Why Do Young People Leave Ann Arbor?
Originally submitted by: jadelay
I heard that the blogger who started annarborisoverrated.com is leaving Ann Arbor. Maybe like the sports team who moves away from the city and the fans, she left in order to get better ratings. Lots of discussions among politicians, business leaders, policy wonks and educators have focused on why it is that young people are leaving Michigan. Some of the policy wonks have done studies showing that it is all about jobs, jobs and more jobs, what Michigan seems to be wanting these days. (The Mackinac Center for Public Policy for example.) The Governor and everyone else is trying to remedy this situation, but so far the results have been mixed. But at least for the Governor, who seems to be familiar with researcher Richard Florida's work on the creative class and spiky geography (as opposed to Thomas Friedman's popular flat world), it is not only jobs that count for young people. Places with perks count too. I can think of no other reason why Governor Granholm has established a "Cool Cities Initiative." If, that is, she didn't know that some cities are cooler than others, and thus attract young people in particular. Can you think of another reason why a politician would approve a "Cool Cities Initiative?" According to this places with perks notion, some cities attract young people because they offer the following: diverse and wide-ranging entertainment and recreational outlets; very good public transportation systems; and affordable housing. These places have their own cultures as well, from being green to having good community senses of humor. At the same time, the discussion about young people leaving has focused on those who have left. According to a survey by Michigan Future, Inc., a locally-based think tank, 11% of Michigan graduates (assume this is recent) left to go to Chicago. The other two top destinations are California and New York. Just to underline that this is not just about jobs, this study points out that many of these graduates left even though they had no job offers. Where are the studies on why young people stay? Specifically, why do they stay in Ann Arbor? A city-by-city survey would help. Do they stay because of the jobs? Do they stay because they like the theatres, music scene and the sports? Do they stay because they like living in a place that is overrated?
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Re:Why Do Young People Leave Ann Arbor?
Originally submitted by: barcode 2x
Every city is overrated. People like to dog Ann Arbor, and I admit, I've been down on it myself. My wife and I stay because we have spent years putting roots down. Our families, our relationships, and our community are all strong. It's the people. It ain't the weather, I'll tell you that. I thought of leaving earlier this year. Jobs are not only scarce, but limited in scope. I have been lucky with the opportunities I have, but there is little opportunity for advancement. The music and art scene is good. There are lots of cultural outlets in this town. It's definitely a good town for out-of-town touring acts, but can be tough for local musicians and artists to find a suitable venue. Artists and musicians have been fleeing this state like it was burning, looking for attractive new options in niche towns. Ann Arbor doesn't really have a niche right now. Nashville for music, LA for film, plus smaller niche cities like Asheville, NC and Portland, OR. These places have small but thriving art scenes, and are drawing out a lot of Michigan talent. The scene downtown, much of it, is geared towards an older crowd. That's something I have noticed. Ann Arbor is a wonderful place to socialize when you are older and wealthy. It's pricey and has a snooty reputation. If I didn't have the friends and networks I have here, I would split. But I have worked for years to build a community and tried to give what I could to this town. I would be starting over if I moved away. I considered Portland, Canada, Australia even. When Bush got re-elected, I swore I would leave the country.