CHARLOTTE RANKS #2
(Souce AOL.com 3/25/01)
Top
10:
The Ten Most Popular Cities To Move To
New York giving you ennui?
Had it up to here with Beantown and Brotherly Love? You're not alone. From coast to coast,
urban Americans are discovering a new host of metropolitan areas that float their
collective boat-or microchip, as the case may be. Powered by 21st century economies and
warm weather, these cities are more technologically savvy and ethnically diverse
than ever before. And each one has its own unique flavor and style. To be sure, Gotham and
its contemporaries still reign supreme in terms of sheer numbers, but the up-and-coming
cities listed below are currently exploding with growth. So if you're looking to relocate
and think the Windy City is a bunch of hot air, keep reading and check out the new hot
spots on the real estate market.
By the way, these rankings
are derived from U.S. census data comparing 1990 city populations to 1998 populations (the
most recent numbers available)
10. DALLAS, TX
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 6.8%
Once run primarily by the
rough-n-tough oil industry, modern-day Dallas is very much a city in transition. Since
black gold gave way to technology as king of the Dallas dollar, the economy has blown up,
employing 5,000 more people this year than last. This shift has drawn an ethnically
diverse group of younger residents to the area, chipping away at the Good-Old-Boys-network
mentality that once pervaded the city and spurring some cultural diversity in the arts, as
well. Dallas is also safer than it's been in years.
With the exception of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, violent crime has
dropped steadily over the past decade. In other words, you can park your car in a dark
alley, but don't go anywhere near Texas Stadium during football season.
The tag on Dallas is that
it has killer traffic. While the city is working hard to renovate a growing public
transportation system, there's still a herd of cars clogging up the highways-not to
mention your lungs.
9. HOUSTON, TX
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 8.0%
Houston is, in a word,
large. Sprawling, even. Greater Houston is larger than two Rhode Islands, and the city
employs more people than all of Colorado, which makes its rate of growth all the more
puzzling. There is a clear sense that the West
dominates a portion of Houston culture and nightlife. Many historic downtown buildings
have been renovated and converted to stylized residences, reminiscent of those in a John
Wayne flick. The nation's most elaborate rodeo, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, can
be found here, and country line dancing is still the rage at many a downtown club. But Houston is so tremendously metropolitan that the cowboy
hats and belt buckles could easily go unnoticed. This is a city that considers tourism a
major industry, boasting 46,000 hotel rooms and 10,000 theater seats. However, Shell and
Exxon are still the biggest employers-stark reminders that
oil continues to reign supreme.
8. JACKSONVILLE, FL
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 9.2%
Jacksonville is the fastest growing city in Florida, yet unlike its neighbors in southern
Florida, the city's immigrants are predominantly under 65. Indeed, the median age in
Jacksonville is 35-downright juvenile for the retirement-friendly Sunshine State.
The city plays host to a
thriving talent community, supported in no small part by students attending nearby schools
dedicated to the practical and performing arts. There are also several local artist
guilds. The job market in Jacksonville is
continuing to blossom. Several companies keep their corporate headquarters in the downtown
business district (including Winn Dixie, Inc.). The Navy also maintains two stations in
the area, which employ a combined 30,000 "Jack-civilians." But the industry
that's really taken city by storm is telecommunications.
7. SAN DIEGO, CA
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 9.9%
During San Diego's
so-called "rainy season," the city experiences a deluge of roughly 1.5 inches of
precipitation per month. The Santa Ana winds, which come from the mountains to the east,
ensure that the temperature floats just above 90 in October, making non-rollerblading
weather less common than the lunar eclipse. If the sun gods smile on any town in the
country, they are
beaming at San Diego. The city has been a model of ethnic
variety for several years. Roughly one quarter of the population there is Hispanic, and
ten percent is from the Pacific Islands, yet hate crimes are rarer than overcast days. Since the decline of an economy firmly routed in defense
spending, San Diego has diversified financially. Like Jacksonville, the telecommunications
business has set up shop here, led by the cellular phone juggernaut Qualcomm. The industry
contributes about $5 billion each year to the local economy.
6. SAN JOSE, CA
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 10.1%
Fortune magazine ranked San
Jose the number one city for business in the nation, and as the self-proclaimed
"Capital of Silicon Valley," it's pretty easy to see why: Hardware is king in
northern California's largest city. San
Jose is also an environmentally conscious city in its own right, especially considering
its heavy contribution to industry. The Bay Area's "Spare the Air" campaign
implores citizens to carpool to help reduce smog, and several local statutes make water
pollution a cardinal sin. This is a
community of residents who churn out microchips like nobody's business but nonetheless
appreciate the value of local vineyards and harvest festivals. The only real trick to living in San Jose is finding an affordable
home. The average house is valued at well over $200,000. But, then again, that should be
par for the course in a community with an annual household income of just
over $75,000. Did we mention there's money there?
5. SAN ANTONIO, TX
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 14.1%
Perhaps no other city in
America can claim to have cleaned up its act to the extent that San Antonio has done so
over the past 10 years. The city has seen roughly a 50% decrease in major crimes and
homicides since 1990. Putting more cops on the street has gone a long way toward making
San Antonio a safer community. Several
local environmental initiatives have also made San Antonio cleaner than other cities with
comparable growth rates. Four gasoline companies have agreed to sell fuel containing fewer
pollutants than conventional petroleum, and the city's Neighborhood Sweep Program targets
potholes and graffiti. This is, by all accounts, a very green town. The lush River Walk, though ranking high on the tourist scale, is a
significant cultural hub with eclectic shops and restaurants. The Walk also houses the
International Center, a major forum for Mexican-American business and politics. This begs
the question: Are residents put off by the fact that, around the corner from their
NAFTA-enabled businesses, high school kids are
hocking T-shirts that demand tourists to remember the Alamo?
4. AUSTIN, TX
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 17.0%
A haven for high-end
techies and the setting for the e-workplace film satire Office Space, Austin used to reek
of burnt silicon and take-out Chinese. But a generous market and massive influx of
disposable income have triggered something of a cultural resurgence in this once-flat
capital city. Austin has been sponsoring a host of cultural programs, including a
Shakespeare Festival
and a campaign to set up art displays in public places. The Austin school system also
easily rivals those of its Texan neighbors, a strong draw for yuppie programmers to stay
in the area and start a family. When Intel opens the doors of its new 500,000-square-foot
office space in 2002, expect other hi-tech giants to follow suit. Land is cheap in Austin,
which means that, for better or for worse, growth is inevitable.
3. EL PASO, TX
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 19.3%
Straddling Texas, New
Mexico and the U.S.-Mexican border, El Paso is a true border town. The people are young,
ethnically diverse, and-not surprisingly-bilingual. And while the average citizen's income
hovers just below $40,000, the cost of living has been declining steadily since 1993,
despite a booming population. Not
unlike its citizens, the architectural El Paso has the look of a
prototypical melting pot, blending 19th century pastoral with 21st century chic. At the
crux of the city's revitalization efforts is the Union Plaza district, a rundown
commercial center en route to a shopping-mall-esque makeover, complete with a 414-space
parking garage. Is it any wonder that someone named a brand of microwave-able burritos
after this place?
2.
CHARLOTTE, NC
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 20.3%
The hardest adjustment to
make when moving to Charlotte is realizing that, despite hosting some of NASCAR's biggest
races, life moves slowly there. Very slowly. Polite chit-chat in doing business is a must,
and a 45-minute commute
to the office is about average. But let
there be no mistakes: Regardless of the pace, Charlotte is bursting
with big business. Take a look at the numbers (courtesy of The Charlotte Observer): #3 in
cell phone permanence, #5 in business trips, and #2 in big banking. Conscious of its strong Southern identity, Charlotte is a conservative
city
that is sweet on traditions. Northerners are still "Yanks," grits are still the
breakfast food of choice, and Jesse Helms is still elected to public office.
1. PHOENIX, AZ
Percent increase, 1990 - 1998: 21.3%
Very quietly, Phoenix has
grown to become the nation's sixth largest metropolis. Set squarely in the middle of
nowhere, the city has not kicked up much dust in becoming the Southwest's premier
destination for commerce, industry, and entertainment.
Just how quickly is Phoenix
growing? 82,000 people moved in during 1998, just as 95,000 new jobs opened up. Major
companies like Motorola, Honeywell and Boeing all have key offices in or around the
greater Phoenix area, and small business is booming there, as well. As is the trend, 46%
of all manufacturing jobs in the area are considered "high-tech." A vibrant and well-integrated Native American community sets
Phoenix apart from its fast-growing peers. Pueblo culture has a strong influence on local
art, and the Heard Museum-which holds an impressive collection of Indian pottery and
crafts-is the area's cultural cornerstone. It's joined by the rustic, unassuming Symphony
Hall downtown, which plays host to both the Phoenix Symphony and the Arizona Opera. |
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