thought.
I'd love that, I grew up in an old farm house in the middle of the woods in SE NH. The biggest reason we are thinking of Maine is that we will probably get something with an in-law apartment for my mum-in-law and her significant other. All of his family is in Quincy, and he wants to stick with them, but he grew up in coastal Maine and remembers it fondly, and would change venues for that.
ReplyDeleteI could say he's stubborn, but he's pretty much just like me....