Ilitchville vs. Gilbertville [[Freep)

[ghettopalmetto]

1.) Didn't say that. Highly challenging in 2014 if only due to location. Add in the issues and solvency of the city/region and you have a very tough road ahead. The access to water might help.

2.) The auto boom happened pre-globalization + pre-air conditioning + pre-air travel + cusp of lumber industry slowdown + pre-union busting + a level of serendipitous. You will never see northern land locked midwest cities boom like that ever again.

3.) You can take issue with it all you want, it's a fact. Coastal and southern cities are kicking the crap out of cold weather landlocked cities. The anomalies are Chicago, Denver and Salt Lake City?

If you spent as much energy on positive thought as you did manufacturing excuses, you could rebuild Detroit single-handedly. If I listened to you, I'd almost believe that Mobile, Alabama is "kicking the crap" out of Minneapolis.

At the end of the day, I believe most people could care less about whatever metric an economist or Forbes Magazine invents. Most folks I know just want a nice place to live, with a good job, a means to get around, access to daily needs, and recreational pursuits that fit their interests. Now, those criteria are different for everybody, and there is a certain segment for whom Detroit is appealing. More often than not, those people are going to be creative, ambitious, willing to take a chance, and desire to make a positive difference. Let's not write them off just because you assume they'd rather be programming code on a beach for a nonunion employer.

When you want to get realistic, please let us know.