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The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

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Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#11

Post by Clubber »

legodt wrote: post #8
Clubber wrote: post #5

Strange, I'm middle class and I live in a city. There are other cities than NYC, SF, LA and Boston.

Yes, but those cities don't have the same job markets. Not everybody is a coder or an engineer with skills in high demand in non-metropolitan areas

>those cities don't have the same job markets

Fair enough, but mid sized cities have jobs for plumbers, electricians, government employees, secretaries, marketing people, accountants, college professors, construction, biologists, vetrenarians, etc.

The title, "The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore" is absurd.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#12

Post by eli_gottlieb »

ghaff wrote: post #9
legodt wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where are we supposed to work then?

Many, many jobs may be in urban areas but aren't actually in cities/urban cores. In fact, the movement of many professional jobs into cities is a relatively recent phenomenon. And while Silicon Valley and the greater NYC area are something of exceptions, you get out of the urban cores of somewhere like Boston/Cambridge and housing prices go down fairly quickly except for some particularly upscale towns.

Somerville is expensive as hell, despite the fact that it used to be known as "Slumerville" and the housing stock hasn't improved one bit.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#13

Post by mac01021 »

fbreduc wrote: post #2

then don't live in cities?

Maybe...

But it would be pretty sad to grow up in a working class family and then be forced to move away from your hometown at the age of 30 because rent had grown faster than your ability to generate income.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#15

Post by legodt »

mac01021 wrote: post #10
legodt wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but those cities don't have the same job markets. Not everybody is a coder or an engineer with skills in high demand in non-metropolitan areas

Serious question (because I'm ignorant): What sets of skills are in high demand in those 4 or 5 metropolises but nowhere else?

Anything in fashion, design, media, etc. Fields that have global distribution for creative work at large scale is what I'm familiar with and unless you are willing to work for a smaller company (I.e. not large consultancy or high profile work), you have to be in a major urban center.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#16

Post by legodt »

Clubber wrote: post #11
legodt wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but those cities don't have the same job markets. Not everybody is a coder or an engineer with skills in high demand in non-metropolitan areas

>those cities don't have the same job markets Fair enough, but mid sized cities have jobs for plumbers, electricians, government employees, secretaries, marketing people, accountants, college professors, construction, biologists, vetrenarians, etc. The title, "The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore" is absurd.

But a lot of those professions can't afford rent inside the city and are forced into unwieldly commutes and lose out on the benefits of being in a city

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#17

Post by cddotdotslash »

This article fails to mention that the middle class can't afford to live in the "nicest parts" of cities, but many cities have other areas as well. Take NYC for example. Sure, if you want to live in the Chelsea or West Village neighborhoods in Manhattan, it's going to cost you. But there are tons of available houses in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx that are plenty affordable. The other day I saw a house for sale in a decent part of Queens for $240k - definitely affordable for middle class. Unfortunately, though, the most desirable areas of the densest part of the city is being reserved for poor and upper class, which I think is the point of the article.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#18

Post by rublev »

Clubber wrote: post #5

Strange, I'm middle class and I live in a city. There are other cities than NYC, SF, LA and Boston.

What about places like Canada? Where your only real options are Toronto and Vancouver. Other places are lonely and small.

Personally I'm into music. Composing, playing shows, going to the symphony, the opera, the ballet. Sure, I could leave Toronto, except now I'm in the middle of nowhere where there are no jobs and no culture. Now what?

I'm sure it's similar for others in the US.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#19

Post by 1_2__3 »

cddotdotslash wrote: post #17

This article fails to mention that the middle class can't afford to live in the "nicest parts" of cities, but many cities have other areas as well. Take NYC for example. Sure, if you want to live in the Chelsea or West Village neighborhoods in Manhattan, it's going to cost you. But there are tons of available houses in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx that are plenty affordable. The other day I saw a house for sale in…

Link to that Queens listing? Or one like it? Not that I don't believe you but... I kind of don't believe you.

Re: The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

#20

Post by [deleted] »

cddotdotslash wrote: post #17

This article fails to mention that the middle class can't afford to live in the "nicest parts" of cities, but many cities have other areas as well. Take NYC for example. Sure, if you want to live in the Chelsea or West Village neighborhoods in Manhattan, it's going to cost you. But there are tons of available houses in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx that are plenty affordable. The other day I saw a house for sale in…

[deleted]
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