According to Forbes, Buffalo is one of America's fastest dying cities. Perhaps the high school graduation rate has something to do with it. From the Buffalo News:
One by product of Buffalo's affordability and educational resources is that a lot of folks drawn to the area for the colleges have ended up staying over the last decade. Pockets of artists, hipsters, recent grads and young professionals have revived city neighborhoods. Unlike my youth, there are pockets of nightlight in Buffalo now. These new residents have taken advantage of the low cost of living, the architectural gems that remain from Buffalo's grander past, the natural resources, and have settled down. They may not have tons of money but still enjoy a rich quality of life. Too bad so many locals are missing out.
Buffalo Public Schools’ reform effort took a hit Monday when state data showed the city’s already alarming high school graduation rate dropped last year by 5 percentage points, to 46 percent.What a disaster. To be a high school dropout in a place with a job market like Buffalo is just a horrific thought. The cost of living may be low but salaries are even lower. For qualified folks, places like Wal Mart and Fridays are the good options. Even call centers, one of the big industries in Buffalo, can be picky. The sad part is that there is plentiful cheap education in the area. The local community colleges are cheap for state residents and you can be something less than a scholar and still graduate.
One by product of Buffalo's affordability and educational resources is that a lot of folks drawn to the area for the colleges have ended up staying over the last decade. Pockets of artists, hipsters, recent grads and young professionals have revived city neighborhoods. Unlike my youth, there are pockets of nightlight in Buffalo now. These new residents have taken advantage of the low cost of living, the architectural gems that remain from Buffalo's grander past, the natural resources, and have settled down. They may not have tons of money but still enjoy a rich quality of life. Too bad so many locals are missing out.
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5 comments:
Nice reference to the filming of Superman in Buffalo.
It sucks that your hometown has struggled so much in the last 50 or so years.
by the way, weren't the GOPs saying a few months ago that we were not in a recession...that's right it is just "a state of mind"
I was thinking of a different superman ...
Kurtis, lobbing the racist thing is not cool. If you feel that way, you've got to back it up with some analysis.
You know I'm joking - Soulja Boy is, unfortunately, a phenomenon who transcends race.
The 'lo can't be much worse than Erie where the median income is over 30% below the national average.
I guess I'm getting too sensitive. I chose Superman b/c of how big it is in the burbs. Now, had I used ... wait a minute, ALL rap is big in the burbs. I'm safe. :-)
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