Why New York Will Be the Next Silicon Valley

Posted on November 21, 2011 by daniela

NEW YORK 21ST CENTURYTypically when we think of jobs in New York, we think finance, art, the service industry. The Big Apple isn’t exactly a lure for techies or engineers.

But in the attempt to make New York a 21st century city, we tend to compare it with other up-and-coming international cities, such as Bangalore and Guangzhou. We need a Mid-Atlantic Silicon Valley.

Since New York does have excellent health care, it attracts hundreds of millions of dollars  annually. That enough is a lure for big universities like Cornell and Stanford to apply for a tract of land that would become home to an applied sciences and engineering campus as well as about $100 million to spur R&D. It could happen in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, on Roosevelt Island or even in the South Bronx.

Take for example, the Sunshine Business incubator, a workspace of the future where independent professionals of all kinds pay a monthly rental fee to be able to draw upon the skills of people in and outside their field (the web developer helps the ad man who asks the lawyer questions, etc.). This kind of co-op has already become the model for many freelancers and small businesses and is leading to a more interdisciplinary approach of working together.

With that in mind, can you imagine how a 21st century New York City works?

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San Antonio and Its Rich History

Posted on September 13, 2011 by daniela

san antonioThis city is the seventh largest in the U.S. and the 24th largest metropolitan area. In the early 19th century, Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo suggested that inhabitants of the Canary Islands be transported to populate the province of Texas. San Antonio was the capital of the Spanish, and later the Mexican province of Texas. Stephen F. Austin began a troop of Texas Rangers in 1823 after the recent Mexican War of Independence to protect the 700 or so families living in the state. Most of the skirmishes were against Cherokee and Comanche Indians. It wasn’t until later that the Texians fought Mexicans.

Texian troops fought off Santa Anna’s in the late 1830′s. Sam Houston, leader of the Texians, and Davy Crockett and his troop of Tennesseans were called in and determined to hold the old mission building of the Alamo. Santa Anna resolved to take the Alamo by storm. After nearly two weeks of fighting in late February and early March 1836, the final Battle of the Alamo raged and all the native defenders were killed.

After the Alamo, the River Walk is one of the jewels of the city. It runs through downtown San Antonio and has many shops, bars and restaurants. San Antonio is rich with history and culture. It is emerging as a great American city.

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Budgeting For Your First Apartment

Posted on July 15, 2011 by kristenm

apartment movingOh what a scary and exciting time! You’re getting ready to leave the nest and make it out on your own. However, it can be difficult trying to figure out how much to save up when Mom and Dad have been footing all the bills. In terms of how much you need to initially save up, assume that you’ll have to put down both a security deposit and first month’s rent –so two month’s rent. Call up local cable and internet providers and inquire about monthly costs. If you join the same company, you might get a good deal for both. Heating might be included in the rent, but budget another $100 just in case.

Now it’s time to think about groceries, supplies, and furniture. It’s a good idea to start slowly acquiring supplies over a period of time before you actually move out so you’re not hit with the costs all at once. If you’re moving in with roommates, print out lists and divide up the supplies and furniture. It’s better to each buy one piece of large furniture rather than splitting it because when it’s time to move out again, you’ll be fighting over the comfy couch.

Lastly, don’t buy unnecessary items until you finished purchasing all the necessities. Stay organized and open a savings account to make saving even easier.

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New York Still Alpha Eppest City

Posted on March 31, 2011 by daniela

movingNew York’s population was supposed to increase by nearly 400,000 but in reality, so says the census, it grew only 2.1% with about 167,000 new people. But the thing is, New York is already the biggest city in the country, and only one city – San Antonio, which leapfrogged to the 7th largest in the country – added more people.

Many people, including Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn’s president said that “We’re not going to take it lying down.” w/e. You can probably attribute the lackluster numbers to idiots not returning their census forms. Only 63% did, which when compared to the national average of 74% is pretty weak.

In the meanwhile there are lots of other interesting cities you can visit if you’re considering moving and transport. We still have two other Alpha world cities. An alpha city, or a world city, is determined based on a number of economic, cultural, infrastructural and political factors. So far the only Alpha ++ cities in the world are London and New York. The other American alphas are L.A. and Chicago.

Betas +: Washington, Atlanta, San Francisco     Beta: Dallas    Beta -: Houston

Gamma +: Seattle, Denver, San Jose, Minneapolis   Gamma: Portland, Philadelphia  Gamma -: Detroit, Columbus, San Diego.

Portland, Woot! And New York is still the highest ranked, most-ballin city in the world, 2.1% growth or no.

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Detroit Now Probably 18th Biggest City

Posted on March 23, 2011 by daniela

movingDetroit’s population plummeted about 237,500 or 25 percent to 713,777. Detroit’s mayor is all, oh they must have missed some counties, cuz if a city is bigger than 750,000 they get special monies from the government. Yeah right. No one wants to live in that cold shell of a city. They’re going to have to do a lot more than destroy 100,000 lots in order to get people moving back there.

Because of this, Michigan is the only state to show a net population loss since the 2000 census, at .6 percent. The rest of the nation grew at 9.7 percent. In the middle of the century, from 1920 to 1950, Detroit was the country’s fourth largest city.

I’m eagerly awaiting the other rankings. According to my own calculations, my home town of Portland, OR, which saw it’s population rise from 529,000 to about 587,000 is bigger than Las Vegas, but still shy of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Maybe next decade Portland.

I’m sure that by the end of the week we will have more answers regarding the top 25 biggest American cities, which Portland may or may not be a part of. This list is important as it will likely influence the decision of those looking for moving and transport to a new city over the coming decade.

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Mexico, Unions, and Where to Move this Spring

Posted on March 3, 2011 by daniela

movingMoving soon? Stay clear of the Mexican border if you do. Drug related violence has continued steadily over the past five years with some 34,000 Mexicans killed since 2006.

And with all this talk about unions in the midwest, you may want to rethink where you’re moving based on what career you have. If you’re a teacher, carpenter or fireman, think about moving to a blue state where you may have an easier time finding long term benefits and health care. The best places for you are probably the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states as well as the west coast.

If you have a specialty like technology, business or medicine, you’d probably do better in a red state like Texas, North Carolina or Arizona. The large and fast growing cities in these states (Charlotte, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix) and their warm weather make them popular transport destinations.

With unexpectedly strong readings in employment filings, the economy is finally looking to be on solid ground, which means that moving now is the perfect time.  So wait no longer if you’re thinking about relocating. Spring is ideal to pick up and start anew, and with the new year well under way, these economic trends only add to the readiness.

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Chicago vs. Houston

Posted on February 24, 2011 by daniela

movingChicago officially lost the spot as the second largest biggest city in the country to L.A. in 1990, but it probably happened around 1981. Today, as of the 2010 Census, Chicago lost 6.9% of its population to fall to 2,695,598. Houston has never experienced a decline in population and grew 7.5% to 2,099,451. For this census, and maybe next, Chicago is safe.

In terms of Metro Area, Dallas-Ft. Worth is much larger than Houston, and Chicago’s place at number three looks steady with more than 9 million, hovering between the 12 million of L.A. and the 6 million of Dallas.

Keep in mind, however, that Dallas and Houston both experienced about 25% growth during the past ten years in their metro areas. If this keeps up, you can expect the Sun Belt invaders to surpass their northern rivals by about 2030.

In about a month’s time we should have the official figures for the biggest American cities. In the meanwhile it’s interesting to think about what has allowed the Sun Belt cities, such as Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Atlanta to be so strong in the Census. People are moving and choosing transport because, well, it’s warmer. And the economy in Texas has been quite resilient, with a relatively low unemployment rate (8.1% in Houston). Houston is the least expensive major city to live in, another reason to consider moving there instead of Chicago.

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Housing Slumps in New Cities

Posted on February 14, 2011 by daniela

movingPhoenix, Miami, and Vegas saw the worst of it. Now Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Seattle are having their turn. The cities that were hit the hardest are nearing the end of their cycle as they watch prices begin to rise again, while cities that saw minor slumps are still dealing with the repercussions.

The New York Times reports that Seattle housing prices are down 31% from the middle of 2007, when prices peaked. Experts expect prices to fall another 10 percent. Nationally, home prices fell 5.5% in 2010, returning to the lows of March 2009.

Many folks interested in moving become landlords, renting out their homes and living in rented space, in order to have room for new babies. But when the market heals, these landlords will again want to sell, and with all that supply, prices for moving are not expected to go up anytime soon.

The double dip has been disturbing for those looking for home transport. The notion that the house they buy could drop another 20% after they buy it has kept them waiting.

And while Case-Schiller, the think tank that analyzes home prices around the country, says that home prices should stabilize toward December, there’s still no telling.

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Moving For a Free (Or Price-Reduced) Lunch

Posted on February 8, 2011 by daniela

movingIn New York City, it has long been common for students to qualify for a free or price reduced lunch, if their family income falls below a certain level ($28,665 and $40,793, respectively). The Department of Education has absorbed the losses.

No more. Those students who can’t afford a quarter lunch are now being sought to pay their debts. These school lunches were subsidized with nearly $10 billion of government money last year. Now cuts are being made and if the school doesn’t collect for lunch, their classroom funds will be on the chopping block.

Albuqerque, N.M. serves cold lunches and milk. In Wake County N.C., kids can eat as many fruits and vegetables as they want, but can’t have any hot lunch until their debts are paid. In Louisiana, children were not fed at all if they couldn’t pay, until November when courts ruled that at least a snack be given; after three consecutive days of snacking, the welfare authorities must be notified. And in Framingham, M.A., a school constable goes after delinquent parents.

What to do if you’re poor? Think about moving. State transport may be expensive, but when you’re done moving you can allow your kids all the free lunches they want. Make sure, though, that your new school indeed has free, or at least price-reduced, lunch.

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Cold Snap After Storm

Posted on February 3, 2011 by daniela

movingMoving away from winter is a hopeful moment. The sun starts to shine brighter, the birds start to chirp, and the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow. But whoa there. After this week of heavy snowfall across a swath of the country, winter seems all too real.

Chicago received its fifth biggest storm ever and even parts of Mexico around the Rio Grande got some snow. The Deep South avoided it as did the west coast, leaving the middle of the country struggling to recover for days more. Here in New York we had freezing rain and some serious icy patches that made walking along the sidewalks dangerous. So if you’re thinking about moving because you can’t stand the weather, the above map is a pretty good gauge of where you can avoid the snow.

In the meanwhile, I’m watching the temperatures creep higher, and the days grow longer, feeling spring a little more. It’s a deep rhythm that comes from transport of the seasons. The worst is over. That is registered in my brain when I remember the bitter cold of January; was it only last week? The thing about time is that it makes everything seem distant, and the only gauge you have of how far away what is, is your memory.

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