OMFG declining cities are so hot right now! Who wants to put up with the prices of New York or L.A when a place like Cleveland exists? Certainly not Salon which very recently seems all gaga over our region. In an article about young residents selecting "super chic" rust belt destinations to adorn themselves in coolness, they write.
And as a mountain of “Viva Detroit!” news stories have made clear, Motor City is now the official cool-kids destination, adding thousands of young artists, entrepreneurs and urban farmers even as its general population evaporates. It’s a surprising demographic shift that has some in the Rust Belt wondering if these cities should trumpet their gritty, hardscrabble personas, rather than try to pretend that they’re just like Chicago or Brooklyn, N.Y., but cheaper.
Woah there. Last we checked "Brooklyn but Cheaper" was so not a Pure Detroit tee shirt. Salon goes overboard with a trend piece trying too hard. Yes, young people are moving here and it's fab. But Detroiters are not likely interested in "Demand for Decay" as a marketing strategy. The decay part is the result of some shitty circumstances a lot of people would rather not have lived through. Not just some backlash cultural movement that is addressing the problems of over-priced condos. So let's think of it this as place of opportunity that yes, is cheaper than Brooklyn. As the article finally gets around to reminding us, the rust belt still has "almost unimaginable systemic problems" like failed schools, violent crime, the threat of municipal bankruptcy. A marketing strategy for the city should not be a bait and switch that hides that. · Rust Belt chic: Declining Midwest cities make a comeback [Salon]
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