8 Cities That Aren't Cool Now... But Will Be
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Analysis of 8 U.S. cities that are not experiencing large growth and are not considered trendy, but because of various projects and geography they will become trendy and more popular places in which to move.
0:00 Intro
0:52 El Paso, TX
2:57 Columbia, SC
5:00 Tulsa, OK
7:15 Fresno, CA
9:00 Dayton, OH
11:22 Bethlehem, PA
13:16 Lake Charles, LA
14:42 Memphis, TN
If you would like to support the channel, please visit my Patreon page at patreon.com/geographyking
Album displayed:
The Cars - "Heartbeat City" (1984)
I received this email from Tulsa Remote in regard to my mentioning their program and wanted to correct a mistake I made in the video about incentives no longer being offered. Here's a copy of the email (with manager's real name redacted) clarifying the continued existence of the program.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Hi Kyle,
Happy New Year to you! My name is M., and I'm Tulsa Remote's Marketing Manager.
We recently came across your "8 Cities That Aren't Cool Now... But Will Be" video on TH-cam and appreciate the Tulsa mention!
However, we want to offer a suggestion and ask for a correction. You mentioned that Tulsa Remote is no longer paying people to move to Tulsa, but we are still very much an active program. We are coming up on our 5th anniversary, and as of December, we have welcomed 2,800 remote workers to our city.
Thank you so much!
M.M.
-Marketing Manager
Memphis is ROUGH, jack, with dysfunctional government.. 6000 jobs will be a reach to flip it. Otherwise a great list
Truck driver here. Here is my list of underrated cities in the US in no particular order:
1. Buffalo, NY
2. Chattanooga, TN
3. Albuquerque, NM
4. Kansas City, MO
5. Mobile, AL
6. Burlington, VT
7. Manchester, NH
8. Tallahassee, FL
9. Cheyenne, WY
10. Tri-Cities, WA
11. Milwaukee, WI
12. Savannah, GA
13. Omaha/Lincoln, NE
Mobile has Airbus expanding, the airport moving near downtown, and the I-10 expansion over the bay. Should be on the upswing.
You are wrong about the Tri Cities.
snow
St. Paul MN
Mobile is probably my favorite Alabama city, mainly because of proximity to Gulf Shores, Gulfport, Biloxi, Orange Beach, etc.
I think it would be interesting for you to revisit this list in a video in 5 or 10 years, Kyle. Love the content, as always!
fresno = underrated
Speaking as someone who has lived my entire 40+ years in Portland, OR - you DON’T want your city to become trendy or cool. You just don’t. Trust me.
Memphis! Grew up there, left in ‘83 and very pleased to see it on your list! There are lots of close in neighborhoods with beautiful architecture, shade trees and walking.
Have you come back much?
I'd rather be in St Louis
Another good point for El Paso.
That cold spell a couple of years ago affected the whole state. Leading to such an energy drain that rolling blackouts began.
Hundreds died.
The big problem: Texas has its own energy grid. With weather knocking our so many power sources (fossil fuel, renewable and part of our nuke) There was just not enough energy to go around.
But El Paso is connected to the grid shared with the Western half of the US. No blackouts there...
Very interesting. I know people in Fort Worth who are STILL trying to recover from the water damage to their house when the pipes froze and burst in that horrible cold spell.
Interesting, I thought the issue was an entire Texas politics, wanting to be independent and not wanting to connect to the national grid type of thing. Any idea why El Paso was different from the rest of the state.
El Paso had a similar cold snap a couple of years or so before the 2021 freeze. The city had its own grid infrastructure, upgraded it, and connected it to the western U.S. grid. El Paso, a 9-hour drive from Fort Worth or San Antonio, is affected by its isolated location.
Native Texan. Lived there more than 40 years. And Texans would rather feel some odd, misplaced pride in having their own grid no matter how awful it is, because, you know, Texas.
@@kevinw8593 For the most part that is how it works however the more remote part of Texas are connected to the US grid. I'm not 100% on why but I'd assume it has something wo do with it being very far from the majority of Texas' population and thus the energy plants so it's probably more economical to have the panhandle and west Texas on the national grid.
I’m closing in on my retirement and I’d like to move from Minnesota to a warmer climate in EL paso, but the prices on homes are still ridiculously high and mortgage prices skyrocketing as well on a roll. Do I just invest my spare cash into stock and wait for a housing crash or should I go ahead to relocate/buy a home anyways
I’ve honestly been considering going the route of an advisor, this current market is no jokes for the average retail investor, but do these advisors really make any notable changes to a portfolio or am I better off on my own?
I would buy a house, at least at the end of the day you still have property and land.
Don't move to a warmer climate. Enjoy your equity and quality of life where you are located. The winters may be bad, but enjoy the glorious summers while all of the fools who moved to the Sunbelt are suffering from heat stroke.
Moving from anywhere but the sticks of Minnesota to El Paso will be like moving to the third world lol. Also those summers are DEADLY. Not to say the place doesn’t have great food, nice ppl, etc it’s just a different world to Minnesota with its own problems. (There’s a reason it’s one of cheapest places to live in the US).
Don’t settle based on affordable housing. Pick a place you’d be comfortable and happy in and then figure out your situation and what’s realistic and logical.
One last thing. It’s advisable to own your home with no debt or at least all the money to pay it off if trouble arises on hand when you retire. The market as you said is much too high now, the unrecoverable costs of home ownership are worse in 99.9% of cities than the unrecoverable costs of renting. So yes, no shame in renting, you’ll actually be saving money for a few years.
To prepare for buying plan what you CAN afford in the current market with essentially 0% risk of you being foreclosed on (cause if that happens in retirement you’re screwed). Then if the market doesn’t adjust then you won’t be disappointed in the reality of things. Also if you come to terms with what you CAN afford it’s often best to just go do it, especially if you’re losing a lot of sleep on it and just want to be set for the future. Timing your life on the movements of the market rarely works out in your favor, so if it feels like it’s the time just make the best decision for you at that point in time.
Also on what to do with your cash… If you have everything in stocks then a sudden downturn could really clear you out. If you’re within ten years of retiring then I would put a big portion of your money in bonds. It’s not sexy but it’ll guard your money against inflation and if you’re buying government or hollow risk corporate bonds it’ll be a near 100% guarantee on your money. With stocks, just don’t pay a broker, do it yourself. Buy a market index fund with the lowest expense ratio and DONT TOUCH IT. The more you trade and the more you pay others to manage will all be money out of your pocket. If you’re 5 years from retiring I’d do something like 25% gov bonds, 35% low risk corporate bonds, 32.5% total market low fee index fund, 5% value index funds/ Berkshire Hathaway, 2.5% emerging market / international index fund.
Good luck and hope this helps!
-Economics / Real estate major and real estate appraiser
Bot comment. Probably some Indian dude who made the account to scam some poor bastard.
Shout out, I’m from El Paso. Born and raised thanks for the love!
Just moved from Columbia, SC, and though I was only there for around 2.5 years, I really enjoyed my time. I can’t handle hot and humid weather well, so that was a big negative for me, but otherwise I really liked the city! It had a lot to offer for being on the smaller side. I think having a huge university in the center of the city helps with that, of course.
It was my first experience with the high humidity of the Southeast. I've lived in the South for most of my adult life, and can still just tolerate the summers. But winters are nice
Lived in Columbia years ago, and got my college degree at the university. I really enjoyed the comfortable pace. (It is hot in the summer.)
I grew up in Las Cruces just outside of El Paso. I always hated El Paso growing up but now that I'm older I really like the idea of moving to El Paso. Its actually pretty great.
I'm an El Paso native but I moved to Houston in 2004. In 2021 I decided to move back to the area and I landed a job in Las Cruces. Man, I hated paying state income tax! So I moved back to El Paso.
But the traffic. Even the west side is horrible now. We live in Columbus so hit the west end a bunch. Now we drive the extra miles to Cruces. The only bad thing is the Habitat for Humanity sucks now and the Indian Restaurant over by the University closed.
Bethlehem native, love to see our Christmas City on the list! Bethlehem and Allentown are twin cities, and throw in the smaller city of Easton and you have a metro area that punches above the weight of an individual city. A few more perks about the area, known by locals as The Lehigh Valley.
- Musikfest and Celtic Classic are excellent music festivals.
- AAA minor league baseball and AHL minor league hockey
- 30 mins from Blue Mountain ski resort. Great conditions for an East Coast resort.
- Booming medical sector and an established biochemical sector with Merck and Air Products. Heavy industry is still present with Lehigh Heavy Forge.
Bethlehem, went there last year thought I was in god dam beirut
@@rustyshackleford6637what do you mean by that?
Felt like there had been a war not long ago.
El Paso is a vastly underrated city. The outdoorsy opportunities and food are excellent. Downtown reminds me of Portland just before it became incredibly popular. Boomtown potential written all over it.
It's a Mexican colony it will never be great
The problem is its right next to Mexico
@@rustyshackleford6637 I've crossed the border into Juarez and had no problems there.
I especially like the neighborhood next to UTEP. There are some very nice residential neighborhoods, including some with older houses.
@@rustyshackleford6637 I think proximity to Mexico is actually what makes El Paso safe. There are a lot of extra law enforcement around, with regular City police plus Border Patrol. If I were looking to do major criminal activity, I can think of better places to do it than one where every 10th vehicle is a Border Patrol Chevy Tahoe.
Love this channel. So full of useful information and I enjoy how you get right to the point. Great job!!
Being from the Dayton area, thank you for noticing our city. We don't get much love so I appreciate the notice!!
What? No ❤️ for Dayton?!? The worldwide “funk” capital? Of the universe?
I've lived in Columbia SC twice through the military and really love it there too, especially as a runner I love their Riverwalk trail
To me, Omaha, NE, is a very underrated city. Moved there from NYC in 2021, and so far, so good! The city has invested in infrastructure a lot and real estate prices are still fairly low. Large companies headquartered there: Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Kiewit... A new streetcar line is in the works and a new, massive riverfront park has just opened on the Missouri.
Amazing! Was it much of a culture shock from New York? I used to live in NY for 16 years...now living just north of Chicago and looking to move again.
You like living in a state where old gray haired men control young women’s bodies? Disgusts me.
Omaha is a great area. I lived there a few years, and it is highly underrated. It is clean, the people are kind, and between Omaha-Lincoln there is a lot to do. There are good music venues, and the college World Series baseball tournament every year.
I'm surprised but also glad that Mobile, AL was not mentioned here. There's a ton of new development going on right now compared to 5 years ago, and I think it will be a very different city in a decade. But, the less people know about it, the lower my rent stays
I’m from Tulsa. Lived here my whole life. It’s a great place to live! The food scene is one of the most underrated in the country. People are typically friendly and the city is working on making it more bike friendly. BTW Kyle I love your channel. I’ve been watching for years and always enjoy your videos. Much love and Merry Christmas!
As a born and raised Tulsan, I agree with your assessment. The Tulsa region has started to get some great development projects. I love running down the Arkansas River trails.
Tulsa is also the home of S. E. Hinton.
He didn't even mention all the Route 66 stuff
Nailed it with Dayton. I took a road trip out to Shenandoah and was meant to spend one night in Dayton on the way back home. Me and my girlfriend liked it so much we decided to extend our stay an extra night. Fun place to be, great city to wander around and explore. Little rough around the edges, but I never felt unsafe anywhere.
Uhm Dayton native here. Our crime rate is worse than Baton Rouges. You may not have felt in danger but you were 😂
The most obvious for me is Baltimore. Its in the northeast corridor, high tech jobs, close to dc, philly..etc. Theyre in the process of redeveloping their entire waterfront, new amtrak tunnel being built, proposed rail link etc. It has the charming history of Boston with the cheapest housing in the entire northeast corridor. Baltimore is primed to take off! Id be surprised if all of this new development doesnt have an effect.
And it's way less pretentious than DC
@@thor800 Absolutely its one of the northeast cities that has kept its working class population in tact. Baltimore has been overlooked for a long time but I guarantee its going to be one of the next up and coming east coast cities once it finally reaches that tipping point. In the mean time its an absolute bargain. I’m from Boston and ppl up here talk about how there used to be houses in blue collar neighborhoods people bought for $30,000 and now theyre worth 1.5 million. Those opportunities are gone from most east coast cities especially Boston, but they still exist in Baltimore, the outskirts of DC, and in pockets of Philly. The opportunity is still out there you just gotta be willing to take the risk and have a chance at striking it big. Even if you dont not many ppl can afford houses and Baltimore is one of the last places an avg person could afford a house. It wont be this way forever. Ppl are gonna find out about Baltimore eventually, its a matter of when not if.
@@user-op4ln2qj5p Its still high but thats because it hasnt turned the corner yet. Theyre not even done redeveloping the waterfront. Theyre also in the process of demolishing a lot of the run down public housing projects and are going to build mixed income communities. Its a place in flux right now. If it was perfect it would be expensive as hell right now. Thats what potential is about, once a lot of the redevelopment is completed give it a few years and its going to start trending in the right direction. Some of the worst off areas will still lag behind but others will start to improve drastically over the coming years.
When those ppl I mentioned in Boston bought those houses for 30k whitey bulger had the irish mob running the murder rate through the roof. Boston today is one of the safest big cities in America. How a city is at one point doesnt automatically determine its future. Youre not going to find dirt cheap rowhouses in a place thats absolutely thriving, if that were the case everybody would do it. It takes a city with a great history and good bones, and for ppl to see the potential and invest, for a city to turn around.
@@user-mm1nt1it5v It's not that people don't know about the deals in Baltimore, they just don't consider a good place to move their family to. At least for now.
@@rexx9496 I know this video is about cities that arent good now but will be in the future. I feel that applies to baltimore.
Right now may not be the best for a family, but certain ppl it would be ok, but along the upward trend of the city as it gets better and better it will be more affordable than other cities. It will be up to each person to decide for themself when it crosses the threshold of safety and value, but as time goes on safety will go up as prices go up as well.
Another well researched and well produced video. Thanks for the correct pronunciation of Lancaster. South Carolina thanks you.
Buffalo needs to be on this list
I agree 👍🏻
Saved to watch later- I'm excited for this. Thank you!!!
As a Bethlehem native, I’m excited to see it on the list. I would add the city has great colonial history, and has a decent biotech and info tech presence. It also is a very major shipping hub, since it is central to Philly and NYC. These are blue collar jobs, and some worry the wages are too low. Great video, sir.
Lehigh Valley needs good rail connection to either NYC or Philly and it will really grow I think. Insane how it is 75 miles to NYC and 100 to Philly and no way to get there besides a bus a few times a day or drive
Bringing more people in is not going to raise those wages. It'll do the opposite and jobs will be lost.
@@adambubble73 allentown is already full of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans from the bronx. Train service to New York, will just make it even worse.
LEHIGH VALLEY MENTIONED
@@rabidgoondo you have a problem with Puerto Ricans and Dominicans from the Bronx?
1. El Paso, Tx
2. Columbia, SC
3. Tulsa, OK
4. Fresno,Ca
5. Dayton, OH
6. Bethlehem, PA
7. Lake Charles, LA
8. Memphis, TN
Check out the pedestrian bridges in Little Rock, AR. They have an old train bridge that connects NLR to Central LR and also the 'big dam bridge' over part of the river, as well as an access bring at 3 rivers park, etc. I think a bridge park is a great use of space, as you mentioned in your Tulsa section.
Another wonderful video. Happy Holidays to you, Kyle.
Another great video. Thanks again, Kyle!!
I used to live in Oklahoma City (which I loved) and even though Tulsa is 200,00 people smaller, the higher density makes it feel like a bigger city.
i think oklahoma city is actively trying to tackle at its low population density though, especially in more city center areas
@@dawsonhill5525 Lots of growth in the center of OKC with increasing residential property values, new apartment/condo developments, a growing food scene, and plenty of activity. The days of the city being hollowed out by a misguided and aborted urban renewal effort are long gone. The excitement in Oklahoma is in Oklahoma City, but I see Tulsa looking better, too. Oklahoma City and Tulsa are very different places. Tulsa is a midwestern city. OKC is much more a southwestern city.
Its not in the U.S. but I'd like to include my own entry to this list, Perth Western Australia. There's about 2.2 million people in the metro area (about the same size as the Cincinnati and Indianapolis metro areas) and it kinda has a reputation in Australia for being a very boring business-like city that only exists to service the mining sector here in WA.
Although that might've been the case 20 years ago, over time I've watched the place improve significantly. It used to have a very car-oriented downtown where you would only go if you worked in the city, but now there are some pretty interesting bars and restaurants opening up, a lot of the formerly run-down historic buildings have been renovated, theres a new summertime food market with live music, there is a pedestrian bridge and zipline across the Swan River, lots of pedestrian-only spaces being built, a second pedestrian bridge is being built connecting Victoria Park to Perth City across the river, and they're vastly expanding and improving their suburban rail network with the Metronet program. With all that being said it still has issues, like the fact that Perth City kinda becomes a ghost town after 10pm, there's an increasingly amount of NIMBYs moving to the city and its becoming pretty unaffordable.
Mind you, Perth was a pretty rough place in the 1990s but its done a complete 180 since then, with many of the inner suburbs gentrifying and becoming quite nice. I predict that in 15 years or so it will become a highly desirable and fun city to live in
Home of Ozzy Man
I love it when people who actually *_care_* - take the time to rattle off some paragraphs about wots-wot. Hats off ; coz that's wot I do too.
I watch a few TH-camrs in Perth and it looks amazing, like the jungle. What is that garden of colored rocks a bit east of Perth. Saw it on Google maps and it looks unearthly.
"it kinda has a reputation in Australia for being a very boring business-like city that only exists to service the mining sector". Sounds a bit like Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, which I've also heard good and bad things about.
Thanks for the update on Perth. Here in the US when most people think of Australia they think of Melbourne or Sydney. As cool as these cities are, there's always so much more to see. I would love to visit Australia someday.
It made me so happy that you used one of my photos! I took that huge panorama in Tulsa!
Kyle, great job as usual!! Thanks for your quality content. I know there is a lot of work and research that goes into it. Outstanding channel!
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words
Here’s an unsolicited deluge of information on the Gateway City for ya… since you still clearly don't appreciate our history, charm, and potential. lol
One of our many monikers is the 4th city because at some points in the 1800’s we were the 4th largest city in the country. (Only beat out by N.Y., Philly, and Brooklyn. However, since Brooklyn and NYC combined I like to say 3rd city.
Before that we were a French colony. (Hence why NoLa and us are called sister cities and have similar vibes sometimes)
That head start is what allowed us to remain in the top 10 largest cities for over a century.
In the 1870s the Great Divorce happened though. This split the city and county entirely and locked StL city into its roughly 66sq.mi. territory it has today.
This is probably why suburbanization hit StL especially hard. Yet also why there is luckily so much historic fabric left.@@GeographyKing
We are also known as Mound City because the indigenous people had built hundreds of earthen structures throughout the region. Just across the river is Cahokia Mounds, the remains that you can visit of one of the largest pre-European settlements in the Americas. Unfortunately most of the mounds in the city are gone now but this site is definitely worth a visit! You did a good job covering it in your Illinois video, but the metro East (the suburbs of StL in IL) truly give us a unique relationship with our neighbors, in fact we have the only metro system to cross state borders. @@GeographyKing
The midtown/downtown west area is exploding in development right now.
There is the new MLS stadium by Union Station. Which itself was recently redone. There is even a nice Aquarium and large Ferris wheel there now.
My one gripe is that there is a hotel lobby in the front. That’s where the real old historic station hall is, but they try to hide it from the public unfortunately.
Other points if interest on Market st (near Union Station) include the Soldiers Memorial, Kiel Auditorium,the beautiful main library, and the only post office in the U.S. that is still open 24/7 that is really cool to go into, plus more.
There was once a plan to have a giant linear park with monumental structures lining it from the riverfront to forest park between Market St and Chestnut St, but unfortunately some buildings are now in the way but that’s why this is the main parade route today.
A few blocks north of union station is Washington Av.
This is the main nightlife/entertainment strip downtown. (Besides Ball Park Village near Busch Stadium)
It has the City Museum and National Blues Museum.
The City Museum and Bob Cassilly the artist behind many cool projects in the Lou.
Although new stuff commercial activity now connects it all the way to the Grand Center Arts District.
@@GeographyKing
Next time you're in town, I recommend checking out the Foundry in midtown, when you visit you can see some old rail infrastructure (viaducts) that is (unfortunately) going to become an elevated green-way like the high line in NY instead of carrying trains again.
I hate to even bring them up, but speaking of the Grand Center Arts District; I used to love our Orchestra as it is world renowned…
However, they recently bought a 100+ year old house next to them and tore it down for a dumb new modernist entryway
The Grand Center Arts District neighborhood they are in is still cool to see and the FoxTheatre is Broadway level quality! (Worth just a tour as well) and there are tons of other venues and studios. The Angard Arts hotel has a bas with great views on top as well.
I also want to mention the Chain of Rocks bridge.
It is a bike/ped only bridge on the north side. From it you can see two historic water intake towers in the Mississippi River. Plus there are very nice bike trails to it.
On the far south side of the city if Jefferson Barracks, which is in the National Parks system (like the Arch) and very fun to explore.@@GeographyKing
As someone who works in Columbia (live in Lexington), it's cool to see Cola get some love. Thank you, Kyle! Thank you for the info on the other up-and-coming cities, especially opening my eyes to El Paso.
I've always thought Cola was cool!! I'm glad he included it!
We still have so much catching up to do here in Columbia. but I will say I do love my city. Born and raised here and I want Columbia to be the next Charlotte but in our own unique way.
1) West Texas is probably the prettiest part of the state with room to grow.
2) It’s time for the Midwest to grow again. Glad to see some Midwestern cities on the list.
The only Midwestern city mentioned was Dayton. (I guess some might consider Tulsa to be Midwest; I think of it more as South or South Central.)
@@outbackigloo6489 Anyone who says Oklahoma is midwest likely has never been there. Most definitely a southern state culturally and geographically in my opinion. Panhandle and anything west of OKC is more western culture.
@@Jjjaaahhnn”Oklahoma is a southern state” lmfaoooooooo
@@WakandaleezaRazzit’s definitely not midwestern….
@@WakandaleezaRazz You think it's midwest?? Nahhh
I think Columbia SC is the best pick out of those ones.
It’s nice to hear someone pronouncing Lancaster, PA correctly.
What outsiders don’t realize about El Paso is that Juarez, Mexico has 1.5 million people, bringing the metro up to around 2.7 million. It’s a huge metro.
New Mexico is also right next door (legal weed and abortions) and they have forests. Also (I kid you not) $80 round trip flights to Cancun from Juarez. It’s also a very safe city with a heavy military/government presence. I miss it, but unfortunately I had to move.
Why did you move, I’m looking to see if it’s worth relocating to?
@@user-qn5yy9gg3m I moved due to work-related reasons. Do you live in El Paso? It’s a nice city, but unless you work in government, military, or healthcare, work opportunities are scarce. Probably the last large city where you can still buy a large $250,000 home on the mountains.
@@GianVersace I work remotely so it could work that price on the mountains sound amazing
@@user-qn5yy9gg3m then go for it! I’d pay it a visit first since it’s not for everyone - it’s hot, dry, and very Hispanic. If you can get over that, you’ll have it good.
I liked the safety, mountains, Mexican food, and affordability, which outweighed all of the negatives. Also, the west side of the mountains is the best side.
@@GianVersace such great info & advice, thank you so much! I think I will pay it a visit:) The mountain view is selling me the most!
Growing up in Allentown, right next to Bethlehem they’re both geographically small cities. Using 2020 Census Tracts and aggregating just under 100 square miles, its combined population for those tracts would be over 365K. Combining their two county populations would result in nearly 700K in 715 sq miles. It is an hour from Philly, two hours from New York, less than an hour from the mountains and two hours to the beach. The area has a lot going for it. It has become a center for warehousing in the Mid-Atlantic region. And Bethlehem has many great neighborhoods and amenities.
Very good video. Thanks, Kyle!
Dayton also has a VERY cool music history. Their role in the development of funk music is astonishing, so many great bands came from that one city.
Also a big spot in the history of bluegrass music
Yeah. Also Dayton has Yellow Springs just a short 20 minute drive out of town that is delightful.
Tulsa also has a great music hitory from western swing to power pop.
just gotta say i like the juxtipisiton of second chicago school architecture and romanesque in your profile picture
Ohio Players
love these slightly opinionated videos where we get some more insight into your opinions. keep it up kyle 👍
Good stuff! I really didn't know a lot about these towns. It's interesting to see how cities transform over time with cultural and economic shifts (just look at a city like Pittsburgh or even New York and how desirable they are compared to a couple decades ago). I think a lot of post-industrial towns just outside of major metros are going to grow in popularity. For example, some of the towns growing around Boston include Framingham, Lowell, and even Providence/Pawtucket, RI.
Hopefully these cities can find the right balance between new development and historic preservation and are able to experience growth while limiting gentrification.
Like the door to door album in the background 🤙/ also thanks for the tips
Growing up in Tulsa, I was convinced I'd want to get out of the state and live anywhere else. The growth and new development, both in culture and amenities, have made me completely reconsider, and I can totally see myself moving back. Thanks for including it on your list and showing off some of the great new things it has going for it.
Spent a couple of days in Tulsa. Very clean and livable. And the best BBQ imho.
@@PrairieMidwester and fried bologna
Another great list! El Paso was great, wish I had more time there. Columbia has lagged behind the Greenville-Spartanburg grow because it's not on the I-85 corridor between juggernauts Atlanta and Charlotte, but Columbia being just a couple of hours from the Appalachians and a couple hours from Charleston make the location great.
only people that say that about El Paso are people that didnt live there long enough
I’m glad Albuquerque was not mentioned because I don’t ppl to know how good it’s about to be! Maxeon Solar, Uptown, Intel, Netflix, Rail Trail, just to name a few.
I have wondered exactly how people view ABQ after Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul. Surely people the gorgeous, cinematic desert scenes and wanted to go visit. Heck, it made me want to move back to the southwest (albeit to Tucson)
Crime is beyond bad in ABQ
Great idea for a video. Medium to small size cities are my favorite!
Honorable mention: Springfield, MA. Greater Boston is getting more and more expensive and Lowell and Worcester are taking in a lot of people that are getting priced out but still want to stay in the state. Springfield is dirt cheap but you still get Massachusetts wages and quality of life, though it's still rough around the edges in a lot of the city
Unless it's changed there were a lot of immigrants and gangs back in the day. It may be cheaper to live there but you're as far away from the water as you can be. And knowing Massachusetts,the cost of living will definitely be going up.😮
Whenever I would take Amtrak from Baltimore to Vermont there would always be a train shift that included about a 20 minute layover in Springfield. I remebered seeing the casino,....and the downtown looked like it has potential to be reborn from years of neglect.
@@chrisperry9002Far from the water? Try living in Kansas or something lol
Springfield is in a good location with its proximity to Boston and NYC, the green mountains in Vermont or the Berkshires, not that far from the ocean. The problem is it's Springfield, which is full of poverty, crime, drugs, and vandalism. Springfield is the laughing stock city of Massachusetts. Feels like it belongs in Connecticut.
@@chrisperry9002 There are still gangs, crime, and drugs there, as are other cities on this list like Memphis. As Kyle said, the list is about cities that are not on the come up now, but will be soon.
Don’t know what your beef is with immigrants though, I live in Lowell where there are many immigrants and they add a lot of value to our city. Lowell also used to be bad like Springfield a couple decades ago, but had a massive turnaround. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities for Springfield to have a Lowell or Lawrence-like comeback
And yes, the CoL will go up as more people move in and they add more amenities
I lived in El Paso for a couple of years and I actually enjoyed it. The thing about El Paso is that while the city itself might not be really cool and trendy, it's located very close to things that are. Some examples of places that are really interesting and close to El Paso are Las Cruces, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Peak, Ruidoso Ski Resort, and Cloudcroft Ski Resort. All of these places are within an hour or two drive from El Paso. One interesting thing about El Paso is that, as far as I know, it's the only city that's bisected by a mountain range. The Franklin Mountains separate the town into West El Paso and East El Paso.
How's the crime rate?
A lot more than “an hour or two” away
@@corrosivedevourer getting worse every day there are crimes now that we never had before and i lived there for 40myears i left 2 years ago and i moved to a better place to raise my kids
Haven’t been to Columbia since 1995. Sounds like I need to visit someday soon. I agree about Dayton having significant potential given it’s location.
My dad used to live just outside of Columbia in Lexington. We used to love going down and visiting him down there.
Bethlehem is also only about 80 miles from New York City and shore points in NJ. And close to skiing and other activities in the Poconos. They have a very popular music festival as well.
The region containing Port Arthur, Lake Charles, Beaumont, and Orange is the armpit of the gulf coast. It's nasty. These places are cheap because they're utterly car dependent and lack the amenities and attractions of larger cities. It's the beating heart of the energy sector, so if that means job opportunities for you, then fair enough, but I can't think of any other reason why anybody would choose to live there otherwise.
LC has casinos that draw people in from Houston and SE Texas
Truth about Fresno, I work downtown and the nightlife is nonexistent. Housing prices are soaring, but bargains can be found.
Love Columbia. Spent much of my childhood, and all of my college years there. Super underrated city. Low-key hope it stays that way until I retire to Chapin.. ;)
I hope it stays low key also, Once people find out about Columbia its all over for those of us who grew up here.
I agree with you on both Columbia and Tulsa. I've had the benefit of experiencing both with my job. I live in Greenville, SC (which is already the type of "cool city" that these could become). I spent a lot of time in downtown Columbia on an IT project. It's a great place, if not maybe way too hot in the Summer. Tulsa was my next job and the 4-5 times I travelled there, I enjoyed great food and good people. The regeneration (especially in the Blue Dome District you showed in the video) is evident, also TONS of Art Deco design. If in Tulsa, always hit the Route 66 Food Hall and grab a spicy chicken sandwich from The Chicken and The Wolf.
Definitely agree with Dayton. It’s got a lot of history and amenities from the days when NCR was based there. Plenty of opportunities for redevelopment and it’s got good bike infrastructure. Not too far from nice nature in Yellow Springs
Dayton native, grew up there but now live close by (and much prefer) living in Kettering, Ohio. Seems like they've been trying for years to make downtown Dayton and that darn river (including the part that runs in nearby West Carrollton) more appealing. More needs to be done to clean up the housing in west and east Dayton. (I own a small old house in east Dayton and am constantly getting cards in the mail from realtors who want to buy it; could be plans are actually in the works, lol). My high school was downtown and is now torn down. Any truly appealing shopping like back in the day is gone down there, in my opinion, but I'm near 70 and would say that. (There were shootings down near the gentrified area that took the lives of nine people in 2019). But okay, there is a great bike path system here in Ohio.
Hey, great album in the background! _Heartbeat City_ by The Cars is one of my "desert island" albums. Not a bad song on that entire album.
Super fun video Kyle! I like El Paso as well. Of course, I am partial to my new hometown of Albuquerque-scrappy but boy it’s an interesting place. Prices are going up though… I think it’s cool already-not sure if that’s a universal sentiment! 😅
Honestly, if Memphis can just get their crime together, I’d move there in a heartbeat! I’ve always loved the city and there are some really nice suburban communities such as Germantown and Collierville.
Memphis is near the top of the list of favorite cities I've ever visited. And their BBQ is second only to Kansas City 🍖🥩😋
Unfortunately, crime is also common in the suburbs. I lived in Collierville and one of my neighbors was shot and killed right outside his apartment in broad daylight. They have close to 400 murders per year, which are widespread throughout the city.
the crime is so bad in memphis that it has leaked into every town within an hour of there, i lived in one of those towns and watched it transform from safe to shooting and robberies on the regular
The whole City is a murder scene.
Collierville and Germantown are both not far away and different worlds too.
The new mayor has some ideas for reducing crime. More jobs and better educational opportunities are the biggest needs, IMO.
I love your videos. I have a degree in Geography myself. I can't stand heat and humidity, so most of the cities on this list are impossible for me to go to. I was thinking Providence, RI, but I think it's already cool, so wouldn't make this list. It is relatively expensive, but cheaper than Boston. Great location, close to Boston, Cape Cod, and the Ocean. Not as much snow as most of New England, (Which is a bad thing for me), but it does get 4 seasons and sometimes a good snowstorm.
New Englander here! Providence is a really great city, but the problem is housing. When I wanted to leave Boston due to the extreme housing costs, I was incredibly interested in Providence. (My office used to also be in East Providence.) The issue I had was with the lack of available non-student housing. It does exist, but it was just so much more difficult to find than student housing. I ended up moving to a different place, but I agree that Providence is great if you can find a good living option. They do exist, they were just very difficult to find when I was looking. Rhode Island in general is a great place to be, I love going there.
Another good and interesting video, thanks and Aloha from Doha.
I travel to Bethlehem 3-4 times a week for work. It’s a great city with technically 2 downtowns on both sides of the river. Nice restaurants and a great blend of very old houses along with new ones. If anyone is from the Philly or NYC area and wants to move to a city with both a small town and big city feel I highly recommend it.
Living in Fresno, I see it’s potential. Actually from Merced to Bakersfield it’s the last basin of affordable homes in California.
Very true
Im from the lehigh valley and its definitely underrated. Bethlehem and easton have been on the come-up for a while and i don't see it slowing down. Same with Allentown. Its behind Bethlehem and easton, but I still have faith that itll be booming soon. Many new yorkers, Philadelphians or suburbanites of those two cities have been moving closer to the Lehigh valley for years. Now with work from home, i think itll grow even more. You can live in a nice city with lots of nature, but still get to NYC or Philly in under two hours.
Having El Paso on the list is an interesting choice.
I can tell you for 100% certain that once you get into west Texas it is very different tgan anywhere else here.
Was in El Paso back a few years ago for an EDM festival, reminded me of a smaller version of Phoenix. Even went across into Juarez for the day. Have to say I felt very welcomed. One of the most friendliest places I’ve been.
Hooray for Bethlehem getting some love. The redevelopment of the steel plant was really a massive win for the town. Sure, it was helped financed by a casino, but the way it is used year-round as a truly unique location for so many concerts, festivals and events is such a boon for the area. The campus also has a museum of industry to educate on the history of the Area.
I was surprised by Bethlehem. I had to drive through it a few weeks ago, and it seemed like a pleasant place to live.
I was very happy to see El Paso on the list as my husband and I are looking to move there 😊
El Paso is underrated, it's affordable and the people there are very nice.
Yes! I just moved back to Dayton. It’s got further to go, but it’s so affordable and tons of fun new stuff appearing downtown. It’s close enough to get a high paying job in Cincinnati suburbs (30 min drive) but live with cheap housing costs.
Interesting list. How did you arrive to your conclusion about these cities?
Augusta Ga. is busy, clean, safe, affordable and people are very friendly and warm almost everywhere you go.
Thanks for including Fresno. It’s getting better and there’s many of us who enjoy the area.
Who wants to live in most of these spots. I’m glad my city isn’t mentioned. It is a beautiful place surrounded by mountains.
Very nice. Thank you. (you are the Dude!...)
Awesome video, as someone who is originally from Memphis and left I can say that unless and until the city gets its insane crime under control, no chance anyone is moving there in droves.
I lived in Texas for a long time and El Paso is a super cool city that is def underrated not only in the U.S but in Texas
Sadly, I think you’re correct about Memphis.
Crime will never be under control in Memphganistan. It’s going to get worse and worse
If the high speed rail ever finishes
Kyle, most of the cities you reference are upgrading their highways/major roads too. Dayton I-75, Memphis I-55, I-22/US-78, I-69, Bethlehem I-78 (west of ABE) Columbia I-20. Roads make for increased commerce and happier commuters. Thx!
A friend of mine lived in Fresno and couldn't wait to move away. Frequent dust storms and sprawl drove them away.
Pittsburgh is doing well!
Already cool!
Aww snap! I thought that Pueblo, CO would be on the list. So much potential, and if it’s ever connected to Denver by rail…. 🤷♀️
Pueblo is my favorite city on the Front Range.
I think Pueblo, Cañon City, Florence area is the sweet spot in Colorado.
Yes, there are some issues, but I loved the time I spent there.
I agree with the potential of that beautiful town... as soon as they manage to reduce the crime rate.
Haven’t been to Fresno yet, but holy moly @7:40 I had no idea it was so close to mountains like those!
It's really not. It was the high angle and zoom lens that made it appear that way. Most days in the summer you can maybe see a bit of the mountains in the distance.
Well done. Thank you.
As a Californian, the two things about Fresno that make it undesirable is how hot it can get and how far it is from SF/LA. 3 hours both ways.
When High Speed rail comes, that will no longer be an issue. You folks Commute 4 hours (2hrs from and to work) anyways lol. Driving 2 hrs in LA is a "decent" commute. I know people coming from Covina to LA everyday - In traffic (as always!) thats easily 2 hours both ways - and thats just LA county! The high speed rail will make Fresno 2 hr commute either way. And you can get a decent house for 1/3rd what you get in Covina, let alone LA city proper. and Lets not even talk about how over priced it is to be even within 60 min of San Francisco. Stockton CA prices are Ridiculous to live in Baltimore with Palm Trees lol
Bethlehem is already pretty cool but I agree it will grow. You didn't mention the possibility of Amtrak service being considered from the Lehigh Valley to NYC. If that happens it will be a game changer.
Columbia is a great city. Beautiful riverfront great for biking. And the Soda City market is very nice. We drive down from the upstate sometimes to check it out.
The first city that comes to my mind is Reno! I think it will become the next “Salt Lake City” - a great city for people wanting the outdoors that just doesn’t have enough water to support its growing population
Yep Reno is up swinging greatly, has a lower avg age, close to nature, lots of businesses switching states.
I graduated high school in Merced (about an hour north of Fresno) & then lived in Bakersfield (about an hour south)...yes it is hot in summer, but I don't think it deserves the bad reputation people frequently cite (even here).
Lived in Bakersfield for 8+ years. I liked it a lot. It’s 90 minutes to LA and the downtown is underrated. Loved the trail system. A good place to live, better now with crosstown parkway.
Mooresville, NC is only a town, but the population went from just 9.000 in 1990 to over 50,000 in 2020. It's at a great location and has a lot of cool things to offer, esp. on Lake Norman.
Sounds like it got very well discovered.
Mooresville is the headquarters of Lowe's Home Improvement and with the increased growth of Charlotte, people have found their way up 77 to find more affordable housing. Unfortunately, the town is getting more and more built out and the infastructure is not able to deal with the massive growth
@@Boomerlake
im from selma, ca (slightly south of fresno) clicked on the video as im currently looking toward tulsa. Unfortunately fresno suffers greatly from failings of local and state governance. I was born and raised here and had a deep connection with my city. This past year i suffered incredible losses with my business due to said issues and ultimately came to the realization that CA and by extension, fresno, doesn't want businesses or anyone remotely business focused. Meanwhile tulsa is incredibly welcoming towards me and anyone wit ha similar vision and that is really refreshing.
I went to Memphis and it was so run-down where I stayed East-northeast of downtown. I didn’t get the chance to visit the tourist areas, but if Memphis does become “cool” I imagine these newcomers are getting very good deals.
They got a long way to go though, it was a rough city.
I've had a similar experience in Memphis. Was glad to leave.
The most ugliest ghetto city in America
You went to Memphis and stayed on the westside (in Arkansas)? That’s like going to St Louis but staying in East St Louis, IL. Next time stay on the east side.
@@cutthemixmaster7981 Embarrasing. I meant east-northeast. Berclair specifically. I have no idea why I put west.
As a Memphian thank you for bringing positive words where I only hear negatives. I believe that there is lots of potential here.
I've always enjoyed Memphis, no lie. I live in Lexington, KY, and have family in Texas, so when traveling, Memphis is a must to pass through. Any time we've stayed there or visited places there, people are very friendly and welcoming. I think it gets a bad reputation because of stereotypes and certain areas of the city.
Memphis is horrible! Bring a flashlight! Crime is rampant. Stay off of 240! Wolfchase… ruined. Suburbs… riddled with displaced Shelby County folks trying to destroy the others.
A friend of mine is from there and I've gotten to see way more of the city than just the well-known parts, and there's been noticeable improvements in many areas. It seems like if much of the city gets more popular that a lot of people that get priced out might go to West Memphis, AR. I've noticed West Memphis getting kinda rough. But as mean as it sounds, that could benefit Memphis if some of its poverty moved across state lines.
@@GeographyKing Fingers Crossed! I hope you’re right! Really enjoy your channel.
Definitely, I thought he wasn't a fan. I feel like I remember a more negative video. Great city though, lots of potential
Thanks for another great video. I was surprised to see my hometown of Columbia mentioned. You are right, not many people consider it cool because it’s not Charleston or Greenville but I think Columbia has a lot going for it. Lots to do outside year round. The growth of the university has really done a lot to improve things downtown and surrounding areas. When went to school there 30+ years ago, students stayed on campus but that has changed. Hope you guys do consider moving back.
Nothing could make Columbia SC cool. Too much of an ignorant bumpkin vibe. Cheap yes cool no.
People don’t consider Columbia cool? I am from Greenville. I am now in my mid-30’s but when I was younger we would get down to Columbia often and always had a good time; much better party scene than Greenville, so we thought it was cool. For me now, honestly, it’s just a slow-down on my way to Charleston, but my priorities have changed. Hope Columbia gets its due respect. Cheers.
We left right about the time the riverfront/old prison was being redeveloped and Main St was mostly empty at night. My wife is from Lexington, so she's seen it go from small town to busy suburb in 30 years. But being a Carolina Girl, she misses being close to both the beach and mountains, so there's a decent chance we move back but who knows for sure.
@@GeographyKing my wife is from Lexington, that is where we live now. Small world. Next time you are in town, go through the Red Bank area, hard to believe the growth it has seen in just a few years.
There’s a Bucees coming to Huber Heights north of Dayton OH…we’ve been going to the Ham Radio convention near Dayton for years…except the COVID years…
On the geography side, it would be cool to have a breakdown of the names smallest-to-largest for hillocks/hills-all the way up to Mtns and everything in between & then list the same for bodies of water (ponds, coves, lagoons, streams, rivers, etc). There's lots of interesting names for different types of geographic features that's good to know & certainly fall under the purview of your channel. Yes I'm a 🤓
Baltimore, especially as DC keeps spreading more and more
Lake Charles is rough, their downtown is okay but it's pretty tiny. I really hope Memphis can take off, it's pretty rough now but the bones are their for greatness to return
Kyle, great geography episode as always.
Thank you!
Thanks for an interesting video, Kyle. It would be useful to include discussion of the climate of those cities, the potential impact of climate change, and availability of water.
For example, Fresno summers are incredibly hot and the American Lung Association says Fresno has the unhealthiest air of any metro in the US. Too much ag chemicals in the air plus wildfire smoke from fires on the coast or Sierras. The heat and fires will be worse in the future. A 20- or 30-y.o. wanting to move somewhere and put down roots should consider what the climate might be like in 2030, 2040, 2050.