For those of you who aren't Census junkies or who are dyed-in-the-wool Negadelphians - locals who just cannot find anything nice to say about the City of Brotherly Love - it might come as a surprise to you to hear that Center City Philadelphia is on a roll.
The total population of the city rose modestly from 2000 to 2010, ending a five-decade-long slide and bringing some joy to the hearts of local boosters. But the source of that modest gain was far more localized: the gain was the result of immigrants from abroad settling mainly in the Northeast and twenty- and thirtysomethings* flocking mainly to Center City and areas immediately adjacent. Similar migrations have either rejeuvenated or strengthened residential downtowns in other large cities across the country.
Now comes news from some of those other large cities that the employers may be following in their wake.
A recent report from Chicago on "NPR's Marketplace Morning Report" noted that a number of large companies were abandoning their suburban headquarters for in-city digs. The report specifically mentioned three firms: United Airlines, which will move from the O'Hare Airport area into the Loop; UBS, the Swiss global bank that plans to abandon its corporate campus in Stamford, Conn., reportedly for the bright lights of the Big Apple, and Sears Holdings, which, if the State of Michigan gets its way, will leave the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates for the gritty Motor City.
One of the big reasons given for these back-to-the-city moves: They will help the companies in question attract promising younger talent, who seem to be increasingly drawn to the excitment and energy of the urban core.
Given that, it would seem to be only a matter of time before news breaks that a major Philadelphia-area company will move hundreds of local jobs, or more, from some bosky suburb to somewhere within spitting distance of Broad and Market. There is certainly at least one local developer who would love to lure a Vanguard Group, or a McNeil-PPC, or better still, an employer based outside the region, into the city so he can give the Comcast Center a bigger neighbor. There are certainly lots more younger workers now who would be glad to work for such a firm. Some of them may even be reverse commuting to their workplaces now and would gladly trade their train rides or Schuylkill traffic jams for a walk.
Does this describe you? And if you are currently seeking employment in the Philadelphia region, would you prefer to work in the city or the suburbs if you had your druthers, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments - and, if you feel like it, let me know whether you are one of those twenty- and thirtysomethings or someone past that point - say, a Boomer like me.
*Readers of a certain age might remember the late 1980s TV series that introduced the term "thirtysomething" into the language. You might say the series, which was set in Philadelphia, was ahead of the curve in portraying the city as hip, cool, and appealing to young adults.
By Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith is a veteran freelance writer, editor and public relations professional who lives in Philadelphia. Besides blogging for PhillyJobs.com, he has written for numerous publications and websites, would be happy to do your resume, and is himself actively seeking career opportunities on Beyond.com. Check out his LinkedIn profile and read his other posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com.
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