[QUOTE=Outta here;6494331]
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown
This is such a silly debate.
Because again, if you have options, who wants to work for an angry old white guy who plops his company in Exton or Downingtown simply because/out of spite? Eventually, that will be the exception and not the rule
Wow , [ Ouote ] " simply because / spite ?
Out of the eight counties that make up the PMA , Philadelphia is the smallest in land area .... Not my
fault . Surrounding counties ( with all that undeveloped land ) saw cash cows that could improve
there tax base , employment opportunities , life style , etc .
At the same time .... I believe the late 50's or early 60's , The powers that be did not provide the
incentives for those " old white guys " to wade through the tax , construction , transportation , safety
and other concerns that hindered their desire to remain in the city . FWIW , I hope the city can
regain the status .... you and many others ( including myself ) hope it can
|
I know the reason why the situation is the way it is. I'm completely aware of all of the various historic factors that lead to Philadelphia's decline...many of them self imposed, some of them not. And many of the people who left did so rightly.
My point is...there are a lot of people who hold onto those views, which are outdated...and if they don't change their tune, especially as company owners and executives who are responsible for hiring talent, they do so at the peril of their business and financial success. Because the reality is that TODAY, young, smart, educated people want to be IN THE CITY. Maybe not forever, but at least for their single life...and if you can't attract that person and instead are catering your choice (for location) to the almost irrelevant (sad but true) 45 year old with 2 kids...then you (and your business) risk becoming irrelevant.
I know city life isn't for everyone (I don't want to have that debate). But if your net is cast in a dynamic city (especially when the economy improves and people have more choices) you're going to catch more fish than if you cast it in some bucolic suburb 50 minutes from town...without traffic. It's just a fact and the savvy people in leadership from companies know that. For that reason, it is imperative that Philadelphia change its tax structure because the trickle would be an avalanche, like today, if it were already the case (reformed BPT etc). I believe Philadelphia is heading there (Bill Green's bill in Council is the first major step in that direction) and when it happens holy cow, get out of the way. And in conjunction with the expansion of CHOP, PENN, etc, NE Corridor improvements. Done.
We're also in a very unique time historically, due to a confluence of factors, (and will hopefully stay there forever) which is obviously resulting in the resurgence of cities everywhere in North America (though Philly I believe is doing better than most...esp relative to its past...thank you Rendell and Nutter (whether you like them or not)), which makes it even more imperative that Philly pounce NOW. Because that moment might pass.
One last point. Demographics in the city are also changing...and it is close to a tipping point where even our leadership is getting on board. Whereas in the past all of Council were essentially poverty pimps who purposefully instituted and supported proposals that would further the decline of Philadelphia by putting undue financial burden on it...the growing, loud, affluent, squeeky constituent base has changed in the most unlikely places (think Clark's district, Blackwell's district, Kenyatta's district). Even they're getting on the growth boat. They know if they don't, they risk doing so at their own peril. In fact, it is almost certain Kenyatta will be out of a job next time. The demographics in his district are changing so lightning quick that even the most creative gerrymander won't save him because his district is literally being swallowed/suffocated by gentrification/repopulation from EVERY direction. Unless it literally skips from West of Broad to Hunting Park, he's OUT OF HERE.
With all of that...my point is...All of the stars are aligned right now. It's a really really incredible time we live in to see and experience Philadelphia (as evidence by all of the proposals in this thread...in an economy that is barely growing no less). The energy is palpable. I just hope all of the negative nancies on here realize that and quit complaining. I hate that I'm no longer a part of it. And for all of the envy of NYC. I live here. It's not the same. Yes, it's amazing. But the people here aren't a part of the change. They're not integral to it. They don't feel it the way you feel it in Philadelphia in part because it's such a transient and huge place that even big developments don't register an echo. It's almost anonymous. And believe me, there is a stunning amount of terrible architecture amongst new projects in NY. You just don't see it because its not downtown. It's in the boros, and it's everywhere and it's stunningly mundane. If you saw the quality of infill in Crown Heights where I live in Brooklyn, where you can charge $3,000 for a two bedroom apartment now and $2,000+ for a one bedroom (point being high rents don't equate to better quality), you'd organize a protest on the National Mall. It's that bad. And the rents are what you can charge a few blocks from 18th & Walnut. So please, keep some perspective. Those dazzling buildings in NYC that people gawk over charge $4,000+ for a 1 bedroom. $7,000+ for a two bedroom. $3600 for a studio. No shit. I don't want that to be the case in Philadelphia. Ever. It would stop being Philadelphia if that were the case.
Prev
).
Linear Mode
