This article isn't specifically about music, but cities that attract the creative class also tend to have great music scenes.
Ten Places in the South for the Creative Class: "These places are actively and prominently working to make their communities more attractive to knowledge workers by fostering environments for opportunity, expression and quality of life that creatives expect and demand."
The article lists Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Houston, Lafayette, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Savannah, and St. Petersburg.
Showing posts with label atlanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atlanta. Show all posts
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Saturday, November 25, 2006
How to attract the hip, the affluent, the well-educated
I moved to Boulder in 1991, so I have been living the lifestyle written about in this New York Times article for more than 15 years. Boulder is all about smart people working and playing hard.
And it has always been this way. People come to Colorado during the boom times: gold and silver in the 1800s; oil and real estate in the 1980s; high tech in the 2000s.
And when the inevitable busts come, people like it here so much they decide to stay, even if they have to switch careers to do so. Denver Mayor Hickenlooper is just such an example. He came to Denver in 1981 as a geologist working for a petroleum company. When the oil bust came, he stayed and started Wynkoop Brewing Company, the first brewpub in the Rocky Mountains. The Wynkoop group grew to eventually include seven Denver restaurants and a brewpub in Colorado Springs. Then in 2003 he became Mayor. (You can read more about it here).
In 1999, I started writing about the Colorado venture capital/high tech/start-up scene for Courtney Pulitzer's CyberScene, ColoradoBiz magazine, and eMileHigh.
One of the founders of eMileHigh was Brad Spirrison. He came out from Chicago to start it and hired me. When the dot-com bust hit Colorado and the money ran out, we folded eMileHigh and he returned to work at the parent company in Chicago.
Still, we always had a vision of mobilizing Colorado's wealthy young entrepreneurs into a lifestyle/cultural/business/political force. Brad called them "the progressive leisure class."
It's happening now. Colorado went Democratic this year in part because young dot-com millionaires funded progressive agendas.
As for lifestyle, the action/winter/outdoor sports part of Colorado has been part of the culture for decades, but the music scene is now exploding as well.
Personally I haven't seen a lot of cross-pollinization between the wealthy young entrepreneurs and the local indie music scene yet (they are more likely to go to SXSW than go to the local clubs), but having a hip local scene is still good to have to draw others to the area.
The next step is to have more money following into the local music scene to support and grow it. The rich Colorado movers-and-shakers who made their money in the 1960s-1980s bought sports teams as hobbies. I'm hoping the rich from the 2000s buy clubs and sponsor bands instead.
Cities Compete in Hipness Battle to Attract Young - New York Times: "Mobile but not flighty, fresh but technologically savvy, 'the young and restless,' as demographers call them, are at their most desirable age, particularly because their chances of relocating drop precipitously when they turn 35. Cities that do not attract them now will be hurting in a decade. ...
"They are people who, demographers say, are likely to choose a location before finding a job. They like downtown living, public transportation and plenty of entertainment options. They view diversity and tolerance as marks of sophistication....
"In addition to Atlanta, the biggest gainers in market share of the young and restless were San Francisco; Denver; Portland; and Austin, Tex. The biggest losers included Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles."
creative class
Denver
Atlanta
music scene
economic development
indie
clubs
live music
And it has always been this way. People come to Colorado during the boom times: gold and silver in the 1800s; oil and real estate in the 1980s; high tech in the 2000s.
And when the inevitable busts come, people like it here so much they decide to stay, even if they have to switch careers to do so. Denver Mayor Hickenlooper is just such an example. He came to Denver in 1981 as a geologist working for a petroleum company. When the oil bust came, he stayed and started Wynkoop Brewing Company, the first brewpub in the Rocky Mountains. The Wynkoop group grew to eventually include seven Denver restaurants and a brewpub in Colorado Springs. Then in 2003 he became Mayor. (You can read more about it here).
In 1999, I started writing about the Colorado venture capital/high tech/start-up scene for Courtney Pulitzer's CyberScene, ColoradoBiz magazine, and eMileHigh.
One of the founders of eMileHigh was Brad Spirrison. He came out from Chicago to start it and hired me. When the dot-com bust hit Colorado and the money ran out, we folded eMileHigh and he returned to work at the parent company in Chicago.
Still, we always had a vision of mobilizing Colorado's wealthy young entrepreneurs into a lifestyle/cultural/business/political force. Brad called them "the progressive leisure class."
It's happening now. Colorado went Democratic this year in part because young dot-com millionaires funded progressive agendas.
As for lifestyle, the action/winter/outdoor sports part of Colorado has been part of the culture for decades, but the music scene is now exploding as well.
Personally I haven't seen a lot of cross-pollinization between the wealthy young entrepreneurs and the local indie music scene yet (they are more likely to go to SXSW than go to the local clubs), but having a hip local scene is still good to have to draw others to the area.
The next step is to have more money following into the local music scene to support and grow it. The rich Colorado movers-and-shakers who made their money in the 1960s-1980s bought sports teams as hobbies. I'm hoping the rich from the 2000s buy clubs and sponsor bands instead.
Cities Compete in Hipness Battle to Attract Young - New York Times: "Mobile but not flighty, fresh but technologically savvy, 'the young and restless,' as demographers call them, are at their most desirable age, particularly because their chances of relocating drop precipitously when they turn 35. Cities that do not attract them now will be hurting in a decade. ...
"They are people who, demographers say, are likely to choose a location before finding a job. They like downtown living, public transportation and plenty of entertainment options. They view diversity and tolerance as marks of sophistication....
"In addition to Atlanta, the biggest gainers in market share of the young and restless were San Francisco; Denver; Portland; and Austin, Tex. The biggest losers included Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles."
creative class
Denver
Atlanta
music scene
economic development
indie
clubs
live music
Monday, September 04, 2006
Concert halls as an economic driver
The New York Times reports that five North American cities have unveiled new concert halls this fall, including Costa Mesa, CA; Nashville; Toronto; and Miami. In recent years Philadelphia; North Bethesda, Md.; Fort Worth; and Omaha have already done so. Altanta hopes to do so.
In Cities Across the United States, It's Raining Concert Halls, 9/3/06: "As concert halls have evolved into multipurpose destinations — complete with chic restaurants, bars and the inevitable education centers — local officials and business leaders have come to view them as a chance to revive a downtown or add luster to their city. Orchestra administrators see a draw for new audiences and a means of raising their group’s profile. Music directors envision a platform to artistic greatness. Orchestra members hear wonderful new acoustics. The music-loving public looks forward to more and better concerts.
“'There’s a sense that a concert hall can truly enrich a community,' said Deborah Borda, the president of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. ...
"A look at how the new halls came into being reveals a pattern.
"An orchestra outgrows its old multipurpose hall. A powerful person steps up with drive and money. The planners woo local officials and donors. A celebrity architect is engaged. A large public relations firm begins an expensive campaign trumpeting the architectural and acoustic glories of the new hall."
In Cities Across the United States, It's Raining Concert Halls, 9/3/06: "As concert halls have evolved into multipurpose destinations — complete with chic restaurants, bars and the inevitable education centers — local officials and business leaders have come to view them as a chance to revive a downtown or add luster to their city. Orchestra administrators see a draw for new audiences and a means of raising their group’s profile. Music directors envision a platform to artistic greatness. Orchestra members hear wonderful new acoustics. The music-loving public looks forward to more and better concerts.
“'There’s a sense that a concert hall can truly enrich a community,' said Deborah Borda, the president of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. ...
"A look at how the new halls came into being reveals a pattern.
"An orchestra outgrows its old multipurpose hall. A powerful person steps up with drive and money. The planners woo local officials and donors. A celebrity architect is engaged. A large public relations firm begins an expensive campaign trumpeting the architectural and acoustic glories of the new hall."
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