Looking into Metropolis in downstate IL

[Greencheese]

I've been to Metropolis once, the downtown was almost entirely dead and most full of thrift shops that all had signs saying they were not buying any inventory at this time. A riverport will not save this area, at the end of the day crossing the river into Kentucky or Missouri offers all the same living for less taxes.

[BethMac]

I wanted to add that the people who didn't move out of the small town after high school tend to love it there. They generally have a very large network of friends and family that they have developed over decades. They are also the ones that have a tendency to use those networks to punish people. So, I understand why some people love small towns, if they've grown up there. I just have to wonder if they would feel the same way if they were the outsider coming in.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by BethMac

I wanted to add that the people who didn't move out of the small town after high school tend to love it there. They generally have a very large network of friends and family that they have developed over decades. They are also the ones that have a tendency to use those networks to punish people. So, I understand why some people love small towns, if they've grown up there. I just have to wonder if they would feel the same way if they were the outsider coming in.

Correct, places like Metropolis, IL are what I like to call a "closed loop" kind of town. It doesn't have much of any new job growth, large population declines, and not many new people ever tend to move in. The people that have extended networks of family and friends and employment don't ever tend to leave.