I moved to a small town in the desert after three years of unenployment. I was planning on moving off the grid and surviving by my own, but I ended up getting a job as a music teacher. Not even 6 months since I moved here and I'm already buying my own plot of land.
I just moved back to my small hometown from Seattle. Got a job that’s higher paying than my last job in the city and have several extra hours a week without all the traffic. Also, so much less expensive in many areas. Wahoooo!
exactly what i did as well. spent 7 years in 2 big cities. Traffic was only getting worse. I couldn't imagine having life like this forever that i only commute. Now for the price of monthly rent i can slowly renovate my old house in a little town and work mostly online from home, start my own business so i don't have to get up at 6 am anymore to catch a packed bus to get somewhere (because you won't park your car in the center), same thing back, and that's how life goes by. Leave the wheel to the hamsters. I'd rather have time for myself than highly earning job, mortgages, nice house and car. I can do with just ok job and old house, but relatively big freedom other people, especially with kids and loans and corporate employment don't have
From the Tri Cities area and can definitely say it’s got everything Seattle has plus dirt cheap rent. Money is starting to come in a lot faster though, who knows what will happen here in the next decade
Excellent talk this! It resonates with me very much. I'm from South Africa and our economy is a fraction that of the USA... I've always thought to myself one of the ways we can grow our economy is to end our over-reliance on a few of our big cities and stimulate the many prospect cities across the country. Thank you very much for the encouragement and firing me up again.
Im a millennial, 30, dutch/Amsterdam. I managed/coached/taught gen z and millennials for 8 years or so. There is some difference, yes. I personally found it easier to manage gen z. But my colleague's and other managers (millennials & gen x), had way more trouble coaching gen z. Currently, I'm a freelancer, but never fully figured out why that was the case.
@D. Right. I'm like the oldest of gen z, 21, born 1998. I only have 3 years in the real world. Not gonna have much, but I'm not doing bad lol. We're just getting started
> Talks about the opportunity > Says it's easier to find a job where's a lower supply Yeah, good luck finding an IT job in a small town, when there's a vacancy open one time a year and the pay is half of a one you get in a "metropolis"
In other fields, it could be different. When I was living a small town, HR people were making as much as Engineers. Also, most state jobs have the same pay statewide and some are located in cheap cost of living small towns. State Troopers in California are one example.
Gotta say, I live in Birmingham AL, and have jobs permanently thrown at me for my skillset. So does everybody else in my industry here, it just depends on the industry. (Software engineer)
If you have a good IT Job already, you could probably move wherever you want and work remotely.. depends what kind of work of course. My company has developers and project managers all over the world.
Cool speech. Disagree with one thing : the fact that less millennials migrate to big cities in the past 6 years do not bring rent price down. Rent is continue to raise and millennials simply can't afford it, therefore not as many are moving.
Its pretty normal actually. I'm a millennial that has to hire construction hands. Ill hire an older person over someone my age or younger every chance I get. Some millennial have a great work ethic... We are not the norm though.
The whole "lazy millenial" stereotype just came from boomers who grew up in a world where working for a job you hated was considered noble. Millenials don't want to adhere to that mindset anymore and want to do more fulfilling work.
@@jhart1979 that's the real point / problem. It's fine doing a humble job if it gets you were you want to be...but nowadays that's not possible anymore...
@@knucklehoagies The thing is that every generation after was actually raised to follow their passions a bit more. It's weird that generations think that they came up with ideas all by themselves and that people before them didn't instead of knowing that a lot of is trickle down and a switch in parenting generation to generation. Millennials may WANT to do that but as with the generations before them they may have to do what they have to do in order to get by until they can make other moves. We're not getting away from people working jobs that most don't love until you can finish up making high tech robots to take over the rest.
Damn I thought he meant like real small towns to move in. That’s where I wanna go with my family. The way he described “Prospect Cities” is exactly my town and I have to move out eventually because of rising prices. These cities seems better and cheap for these rich millennials that live in nyc but it getting too pricey for us poor people Who been here for decades, atleast my family and my neighbors, I’m only 21 in college. Like literally there has been new condos being built around town in recent years that on average 4K a month! When he talked about gentrification in big cities I wish he realized that it can happen in “Prospect Cities” too.
Read my recent post...i went on the road for a month...town to town...found a goodly number i could live in...same problem in every small town...no rentals....waiting lists...overpriced old homes for sale....not significantly cheaper....the old assumption that a small town in Kansas will be cheap...is about 20 years out of date...and if you found a rental....great 60 year old crapper house with no garage or parking...depressing....people are moving...doubt they will stay.
Ok so maybe it’s because I’m French but 2 comments : 1. It’s the most cliche speech I ever heard in TEDx.... millennials like coffee shops and to have an impact while living next to a lake... not sure that defines this generation 2. Prospect cities is nothing new... it’s a concept that exists in urbanism for decades now... so instead of pretending to invent a new concept why not referring to research
Prospect cities aren't new, but for a country the size of the US, concentrating talent and jobs in 2-4 cities can have very negative effects on the country overall
Mr H, I think you missed his point. This speech doesn’t seem to help you. As for me, I got a job in a small town and it changed my life. The relationships are more authentic and the work culture has more opportunities for growth. There is great shopping and healthcare within 2-3 hours drive.
The problem that you run into in a lot of these smaller cities is that many do not want any “millennial innovations” or anything that might change their established way of life. You might be able to meet the mayor for coffee once a week, but local old money will have him or her on speed dial and if those people aren’t comfortable with these disruptive ideas, then you will have a steep uphill battle getting them going. My suggestion is focus on places with at least a city/community college nearby, they tend to be more open to change.
Here's a news flash. Your almighty "millennial innovations" and "disruptive ideas" are no more appreciated in large metro areas than they are in small communities. Keep your "innovation" and "disruption" and knock yourself out with it, but don't impose it on others. When you get a bit older you'll find things like inner peace and mutual respect for your neighbor to be far more rewarding.
@@ramonalejandrosuare You're making something out of nothing? People have gated communities for the same reason you lock your car, or your home at night before going to bed.
@@freeroamer9146 There's a distinct difference between putting up a barrier over one's privately owned property and an entire neighborhood with public spaces like sidewalks, roads, and parks. The fact you don't get that clear difference only makes my point for me.
@@ramonalejandrosuare You don't have a point. Only an idea. That's why you make reference to, but cannot define it. Ramon, stop thinking like your mother and think like a man.
UnfinishedRiot well then say “rich move to small towns, immediately price locals out” because most millennials aren’t rich and are just trying to find a place affordable to live.
@@suadela87 that's true, but millennials from urban areas are more likely to have a higher level of income than millennials in rural areas. More competition for land is gonna increase prices, now rural millennials can't afford a wortht offer
I said “big cities are becoming obsolete” giving my senior thesis in architecture school a few years ago. I designed what you could call a prospect city around the principles of autarky and sustainability but I conceptualized it as stamp to repeatedly place in the middle of nowhere to make kind of an instant city at a small scale that grew its own food utilizing aquaponics, aeroponics and automation. It was a failure because I spent way too much time researching the concepts involved than designing it.
Tell me more... can I access it somewhere? Whats population, footprint and resources needed? What services are included, municipal property needed and so on?
Ive had the same idea! Well similar, i mean i want to design my own city in harmony and balance. What school did you go to? Which program did you like it? I was looking at one in Miami but idk about the area. You should pick back up your project and finish it to your liking even if the class ended! You didn’t get enough tome to do it all. Its not your fault. Press on! Would you make a video and explain what you learned and put together? I wana hear all about it ❣️ be my friend ❣️
I think with increased globalization and the ability to work from home/anywhere will open up the possibilities of moving from city centers to either prospect cities, or rural areas. Millennial's have been profoundly effected by the recession, so I feel our generation will be more susceptible to the financial advantages of living in less populated city centers. The frills generally don't attract us as much. However, personally, the reason my husband and I have not taken advantage of prospect cities is because our families are in the city. The cost of childcare is much too expensive to relocate regardless of affordable housing and upward mobility in our careers. I think this is a challenge that many millennial's are facing. More-so a choice we are facing of what is more important to us, our finances or our family?
I guess but this isn't the first recession. We've gone through a whole depression in the past. I live 30 minutes from a big city and childcare is half and the cost of my house was 1/2 to 1/3 of what you get there for the size and the yard space. It's pretty doable if you like the proximity to things to do and a bigger job pool. The thing other friends did is chop down a lot of expenses prior to having their 2 kids so that they could live on one salary and waited until their 30s. They live in the burbs and she hasn't worked in 6 years so they pocketed all of that childcare money and have been doing just fine.
It's not for everyone. If you feel like you can make a change in a small town, then more power to you. Everyone doesn't have the privilege of just upping and moving to a small town. And half of us who live in major metropolitan areas are able to live below our means and be just fine. I'm good where I am. It's all about what works best for you.
A lot of cities just don't have opportunities. If your city has a lot of entry level positions, that's great and should be advertised, but that's just not the case for a lot of smaller cities.
how about leaving the USA? that's a much better solution. the key is to move to a small country. within a small country are even smaller towns and villages, where people farm, live off the land, ride bikes and barter.
I want to say this too, I moved from a small town to a big city; the buzz and the activity for me in a motivating factor. I admit, it’s a machine here but I want to be a part of it for my own success here
Live in Mobile, AL and making 90k with a career in a booming logistics field. Small cities are usually built around trade hubs or military technology. Don't think you can't find a job; that's just what they tell you. The best part is I'm free lance; I work when I want to. Also still have another 50k year before I'm tapped out. Feels good man :)
You are very lucky . I grew up in Mobile but live in Atlanta now. I am afraid to go back to Mobile because there are not a lot of good jobs there, especially in tech which was what I want to work in
As someone living in a prospect city (how it was defined here, pretty much to a T), I very much enjoyed this. Cities like mine need more millennials and more educated folks, and there is a ton of opportunity here for them, if they'd only really open their mind to the possibility. I have friends who live in a larger city about 30 minutes to the North of here that would not even consider for a second moving here. I keep a diary of ideas I have for this city, both ideas for government and for businesses and startups I'm currently working on starting a local blog to get these ideas out and attract more people here. The only reason I don't act on many of my business ideas is because I just started a family, so stability is more important to me right now. In 5-10 years I may hop out of my current stable job to pursue some of these other projects. Gaining a foothold in a smaller city I would debate is easier than a large city because you have less competition, and it's easier to find novel ideas and business concepts.
Live in a big city u need 3 jobs to rent a studio apartment with a roomate, a small to medium size town u can work one job rent a condo style house, while getting paid more. And u might say u know fun by going to a club and drinking over priced beers, but u don’t know what fun is tell ur around a bond fire drinking telling stories and riding atv and utv in the desert. Then 3 weeks later u continue to meet all the cool new friends u found at the get together because ur city or town is small enough to meet up out of the blue
Many of the myths are true also... many millennial reject blind consumerism & are determined to make healthier choices for our lives & the planet.. we are pioneering the green & organic movements, spending less & traveling more.
Ya'll give yourselves a lot of credit but you tend to talk about millenials as a monolith. You're not all in the same boat. You're not all college grads. You're not all living in big cities and obtaining even mid level jobs. You also have a generation or two in between the boomers and you all that no one seems to mention much.
How is traveling more pioneering the green movement? Air travel is pretty much the single most damaging thing you can do wrt to the environment. Not saying u should never travel, but I hear this bit of cognitive dissonance from many young people. Talking about something (being green, saving the environment) is not doing.
Love to Learn by mentioning travel I was intending to highlight that millennial a have a broader cultural and environmental awareness than previous generations
You know, I thought this guy made a great argument. I want to go onto a similar path politically as he does, and I currently live in chciago so I felt like this was relatable to me. I considered what he said, but then thought to myself, why would I want to leave a diverse city with so many different types of people, languages, and ideas? Why leave numerous friends and plenty of choice of who to have in my life, and job opportunities that may be more competitive, but will always be more abundant. If I were to move to a smaller town and hate my job, for example, I would immediately hate my decision and would then have to move again if there wasn’t a similar job. Chicago is very liveable in certain areas that are also close to the city center, like Bridgeport, where a 3 bedroom 1 bath house can be as cheap as $1,200. I don’t know about NY and LA, but I think many major cities in America can be affordable to live and work in. I know chicago isn’t affordable for some, but is very reasonable in my opinion. Small cities sound great for many, but I think that his argument doesn’t have quite as much substance as I first thought. He moved back and wanted to help the people, but if you’re from a major city like me, then why would you move somewhere to help that community? Why not stay and help? I can understand for the short term, but what about the long term? One point personally is that I like fast pace packed environments, I would hate to live somewhere with a boring atmosphere where no one goes out at night other than to a handful of bars playing older music. But that’s a bit of a lesser point. More importantly and if think most breaking for his argument is the fact that he doesn’t use any concrete data to back yo his claims. They make sense to me in theory, but quite simply wages are not only the result of “simply supply and demand”. If this was the case, I could simply argue that although Chicago has a huge supply of labor, we also have a huge supply of Jobs. Because of this we can have very high paying jobs with a higher net income than smaller cities. I don’t know if his claim is wrong, but there’s nothing he uses to indicate that is correct other than just sounding plausible. Remember, he’s not in business, and never has been, he’s in Politics making an argument for a small city that he represents. It’s not bad, but just something to consider when listening to his ted talk.
Wage set by supply and demand is a classic model in economics. The idea is that a shortage of workers means higher competition between companies for said workers. The companies then raise wages to get workers. Because of the higher wages more and more people train for that job, thus creating supply. Now workers need to compete, which may or may not lower wages. This model is seldom used for whole cities, but rather for observing specific branches of industry in a particular region.
My husband and I are leaving our big city (Auckland New Zealand, 1.7m people) to a beautiful lake town with 75k people next month. We have a son so it was hard to leave family, but we came to all the same conclusions as you mentioned in this video :)
Chattanooga TN is a post industrial city. Enough millennials have already discovered Chattanooga that it may not be a prospect city for much longer. Two hour from Atlanta. 2 1/2 hrs from Nashville, tucked between cities with fast growing populations spilling over into Chattanooga.
I think this is decent advice, but it's very situational. I'm in a career where there aren't a ton of places I can pick up and move to, and many people with advanced degrees similarly can't just throw a dart on a map and move/start working there.
Maybe not for a specific IT job, but if someone with an advanced medical or trade degree threw a dart anywhere in North America, they could find a well-paying job almost anywhere. - especially in small to mid-sized cities.
I live in Baltimore but my company is based in Frederick, MD. A lot of the stuff he’s saying about cities that size rings true from my anecdotal experience
Millennials gotta quit believing the lies a lot of rural and small towns are fairly diverse in their culture. Its not the 1950s in rural Alabama anymore. Many rascists have turned into loving grandparents to their biracial grand children. We're definitely in a new age.
I hate small/medium cities, I’m a hustler. People in smaller cities don’t move with urgency, I hate owning a car because I hate driving, and job markets lack diversity. Nashville is segregated. The city is booming, but it’s booming mostly for a specific group of people.
@C Burgess Let me use a better term, "redlining", and Yes, redlining exists in Nashville. Great city, but it is what it is. I'm born and raised in Nashville, I've seen what they do to people that live closer to the city that rents their property, I've seen when they tried everything in their power to get me and my family out of my house because I wouldn't sell it. All because I live closer to the city.
He doesn't understand that "just move to a smaller city" is a privilege afforded to few groups of people. In my state, I am safer in the large metropolitan area and my socioeconomic status fares better on average.
I've lived in a small Ohio village all my life. I'm always shocked at the prices of homes in larger cities. I didn't realize until I visited a city that you have to pay more for a home to move away from the crime areas. This does not even exist in a small village. I live in a two story 2400 square foot century home with a wrap around porch that I paid 99k for in 2011. I do like the city though...to visit. I can see why a young single person would want to live there. I'm not sure why you would raise a child there.
I've notice more people moving to my small village. We welcome it as many of us villages don't even have grocery stores anymore. More people...more commerce.....until we become the city we moved here to get away from....lol
Wrong!!! The Generation X was the first to be worse off then their parents. It is just that Gen Y and Gen Z get all the attention. Gen X was and largely still pretty much ignored.
I’m 21 years old and grew up in a classic small town...The quiet is nice, by there was absolutely NO “opportunity” growing up. There’s a reason small towns never get any bigger..everyone leaves.
And no, living in “small towns” doesn’t cost less. There are trade offs. For example: you WILL need a car to commute. You WILL pay high property taxes. And you will pay more for property in general. Nobody actually wants to live in a big city unless they’re a chef, actor, actress, or some type of celebrity.
For real. The city I live in compared to big city is cheaper but not cheap for what I get from it. Driving long commutes for decent paying jobs being one big trade off. Wish I moved to the country.
My town had 1,040 people in 2017. Got an ethanol plant, welding/fab shop, 2 tire shops, truck stop with a truck shop, 3 trucking companies, grocery store, dollar general, hospital, car dealer, 2 seed dealers, I'm pretty sure you could live here without a car. I bought a pick-up in May. I've put 1800 miles on it. As long as you're not afraid of dirt and sweat, and have a bit of mechanical aptitude, someplace like this, you'll never starve.
He does have some actually valid points. I, like some of the people in the comments section are at first skeptic about “finding a job” in these prospect cities. However, he does talk about getting support and launching a business (might be red ocean in bigger cities) - which if thought about carefully is much bigger opportunity than a job. Still, the thought about migrating is a difficult one. We’re used to what we grew up with. Great talk though, will keep an eye out.
I went to college in a small rural town, and it was awful. I know "Prospect Cities" aren't exactly rural, but the small town had that urban core and post-industrial history. Still sucked.
a lot of people still go to nyc and la in particular cos they want to be/do their very best, and compete against the very best. nothing wrong with that per se. the internet has leveled that out at least somewhat. depending on your field, you can go head to head with someone in new york or tokyo from cheyenne wyoming. tho really, it's still all intensified if you're in the same city with them.
@@Elizabeth.Holiday I think both are true. Im glad I moved to a big city as a young person because I have grown so much and become so much stronger. But I also don't see myself living here for my whole life. I see myself settling down and raising kids somewhere quieter and calmer.
@@Elizabeth.Holiday I didn't read it like that. I feel like living in a big city (I was born and raised in NYC) and it's a crabs in a barrel mentality. There's a difference between applying to a Job with 40 other prospects and applying for a job and 1500 others apply. You have to work smarter, not just harder and that includes putting yourself in a position to succeed - and sometimes that means not having to compete with "the best" for scraps.
there are a lot of people who are simply not happy in cities, don't want to live there. no problem here; the last thing new york needs is for more people to move there. it's already expensive enough as it is. there are country people who move a couple hundred miles, or couple thousand miles from where they initially grew up, both to avoid the suffocation effect; as well as to test themselves; and force themselves to stretch and strive. they might still be in a small pond with a largely similar (preferred) lifestyle, but it's a different small pond where they don't have their childhood friends to run to for everything -or to remind them of That Time in Third Grade every ten minutes. different people need different challenges. the key is how well you're doing, whether you're thriving or not. what end result is one getting?
Can we keep the city political attitudes in the cities please? Please don’t try to move to small towns and then vote for the same policies that made the big cities hard to live in.
I’m an older mill and this is isn’t rocket science. I benefited so much during the housing collapse in 08 it’s what my life is propped up from. While it sucks many lost but I watched everyone around me take bad deals while I sat on my hands living easy. Just wait kiddos. There will be another failure coming so save your pennies. If it doesn’t completely plunge us back to the dark ages you’ll reap the benefits.
Very true. A lot of older millennials bought really cheap homes in 09'-14 in smaller cities and they are killing it today. My younger Millenial brother bought his home for 50k in 10' and it is now worth 150k.
Someone need to make a research/yt videos on this matter. What is the actual job opportunity of the prospect city. What field is doing okay, what is great, etc. It should have categorizes of prospect cities by demographic, available jobs and earnings, and the prices in those cities. I am milenials myself, and I think we should consider the possibility that it might be better for us in the end, but we just couldn't see it the way things are now.
Well I don't know about where you are from, but in Michigan that doesn't seem to be true. When I think of small cities all across Michigan, like Traverse City (up north), Ypsilanti (greater Detroit), Marquette (Upper peninsula), etc. they seem to be very open. Again, maybe it's just a Michigan thing, but I think it's a stereotype that isn't necessarily true.
I had to take less than minimum wage job as an accountant, because I don't have enough working experience to get hired or start on my own (local legislation). How am I supposed to own a car, have a mortgage and spend like there is no tomorow and save for retirement? This is Kobayashi Maru of home economics!
I like the different perspective, but I disagree with much of what he has to say. First off, I don't think he has spent much time outside of the Eastern seaboard. There really aren't many towns like the ones he's advocating for outside of New England. Also, there is a big cultural component to this. Millennials, because many of them grew up in this context, realize the American dream of a suburban home and an auto-centric lifestyle is overrated. This sounds mostly like a ploy to resuscitate struggling small towns. I'm sorry, but redistributing millennials to these places is not the way to address this issue.
haverhill mass is basically just another neighborhood in metro boston. he has not done anything radical or earth shattering. while i don't think millenials want to live hardcore farm life, i could see a lot of them coming around to enjoy smaller town life if there were decent internet, which is something rural areas struggle with. it's hard to get benefits of 2020s economy via 1990s dialup, whether one is a townie or farmer ten miles out of said town. suspect the towns of 50,000 to 500,000 will benefit most from what this guy is talking about.
He forgets what makes but cities appealing in the first place. Do millennials want to be "the big fish in the small pond?" Do they want to live above a coffee shop if that's the only one in town? Is it cheating to say the city is walkable when you can alwalk from one end to the other in 30min? Oh and where have rent prices gone down again?
Oh good he means cities of 40000+. We country folk are hoping the city folk don't find out how great and peaceful it is out here. Thank you for living in cities so we can keep our peace and quiet.
I'm 28 from Los Angeles would like to leave, too expensive/no opportunities since companies are going to smaller/cheaper cities/less taxes ect. I met plp from Northern CA moving to LA because of high rent that's no way to live lol. I'm thinking of going to the South !!!!!!
bruh you just "leave" and then but in the most expensive state to live in. Midwest, Southeast, Idaho, Montana, ect.. I live in indiana and pay 675/moth for 1bedrm/1bath apartment
If you leave California, leave the California attitude there too. To many people migrate away from California and bring the idiotic California personality with them. The Midwest accepts anyone but if you move to a rural community realize we don't like or want city life.
Dustin Knipfer It’s a sad reality, Californians and New Yorkers bring with them the same mentality that ruined their cities. They continue to vote for parties that increase taxes, increase immigration etc.
As someone who lives in the South, most of the jobs you're gonna find here are at least mid-tier; it's hard to find entry level work down South. Most of the hype about the South are professionals coming from more expensive cities who are already experienced that want to get married/buy a house/start a family etc. If you're trying to get a lower tier position, it's a lot more niche unless you work in tech.
This is easy to say, but a serious challenge to implement. Most jobs dont pay as high in rural areas. I work in a field where remote work is a possibility, so technically that solves that problem, BUT, we dont have high speed internet access everywhere in rural america. Thats a serious liability for someone doing remote work. So how about this? We start fixing this country. We start upgrading it for the modern age we are already immersed in. And then sure, ill gladly move. I hate cities.
Ohhh and here we are we need to change the way our small towns/cities vote... You know I’m so glad y’all wanna come and save us all from our selves. So so glad that the people born in my town have gotten pushed out because people from Chicago keep coming here. So so glad that our state rep is now also from Chicago and not my town. So so glad that because of our population jump we now share a voting district with Chicago when we’re 2 hours away I feel so represented and loved. Stay where you are you made poor choices live with em.
"Prospect cities" sound great, but landowners know about the prospects and often preemptively raise prices before a notable influx of people destroying most of the prospects.
Depends where you are I guess. I moved for a job. In my experience small towns/cities are boring. People come and go and it's hard to have long term friendships. To be with friends and family you will have to travel more. Companies don't care about you and moving is a big commitment to make for a job that can be gone at any time. You can end up laid off in a town with a mortgage. This whole talk seems to be about developing a career. Most people I know agree that when you get older you care about careers less.
Havent even watched the video yet but I agree! I just moved to a small town to owning my 1st house with finished basement, 2 floors, finished attic, a yard, 2 level garage. 1 owner built in 1949 all brick house and my mortgage is LESS than most people would pay for a single room in cali. If you're a content creator you can live anywhere in the US and make money. Also there are now hiring signs everywhere. They cant get enough people to work! It's not that You cant afford to live, you just cant afford to live next to the beach!
I was thinking about this today another great migration in America, but I think it'll be pointless once high speed rail eventually comes to America people will be working in places with low rent but high wages say like you wok in Chicago but catch an hour train to live in southern Illinois where the cost of living is 1/4 that's not possible now because that's a 6hr drive but with high speed rail it's just one hour but maybe I been drinking to much coffee
The car insurance industry makes too much money for high speed rail to ever take off here. Money and industry outweigh common sense and practicality in pretty much every sector. Planning for public projects is not a priority here unfortunately.
I thought this would be something a bit different. I’ve been trying to find people who want to “take over” a village in Europe but am struggling with finding creative and motivated people. I feel like people are so disconnected, living in big cities. We can’t have gardens, we can’t have space, we can’t have really important things. But right now, all the younger people are LEAVING these places for the big cities, and leaving ghost towns. Why can’t we encourage young people to go start their own businesses in little towns, start something new.... and not cram into “tiny houses” in really what I would call a big city. I thought maybe you would be encouraging this type of entrepreneurship and courage, to go to the REALLY small places and make them liveable and desirable again. How about we do that, rather than letting these places fall apart? In Sicily there’s a town selling homes that have been abandoned, for 1€. In Spain you can get a whole little hamlet of houses for the price of a house elsewhere. And the quality of life in a small place where you can know your neighbors and grow your own food....!!! Come on. Let’s do it.
As a French person living in rural South of France, I think your message sounds shallow. I don't mean any offense but that's just a feeling I have since so many Americans and British have already "taken over" much of the area where I live... These foreigners live a different life since as an American you are very rich compared to the average French person... especially in rural context. And I often see these foreigners just live between themselves in a para-society, which to me seems wrong, if you wanna live with Americans just travel to America lol. My two cents living in an area that has been taken over...
@@ConstanceBrown Plenty of foreigners have gone to America to call it their home as well. There are pockets of French, of Dutch, of Chinese, etc etc. People have always crossed borders and oceans seeking a better life than what they have where they are. Some of my ancestors fled their own country (well, they were banished and threatened with death or imprisonment. One returned and was sold to the French and died as a mercenary soldier) and eventually came to the US. The history of every country on earth is one of migration from other places. At one point, most people living in French didn't even speak French. I don't know about the average French person. I am self-employed, I don't have an employer or a retirement fund, no pension, I can't get unemployment if my income dries up, and living in another country, depending on my visa and the language, finding a salaried job is hard if not impossible. I have to create my own work. My friends are mostly in the same boat. The ones that dream about a better life include a self-employed friend who does tarot card readings and other odd jobs while hoping to earn enough money to someday start a bed and breakfast in a Victorian mansion somewhere. Another is a student with barely enough money for food, who is hoping to perhaps continue his studies in Spain. Another is a mother to two young children who is divorcing her husband and wishes for a safer place for her children to grow up, where she can afford rent and maybe also start her own business. Her dream was to move to Portugal based on her husband's nationality, but Covid threw a wrench in their finances, and the houses in Portugal have climbed in price beyond what she can afford, and she has given up this dream for the moment. My life in France consisted of moving every year, trying to get into a better, safer apartment, closer to Paris, because landlords wouldn't rent to a self-employed foreigner. I ended up in the suburbs, taking the RER and metro into the city, spending so much time in transit and rushing back home all the time to let my dog out. When money got tight, I moved back to the US so I could work, with the plan of returning, which I did. Then Covid hit, and I ended up in the Netherlands because of my Dutch boyfriend. I couldn't afford rent in France anymore and ended up living with him and his family. After 3 years here, still feeling isolated, I am desperate to live among English-speakers. I want to go to a book store and be able to read a book. I want to pick up a menu and read it without asking "what is this?" or holding up my phone to translate it. I want to communicate with people. But Dutch is not coming easy to me. However, we can't move back to the US. My boyfriend does not want to live there, because of the healthcare system (I already know two people who were slapped with nearly $100,000 of bills their insurance refused to pay), the guns, and the fight over women's rights. Not to mention prices. I left Los Angeles because I could not afford to stay. And even in my home town, the prices have soared, because the wealthy from NYC have come down and bought houses. All I want is to afford a decent life and be near friends. I am researching England, since I do have friends there, and it would be a compromise for my boyfriend. The history of the world has been filled with people moving from one end of the earth to the other. From city to city, country to country, and bringing family and friends with them. That is never going to change. The UK certainly seems to be trying to stop it though. ha. Part of their issue is that so many Brits live in places where they never interact with foreigners, they're afraid of them, and they voted for Brexit to keep them out. Which hurt so many more people than it helped. Just because they were afraid of the unknown. Afraid of change, afraid of people who were different to them. I personally would LOVE to live in a place where there were a range of communities around me. I might live in the one that makes me feel the most comfortable, but I'd rather be surrounded by variety than just a sea of people who looked, thought, and spoke the same.
This is pretty much great depression generation version 2. My great grandfather moved into small city after 1929, and he is lucky enough to buy house, building farms and poultry until my father moved into big city for high paying job at finance office but he told me to settle down in some little village for the sake of adapting some changes. I learned finance history from him, so i totally understand why, and living in village is pretty hard too.
I think personally this can be better stated by challenging us to move to the "less hot" cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, Austin, etc. Where these effects he talks about are super present. Even moving to a slightly smaller, less known cities can offer everything the biggest cities can and still be more affordable and won't continue to add to astronomical gentrification. I'm thinking of my city, Detroit. Not popular with most young people it seems. People only see crime and blight. But, it's still a thriving, beautiful city with a ton to do and culture to experience, all at a fraction of the cost. I can live in Detroit and own a BEAUTIFUL home in a great, generally safe neighborhood for 100-150k. Detroit is still one of the largest metropolitan cities in the U.S., and job prospects are really good. Plus, me being here means something, I can truly make a difference. You being in LA means nothing. Same thing for other cities. Just look for them.
@@universalcerberus5863 You are correct. But because it's Detroit property values are still lower. So you are paying slightly higher, of similar taxes to other locations.
I was under the impression that Detroit was a very dangerous place to live. Limited services, police that dont show up, etc. If this is not true then Detroit sure needs a good PR person because that is the impression I believe most of us have.
@@lovetolearn881 Used to be true! Back in the bankruptcy, police wouldn't show up unless someone was in serious danger. They literally didn't have the resources to do more. But now, things are MUCH better. Response times are generally good, and things are improving! And Detroit is more dangerous than most cities, just part of the territory. But it doesn't have to be. I live in a quite neighborhood with great neighbors. Other parts of the city, not so much... Simple rule of thumb: if you can buy a house in the neighborhood for 1k, it's a risky neighborhood. Honestly, though, you're in more danger of having your rims stolen than being robbed or assaulted. If you're smart, you can avoid crime entirely. But I agree with you! There are so many bad stereotypes attached to Detroit, even from those in the suburbs. But it's a beautiful, amazing place to live and I love it. You won't find a nicer city, nor a more exciting city. Everyone is working to continue the growth and revitalization of the city, from the city's blight program, investors pouring billions into new projects, and your local neighborhood association beautifying blocks. Check out Boston-Edison, University District, Grandmont, Rosedale Park, Indian Village to start with.
When I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s I wasn’t labeled as a specific generational name. I was a person with dreams and aspirations. If you look at yourself as a certain label of a group, you will follow everyone else. The “heard.” People need to think for themselves but there’s so much brainwashing in K-12 that it’s so easy to put them in a group and to tell them how to live, where to live, and where to work. If so many people didn’t go thru the public educational system, knew how to go after big dreams that they created, understood financial education and how to live free, not according to a time clock and a pay check, we wouldn’t have to constantly try to heard these millennials around like the biggest head of cattle that we make them to be. Be free! Stop thinking like you went to public school! But most just cannot help it. That’s the system we grew up in. Not me! Think different.
I work in IT and let me tell you....there are NO JOBS in small towns! The only thing, and I mean the *only* thing you could do is start your own IT Consulting Firm, which is perhaps a fantastic idea, but that comes with a ton of risks as well.
As a millenial from one of these "prospect cities" that moved to a very large city. I have to disagree UNLESS you happen to be in a generic career and fit in with the click. I didn't fit in mentally and chose a career that simply doesn't exist in small cities. When it does its so incredibly clicky it's unlikely I'd get the job I want. Let's say I get lucky enough to get it, the stress of losing it would go through the roof. If I owned my own successful business I'd probably be ok long as the restaurant scene was good. I can't eat burgers every day.
i have lived in citys of 1 mil+ people my whole life-- 5 years ago i moved to a city of 300k people -- i couldn't be happier, cheap houses, less then 20 min drive to work no matter where in city it is located... and he has a point about opportunity-- everywhere you look there is untapped potential, perfect place to start a business.
This is exactly what my boyfriend and I did after our degree! Moved to Saint-Jérôme (a prospect city) into a much much much cheaper house than it would have been in Montreal, but still a beautiful house! It's near everything, and our jobs pay the same or even more!! Love our life :)
I'm from a mid size city then move to a small town then move back to that same size city in a span of 8 years. I move to a small town because I was offer my first real job in my field. Cost of living was a lot lower and on average, people were nicer, but the pay was also a lot lower compare to the same job in the mid size city. I move back to the mid size city because of a better job and to be closer to my family. Go to wherever some one offer you job or you think you have a good chance of starting a successful business.
I moved to a small town in the desert after three years of unenployment. I was planning on moving off the grid and surviving by my own, but I ended up getting a job as a music teacher. Not even 6 months since I moved here and I'm already buying my own plot of land.
Do you still enjoy living in a small town now, after 2 years?
@@Keirosqeen QTNA
Congratulations
.
I just moved back to my small hometown from Seattle. Got a job that’s higher paying than my last job in the city and have several extra hours a week without all the traffic. Also, so much less expensive in many areas. Wahoooo!
Yeah Seattle is a complete mess but I'm a welder so I need then to keep building skyscrapers
Andrew Putnam
Lol
exactly what i did as well. spent 7 years in 2 big cities. Traffic was only getting worse. I couldn't imagine having life like this forever that i only commute. Now for the price of monthly rent i can slowly renovate my old house in a little town and work mostly online from home, start my own business so i don't have to get up at 6 am anymore to catch a packed bus to get somewhere (because you won't park your car in the center), same thing back, and that's how life goes by. Leave the wheel to the hamsters. I'd rather have time for myself than highly earning job, mortgages, nice house and car. I can do with just ok job and old house, but relatively big freedom other people, especially with kids and loans and corporate employment don't have
From the Tri Cities area and can definitely say it’s got everything Seattle has plus dirt cheap rent. Money is starting to come in a lot faster though, who knows what will happen here in the next decade
@@joelchavez8534 they'll move in out of Seattle and turn it into little Seattle, like the people who moved out of California for Denver.
Excellent talk this! It resonates with me very much. I'm from South Africa and our economy is a fraction that of the USA... I've always thought to myself one of the ways we can grow our economy is to end our over-reliance on a few of our big cities and stimulate the many prospect cities across the country. Thank you very much for the encouragement and firing me up again.
Yes Please. If you want young people to get involved. I know a few interested in building that vision into a reality
Only here for the comments about his badonkadonk
also what i was looking for, he has no business being that thicc!
Came to the comments explicitly for this
He played soccer that’s why
Claudia Onoro right???
girl...
this dude got a wagon lowkey
What's a wagon? Lol
Pause
@temps a car
Like a hog? I definitely thought the same
I wa sso confused looking at him. I was like he's not really thick but is somehow registering in my brain as being such. Weird. LOL
This is mostly a general statement but people need to stop talking to gen z like they’re millennials
Edit: guys I’m 19 I’m IN gen z
What would you say the main differences are
@@mslowiko1984 we're even more broke, our suicide rates are higher, we're more politically active, and we like mango vape.
Im a millennial, 30, dutch/Amsterdam. I managed/coached/taught gen z and millennials for 8 years or so. There is some difference, yes. I personally found it easier to manage gen z. But my colleague's and other managers (millennials & gen x), had way more trouble coaching gen z. Currently, I'm a freelancer, but never fully figured out why that was the case.
@D. Right. I'm like the oldest of gen z, 21, born 1998. I only have 3 years in the real world. Not gonna have much, but I'm not doing bad lol. We're just getting started
we’re old now
I am a gen x and I moved to a small town, its a little boring sometimes, but cleaner, less stressful and cheaper to live.
identity Europa where did you move? From where?
I’m a millennial and did the same. Agree 100%
I wouldn't mind....but I heard finding jobs is tougher in a small town.
(Identify Europa) cringe
@@IncredulousIndividual ???
Lol trailer parks are now called tiny homes co-ops lol
> Talks about the opportunity
> Says it's easier to find a job where's a lower supply
Yeah, good luck finding an IT job in a small town, when there's a vacancy open one time a year and the pay is half of a one you get in a "metropolis"
In other fields, it could be different. When I was living a small town, HR people were making as much as Engineers. Also, most state jobs have the same pay statewide and some are located in cheap cost of living small towns. State Troopers in California are one example.
Andrew Mihailow should of gone to school to be an electrician or got a plumbers apprenticeship. Still got time to.
Gotta say, I live in Birmingham AL, and have jobs permanently thrown at me for my skillset. So does everybody else in my industry here, it just depends on the industry. (Software engineer)
Sure, but the cost of living in small towns is highly reduced
If you have a good IT Job already, you could probably move wherever you want and work remotely.. depends what kind of work of course. My company has developers and project managers all over the world.
Cool speech. Disagree with one thing : the fact that less millennials migrate to big cities in the past 6 years do not bring rent price down. Rent is continue to raise and millennials simply can't afford it, therefore not as many are moving.
I hate it when people say millennials are lazy. Not true what so ever.
Its pretty normal actually. I'm a millennial that has to hire construction hands. Ill hire an older person over someone my age or younger every chance I get.
Some millennial have a great work ethic... We are not the norm though.
The whole "lazy millenial" stereotype just came from boomers who grew up in a world where working for a job you hated was considered noble. Millenials don't want to adhere to that mindset anymore and want to do more fulfilling work.
@@jhart1979 that's the real point / problem. It's fine doing a humble job if it gets you were you want to be...but nowadays that's not possible anymore...
@@knucklehoagies The thing is that every generation after was actually raised to follow their passions a bit more. It's weird that generations think that they came up with ideas all by themselves and that people before them didn't instead of knowing that a lot of is trickle down and a switch in parenting generation to generation.
Millennials may WANT to do that but as with the generations before them they may have to do what they have to do in order to get by until they can make other moves. We're not getting away from people working jobs that most don't love until you can finish up making high tech robots to take over the rest.
@@mirowestmaas4566 Where does everyone want to me? There is this presumption that everyone has the same goals and they all mean a six figure salary.
Damn I thought he meant like real small towns to move in. That’s where I wanna go with my family. The way he described “Prospect Cities” is exactly my town and I have to move out eventually because of rising prices. These cities seems better and cheap for these rich millennials that live in nyc but it getting too pricey for us poor people Who been here for decades, atleast my family and my neighbors, I’m only 21 in college. Like literally there has been new condos being built around town in recent years that on average 4K a month! When he talked about gentrification in big cities I wish he realized that it can happen in “Prospect Cities” too.
THIS PART.
Read my recent post...i went on the road for a month...town to town...found a goodly number i could live in...same problem in every small town...no rentals....waiting lists...overpriced old homes for sale....not significantly cheaper....the old assumption that a small town in Kansas will be cheap...is about 20 years out of date...and if you found a rental....great 60 year old crapper house with no garage or parking...depressing....people are moving...doubt they will stay.
Rent prices in NYC are NOT going down, bro.
not yet.
Whats the average rent price per square meter in NY? Just courius
This didn’t age well
@@Bhq870 Yes it did
@@Bhq870 Its aged well.
Ok so maybe it’s because I’m French but 2 comments :
1. It’s the most cliche speech I ever heard in TEDx.... millennials like coffee shops and to have an impact while living next to a lake... not sure that defines this generation
2. Prospect cities is nothing new... it’s a concept that exists in urbanism for decades now... so instead of pretending to invent a new concept why not referring to research
you hit it right on the nose
alexandre Hamard amen.
Prospect cities aren't new, but for a country the size of the US, concentrating talent and jobs in 2-4 cities can have very negative effects on the country overall
Mr H, I think you missed his point. This speech doesn’t seem to help you. As for me, I got a job in a small town and it changed my life. The relationships are more authentic and the work culture has more opportunities for growth. There is great shopping and healthcare within 2-3 hours drive.
Links?
I, as a millennial, want to say - don't tell me what to do.
As a millennial, don't call me a millennial.
As a human, dont talk to me
@@mrnjns799 lol
someone needs to, for a change
I moved to a small town and I f*cking hate it. There is nothing to do and it is a horrible place due to other certain unsavory reasons.
Lmaao I’m so happy the comments caught it too, I was definitely gonna come down here to talk about those bodacious buns 💀💀
This is the part of the internet that i love. People of all different backgrounds coming together to talk about butts.
The problem that you run into in a lot of these smaller cities is that many do not want any “millennial innovations” or anything that might change their established way of life. You might be able to meet the mayor for coffee once a week, but local old money will have him or her on speed dial and if those people aren’t comfortable with these disruptive ideas, then you will have a steep uphill battle getting them going. My suggestion is focus on places with at least a city/community college nearby, they tend to be more open to change.
Here's a news flash. Your almighty "millennial innovations" and "disruptive ideas" are no more appreciated in large metro areas than they are in small communities. Keep your "innovation" and "disruption" and knock yourself out with it, but don't impose it on others. When you get a bit older you'll find things like inner peace and mutual respect for your neighbor to be far more rewarding.
@@freeroamer9146 Older Americans have mutual respect for their neighbors? They live in some of the most gated homes and communities in the country.
@@ramonalejandrosuare You're making something out of nothing? People have gated communities for the same reason you lock your car, or your home at night before going to bed.
@@freeroamer9146 There's a distinct difference between putting up a barrier over one's privately owned property and an entire neighborhood with public spaces like sidewalks, roads, and parks. The fact you don't get that clear difference only makes my point for me.
@@ramonalejandrosuare You don't have a point. Only an idea. That's why you make reference to, but cannot define it. Ramon, stop thinking like your mother and think like a man.
Millennials move to small towns, immediately price locals out of real estate
They can build more houses.
You’d think locals would like people moving into their dying towns.
@@suadela87 the rich people do, they get rent money
UnfinishedRiot well then say “rich move to small towns, immediately price locals out” because most millennials aren’t rich and are just trying to find a place affordable to live.
@@suadela87 that's true, but millennials from urban areas are more likely to have a higher level of income than millennials in rural areas. More competition for land is gonna increase prices, now rural millennials can't afford a wortht offer
Deadass was watching this for three minutes before I found out it wasn't standup. Good video, though.
LOL
If they got CABOOSES like that in small towns sign me up!
He got that fatty 🍑
😂 😂
I said “big cities are becoming obsolete” giving my senior thesis in architecture school a few years ago. I designed what you could call a prospect city around the principles of autarky and sustainability but I conceptualized it as stamp to repeatedly place in the middle of nowhere to make kind of an instant city at a small scale that grew its own food utilizing aquaponics, aeroponics and automation. It was a failure because I spent way too much time researching the concepts involved than designing it.
Tell me more... can I access it somewhere? Whats population, footprint and resources needed? What services are included, municipal property needed and so on?
Hey! Really interested in this! Please tell me more!
This sounds slightly like the Venus Project.
@NurturingTalents I said "slightly" not "exactly"
Ive had the same idea! Well similar, i mean i want to design my own city in harmony and balance. What school did you go to? Which program did you like it? I was looking at one in Miami but idk about the area. You should pick back up your project and finish it to your liking even if the class ended! You didn’t get enough tome to do it all. Its not your fault. Press on! Would you make a video and explain what you learned and put together? I wana hear all about it ❣️ be my friend ❣️
I think with increased globalization and the ability to work from home/anywhere will open up the possibilities of moving from city centers to either prospect cities, or rural areas. Millennial's have been profoundly effected by the recession, so I feel our generation will be more susceptible to the financial advantages of living in less populated city centers. The frills generally don't attract us as much. However, personally, the reason my husband and I have not taken advantage of prospect cities is because our families are in the city. The cost of childcare is much too expensive to relocate regardless of affordable housing and upward mobility in our careers. I think this is a challenge that many millennial's are facing. More-so a choice we are facing of what is more important to us, our finances or our family?
I guess but this isn't the first recession. We've gone through a whole depression in the past.
I live 30 minutes from a big city and childcare is half and the cost of my house was 1/2 to 1/3 of what you get there for the size and the yard space. It's pretty doable if you like the proximity to things to do and a bigger job pool.
The thing other friends did is chop down a lot of expenses prior to having their 2 kids so that they could live on one salary and waited until their 30s. They live in the burbs and she hasn't worked in 6 years so they pocketed all of that childcare money and have been doing just fine.
It's not for everyone. If you feel like you can make a change in a small town, then more power to you. Everyone doesn't have the privilege of just upping and moving to a small town. And half of us who live in major metropolitan areas are able to live below our means and be just fine. I'm good where I am. It's all about what works best for you.
He is just giving an option for those that might feel stuck...
what's stopping you?
A lot of cities just don't have opportunities. If your city has a lot of entry level positions, that's great and should be advertised, but that's just not the case for a lot of smaller cities.
how about leaving the USA? that's a much better solution. the key is to move to a small country. within a small country are even smaller towns and villages, where people farm, live off the land, ride bikes and barter.
ezrhino100 Canada is too cold
They do that here, apparently you have never left the city
Is there other country apart from the us?
Hate Hustle Flow *Arhentina
@Hate Hustle Flow good luck. Watch TH-cam videos on Argentina....
Basically, any town with good high speed internet can be a great prospect for a start up, or you can of course work remotely for any large corporation
If those are undergrad students, he's talking to gen z.
as someone from Lawrence I loved this Ted talk. Brings attention to my hometown and that's never a bad thing.
Lawrence KS?
I want to say this too, I moved from a small town to a big city; the buzz and the activity for me in a motivating factor. I admit, it’s a machine here but I want to be a part of it for my own success here
“Well, ah, look. Let me be clear.”
Live in Mobile, AL and making 90k with a career in a booming logistics field. Small cities are usually built around trade hubs or military technology. Don't think you can't find a job; that's just what they tell you. The best part is I'm free lance; I work when I want to. Also still have another 50k year before I'm tapped out. Feels good man :)
You are very lucky . I grew up in Mobile but live in Atlanta now. I am afraid to go back to Mobile because there are not a lot of good jobs there, especially in tech which was what I want to work in
As someone living in a prospect city (how it was defined here, pretty much to a T), I very much enjoyed this. Cities like mine need more millennials and more educated folks, and there is a ton of opportunity here for them, if they'd only really open their mind to the possibility. I have friends who live in a larger city about 30 minutes to the North of here that would not even consider for a second moving here. I keep a diary of ideas I have for this city, both ideas for government and for businesses and startups I'm currently working on starting a local blog to get these ideas out and attract more people here. The only reason I don't act on many of my business ideas is because I just started a family, so stability is more important to me right now. In 5-10 years I may hop out of my current stable job to pursue some of these other projects. Gaining a foothold in a smaller city I would debate is easier than a large city because you have less competition, and it's easier to find novel ideas and business concepts.
Live in a big city u need 3 jobs to rent a studio apartment with a roomate, a small to medium size town u can work one job rent a condo style house, while getting paid more. And u might say u know fun by going to a club and drinking over priced beers, but u don’t know what fun is tell ur around a bond fire drinking telling stories and riding atv and utv in the desert. Then 3 weeks later u continue to meet all the cool new friends u found at the get together because ur city or town is small enough to meet up out of the blue
Imagine me watching this from India.
Here it is different world.
Really good talk. However, I was distracted by his very large rear end.. please different angle next time.
Im finding it helpful 😊
Worst possible angle and for love of Gaaawd.. if ya got a boot don't carry stuff in your back pockets!
Marcus is the 1 guy that doesn't like big butts and can lie. :D
Prospect cities. I like that idea. I will look into those. Great TED talk.
Many of the myths are true also...
many millennial reject blind consumerism & are determined to make healthier choices for our lives & the planet.. we are pioneering the green & organic movements, spending less & traveling more.
Ya'll give yourselves a lot of credit but you tend to talk about millenials as a monolith. You're not all in the same boat. You're not all college grads. You're not all living in big cities and obtaining even mid level jobs. You also have a generation or two in between the boomers and you all that no one seems to mention much.
It's ironic that traveling more (increasing your carbon footprint) and healthier choices for the planet are shared in the same ethos.
How is traveling more pioneering the green movement? Air travel is pretty much the single most damaging thing you can do wrt to the environment. Not saying u should never travel, but I hear this bit of cognitive dissonance from many young people. Talking about something (being green, saving the environment) is not doing.
Love to Learn by mentioning travel I was intending to highlight that millennial a have a broader cultural and environmental awareness than previous generations
Oh no, you`re not
You know, I thought this guy made a great argument. I want to go onto a similar path politically as he does, and I currently live in chciago so I felt like this was relatable to me. I considered what he said, but then thought to myself, why would I want to leave a diverse city with so many different types of people, languages, and ideas? Why leave numerous friends and plenty of choice of who to have in my life, and job opportunities that may be more competitive, but will always be more abundant. If I were to move to a smaller town and hate my job, for example, I would immediately hate my decision and would then have to move again if there wasn’t a similar job. Chicago is very liveable in certain areas that are also close to the city center, like Bridgeport, where a 3 bedroom 1 bath house can be as cheap as $1,200. I don’t know about NY and LA, but I think many major cities in America can be affordable to live and work in. I know chicago isn’t affordable for some, but is very reasonable in my opinion. Small cities sound great for many, but I think that his argument doesn’t have quite as much substance as I first thought. He moved back and wanted to help the people, but if you’re from a major city like me, then why would you move somewhere to help that community? Why not stay and help? I can understand for the short term, but what about the long term? One point personally is that I like fast pace packed environments, I would hate to live somewhere with a boring atmosphere where no one goes out at night other than to a handful of bars playing older music. But that’s a bit of a lesser point. More importantly and if think most breaking for his argument is the fact that he doesn’t use any concrete data to back yo his claims. They make sense to me in theory, but quite simply wages are not only the result of “simply supply and demand”. If this was the case, I could simply argue that although Chicago has a huge supply of labor, we also have a huge supply of Jobs. Because of this we can have very high paying jobs with a higher net income than smaller cities. I don’t know if his claim is wrong, but there’s nothing he uses to indicate that is correct other than just sounding plausible. Remember, he’s not in business, and never has been, he’s in Politics making an argument for a small city that he represents. It’s not bad, but just something to consider when listening to his ted talk.
Commander Shepard philly is a big city and you can get a 2 bed for $850 with a washer and dryer.
Commander Shepard, thank you for summing up brilliantly what I came here to say.
Wage set by supply and demand is a classic model in economics. The idea is that a shortage of workers means higher competition between companies for said workers. The companies then raise wages to get workers. Because of the higher wages more and more people train for that job, thus creating supply. Now workers need to compete, which may or may not lower wages. This model is seldom used for whole cities, but rather for observing specific branches of industry in a particular region.
@@aiba6540 then you're in Philly though
My husband and I are leaving our big city (Auckland New Zealand, 1.7m people) to a beautiful lake town with 75k people next month. We have a son so it was hard to leave family, but we came to all the same conclusions as you mentioned in this video :)
Chattanooga TN is a post industrial city. Enough millennials have already discovered Chattanooga that it may not be a prospect city for much longer. Two hour from Atlanta. 2 1/2 hrs from Nashville, tucked between cities with fast growing populations spilling over into Chattanooga.
Bill the Builder it has an Ironman event 😉😉😉
@@dirarose1 Yes it does. Except this past year due to flooding the river was too full of debris and fast moving water.
Bill the Builder I completely agree. Knoxville is similar
@Angelina Thats why I have central heat and air.
I think this is decent advice, but it's very situational. I'm in a career where there aren't a ton of places I can pick up and move to, and many people with advanced degrees similarly can't just throw a dart on a map and move/start working there.
MrNickT what do you do?
Maybe not for a specific IT job, but if someone with an advanced medical or trade degree threw a dart anywhere in North America, they could find a well-paying job almost anywhere. - especially in small to mid-sized cities.
@@MarkPemble Civil Engineering as well.
I am a millennial and I live near downtown Riverside in a historical district. I fricking love it.
I moved to a small town when I graduated pharmacy school. It was the first decision of my life.
Why’s this guy got the chariot
I live in Baltimore but my company is based in Frederick, MD. A lot of the stuff he’s saying about cities that size rings true from my anecdotal experience
Millennials gotta quit believing the lies a lot of rural and small towns are fairly diverse in their culture. Its not the 1950s in rural Alabama anymore. Many rascists have turned into loving grandparents to their biracial grand children. We're definitely in a new age.
From West LA to Iowa. Best decision ever
Imported TV Yikes.
Doing what?
What city in Iowa ? I had thought about moving to Des Moines or Iowa City
@@garlicman82 better do Des Moines
I hate small/medium cities, I’m a hustler. People in smaller cities don’t move with urgency, I hate owning a car because I hate driving, and job markets lack diversity.
Nashville is segregated. The city is booming, but it’s booming mostly for a specific group of people.
@C Burgess Let me use a better term, "redlining", and Yes, redlining exists in Nashville. Great city, but it is what it is. I'm born and raised in Nashville, I've seen what they do to people that live closer to the city that rents their property, I've seen when they tried everything in their power to get me and my family out of my house because I wouldn't sell it. All because I live closer to the city.
He doesn't understand that "just move to a smaller city" is a privilege afforded to few groups of people. In my state, I am safer in the large metropolitan area and my socioeconomic status fares better on average.
I've lived in a small Ohio village all my life. I'm always shocked at the prices of homes in larger cities.
I didn't realize until I visited a city that you have to pay more for a home to move away from the crime areas. This does not even exist in a small village. I live in a two story 2400 square foot century home with a wrap around porch that I paid 99k for in 2011. I do like the city though...to visit. I can see why a young single person would want to live there. I'm not sure why you would raise a child there.
I've notice more people moving to my small village. We welcome it as many of us villages don't even have grocery stores anymore. More people...more commerce.....until we become the city we moved here to get away from....lol
Wrong!!! The Generation X was the first to be worse off then their parents. It is just that Gen Y and Gen Z get all the attention. Gen X was and largely still pretty much ignored.
I’m 21 years old and grew up in a classic small town...The quiet is nice, by there was absolutely NO “opportunity” growing up. There’s a reason small towns never get any bigger..everyone leaves.
so to grow, people must return... seems like small town and cities are experiencing brain drain. they need our ingenuity, not the big cities
Believe me - there are smaller towns and cities that are growing and thriving.
And no, living in “small towns” doesn’t cost less. There are trade offs. For example: you WILL need a car to commute. You WILL pay high property taxes. And you will pay more for property in general. Nobody actually wants to live in a big city unless they’re a chef, actor, actress, or some type of celebrity.
For real. The city I live in compared to big city is cheaper but not cheap for what I get from it. Driving long commutes for decent paying jobs being one big trade off. Wish I moved to the country.
My town had 1,040 people in 2017. Got an ethanol plant, welding/fab shop, 2 tire shops, truck stop with a truck shop, 3 trucking companies, grocery store, dollar general, hospital, car dealer, 2 seed dealers, I'm pretty sure you could live here without a car. I bought a pick-up in May. I've put 1800 miles on it.
As long as you're not afraid of dirt and sweat, and have a bit of mechanical aptitude, someplace like this, you'll never starve.
It costs less in Ottawa to own a car than to pay for two bus passes for me an my wife. Bus passes in Ottawa are around 120$ a month.
He does have some actually valid points. I, like some of the people in the comments section are at first skeptic about “finding a job” in these prospect cities. However, he does talk about getting support and launching a business (might be red ocean in bigger cities) - which if thought about carefully is much bigger opportunity than a job.
Still, the thought about migrating is a difficult one. We’re used to what we grew up with. Great talk though, will keep an eye out.
I went to college in a small rural town, and it was awful. I know "Prospect Cities" aren't exactly rural, but the small town had that urban core and post-industrial history. Still sucked.
Don't be a small fish in a big pond, be a big fish in a small pond.
a lot of people still go to nyc and la in particular cos they want to be/do their very best, and compete against the very best. nothing wrong with that per se.
the internet has leveled that out at least somewhat. depending on your field, you can go head to head with someone in new york or tokyo from cheyenne wyoming. tho really, it's still all intensified if you're in the same city with them.
@@Elizabeth.Holiday I think both are true. Im glad I moved to a big city as a young person because I have grown so much and become so much stronger. But I also don't see myself living here for my whole life. I see myself settling down and raising kids somewhere quieter and calmer.
@@Elizabeth.Holiday I didn't read it like that. I feel like living in a big city (I was born and raised in NYC) and it's a crabs in a barrel mentality. There's a difference between applying to a Job with 40 other prospects and applying for a job and 1500 others apply. You have to work smarter, not just harder and that includes putting yourself in a position to succeed - and sometimes that means not having to compete with "the best" for scraps.
there are a lot of people who are simply not happy in cities, don't want to live there.
no problem here; the last thing new york needs is for more people to move there. it's already expensive enough as it is.
there are country people who move a couple hundred miles, or couple thousand miles from where they initially grew up, both to avoid the suffocation effect; as well as to test themselves; and force themselves to stretch and strive.
they might still be in a small pond with a largely similar (preferred) lifestyle, but it's a different small pond where they don't have their childhood friends to run to for everything -or to remind them of That Time in Third Grade every ten minutes.
different people need different challenges. the key is how well you're doing, whether you're thriving or not. what end result is one getting?
Can we keep the city political attitudes in the cities please? Please don’t try to move to small towns and then vote for the same policies that made the big cities hard to live in.
I love this. I am actually apartment hunting right now and this has totally changed my whole outlook.
I’m an older mill and this is isn’t rocket science. I benefited so much during the housing collapse in 08 it’s what my life is propped up from. While it sucks many lost but I watched everyone around me take bad deals while I sat on my hands living easy. Just wait kiddos. There will be another failure coming so save your pennies. If it doesn’t completely plunge us back to the dark ages you’ll reap the benefits.
Very true. A lot of older millennials bought really cheap homes in 09'-14 in smaller cities and they are killing it today. My younger Millenial brother bought his home for 50k in 10' and it is now worth 150k.
I gotta start the video over cuz I was focused on his THICC as molasses self. Smh
what about a job for your partner/spouse in a prospect city? the "two-body problem" is MUCH easier to solve in big cities.
Tech/IT worker and entrepreneurs in such sectors typically don't have such luxury to choose to work outside of a big city...
I actually don’t think that’s true anymore. All sorts of suburban and rural industries need working information technology to do their stuff
Someone need to make a research/yt videos on this matter. What is the actual job opportunity of the prospect city. What field is doing okay, what is great, etc. It should have categorizes of prospect cities by demographic, available jobs and earnings, and the prices in those cities.
I am milenials myself, and I think we should consider the possibility that it might be better for us in the end, but we just couldn't see it the way things are now.
Anything in the medical field in prospect cities will offer excellent opportunities.
I wish small cities would be more open to LGBTQ people but unfortunately I don’t feel welcome there in comparison to bigger cities
Well I don't know about where you are from, but in Michigan that doesn't seem to be true. When I think of small cities all across Michigan, like Traverse City (up north), Ypsilanti (greater Detroit), Marquette (Upper peninsula), etc. they seem to be very open. Again, maybe it's just a Michigan thing, but I think it's a stereotype that isn't necessarily true.
Have to learn to not care so much about others and live your life...might not be easy
Why not go to a small town with a population in the single digits and make it into the biggest LGBT community/small town?
sleepyhead stay in soddom
I had to take less than minimum wage job as an accountant, because I don't have enough working experience to get hired or start on my own (local legislation). How am I supposed to own a car, have a mortgage and spend like there is no tomorow and save for retirement? This is Kobayashi Maru of home economics!
I like the different perspective, but I disagree with much of what he has to say. First off, I don't think he has spent much time outside of the Eastern seaboard. There really aren't many towns like the ones he's advocating for outside of New England. Also, there is a big cultural component to this. Millennials, because many of them grew up in this context, realize the American dream of a suburban home and an auto-centric lifestyle is overrated. This sounds mostly like a ploy to resuscitate struggling small towns. I'm sorry, but redistributing millennials to these places is not the way to address this issue.
haverhill mass is basically just another neighborhood in metro boston. he has not done anything radical or earth shattering.
while i don't think millenials want to live hardcore farm life, i could see a lot of them coming around to enjoy smaller town life if there were decent internet, which is something rural areas struggle with. it's hard to get benefits of 2020s economy via 1990s dialup, whether one is a townie or farmer ten miles out of said town.
suspect the towns of 50,000 to 500,000 will benefit most from what this guy is talking about.
There are quite a few good examples of Prospect Cities in the Northwest. and the Intermountain area.
He forgets what makes but cities appealing in the first place. Do millennials want to be "the big fish in the small pond?" Do they want to live above a coffee shop if that's the only one in town? Is it cheating to say the city is walkable when you can alwalk from one end to the other in 30min? Oh and where have rent prices gone down again?
Being a big fish in a medium-sized pond is actually pretty interesting and eventful.
I dont like small towns or rural living at all. In fact I hate it.
You would hate my village then.
@@grahamt5924 Yeah he would
@@ypsilonick8738I like small villages. They have a little bit more soul than large cities.
I'm from New Zealand where 100k residents is a relatively large city. I frequently miss home, but I'll be back eventually
@@TheAstaria I am In England. My nearest city has 18000 residents. That's enough for me whenever I need to go to the big smoke.
Gen X was the first generation to be worse off than their parents.
@Águila701 gen x is not a boomer
And I thought it was the excessive Avocado toast consumption.
Oh good he means cities of 40000+. We country folk are hoping the city folk don't find out how great and peaceful it is out here. Thank you for living in cities so we can keep our peace and quiet.
I'm 28 from Los Angeles would like to leave, too expensive/no opportunities since companies are going to smaller/cheaper cities/less taxes ect. I met plp from Northern CA moving to LA because of high rent that's no way to live lol. I'm thinking of going to the South !!!!!!
@HAVE A LAUGH I think he means the Southeastern United States.
bruh you just "leave" and then but in the most expensive state to live in.
Midwest, Southeast, Idaho, Montana, ect.. I live in indiana and pay 675/moth for 1bedrm/1bath apartment
If you leave California, leave the California attitude there too. To many people migrate away from California and bring the idiotic California personality with them.
The Midwest accepts anyone but if you move to a rural community realize we don't like or want city life.
Dustin Knipfer It’s a sad reality, Californians and New Yorkers bring with them the same mentality that ruined their cities. They continue to vote for parties that increase taxes, increase immigration etc.
As someone who lives in the South, most of the jobs you're gonna find here are at least mid-tier; it's hard to find entry level work down South. Most of the hype about the South are professionals coming from more expensive cities who are already experienced that want to get married/buy a house/start a family etc. If you're trying to get a lower tier position, it's a lot more niche unless you work in tech.
And here's me living in my bus whistlin Dixie at 18
Sorry dude. 50,000 people isn't a small town.
Great talk Andy!
Im Gen Z. I don’t think I could live in a small town. I need activity around me. I’d probably get like a summer home or something in a small town.
Let me save you some time...
*Because it costs less.*
Thanks, big help
This was deep
Mass in the building
Translation: we ruined our cities, and now we need new cities to ruin.
This is easy to say, but a serious challenge to implement. Most jobs dont pay as high in rural areas. I work in a field where remote work is a possibility, so technically that solves that problem, BUT, we dont have high speed internet access everywhere in rural america. Thats a serious liability for someone doing remote work.
So how about this? We start fixing this country. We start upgrading it for the modern age we are already immersed in. And then sure, ill gladly move. I hate cities.
Ohhh and here we are we need to change the way our small towns/cities vote... You know I’m so glad y’all wanna come and save us all from our selves. So so glad that the people born in my town have gotten pushed out because people from Chicago keep coming here. So so glad that our state rep is now also from Chicago and not my town. So so glad that because of our population jump we now share a voting district with Chicago when we’re 2 hours away I feel so represented and loved. Stay where you are you made poor choices live with em.
"Prospect cities" sound great, but landowners know about the prospects and often preemptively raise prices before a notable influx of people destroying most of the prospects.
Depends where you are I guess. I moved for a job. In my experience small towns/cities are boring. People come and go and it's hard to have long term friendships. To be with friends and family you will have to travel more. Companies don't care about you and moving is a big commitment to make for a job that can be gone at any time. You can end up laid off in a town with a mortgage. This whole talk seems to be about developing a career. Most people I know agree that when you get older you care about careers less.
Because rent is cheaper.
There, now you don't need to watch a 12 minute video. Have fun working at Dollar General tho.
Havent even watched the video yet but I agree! I just moved to a small town to owning my 1st house with finished basement, 2 floors, finished attic, a yard, 2 level garage. 1 owner built in 1949 all brick house and my mortgage is LESS than most people would pay for a single room in cali. If you're a content creator you can live anywhere in the US and make money. Also there are now hiring signs everywhere. They cant get enough people to work! It's not that You cant afford to live, you just cant afford to live next to the beach!
Haverill and cambridge are less than an hour a part lol
Very true
I was thinking about this today another great migration in America, but I think it'll be pointless once high speed rail eventually comes to America people will be working in places with low rent but high wages say like you wok in Chicago but catch an hour train to live in southern Illinois where the cost of living is 1/4 that's not possible now because that's a 6hr drive but with high speed rail it's just one hour but maybe I been drinking to much coffee
The car insurance industry makes too much money for high speed rail to ever take off here. Money and industry outweigh common sense and practicality in pretty much every sector. Planning for public projects is not a priority here unfortunately.
Jessica Carnes well high speed rail hasn’t taken off because of airport buying lobbyist to fight against their expansion but I like your take too
I thought this would be something a bit different. I’ve been trying to find people who want to “take over” a village in Europe but am struggling with finding creative and motivated people. I feel like people are so disconnected, living in big cities. We can’t have gardens, we can’t have space, we can’t have really important things. But right now, all the younger people are LEAVING these places for the big cities, and leaving ghost towns. Why can’t we encourage young people to go start their own businesses in little towns, start something new.... and not cram into “tiny houses” in really what I would call a big city. I thought maybe you would be encouraging this type of entrepreneurship and courage, to go to the REALLY small places and make them liveable and desirable again. How about we do that, rather than letting these places fall apart? In Sicily there’s a town selling homes that have been abandoned, for 1€. In Spain you can get a whole little hamlet of houses for the price of a house elsewhere. And the quality of life in a small place where you can know your neighbors and grow your own food....!!! Come on. Let’s do it.
As a French person living in rural South of France, I think your message sounds shallow. I don't mean any offense but that's just a feeling I have since so many Americans and British have already "taken over" much of the area where I live...
These foreigners live a different life since as an American you are very rich compared to the average French person... especially in rural context.
And I often see these foreigners just live between themselves in a para-society, which to me seems wrong, if you wanna live with Americans just travel to America lol.
My two cents living in an area that has been taken over...
@@ConstanceBrown Plenty of foreigners have gone to America to call it their home as well. There are pockets of French, of Dutch, of Chinese, etc etc. People have always crossed borders and oceans seeking a better life than what they have where they are. Some of my ancestors fled their own country (well, they were banished and threatened with death or imprisonment. One returned and was sold to the French and died as a mercenary soldier) and eventually came to the US. The history of every country on earth is one of migration from other places. At one point, most people living in French didn't even speak French.
I don't know about the average French person. I am self-employed, I don't have an employer or a retirement fund, no pension, I can't get unemployment if my income dries up, and living in another country, depending on my visa and the language, finding a salaried job is hard if not impossible. I have to create my own work. My friends are mostly in the same boat. The ones that dream about a better life include a self-employed friend who does tarot card readings and other odd jobs while hoping to earn enough money to someday start a bed and breakfast in a Victorian mansion somewhere. Another is a student with barely enough money for food, who is hoping to perhaps continue his studies in Spain. Another is a mother to two young children who is divorcing her husband and wishes for a safer place for her children to grow up, where she can afford rent and maybe also start her own business. Her dream was to move to Portugal based on her husband's nationality, but Covid threw a wrench in their finances, and the houses in Portugal have climbed in price beyond what she can afford, and she has given up this dream for the moment.
My life in France consisted of moving every year, trying to get into a better, safer apartment, closer to Paris, because landlords wouldn't rent to a self-employed foreigner. I ended up in the suburbs, taking the RER and metro into the city, spending so much time in transit and rushing back home all the time to let my dog out. When money got tight, I moved back to the US so I could work, with the plan of returning, which I did. Then Covid hit, and I ended up in the Netherlands because of my Dutch boyfriend. I couldn't afford rent in France anymore and ended up living with him and his family.
After 3 years here, still feeling isolated, I am desperate to live among English-speakers. I want to go to a book store and be able to read a book. I want to pick up a menu and read it without asking "what is this?" or holding up my phone to translate it. I want to communicate with people. But Dutch is not coming easy to me. However, we can't move back to the US. My boyfriend does not want to live there, because of the healthcare system (I already know two people who were slapped with nearly $100,000 of bills their insurance refused to pay), the guns, and the fight over women's rights. Not to mention prices. I left Los Angeles because I could not afford to stay. And even in my home town, the prices have soared, because the wealthy from NYC have come down and bought houses. All I want is to afford a decent life and be near friends. I am researching England, since I do have friends there, and it would be a compromise for my boyfriend.
The history of the world has been filled with people moving from one end of the earth to the other. From city to city, country to country, and bringing family and friends with them. That is never going to change. The UK certainly seems to be trying to stop it though. ha. Part of their issue is that so many Brits live in places where they never interact with foreigners, they're afraid of them, and they voted for Brexit to keep them out. Which hurt so many more people than it helped. Just because they were afraid of the unknown. Afraid of change, afraid of people who were different to them. I personally would LOVE to live in a place where there were a range of communities around me. I might live in the one that makes me feel the most comfortable, but I'd rather be surrounded by variety than just a sea of people who looked, thought, and spoke the same.
This is pretty much great depression generation version 2. My great grandfather moved into small city after 1929, and he is lucky enough to buy house, building farms and poultry until my father moved into big city for high paying job at finance office but he told me to settle down in some little village for the sake of adapting some changes. I learned finance history from him, so i totally understand why, and living in village is pretty hard too.
I think personally this can be better stated by challenging us to move to the "less hot" cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, Austin, etc. Where these effects he talks about are super present. Even moving to a slightly smaller, less known cities can offer everything the biggest cities can and still be more affordable and won't continue to add to astronomical gentrification.
I'm thinking of my city, Detroit. Not popular with most young people it seems. People only see crime and blight. But, it's still a thriving, beautiful city with a ton to do and culture to experience, all at a fraction of the cost. I can live in Detroit and own a BEAUTIFUL home in a great, generally safe neighborhood for 100-150k. Detroit is still one of the largest metropolitan cities in the U.S., and job prospects are really good. Plus, me being here means something, I can truly make a difference. You being in LA means nothing.
Same thing for other cities. Just look for them.
But those property taxes in Detroit...
@@universalcerberus5863 You are correct. But because it's Detroit property values are still lower. So you are paying slightly higher, of similar taxes to other locations.
I was under the impression that Detroit was a very dangerous place to live. Limited services, police that dont show up, etc. If this is not true then Detroit sure needs a good PR person because that is the impression I believe most of us have.
@@lovetolearn881 Used to be true! Back in the bankruptcy, police wouldn't show up unless someone was in serious danger. They literally didn't have the resources to do more.
But now, things are MUCH better. Response times are generally good, and things are improving!
And Detroit is more dangerous than most cities, just part of the territory. But it doesn't have to be. I live in a quite neighborhood with great neighbors. Other parts of the city, not so much... Simple rule of thumb: if you can buy a house in the neighborhood for 1k, it's a risky neighborhood. Honestly, though, you're in more danger of having your rims stolen than being robbed or assaulted. If you're smart, you can avoid crime entirely.
But I agree with you! There are so many bad stereotypes attached to Detroit, even from those in the suburbs. But it's a beautiful, amazing place to live and I love it. You won't find a nicer city, nor a more exciting city. Everyone is working to continue the growth and revitalization of the city, from the city's blight program, investors pouring billions into new projects, and your local neighborhood association beautifying blocks.
Check out Boston-Edison, University District, Grandmont, Rosedale Park, Indian Village to start with.
When I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s I wasn’t labeled as a specific generational name. I was a person with dreams and aspirations. If you look at yourself as a certain label of a group, you will follow everyone else. The “heard.” People need to think for themselves but there’s so much brainwashing in K-12 that it’s so easy to put them in a group and to tell them how to live, where to live, and where to work. If so many people didn’t go thru the public educational system, knew how to go after big dreams that they created, understood financial education and how to live free, not according to a time clock and a pay check, we wouldn’t have to constantly try to heard these millennials around like the biggest head of cattle that we make them to be. Be free! Stop thinking like you went to public school! But most just cannot help it. That’s the system we grew up in. Not me! Think different.
I work in IT and let me tell you....there are NO JOBS in small towns! The only thing, and I mean the *only* thing you could do is start your own IT Consulting Firm, which is perhaps a fantastic idea, but that comes with a ton of risks as well.
Believe me, they are out there. They are just harder to come across.
Agree. Tho the good thing is now wfh is more common in IT
IT is its own animal. Healthcare on the other hand. Saturated in large cities, but mid and small towns are begging for more people.
As a millenial from one of these "prospect cities" that moved to a very large city. I have to disagree UNLESS you happen to be in a generic career and fit in with the click. I didn't fit in mentally and chose a career that simply doesn't exist in small cities. When it does its so incredibly clicky it's unlikely I'd get the job I want. Let's say I get lucky enough to get it, the stress of losing it would go through the roof. If I owned my own successful business I'd probably be ok long as the restaurant scene was good. I can't eat burgers every day.
i have lived in citys of 1 mil+ people my whole life-- 5 years ago i moved to a city of 300k people -- i couldn't be happier, cheap houses, less then 20 min drive to work no matter where in city it is located... and he has a point about opportunity-- everywhere you look there is untapped potential, perfect place to start a business.
This is exactly what my boyfriend and I did after our degree! Moved to Saint-Jérôme (a prospect city) into a much much much cheaper house than it would have been in Montreal, but still a beautiful house! It's near everything, and our jobs pay the same or even more!! Love our life :)
Excellent talk.
Great talk Andy. Thank you
I'm from a mid size city then move to a small town then move back to that same size city in a span of 8 years. I move to a small town because I was offer my first real job in my field. Cost of living was a lot lower and on average, people were nicer, but the pay was also a lot lower compare to the same job in the mid size city. I move back to the mid size city because of a better job and to be closer to my family. Go to wherever some one offer you job or you think you have a good chance of starting a successful business.