Where are you flockers?
“Recession-proof?” Not entirely, of course, but better off than most. Stable housing market? Pretty much, yeah. Next Big Thing? Not this town, says Walker, Downtown Ranger:
The thing that hurts OKC the most is the simple fact: People are not flocking there, and have not for a very long time. There will always be the unfair characterization that the culture is not known for opening up to diversity and the fair characterization that education attainment is lacking in Oklahoma due to the brain drain that sends our college graduates to Texas and New York, among other places.
These two factors, I believe, are intimately interlinked: J. Random Graduate, should he consider himself a member of, say, Richard Florida’s creative class, might well conclude that he’s tired of being the only bohemian on the block, and will therefore flee at the first opportunity. In so doing, he makes it that much less likely that we’ll reach a critical mass of like-minded souls, and we’ve got the very model of a modern self-fulfilling prophecy.
Which, of course, leads to the question: How do we get J. Random Graduate to stick around? (I’m assuming that we want him to stick around.) We’ve got a sizable contingent of bored twentysomethings in this town. Let us stipulate that their priorities don’t necessarily coincide with those of us elder folk.
fillyjonk »
14 April 2009 · 8:23 am
Yeah, I remember before I moved here, one of my grad-school friends told me the old joke: what’s the difference between Oklahoma and yogurt?
(Yogurt has culture).
At the time, I had no ammunition to counter her, save “Yeah, but I also have a tenure-track job…”
Then again, the kind of culture I look for tends to be fairly abundant on college campuses. I actually don’t have enough time to do all the “cultural” things I want to do that happen on my campus. Perhaps emphasizing the OKC-based college’s concerts and such? Though I suppose classical concerts and things like art shows don’t attract the “typical” bored 20-something. I thought Bricktown had stuff?
McGehee »
14 April 2009 · 10:06 am
At least now there’s a network TV show set there, that isn’t a sitcom or a “reality” thing. Not that its characters, nor its twist on the “Touched by an Angel” theme, necessarily appeal to the kind of people who are already prone to dissing OKC.
Brett »
14 April 2009 · 10:11 am
Stephen Malanga eviscerated Richard Florida’s “creative class” theories in an article in the Spring 2005 City Journal. Whether we keep young Master or Mistress Graduate around with bike paths, acres of wi-fi enabled coffee shops and our own little prefabbed Bohemian district doesn’t have all that much to do with our economic well-being. Whether we attract their slightly older siblings who are starting families and want boring old-fashioned things like good schools, clean streets and low crime does.
Is there actual data that shows that impressions about whether or not a city “opens up to diversity” have all that much to do with its population growth? I’m not snarking; I’m curious.
Brian J. »
14 April 2009 · 2:47 pm
When I was in the uni, I was in a larger city (than OKC), and everyone was looking forward to fleeing to Chicago or NYC or somewhere else because it had better culture.
At which point I mentioned that within walking distance of campus, there were 3 art museums, 1 city museum, a symphony orchestra or two, a performing arts center featuring sometimes three or four plays going on each night, other theatres, some live music auditoriums catering to different tastes, and so on and so forth. What else did they want? Crowds? Traffic?
unimpressed »
15 April 2009 · 4:42 am
Anonymity?