Grist: Forget about San Francisco: Second-tier towns are where the action is

[marmar]

from Grist:



Forget about San Francisco: Second-tier towns are where the action is

by Isa Hopkins
10 Jan 2012 7:19 AM


Skyline.The view from Oakland.Photo: Sharat GanapatiI grew up in Cleveland. Yeah, Cleveland. I know, hailing from a less-than-premiere address leaves me open to a certain amount of disdain from urban elitists. Being from the city that is widely regarded as the "Mistake on the Lake" is urbanism's equivalent to being the fat kid in gym class, and it can leave one just as scarred as too many dodgeball hits to the face.

I don't live in Cleveland anymore, but I didn't leave because I wanted to be one of the cool kids. I was stricken with the burning need to explore, to go new places, and stake a claim for myself. And the more I travel, the more I find myself drawn back to my Rust Belt roots -- not Cleveland per se, but some semblance of it elsewhere in the world.

When I graduated from Georgetown in 2005, social momentum seemed to offer two choices: Stay in Washington, D.C., or be a rebel and move to San Francisco. I chose San Francisco. It was -- it is -- architecturally beautiful and politically liberal; the weather was good and the vibe was exciting. It was expensive as hell, too -- it would be a real challenge on my meager Americorps living allowance -- but I figured that I'd get one of those fancy high-paying careers that all San Franciscans seemed to have, then settle in, build a family, and grow old.

It wasn't long after I arrived, however, that I began to feel unnecessary. San Francisco is exciting, sure, but it's because the city -- like New York, or L.A., or other urban brands -- churns along on its own rhythms, driven by the labors and commitment of the hundreds of thousands of people who have already established themselves. It seemed like every niche was filled, and usually by someone both richer and cooler than me. I moved around for a few years, bouncing between different addresses in the Bay Area, heading down to Southern California for a spell, and even revisiting Cleveland, a fancy high-paying career slipping further and further from reach as the worldwide economy imploded. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.grist.org/cities/2012-01-10-forget-about-san-francisco-second-tier-towns-are-where-action

[lunatica]

1. I live in Oakland and work in UC Berkeley

I have more than enough to feel proud about in these two cities.

[Starry Messenger]

2. I've always preferred Oakland.

I grew up closer to SF, but I never fell in love with it that way that people do. Oakland just seems to have more heart to me. I don't know why. I miss living there.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. She's right, at least from the arts/culture end of things...the old ruling cities are

fading. New ones rising.

[marmar]

4. True.....New York's artistic scene is really getting moldy.

It's not the place I remember from when I lived there in the late '90s.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. "The rent is too damn high!" I lived in NYC most of my life, when you could set up a studio...

painting, music, sculpture, dance, theater... on the cheap and you had enough friends to keep things going.

A while back it just got too damn expensive for the entry level artists with the big tralent and dreams and who would become the next generation's Old Guard. Now it's just the last Old (and wealthy) Guard hanging on.

[Odin2005]

6. Fargo is booming and developing a strong artistic community

It's been amazing watching the transformation here. in the past 10 years, Downtown has been totally revitalized.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Given our information options today, why anyone would want to live in decaying

large cities is beyond me.