Monday, November 22, 2004
"Can you see why I want to move here? I love this place!"
The young lady gushing into her cellphones was a few feet away from me in Soundgarden in Syracuse's Armory Square district in downtown Syracuse on Saturday. She was leafing through the A part of the used-CD section, while I was transitioning from B to C, but her excitement was quite palpable from that distance.
For a city that has its drawbacks, Syracuse is rightly proud of its Armory Square entertainment district. The hippest neighborhood between Rochester's Corn Hill and New York City (sorry, Ithaca!) offers block on block of renovated buildings elegantly reborn into nightclubs, pubs, shops, galleries and performance spaces. While municipalities in the rest of Central New York would sell their children for economic development, Syracuse had to impose a moratorium on some businesses (read: bars) in Armory. It's that hot ... everybody wants to be there on a Saturday night.
As we had blown into town early (around 5 p.m.) for dinner at Pastabilities to be followed by seeing "The Incredibles" (in, alas, the miles of blight known as the Carousel Center), we could still find a convenient parking space and the lively vibe was just getting warm. Everywhere you looked, you saw youth, vitality, enthusiasm. It's a far cry from, say, going to the Oswego Wal-Mart.
I wondered at the time (and since) about this young woman: In terms of moving, did she mean to Armory Square from another part of town or to Syracuse from another town? That mystery will sit for the ages, but it is worth mentioning that Oswego County is among those asking questions about how to attract and retain young professionals. While I continue to rankle when groups like Next Generation Consulting use the antiquated term "Generation X" to define my cohort (I'll spare you the rant here in terms of the negative stereotypes with the phrase and instead point you to thoughts on the matter on the other world's most boring blog), I am absolutely thrilled to see the area interested -- at last -- in courting younger workers.
Of course, the lack of jobs is a major challenge. But there is something to be said about how cultivating cultural attractions, distinct districts and diverse diversions can make a place a magnet for creative types. Look at Buffalo's Allentown District. Corn Hill in Rochester. Most of Ithaca. Woodstock (the community, not the increasingly bad music festivals). And Armory Square.
The college is one of those institutions that has done well of late bringing in and keeping interesting young professionals. But with Oswego County's workforce aging, the day will come when retirements create openings in many companies, sectors and institutions for younger workers. How soon? How many? How do we take advantage of this opportunity for re-invention? So many questions, so little thought put into it ... until now. I hope it goes well.
Somewhere in here, I should probably mention my inclusion on the Oswego County Business list of Forty Under 40 younger achievers. Kind of cool.
posted by Tim 9:39 PM
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